Great Gadget Gifts
We love technology and that’s why we’re sharing our recommended list of the best tech toys for children and adults alike. We’ve already purchased many of these products for our loved ones this holiday season. Find the perfect stocking stuffer, toy for your child, or gift for a fellow adult.
Stocking Stuffers
TOUCH SCREEN GLOVES
An oldie but a goodie, touch screen gloves are a must have. If you are looking for a little something to warp up with a greeting card, this is it. From doormen to CEOs it’s a present everybody can use!
ONAJI PAWA CARD
There are a TON of battery bank products out there, and they all come in useful when when our phone is showing red and beeping for a charger. What sets Onaji apart is that it's the size of a credit card with the capability to fully charge your dying cell. You can also use it to store and sync data. It's compact profile make it easy to store so you have it on you when you need it.
TRACKR BRAVO
Tile has been on the market for a while, and is practical gift, but new comer Trackr Bravo, has an edge. Although Trackr won’t ship until the first week in January, it made our list because for belated celebrations or IOU presents because it's an upgrade on the genius concept.
Trackr is a tiny, small locator the size of a coin that you can attach to or place in objects you tend to lose. When you need to locate said objects open your Tracker app to see it’s location. Ping the locator and it will begin to beep. It will also let others near your missing locator know you are looking for your object in case they come across it. With unlike Tile, wit Trackr you can also use the device to ring your missing cell phone, even if your phone is on silent.
3-D PRINTING PEN
There are two major competitors out there, 3D Doodler and Lixpen. Both use a filament cartridge and operate similar to a plastic 3D printer. While this is a fun gift, we should warn it's better in theory. Both create vibrations which makes drawing a straight line nearly impossible, but if you're just looking for something the kids will like to play with, it is pretty cool.
Gifts for Children and Teens
OSMO
Awarded Time Magazine's best invention of 2014, Osmo changes the way we think of an iPad. A small attachable device is placed over the camera allowing the iPad to visually input all objects or markings in the play area onto the screen. The device has three games that can be downloaded from the App Store, Tanagram (uses blocks), Newton (Uses a regular writing utensil), and Words (uses letter tiles). This innovation is something you have to see to fully understand.
LEAP TV
From the makers of educational software and products Leap Frog, Leap TV is Wii meets Kinect for the little guys. It's nothing ground breaking, but it is a way for younger kids who struggle with the other gaming systems to get up, move, and burn some energy while emulating the big kids.
LEGO FUSION
Legos have come a log way from when we were kids. Lego Fusion uses a tablet to capture what you build with the classic bricks. The compatible app allows you to import your Lego model and build a virtual world. There is the original Town Master, Battle Towers, and the female oriented Resort Designer.
SMART SPORTS EQUIPMENT
New sports equipment such as the Micoach Smart Ball (soccer ball) from Adidas and 94Fifty (basketball), which was named one of TIME's "Top 25 Innovations of the Year" combine activity and technology. These balls have sensors in them that analyze your activity and make suggestions on how you can improve your technique.
Gift for Adults
UNE BOBINE
The Une Bobine is a flexible metal charger that will hold whatever position you put it in. This is great for reading, driving, and eliminating the reaching arm from selfies (when used with apple smart head phones).
GO PRO PRODUCTS
Go Pro is no longer a start up only active individuals know about. It has revolutionized the video selfie so to speak. This winter, the new Hero 4 is out, along with a wide variety of mounts. Third party companies make drones to hold your Go Pro or other DSLR camera for breath taking arial footage .
NOD
Wearable tech isn't for everybody, but we think the functionality Nod offers is worth wearing despite it's plain black design. Nod is a ring that allows you to control your Smart TV, many electronic devices, power points, and even some home technology equipment with the flick of a finger. Unfortunately this is one of those pre-order items, but if your recipient is the patient type, it looks like it will be worth the wait.
THE GIFT OF CUSTOMIZED INTEGRATION
At HTE we receive requests from clients wanting to gift family members custom integration equipment. Popular holiday items include Kaleiscape, a movie server that stores 100 blu-ray quality movies, high-end speakers and turn tables, and video equipment like Sony's short throw projector which is great for home theaters and gaming rooms where shadows just won't do. If you're interested in giving the gift of customized integration, you can purchase an HTE Gift Card online, via phone at 631-446-1000 ext. 115, or at our headquarters in Southampton.
