We round up the best techie gift ideas available right now, so whether you’re gift-hunting for your partner, parents, children or even yourself, we’ve got you covered just in time for Christmas.
Parrot Flower Power – $75
This device sits in a flowerpot and keeps track of sunlight, air temperature, fertiliser level and soil moisture. Hopeless plant parents and green-thumbed gardeners will both benefit from the incredibly detailed insights this gadget provides. Requires an iPhone, iPad or Android.
Sunbeam Secret Chef Slow Cooker – $149
This 5.5L slow cooker has a sleek stainless steel body and comes with a one-year warranty. Your guests will toast your succulent roasts!
Noise-cancelling headphones
A great gift for travellers, noise-cancelling headphones will make long flights much more pleasant. The Bose Quiet Comfort 25 headphones are the best pick, but they will cost around $399 ($499 for wireless). However, if you want a more affordable option, Audio Technica’s ATH-ANC29 headphones are your best choice. All the options listed above also come with airplane adapters.
Google Chromecast or Google Chromecast Audio – $59
These nifty gadgets allow you to stream music or video wirelessly in your house to your TV or speakers, using your smartphone or tablet as a remote control.
Sony portable battery – $89.99 (currently marked down to $76.49)
Give the gift of a longer-lasting battery; this portable USB charger will recharge a smartphone up to four times, or a tablet once.
Mains Power Meter – $21.95
A perfect gift for anyone energy- or money-conscious, this little device plugs into an outlet and monitors how much electricity appliances are using. You can also configure it to show you power usage in dollars, using your local electricity price.
For teens: Wireless speakers
These will connect to smartphones with Bluetooth and allow you to play music wirelessly. There’s a huge variety available, with prices ranging from less than $10 to over $500 so you can pick one that fits your price range. Here are some of our recommendations:
Affordable: Soniq Speaker – $34.95
Mid range: Sony SRSX11 – $79
Splurge: Sonos PLAY – $249
For kids: 36 Piece Kids Microscope Set – $29.95
Fostering an inquisitive nature in children, this microscope will open up a new world for them to explore.
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Top five gadgets of 2016
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Top five weirdest gadgets in the world
