Tis the season to be jolly! The festive season is yet again upon us, a time for family, over indulgence and spending your hard earned cash on presents for friends and family. We have already laid out our top 5 wearable gadgets for Christmas, now we want to go a bit broader. When it comes to buying gifts for guys (and the odd girl), especially those who like gadgets (almost all of them), you won’t have to look to far to find a cool present. We scoured the web for some of the most interesting gadgets out there. Here is our top 5 gadgets gifts to buy this Christmas…
Star Wars BB8 Droid
Ok. For me you don’t even have to bother reading this article any further. This adorably cute astromech droid is set to star in the new Star Wars movie “˜The Force Awakens‘ and it‘s got everyone very excited! This rolling ball of personality is the latest creation from Sphero, and just like the V2 and the Ollie, it‘s completely controllable from a smartphone or tablet. Not only that but you can also control BB-8 with various voice commands or it can roam autonomously exploring its environment
The guys over at Apple said – “Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and perk up when you give voice commands. Watch your Droid explore autonomously, guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings. BB-8 is more than a toy ““ it‘s your companion.”
The BB8 is definitely the next big thing since the Roomba (robot vacuum cleaner). You can get your hands on one from iStores and Dion Wired from around R2,750 ZAR.
Micro Drone 2
We saw this little guy at the rAge expo this year. Probably the smallest, camera-mounted drone on the market. It has a very clever self-righting algorithm in action that always determines which way is the right side up even if you throw it in the air like a frisbee. Despite having the maneuverability of a dragonfly, it even has a live-streaming functionality with a headset not too unlike the recently bought-by-Facebook Oculus headset. So not only is this little flying device packed full of cool tech, it is loads of fun.
The best thing about the Micro Drone though is that it won’t cost you an arm or a leg. The little drone is priced at R1,200 ZAR and is available on their website.
PS4 or Xbox One
Yeah, yeah I know. A bit cliche right? But show me a guy that won’t be happy to get a PS4 or an Xbox One for Christmas! Buying a new generation console this time of year just makes sense. There are hundreds of specials, hardware and gaming combos out there, you are definitely spoiled for choice.
Both Sony and Microsoft has had a bit of time to iron out their teething problems since launch and since Sony recently announced that they are also planning on bringing the backwards compatibility feature to the PS4 (to match the Xbox One), now is the time to upgrade to the new generation consoles.
Google Cardboard
Enough with the expensive stuff! Here is a gift that would make both the recipient and your pocket very happy. Google’s Cardboard gadget allows anyone with a smartphone to experience virtual reality on the cheap. We recently reviewed the Google Cardboard and needless to say we loved the idea! There are hundreds of different apps on both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store to keep you occupied for hours on end.
Of course you can‘t expect a mind blowing Oculus Rift like experience from the Cardboard. But that is not the idea behind the Google Cardboard, they have created a very accessible piece of DIY hardware that anyone can enjoy. Priced at only R119 from iToys, this little present won’t dent the bank balance that much!
PowerMonkey Expedition
Now this is very cool! From the creators of the Powermonkey Extreme series, a range of solar powered batteries that can charge your phone and run small appliances, comes a new toy – The Expedition! With an ever-increasing number of people heading out to the world’s most remote locations, it is evident that a growing amount of mobile devices are going with them. The need for unlimited, off-grid power has never been greater.
This weatherproof beast has a 10,500mAh capacity, is compatible with everything from smartphones to satellite trackers, and will give its lucky owner about 40 minutes of talk-time from just ten minutes of (mildly exhausting) work on its crank-handle. It comes at a price though (around R6,000 ZAR), but when you are in a pinch this will definitely be a life saver. Also check out the solar-powered Extreme series (starts around R2,000 ZAR).
Do you have any great gadget gift ideas? Let us know in the comment section below.
