The holidays are in full swing, but we at Syncfusion know that not everyone has finished their shopping. While we can’t help you determine the perfect, heartfelt gift for that special someone in your life, we can help you find the perfect last-minute gifts for the tech-savvy people in your life. Read on for Syncfusion’s 2017 Holiday Tech Gift Guide.
Nintendo Switch
Look in your heart: you want to play The Legend of Zelda while watching Netflix. You want your young family members to enjoy Mario Kart without monopolizing the TV. You want to play some of the best video games on the market without spending $500 on a new console. In ages past, these would be the fevered dreams of a madman, but 2017 saw the release of the Nintendo Switch, the hybrid console that, yes, switches from a full-fat console experience on your TV to a full-fat console experience in the palms of your hands. It’s not as powerful as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, but it has a strong library and a lower price tag. It’s a great gift for the whole family.
The only question is: which games to get?
Sony Aibo
Not yet available outside Japan, but for anyone who lives there or is willing to jump through some hoops, Sony has resurrected their hi-tech robot dog companion, Aibo. With greater articulation and improved AI, the new Aibo is closer to a real dog than ever before, and might be the first time someone ever claims a pet to be hypoallergenic without inviting an exaggerated eye roll from allergy sufferers. The perfect gift for dog lovers who can’t wait for Westworld season two and people who learned the wrong lessons from Fahrenheit 451.
“Go on boy! Lead us to the center of the Maze!”
Cross Peerless TrackR Pen
Do you like extremely high-quality pens? Do you lose your pens all the time? Cross’s deluxe pen is billed as the world’s first trackable pen, using Bluetooth to let you know if you’ve misplaced it. You can also use the pen to find your phone. A great gift for the scatterbrained ink enthusiast on your list.
The Bluetooth-enabled pen is mightier than the Bluetooth-enabled sword.
Fujifilm Instax Square Camera
It’s an indisputable fact: everybody loved Polaroids. But it’s also indisputable that the ability to quickly take, edit, and upload photographs is greater even than seeing a photo fade into existence in the palm of your hands. Fujifilm’s new camera provides all the benefits of modern cameras while still printing a real, physical photograph on the spot. For the enthusiast who wants to capture memories as more than just files.
A warning for parents: if you try to describe this as “just like a Polaroid,” you’re going to have to explain what a “Polaroid” is to your kids.
LifeStraw Water Filter
Technology doesn’t have to be fueled by electricity, require a thick manual, or cost hundreds of dollars. For a little less than $20, you can filter up to 1,000 liters of water to remove harmful bacteria and pollutants with nothing more than a straw. The water is purified beyond EPA standards, making it a potentially life-saving bargain. Consider one for the intrepid explorers and hydration-starved germaphobes in your life.
An essential part of any survival kit.
BioLite CampStove 2
Maybe the adventurer in your life isn’t going camping somewhere that might have contaminated water. In fact, maybe they really don’t want to go camping without being able to bring along that Switch and Aibo you got them for Christmas. If the pristine beauty of natureisn’t enough for the campers in your life, consider this special campfire device that lets you burn a part of nature to power your devices.
Remember to always follow campfire safety rules, even when your phone is almost dead.
Nintendo SNES Classic
We already have a Nintendo product on our list, but where the Switch is the new hotness, the SNES Classic is a blast of retro cool, featuring 21 SNES games and two controllers for co-op play. Although a few omissions stand out—no Chrono Trigger!?—there are a ton of great games representing some of the very best of the system. Perfect for nostalgic gamers and parents who want their kids to have the joy of being hopelessly lost in Super Metroid.
Good luck finding one in stores!
The Syncfusion Global License
Every year we say it, but every year it’s true: the Syncfusion global license features hundreds of controls across multiple platforms for one low price. Whether you need controls for a single developer, a team, or an entire company, a Syncfusion license is a gift that keeps on giving, with four massive updates a year and world-class support. It’s perfect for any developer in your life, but you can prove it by getting them to download our free trial and seeing just how much they can do with it.
What tech gifts are you hoping to receive this holiday season? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter.
