Gift Awesome Gadgets and Things We Love
Not every cool gift idea falls into a neat little category. In fact, some of the best things don’t. That’s why we have a dedicated guide to just the amazing gadgets we’ve enjoyed for a year. Here are some of the coolest things we love.
Belkin WeMo Home Automation
Belkin’s WeMo home automation devices can bring your home back to the 2015 you’ve always dreamed of (and no, I still keep referring to Back to the Future ). The company sells light switches (itis dangerous to enter without light ), sockets, bulbs and much more, programmable using the company’s usual application or using IFTTT triggers . It’s awesome home automation without the hassle of refurbishing your entire home. Or buy a DeLorean. Fine, I will not.
Roku streaming stick
As a longtime Chromecast fan, I was quite surprised to find out how awesome the Roku stick is . Of course, given the feuds between most of the other streaming flash drive companies , this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Roku Streaming Stick ($ 50) has an easy-to-use menu that any family member can use, a physical remote, and supports almost all major streaming services. Yes, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Google Play and dozens of others on one device. It’s hard to beat this.
Good bluetooth speaker
Do you remember the 90s, when everyone walked around with tape recorders tied to their heads? Those were the times. While Bluetooth speakers don’t have the same presence, they are still great for taking a party with you. The KOSS BTS1 ($ 58) is an affordable option with built-in controls and even a kickstand, so you don’t need to use your shoulder to support it. Great future. If that’s not your speed, you can also check out our list of the top five Bluetooth speakers .
Anker Astro Battery
At this point, it’s almost obvious that your smartphone will die at some point during the day, especially if you use it a lot. It sucks. Luckily, external batteries like the Anker Astro Battery Packs can give you energy that phone manufacturers apparently can’t. The Anker Astro was voted the best battery by Lifehacker readers the last time we polled you, and it’s still a good deal.
Nice set of headphones
Finding the right pair of headphones is a big deal . Everyone has their own personal preferences, so it’s hard to recommend one perfect headset ( unless you buy for our editor-in-chief ), but you guys picked your five favorite headphones , which is a good start. The Grado SR80e ($ 99) is the most popular, but everyone else is a good choice – and if you want something a little less expensive, you can also check out our guide to the best headphones you can buy for under $ 20 .
FreedomPop or Karma Wi-Fi hotspots
Losing internet access when you need it most is infuriating. If you want to sow joy this holiday season rather than anger, donate a Wi-Fi hotspot. Both FreedomPop (free) and Karma ($ 149) have great standalone no-subscription hotspots that can provide you with a connection when your home internet or phone dies. Karma lets you pay as you use , so you can simply top up your data package when you run out, although it also has a monthly unlimited subscription for truly unlimited data if you prefer. FreedomPop offers a free tier of 500MB per month , although you can pay more when you need it.
Aqua Notes
We’ve been recommending Aqua Notes ($ 7) for a couple of years now, and that’s because it’s still cool. If you’ve ever had a brilliant idea in the shower when you’re too wet to write it down, Aqua Notes will keep your creativity alive. Just glue the pad to the shower wall and when inspiration strikes, scribble your idea. When you’re done, you can rip off the page and go. Simple but ingenious.
Primula Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Iced coffee (which is different from simply making iced coffee , remember) is delicious any time of the year, but most cold brewing methods require multiple brewing, brewing and filtering tools, even in the simplest cases . The Primula Cold Brew Carafe ($ 27) does it all in one bottle . Plus, it doesn’t look like a chemistry experiment in your refrigerator. Just grind the coffee, add it to the filter, add water and let it brew. When that’s done, press down on the coffee and pull out the filter (and coffee) for easy cleaning, leaving the delicious cold brew concentrate in the carafe. Enjoy.
Moleskine Pro Notebook
If you (or your gift recipient) are the type of person who uses written notes even in the digital age, it’s obvious how much a good notebook costs. Moleskine Pro ($ 20) has everything you need: markup pages, dedicated to-do sections, and a set of sticky shortcuts to quickly navigate through your notes. Each page is numbered so you can easily find your spot later, and there’s even an index spot in the back, which will delight even the most hyper-organized among us . If you like to use your written notes in tandem with an online service like Evernote, Moleskine offers a notebook specially designed for digitizing handwritten notes .