Top 5 Christmas Tech Gifts Of 2014 – Tried and Tested
December 19, 2014 10:32 am
Still looking for the perfect present for your technology-obsessed spouse or sibling but finding yourself bamboozled when the sales assistant babbles on about pixels and Intel core processors?
Don’t sweat it, it’s natural for us last-minute shoppers to conclude we’re about as tech-savvy as the Christmas turkey when we’re overwhelmed by choice and technicalities.
But don’t give up on finding the perfect gadget just yet…
As a team infatuated with all of technology’s weird and wonderful devices, we at Text Republic have decided to make things a little easier for you.
To help you on your last minute hunt, we’ve tried and tested some of the best gadgets and gizmos on the market, ranging from €19 – €130, and handpicked the best top 5 in terms of quality, versatility and cost.
From inexpensive novelty gifts to the latest and greatest contraptions, here are our top 5 Christmas buys…
1. Cookie USB Mug Warmer – €18.99
Cheap and cheerful; this novelty gift plugs right in to your laptop, PC or mac, keeping your cuppa heated while you stay engrossed in work, scrolling the social media newsfeeds or doing your spot of online shopping.
A perfect gift for family, friends, co-workers or the kris kindle randomer who’s difficult to buy for.
Everyone has a favourite hot bevy, whether it’s their morning coffee, afternoon tea or a delicious hot chocolate.
No more neglecting that cold last sip!
Pros:
- Versatile
- Inexpensive
- Keeps your drink at 50 degrees
- Works very well with flat bottomed mugs or metal cups
- Heat is activated via an on/off button
Who is it suited for?
- Family
- Friends
- Tea/coffee lovers
- Colleagues
- The generally stressed and overworked
- Gadget lovers
- Kris Kindle randomers
What Gillian has to say:
“There really is nothing worse than going to take sip of your nice hot cup of coffee, only to realise it’s been more than half an hour since you’ve made it and it’s gone stone cold! That bitter disappointment has definitely subsided since I’ve had this on standby in the office – a great little invention I have to say!”
Click here for technicalities and more info.
2. Selfie Stick – €19.99
With Vogue deeming the selfie stick as “the latest fashion accessory”, and the Daily Mail classifying it as the “must have” gift this season, retailers have been amazed at how fast the selfie stick is flying off the shelves.
2014 is the year of the selfie after all!
Sure, the selfie might be associated with pouting teenage girls in a stereotypical sense, but realistically we’re all regular selfie takers – couples, family, friends and colleagues alike! It’s a versatile and light-hearted gift for anyone.
The stick extension allows you to take pictures from a variation of angles and gives you more opportunities to fit people and places into the shot, so no more squishing cheeks together like you’re trying to morph into the one person. If a picture says a thousand words, the selfie stick says ten thousand.
The stick itself is basically an extendable 3 foot extension to your arm that holds the phone in place for the photo. It is connected to the phone via Bluetooth and the photographer has control of the shutter, timer and focus using handle buttons.
What can it be used for?
- Holiday photos
- Concert photos
- Family shots
- Friends shots
- Group photos
- Scenic photos
- Occasions – birthdays, Christmas parties, anniversaries etc.
What Conor has to say:
“I must admit before I actually owned one I honestly thought they were one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. However after giving it a chance it can actually be used to take great family photos as well as some fun photos around the office. So I’m now officially a selfie-stick fan…. there I said it.”
Click here for technicalities and more info.
3. Aiptek PocketCinema Q20 Projector – €99
The Q20 is a compact multi-media projector. In a nutshell, this smart, pocket-sized device allows you to project and share your videos, pictures, and MP3 files from pretty much every gadget you could own –phone, i-Pad, DVD player, games console or dongle.
It’s sleek, stylish, fits right in your pocket and couldn’t be easier to use.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Takes mini HDMI, Micro SD, and AV
- Extra functions such as choosing language and subtitles, zooming, aspect ratio, picture, sound
- High picture quality
- Doubles as a power bank
- Can project up to 80 inches on flat surfaces!
5 things it can be used for over the holidays:
- Home cinema system
- Playing festive music/videos
- Kids bedtime stories
- Playing games
- Streaming embarrassing Christmas footage
What Karina has to say:
“It’s like having a TV in your pocket – stream a movie from your bed, a cooking tutorial in your kitchen or even some lunchtime office entertainment – who wouldn’t want a pocket-sized home cinema for Christmas? It also makes a great secret weapon to blackmail family, friends or co-workers with embarrassing footage”.
Click here for technicalities and more info.
4. Super-Retro Trio Console – €100
Before Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto there was Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario World.
Take a blast to your gaming past with the trio games console that allows you to play all the classics from Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis, as well as an optional adapter for Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games.
Whether you’re a Big Kid wanting to re-live your youth, or simply want the younger generation to experience some classic gaming, this retro console definitely deserves a top spot in any gamer’s library.
Get nostalgic playing all your old favourites this Christmas – Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Zelda, The Lion King 
and let’s not forget good old Donkey Kong!
What it comes with:
- 2 controllers
- AV / S-Video connectors
- AC Adapters
Who would love it:
- All the family
- Friends
- 90`s kids
- Gaming fanatics
- Young gamers
What Peter has to say:
“It’s deadly. That is all”
Click here for technicalities and more info.
5. GoPro Hero Camera – €129.99
The GoPro Hero is one of the best action camcorders on the market, allowing you to capture striking images and videos in almost any environment with its hands free structure and waterproof housing.
The variety of photo capture options gives you the power to document your adventurous passions whether it’s mountain climbing, scuba diving, bungee jumping or sky diving – you’ll never have to worry about missing one single shot with this strapped to your limb.
It makes the perfect gift for any outdoor man, woman or risk taker in the family. Commonly known as the most versatile camera in the world as its compact, lightweight, wearable and designed to withstand dirt, sand, water and any other substances your quest might throw at you.
A very simple, cost-effective way to capture and share the best moments of your life with family and friends!
Main features:
- CMOS – 5 megapixels
- Ultra wide-angle glass lens
- Waterproof housing to 40 metres
- QuickCapture: switch and save automatically by pressing a single button
- 1080p @30 fps or 720p @ 60 fps
- 5 MP photo resolution with burst mode up to 5 fps
What James has to say:
“So far I used mine to record my trek up Carrauntoohill, to go mountain biking and more recently to record all of the terrible dancing and dodgy singing at this year’s Christmas party – needless to say it was a great investment”.
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