The tell-tale signs of the holidays are all around us: twinkling lights, eggnog, reindeer, and Bill and Phil’s annual stocking stuffer tech guide. Like overgrown kids we salivate at all the new tech gadgets arriving on retail shelves just in time for the holiday shopping season. So as we make our list and check it twice, we’ll share with you some of our favorite gadgets for this holiday season.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 Portable Speaker (Amazon, $63): This tiny but powerful Bluetooth speaker is just small enough to fit in a stocking and powerful enough to knock your socks off. This version 2 of the StormBox Micro has a surprisingly great sound for such a small size. It has a great battery life (12 hours of playing time); and it is small enough to fit in your pocket. Pair this tiny dynamo with your phone and carry your Christmas tunes in your pocket wherever you go for the holidays.
Dell Portable Monitor (Dell, $289): Dell (along with several other manufacturers) has a super light, ultrathin external monitor for less than $300. Having a second screen for either your laptop, tablet, or phone is all the rage these days. At 14” and just 20 ounces, you will barely notice the extra Dell monitor in your backpack; but you will certainly appreciate the extra screen real estate when working on a mobile device connected to the monitor.
Govee Smart Table Lamp (Amazon, $60): This cute little table lamp is just the right gift for someone who is a bit techy but also artsy. With the accompanying app, you can program the Govee lamp to cycle between 20 different scenes with a variety of colors and designs. The lamp can be synched with music playing on your phone to showcase a lightshow to the beat of the music; or you can program it to be a nightlight. If you want an interesting conversation piece, the Govee Smart Table Lamp is just the ticket.
Sound Burger Portable Bluetooth Turntable (Audio-Technica.com, $199): If you are like us, you have someone in your family who is a big fan of retro vinyl albums. The Sound Burger is the perfect gift for these vinyl aficionados. There are a lot of turntables on the market these days, but the Sound Burger is set apart because of its unique, extremely compact form factor and its great sound reproduction. Connect it via Bluetooth to your favorite portable speaker or go all the way retro and connect it via the included audio cable to an old-fashioned wired speaker. Either way, you can replay all those old Christmas albums gathering dust in your library.
LEGO Technic App Controlled Transformation Vehicle (Amazon, $119): Have you shopped in a LEGO store lately? Wow. These are not your grandfather’s LEGO sets. For example, the Technic App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle consists of 772 pieces which form a very cool transformer vehicle when assembled. The fun doesn’t stop when you get the vehicle assembled, however, as you can download an app and control the movement of the vehicle after it is built. The transformer even changes shapes when it flips over. The box says for kids 9 and up. Count us in on the “and up” group.
Cooluli 10L Mini Fridge for Bedroom ($80 cooluli.com) – This portable device can be used in your car, your office (under your desk) or in a dorm room. It is a 12v Portable Cooler & Warmer for Food, Drinks, Skincare, Beauty & Makeup. It runs on AC/DC and has a glass front. And since it uses no freon or refrigerants, it is environmentally friendly.
Solo Pi Dual Fuel Pizza Oven ($370 solostove.com). There are lots of pizza ovens out there, but this pizza oven is for everyone. Make wood-fired pizzas that impress, or bake with propane by adding on the gas burner. A great addition to an outdoor entertainment space.
Flying Orb Hover Ball ($29 theoriginalflyingorb.com) As seen on TikTok, this is the hottest toy/gadget for Christmas. This LED-lighted, color changing ball will amaze you and your kids (even adult “kids”). It can boomerang; “float” a catcher; and other amazing tricks.
Thule Subterra PowerShuttle Plus (Thule.com $28) This travel case is designed to protect and organize electronics. This is a must-have for electronics when traveling. It has dedicated storage compartments for large headphones, cables, adapters, and other electronics. It also has an exterior pocket with cord pass-through so you can charge your phone while keeping it accessible.
Anker Prime 67W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) (Amazon 59.99) Now that USB-C is the new standard, this is the charger for the Christmas stocking. It is a fast charger for 3 devices at a time: 2 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port. I can easily charge your phone, tablet, and notebook all at once from a single charger. It has a compact design for such a powerful charger.