Christmas is fast approaching. With only a few weekends left, there’s little time to find the right gifts for the people on your list. If you have waited until the last minute, don’t worry as there are tons of great gifts worth considering for your special someone. A perfect gift is something they can use at the office and beyond for both work and play. Here are some great and affordable suggestions.
A Smart Speaker for the Hybrid Worker
You can never go wrong with a smart speaker or smart display: someone will always find use for one. The Amazon Echo Show 5 would like great in a home office or on a night table as a high-tech alarm clock and personal morning assistant. They can ask it about the weather and daily traffic report, the news headlines while getting ready in the morning, and to play favourite music. It can also wake them up to their favourite streaming music or talk radio channel. With the smart display, watch videos, display a slideshow of images, or even see who is at the door when someone rings a compatible video doorbell. At just $119, no matter who the person is, chances are they’ll find use for this.
A USB Mic and Earbuds for the Gamer, Content Creator
For someone who loves to game and/or create content, there are useful accessories you can get them that they might not already have. The HP HyperX SoloCast USB mic, for example, is a simple plug-and-play USB-C device that can record in 24-bit at 96kHz. It comes with a flexible stand and boom arm and mic, and convenient features like a tap-to-mute sensor and LED mute indicator. It’s compatible with all the popular services like TeamSpeak and Discord and sells for $70.
Combine the mic with the HyperX Cloud Earbuds II, which come in a striking red finish and sell for $50. It’s optimized for use while gaming and comes with four ear tip sizes for a perfect fit along with a hard-shell case so you can take them with you. There’s a built-in mic and a 90° plug that helps reduce snags. It’s the perfect back-up pair to a full-fledged headset they can use on the go or when multitasking. It’s compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and mobile devices with a 3.5mm jack (or adapter).
We’re giving away an HP accessories bundle that includes both these accessories. Enter our contest for your chance to win.
A Portable Bluetooth Speaker for the Outdoorsy Person
Most people nowadays have some type of portable Bluetooth speaker. But a solar-powered portable Bluetooth speaker? Now, that’s something unique. The Urbanista Malibu solar charging wireless speaker is perfect for those who are often on the go, whether it’s traveling, chilling at the park or beach, or going up to the cottage or campsite. It self-charges from exposure to the sun or powerful indoor artificial light. With an IP67 rating, it is resistant to rain, sand, dust, and dirt and you can control it from the companion mobile app. At just $199 in midnight black or Desert grey, they will love having a back-up speaker they know will always work and they might never have to plug in: it even has a full day battery reserve.
An eReader for the Bookworm
A bookworm with a home library as big as your local school might love an eReader to help streamline the process. They won’t have to visit the library every week anymore or make space in the home for all their books. The Kobo Clara 2E ($160) is an affordable option and a good last-minute pick. It’s fully waterproof so they can use it virtually anywhere. It’s also made of recycled plastic. The 6-inch screen is about the same size as a paperback novel, and the E Ink Carta 1,200 touchscreen mimics the look of ink on paper. There’s a Dark Mode they can use when desired and ComfortLight Pro so it’s easy to read day or night, in bright sunshine or under the covers in bed. The best part? It can hold thousands of books and has a battery that lasts for weeks. Go the extra mile and load it up with a few hot new book titles to get them started.
Don’t forget to enter our contest for a Kobo Libra 2 eReader with SleepCover, a prize bundle worth $275 so you might luck out and get an eReader for yourself, too. This model has a larger screen, twice as much storage, and page buttons for easy turning. The contest runs through December 20, 2023.
A Webcam for the Home Office
If the person has been lucky enough to secure a work-from-home contract, they’ll probably be doing lots of video meetings. An upgraded webcam will come in handy for this. The Kensington W1050 1080p fixed focus wide angle webcam will be the perfect addition to the home office set-up. It works with all the most popular video conferencing apps like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and others, as well as with popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS. They’ll get HD video with improved low light performance and focus that adjusts up to 37° vertically and 360° horizontally so you always stay centered in the frame. Audibly, noise reduction technology helps improve sound through the omnidirectional stereo mics. There’s an integrated lens cover to keep it covered when they aren’t actively on a call. Download the Kensington Konnect software to further customize video settings. You can find it for under $100, but we’re also giving one away combined with the 
Kensington H3000 wireless headset for a full prize package valued at about $250 total. Enter our contest to win.
Looking for more gift ideas? Check out our holiday gift guide for entertainment lovers, and more tech gift ideas for the hybrid worker.
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