It is less than a week to Black Friday and the deals are out there. Are you looking for ideas to add to your own Christmas wish list or looking for gift suggestions for a techie on your list? This article has some of the hot products of 2016 across different budgets so you will be able to find something for everybody.
While not available yet, you could give an IOU gift or gift card for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s latest console that will come out in March. It’s a tablet that can also display on the TV.
For something that is currently available, the latest Pokemon RPG just came out for the Nintendo 3DS. Many of us would pay the full price for the game on Android or iOS, but until then and if you have a 2DS or 3DS, you might enjoy playing the latest story in a new region and with new Pokemon.
Nintendo also released this bit of nostalgia. For $60, the NES Classic Edition comes with 30 classic games that you can just plug in (HDMI) to your TV and play. There are no cartridges to blow on to get working. It has been out for just over a week and has been sold out everywhere. This might be the Furby of 2016 but anybody that played the NES growing up might enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Along that nostalgia train, you can get silicone floppy disk coasters for your drink. There are also wooden floppy disk coasters on Etsy.
Herman Miller revised their Aeron chair and the new version became available in late October. It is the top-of-the line office chair that can make for more comfortable gaming sessions or time spent on the computer. The breathable mesh and other features keep your temperature cool with better posture.
Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation)
The Amazon Echo Dot is an affordable device to give you the voice-controlled assistant, Alexa, anywhere you need her. Pair it with a nice speaker to stream your services or control your smart home. A current promo offers $20 off a 3-pack or buy-6-get-1-free.
Google Home is Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo. It brings the Google Assistant to a voice-controlled Bluetooth speaker.
This LED lighting from Vansky attaches to the back of your HDTV and lights up the wall behind your TV, reducing eye strain and improving contrast/coloring. Plus, it’s only $15.99.
HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift, or Google Daydream View
Ready to get into VR? Depending on your PC or smartphone, you might be ready to experience virtual reality with these headsets, controllers, and games.
Think you understand 3D printers? Have you seen the PancakeBoot food printer? It can print with batter to make detailed creations out of pancakes by printing onto an electric skillet.
Complaints about home wifi might be fixed with the new mesh wireless systems that provide adequate coverage throughout the home from multiple access points. Google and Ubiquiti offer solutions in this area.
This book is a classic for IT Professionals. The third edition has just been released after being updated for DevOps and other new practices. There is also volume two, The Practice of Cloud Administration, if they already have volume one.
Microsoft’s all-in-one is turning a lot of heads. If you are a creative professional, it’s worth a look to see what all you get in this sleek package.
This year’s update to the Microsoft Surface Book brings the Intel Core i7 CPU and every other top-of-the-line specs. If you need a portable PC, this one that can also become a tablet is hard to beat.
Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones
The popular noise-canceling Bose headphones have finally gone wireless with the QuietComfort 35. With Bluetooth pairing and 20 hours per charge, these headphones bring their A game.
This is the latest version of the waterproof action camera. It is able to shoot 4K video and 12MP photos.
Roku Premiere+ Streaming Media Player
Getting all of your streaming services onto the big screen can still be a challenge. Roku makes it easy with a 4K-capable streaming player that has channels for the most popular streaming services and other features like headphones through the remote control.
Google updated their Chromecast this year to be 4K-capable and using 802.11ac Wifi. Stream from your phone or other devices to your big screen to watch all of your services and use your mobile device as a remote.
