You can be forgiven for thinking that buying a tech gift for someone special this holiday season might burn a hole through your bank account, but it doesn’t have to be that way. For $100 or less, you can find a quality gadget that would not only make a great gift, but would be easy to put to good use as well.
Roku 3
Though it tends to be sold for around $110, it deserves its place in this list because it’s a solid product and is well worth the price tag. Small and user-friendly, the Roku 3 serves up content in the form of “channels”, so along with Netflix and Crackle, for instance, you get a slew of other sources that you likely have never heard of. Within some of these are real gems that include indie movies, cooking videos and more. The smooth interface makes it easy to find what you might be looking for. Another plus is that there is a community that supports the product through “private channels” that aren’t available from Roku directly. Do a search on the Web and you will find them.
Kobo Mini
If the person you have in mind is a reader of books, then the Kobo Mini might be a good way to bring him or her into the eReader fold. The device has a 5-inch E Ink display and is small enough to fit into most pockets or a purse. With 2GB of internal storage, they can fit 1,000 books, and benefit from almost month-long battery life. It’s a nice product but is a bit fragile, so given its low price, it would be ideal to pair it with a nice cover. The Mini itself can be had for as low as $40 now.
Fitbit Flex
You wouldn’t give this to someone to be presumptuous, but there’s no question a gift like the Flex is for the right reasons. A wristband that tracks steps, stairs and distance like a pedometer, it also measures calorie burn and includes a silent alarm for waking up from sleep. The data can be synced with an iOS or Android device, as well as a PC or Mac. You can find the Flex for around $100, but if you have a little bit more to spend, you can opt for the Fitbit Force for $130.
Belkin WeMo Light Switch
It might not seem like the coolest tech gift to give someone, but it’s a highly functional one that might elicit a different view of lighting at home. Replacing a conventional light switch, this one has built-in Wi-Fi, connecting to the home network and making it possible to turn it on or off even when no one is home. It works with the free WeMo app on iOS or Android, which also allows you to schedule when the light can turn on or off, which is great for when away from home. Selling for $50, it’s a good deal for what you get.
Leap Motion
This is a cool gizmo for controlling a computer through hand and finger gestures on a Windows PC or Mac. It’s a small device, so it doesn’t take up much space and is relatively easy to set up and manage, though performance takes some time to get used to. The Leap Motion even has its own app store called Airspace. For that loved one with a desktop computer, this could be a novel gift that changes the way they use it. For $80, it’s a reasonable cost, especially as it will be updated with new features in the New Year.
Mophie Juice Pack Helium
If you have a loved one with an iPhone 5 or 5s, and they complain about battery life, this might be the gadget that solves the problem. Part-case, part-battery, the Helium almost doubles the battery life of either of those two iPhone models (note it doesn’t fit the iPhone 5c). There is a switch to turn it on or off in the back, including LED indicator lights to show how much of a charge it has left. There is a pass-through headphone jack, so headphones aren’t impeded and even the built-in speakers filter through. At $80, and coming in black, silver and red, it’s a great gift for an iPhone user.
Parrot Flower Power
Whether or not the person you have in mind has a green thumb or not, Parrot’s Flower Power is a unique gizmo that could either give them the confidence to have plants at home or excite the botanist in everyone. Running on one AAA battery with a lifespan up to six months, the device can work indoors or outdoors between –10-degrees and 55-degrees. It connects to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch via Bluetooth, and through the free Flower Power app, you can keep tabs on how your plant or flowers are faring. The database has over 6,000 plants and trees, along with over 2,000 vegetable species. If you’re not sure how to best take care of the greenery in and around your home, this will measure details like soil moisture, temperature, fertilizer and lighting. For $70, it’s a nice present to give someone. Chances are, they will not expect it.
