Tech the halls: Perfect gadgets to gift this Christmas
View(s):By Mahesh de Andrado
It’s that time of the year to treat yourself or your loved ones to some holiday cheer. And what better way to do that than with some tech-related gadgets! We have here a collection of gadgets and gizmos that are sure to tickle your fancy.
For the audiophiles: KZ Castor IEMs (In Ear Monitors)
Image Credits: KZ-Audio
KZ has been around the audioscape for quite a while and built up a reputation for affordable high-quality audio products. The KZ Castors come either in a regular or an improved Bass version, both tuned by Harmon. Ideal for music lovers, the Castor offers immersive audio performance with deep bass, clear mids and crisp highs, along with customizable dip switches on each earphone to tune the highs and lows as you like.
- Price: Around Rs. 2,300 upwards
- Where to buy: Aliexpress
For the budding Smart Home enthusiast: Tuya/Smart Life RGB Smart Bulb
Image Credits: Tesla Smart
Smart bulbs are a thing of beauty. They connect to a WiFi network via an Android or iOS app and are customizable to your heart’s content. The Tuya/Smart Life smart bulbs allow you to have customizable RGB lighting, schedule lights and even mood lighting. There are more expensive models such as the Yeelight or Mi LED Smart bulb from Xiaomi, but for starters, the Tuya/Smart Life smart bulbs offer an affordable entrance to set up your own smart home. Just make sure to specify the wattage of the bulb (usually 9W or 15W) and the socket type for the bulb holder.
- Price: Around Rs. 1,500/- upwards
- Where to buy: Aliexpress
For the nail techies: Electric Nail File
Image Credits: i-Spa
If you’re someone who is passionate about doing your own nails, then this is definitely for you. An electric nail file/polisher allows you to quickly file and shape your nails and also allows you to remove nail polish and buff them. The nail file comes with a variety of removable tips for various functions, has a USB-C powered charging base and can also be directly powered by USB-C if the inbuilt battery dies.
- Price: Around Rs. 3,000/- upwards
- Where to buy: Aliexpress
For the avid Netflix user: Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Range Extender Pro
Image Credits: OTC.LK
Is your home Wi-Fi connection not reaching your room? Suffering from a slow connection due to distance or thick walls? Get yourself a Wi-Fi Extender. The Mi Wi-Fi Range Extender Pro plugs into any 5A wall socket and can be quickly set up using the Mi Home app to extend your router’s Wi-Fi capabilities.
If you want something beefier, you can get the Mi WiFi Range Extender AC1200 which packs both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi for a combined speed of 1200Mbps. The RJ45 Ethernet port allows you to transform the extender into an Access Point, ensuring full 10/100Mbps connection speeds.
- Price: Rs. 4,999 and Rs. 6,499/-
- Where to buy: SimplyTek
For those on the go: UGREEN 2.5” SATA to USB 3.1 Hard Drive Enclosure
Image Credits: UGreen
Looking for a portable hard drive but don’t know what to pick? Why not make your own? All you need is a standard 2.5” laptop hard drive you have lying around, or a SATA SSD and a UGreen SATA to USB 3.1 Enclosure. The enclosure comes with both a USB Type-A to Type-C cable as well as a USB-C to C cable and supports transfer speeds of up to 550MB/s (if it’s a SATA SSD, else it will be around 120-130MB for a regular hard drive)
- Price: Rs. 5,000 upwards
- Where to buy: Daraz.lk/AliExpress
And there you have it. These are a few of the gadgets you can gift yourself (or your loved ones) this holiday season. Do you have any gadgets on your mind? We would love to hear from you.
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