From cooking to gaming, Christmas 2016 is bringing some great gifts for the tech-loving geek this holiday season. Check out Imprint’s suggestions below, and supply the nerds in your life with something they’ll love.
- ALLPOWERS Solar Battery Charger
Price: $24.99
Have a friend who can’t stop playing Pokemon GO? Keep them going, and going, and going with a solar charger for their phone. These portable solar panels are very affordable now, and are available from everywhere from Amazon to Canadian Tire. The ALLPOWERS, available on Amazon, is at the lower end of the cost spectrum, but remains one of the highest rated on the Canadian site. It includes a powerbank to keep a phone going when the sun’s down, and sports two USB ports for group Pokémon catching.
2. Complete Pierce Brosnan James Bond — Blu Ray
Price: $29.99
Everyone has their favourite James Bond iteration and they are all available this holiday season, but let’s be real: you only really need the Pierce Brosnan set. No Bond was ever as tolerably cheesy as Brosnan and the villains and femme fatales of the mid-‘90s will grip you tighter than Xenia Onatop’s legs. And also give you a good laugh. This is a great gift for anyone you know who spent hours in front of Goldeneye on the N64 — that checks a lot of people off your list.
3. Amazon Echo and Google Home
Price: $49.99 – $179.99 (US).
Why not give the gift of a personal — if stationary — assistant this Christmas? Though Amazon Echo and Google Home aren’t officially available in Canada, some Canadians have ordered them from the U.S. These gadgets can run smart devices, answer spoken questions, and even perform online tasks for you. Plus, your geeky friend (or you) can feel like Captain Picard giving orders to the Enterprise. Google Home is going for $130.00, while Amazon has the Drop, Tap, and Echo for $50, $120, and $180 respectively. Available from select stores and U.S. suppliers.
4. NES Classic Edition
Price: $79.99
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that Nintendo has full-on weaponized in the form of a mini NES. This official miniature system makes 30 NES games — including the likes of Castlevania, Double Dragon, Mega Man 2, and Super Mario Bros. — playable in glorious high definition without any compromises. Packed to the brim with three modes of visual output and even a filter that replicates old CRT screens, classic manuals viewable on your phone, and player-friendly suspend points, the NES Classic Edition is a must-have for anybody who wants to relive the glory days of the ‘80s gaming scene. Well if you can find one before Christmas, that is.
5. InstantPot
Price: $135.99
Calm down Cheech — it’s not like that. The InstantPot is a cool new pressure cooker that is also a rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, and traditional crock pot — five in one! Lauded as “the newest generation of pressure cookers,” the InstantPot is perfect for any culinary nerd you know who wants to try their hand at homemade yogurt or sticky ribs. It’s also perfect for the person in your life who lives consistently on KD. It’s easy to use, comes with its own cookbook, and provides enough variety that literally anyone could find it handy.
6. Xbox One S 500 GB – 2TB
Price: $379.99-499.99
It is no secret that Sony is killing Microsoft when it comes to console sales. In response, Microsoft released their newest console refresh, the Xbox One S. A slimmer and slightly more powerful version of its predecessor, the Xbox One S includes an internal power supply — meaning no more massive power bricks — the ability to play Blu-Rays and stream in 4K Ultra HD, and the inclusion of high dynamic range to provide richer colours while playing games. The Xbox One S comes in multiple packages and bundles, ranging from a 500GB system running up to the 2TB. Look out for sales, though: Microsoft has been offering crazy deals and discounts to spur sales this holiday season. If you’re looking to upgrade to the current console generation, it might be the best time to dive right in.
