The holiday season is upon us yet again and hordes of you,
my readers, are looking to spend some good money on presents for yourself or
loved ones. So to help with redistribution of wealth and that your hard earned
money is not wasted on worthless things like food or utilities, I kid, I kid,
here is my list of things to get for the discerning geek.
iPhone 5S – Yes, even though I, myself shun Apple products but
there are those of you that love that red fruit and the iPhone 5S (RM2399 16GB)
is a major step up from the iPhone 4 series. Owners of iPhone 5 may want to
skip the 5S unless you happen to do a lot of phone photography or seriously
want an iPhone with the new 64bit processor, in which case then rock on. For
those of you that cannot dish out that kind of dough but are still thinking of
upgrading your old iPhones can check out the iPhone 5C (RM1999 16GB). It is
basically a plastic iPhone 5.
For the Android fans that want a beautiful and simple user
interface coupled with one of the fastest mobile processors, stunning display
and awesome audio then the HTC One is the one to have. The Samsung Galaxy S4 comes
in a close second if the HTC One is not to your liking and for those that
believe size does matter and want 4K video recording the Galaxy Note 3 will
suit you just fine.
VitaQi-S4 - A complimentary gift that goes well with the
Galaxy S4 is the VitaQi-S4 (USD $43.99). It gives the Galaxy S4 the ability to
wireless charge it battery just replace the back cover with the VitaQi-S4 and
your Galaxy S4 can now wirelessly recharge like other nifty phones out there. https://www.promate.net/VitaQi_S4_p/vitaqi-s4.htm
Evolutive Labs Rhino Shield – Now that you have bought your
expensive smartphone you need something to protect the screen. Yes, I know most
smartphones have Gorilla Glass protecting the screen but with Rhino Shield
providing 5 times the protection to Gorilla Glass 2 every little bit helps for
those of you with butter fingers? http://shopify.evolutivelabs.com/
Belkin SongStream BT HD Bluetooth Music Receiver– Another
cool accessory for your smartphone is a Bluetooth Speaker or better yet a high
quality Bluetooth Receiver. We all know you can find decent Bluetooth speakers
but what if you want to rock hard with the expensive speakers on you already
have? Well the Belkin Songstream provides a good solution of utilizing any
speakers you have instead of buying some mediocre Bluetooth Speakers that will
disappoint you. http://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-G3A2000/
Google Chromecast – Speaking of streaming music, how about
streaming video from your smartphone or tablet straight to the TV without
wires? Chromecast from Google is being an extremely popular solution and every
device from Android and Apple is supported. It is simple to setup and simple to
use. http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/
Nexus 7 (2013) – Speaking
of Google, the new Nexus 7 is out and it is better than ever. Starting at
USD229 for 16GB almost everything has been upgraded in a thinner and smaller form
factor. As for Apple fans, they can look forward to the new iPad Mini
Retina if comes out before Christmas otherwise you will have to wait until
Chinese New Year or Hari Raya but from what I seen and heard it will be worth
the wait. http://www.google.com/nexus/7/
GoPro Hero 3+ Black
Edition – Looking to do a little adventure filming? Nothing beats the GoPro in
that regard. Not only is it a favourite camera of sport enthusiasts to record
their hair brain, near death experiences but it comes with a plethora of
accessories that will make camera geek drool. There is almost no place a GoPro
cannot go. http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-CHDHX-302-HERO3-Black-Edition/dp/B00F3F0GLU/
Pebble Smartwatch – In all honesty I really do not see a
reason for a smartwatch since I find the screen too small to be of a practical
use when I can just spend 4 seconds to pull out my smartphone but some people
do enjoy this little toy. It can last 5 to 7 days without needing to be
recharged, has a totally customizable face, a hosts of apps from keeping track your
exercise routine to all sorts of notifications like SMSes, footie scores and so
on. It is also water proof and readable in the sun so those days on beach where
you want to get away from it all but cannot, the Pebble Watch should fit right
in. https://getpebble.com/
iRobot Roomba – How dare we prattle on about all the good
gear for ourselves and not spare a thought for dear old mom? Well the Roomba
will not replace the maid anytime soon but it does happily do its work on
schedule without needing a break. If you are looking for a full floor service
there is also Scooba to wash the floor and Braava to mop it. But I think that
we should take things a little slow with Mom until she gets used to this new
fangle thingamajig, her and the cat. http://www.irobot.com/us/
Despicable Me 2 Minion Tim (Singing Action Figure) – This is
a gift for all those Minion fans out there. Tim has 25 quotes and 3 songs,
there is nothing more to say only to grab your wallet. http://www.amazon.com/Despicable-Me-Minion-Singing-Action/dp/B00BSWRZ1G/
Suck UK Salt and Pepper Bots – Sometimes you have one of
those awkward dinners where nobody is saying anything due to all sorts of
reasons? Well the Salt and Pepper Bots is a great way to break the tension.
Offer someone the salt, wind up that sucker and watch it match onward to
surprised recipient. Also great for keeping the little kiddies occupied while
the grownups talk. http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Pepper-Bots-Suck-UK/dp/B0030NLBDE
Game Technologies Dice+ - And finally this is one your
tabletop gamer friends out there. Dice+
is a Bluetooth motion controller that is, well, a dice. Toss it around like any
other dice but what separates it apart from normal dice is how it interacts
with the games that you can download on your tablet that come free with it.
Most of the games uses the Dice+ like eh, a dice but certain games do take
advantage of the motion sensors. There is WWII fighter plane game that utilizes
Dice+ motion sensor so that you can control the motion of the plane while tapping
or holding one of the Dice+ face to fire your machine guns or rockets. There will
be more games coming out for it although not all will be free to play but it
works on both Android and Apple devices and makes a nice diversion for the
kids, family or friends on those long quiet nights. http://dicepl.us/
