|
In the
spirit of the season, I've picked out 10 geeky gifts
that cost less than
$100
. Some are practical. Some are fun. All would be good
additions to your gift list for friends and family —
or your own wish list. (Ranked by price.)
1.
Freehands Gloves,
$18
, Freehands.com
It's the
winter conundrum for all iPhone users: Keep your hands
warm or feed your addiction to your touch-screen device?
Freehands gloves allow you to do both. The thumbs and
forefingers flip back on the gloves for easy browsing
and texting, then close to keep your fingers warm. Made
of materials from fleece
($18)
to cashmere
($70)
.
2. Clocky
Alarm Clock,
$34.95
,
Amazon.com
This
alarm clock on wheels will make sure you get out of bed.
Clocky allows you one snooze, then hops off your
nightstand and rolls around the room flashing and
beeping like R2D2. You have to catch it to stop the
alarm. Users report it's great for getting kids out of
bed in the morning.
3. Targus
Chill Mat XC,
$34.99
, NewEgg.com
If you've
ever used your laptop on your lap, you know how hot it
can get. That's where the Targus Chill Mat comes in.
This gadget includes two fans to keep the computer cool,
soft padding for your lap and ergonomic design for
typing, all in a lightweight package.
4.
Novophone Retro Phone Handset,
$35
, UncommonGoods.com
As cell
phones get smaller, it's harder to use them for their
original purpose: making calls. Novophone allows you to
plug a corded handset (circa 1980) into your mobile
phone. While it may seem gimmicky (and is sure to
attract some stares), users report that it has great
sound quality on both ends, reduces fatigue on long
phone calls and protects you against the potential
danger of cell phone radiation. You may need to purchase
an adapter, depending on your phone; check Novophone.com
to be sure.
5.
Clickfree Traveler (16GB),
$58.95
, BuyDig.com
The
credit-card sized Clickfree Traveler makes it easy to
back up your data when you're on the go. Just plug the
slim device into your USB drive; it uses its own
software to back up your documents, photos, e-mail and
presentations. The Clickfree Traveler works with both
Macs and PCs, and reviewers praise its functionality. It
also comes in 32GB and 64GB versions.
6. Nike+
SportBand,
$59
, REI.com
The Nike+
SportBand tracks your distance, pace, time and calories
burned while you run using an in-shoe module and
watch/wristband. The watch face then converts to a USB
device for easy data uploading to nikeplus.com, where
you can log runs, get training advice and connect with
the
Nike
running community.
7.
Seagate BlueAnt S1,
$59.98
,
Buy.com
This
handy gadget clips to the driver's side sun visor to
allow hands-free calling via Bluetooth. Reviewers report
that it has a good quality speaker phone and microphone
and that it cancels out road noise nicely. The BlueAnt
can connect with two phones at a time, and answering is
as simple as a spoken command.
8. Roku,
$79.99
, Roku.com
Many
people are forgoing cable TV in favor of watching their
favorite shows on the Internet or via DVD. Roku brings
these trends together in a set-top box that lets you
stream movies from
NetFlix
and Amazon Video on Demand, Internet radio from Pandora,
games from MLB.com and content from other services. You
can pay
$20
more for a high-def version.
9. chumby
one,
$99.95
, Chumby.com
My boss
swears by this little device, which streams Internet
radio, sports scores, headlines, stock quotes, weather,
podcasts, etc., 24/7. Choose from among 1,500 different
widgets, connect the chumby to your wireless Internet,
and you're ready to go. The original chumby costs about
twice as much; the recently released (and backordered)
chumby one features a more basic housing but greater
horsepower inside.
10.
Powermat Wireless Charging Mat,
$99.99
, BestBuy.com
The
Powermat Wireless Charging Mat is this holiday season's
top toy for adults. This product's magnetic technology
allows you to charge up to four devices (such as MP3
players, cell phones and handheld gaming systems)
without a tangle of power cords. Critics point out that
you must first plug your devices into specific receivers
that run
$30 to $40
each, but reviewers say it's worth the cost. The
Powermat includes one receiver and comes in two
versions; one for home and office and another for
travel.
———
(Think
you can stump the geeks? Send your high-tech question to
stumpthegeeks@newsobserver.com.
Please include your name, address and daytime phone
number. Individual replies are not given.)
|
