Christmas time is rapidly approaching, and that means more than just mistletoe and wine. It means gadgets. Because Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one new hi-tech toy, right? So, if you’re looking for present ideas, or just to reward yourself for getting through another year, then hopefully this list will provide some inspiration.
Nintendo Wii U – The successor to the game-changing Nintendo Wii, the Wii U will bring HD visuals, DS-inspired dual-screen gaming and touchscreen controls to the table. With two options, the 8GB Basic pack and 32GB Premium pack (£250 and £300 respectively) the Wii U isn’t the cheapest of gifts, but given Nintendo’s track-record for enthralling family entertainment a Wii U could make the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas holiday.
Polaroid Z2300 – Think instant cameras are a thing of the past? Polaroid beg to differ. This 10-megapixel camera may cost £150 but let’s you print out the image you just snapped in under a minute, while also saving it directly to the camera or an SD card. Perfect for capturing all the fun of the festive season and sharing with family members of all generations.
Kindle Paperwhite – Want to escape the Christmas chaos by diving into a good book? Do it in style with the new Kindle Paperwhite. With 62% more pixels and 25% better contrast the new Kindle has crisper text than ever before. It also comes with built-in lighting so you can read it in the dark without disturbing anyone.
Sennheiser IE80 Ear Canal Phones – £212 might seem like an insane amount to spend on headphones, but when the traditional Christmas family argument gets going, you might be glad you splashed out. Offering outstanding sound-quality, these rugged yet stylish Sennheisers come with a variety of interchangeable ear buds to give you the perfect fit. Vital for drowning out unwanted background noise.
Nike+ FuelBand – This is one for when the festive season is over and you realise how many inches all that turkey and stuffing has added to your waistline. The FuelBand uses a 3-axis accelerometer to judge how active you are, instantly calculating your activity level in ‘NikeFuel’. You set yourself daily NikeFuel targets, then the FuelBand keeps you constantly updated with how you’re doing. At £120 it’s not the cheapest fitness gadget, but for simple, ever-present motivation boosters the FuelBand is hard to beat.
2012 has been a bumper year for new technology, so here’s hoping you get at least one exciting new bit of kit in your stocking this December 25th. Even if it is from yourself.
Ed Prior is a third year student, writer, very amateur Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner , gamer and part-time vegetarian. He is here writing for Synergy ICT, retailers of business focused software.
