Well, we’re coming up to that time of year again, the busy Christmas season. Still trying to think of a tech related gift to buy for someone? Or perhaps looking for something for yourself? Regardless, this list of five Christmas tech ideas should come in handy.
Digital Radios
We’re moving into a world where everything seems to be going digital, and radios are not spared this treatment. Digital radios are the subject of much discussion at the moment, particularly (and not surprisingly) on the radio. If you know someone who is a rabid radio listened, then a digital radio might just be the right idea for this Christmas. Available in the same range of sizes you find traditional radios, from bench-top to portable, there’s a digital radio to suit anyone’s needs. While digital radios are not as cheap as standard analogue radios, there are always bargains to be had if you shop around this season.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime
The Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime is looking to be the hottest tablet of 2011 – and possibly much of 2012 as well. Being the first tablet to sport the Tegra 3 quad-core chip, it’s every geek’s dream tablet at the moment. That said, the Prime will apparently be available from the cool price of $499, and while this isn’t a cheap gift, it certainly is good value for money.
Amazon Kindle
Amazon’s Kindle range is always growing, and this means that it’s likely there’s an option to suit everyone. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who’s a heavy reader, or even just someone who reads the occasional book, an Amazon Kindle might be the perfect gift idea for this Christmas. With Amazon recently releasing the cut-down entry model Kindle for just over $100, it certainly is a very affordable – and entertaining – gift for any reader.
Samsung Galaxy Ace
The Samsung Galaxy Ace is no top-end smartphone, but you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking it was. Priced around the $200 mark, it offers affordability combined with a feature set normally reserved for top of the line smartphones. With an 800MHz processor, 5MP camera and a 3.5″ glass touch screen running at 320×480, this is no cheapy smartphone knock off. I recommend this smartphone as a gift idea because I had a chance to play around with one of them recently. It compared quite well to my HTC HD2 (running Android), and I decided to grab one as a gift for a family member – at this low a price you can’t go wrong. If you know someone hoping for a smartphone this Christmas, consider the Samsung Galaxy Ace.
Bass Burger
You see these all over the internet, and I’m sure in shops everywhere as well. I’m simply going to refer to it by the name I first heard it called – a bass burger. These tiny portable speakers feature an internal rechargeable battery, and an expanding design which augments their sound quality. In fact, these small speakers do offer very good sound for their tiny size. While I can’t make any qualitative comparison, having owned one I would rate it positively compared to other portable speakers in this price range, especially those (such as cheap Logitech portables) which just feature flat speakers in a plastic body. These speakers make an excellent gift for anyone who uses their MP3 player, smartphone, or other portable device for music or games – if they don’t mind everyone else hearing them, that is.