If you can’t afford to buy friends or family the latest smartphone, or they already have it, you may be wondering what to buy the tech-obsessed people in your life for the holidays. The following suggestions are unique tech-related gift ideas that may inspire you to get these products — or buy something else entirely. They shouldn’t be considered endorsements — and none of these products have paid to be in here. We also have something for you to sign at the end of this article absolving us of all blame if the person you buy a present for doesn’t like the gift. (OK, maybe that’s going a little too far.)
For the sleep-deprived person in your life. There are quite a few wake-up lights on the market, but Philips has made a bedside light called the Somneo (retail price: $199) that also helps calm the body and mind at bedtime. Basically, lights like these replicate the sun going up and down and help people wake up naturally, since most people’s schedules don’t quite work where they can go to bed at sunset and wake up at sunrise.
[See: 10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping.]
For children. Red wagons? Building blocks. Dolls? That’s so 20th century. Instead, you could get that special kid in your life a Flybrix. It’s a crashable and rebuildable drone — that you build using Legos. Yep, you fly it, and if it crashes, you pick up the Legos and rebuild. It isn’t cheap, unfortunately, retailing between $149 and $249. But your kids, if they’re comfortable building things and are somewhat tech savvy, may learn a lot about engineering in the process as they try to build an aircraft that is stable and secure enough to stay aloft.
For your teenaged driver. Studies have shown that adults text and drive more than teens, and so maybe you aren’t giving your kid enough credit for being a safe driver. But if you’re worried, you could get Groove, a module that plugs into a socket under the car’s steering wheel and is compatible with all vehicles made since 1996. Once you plug it in, Groove can identify the driver of the car (once it’s moving at 5 miles an hour) and disable text messaging. You can still call with your phone, but if someone sends your teen a text, that person will receive a text alerting them that this person is driving and that they’ll be forwarded the text once they’ve reached their destination. It retails for $100, but the catch is you need to be willing to pay $10 a month for the service, plus $30 or more per month for the phone service plan from Ready Mobile.
For pet parents. Oh, they’re gonna love this. The Furbo is a camera that allows you to keep an eye on your dog when you’re away from home. But you can do more than see your dog. You can hear your dog through the Furbo, and you can talk to your dog. So if you’re at work and see him chewing on your slippers, tell him to stop. You can even have the Furbo toss dog treats to your dog. It retails for $199.
[See: 15 Ways to Avoid Holiday Debt.]
For the car enthusiast. Here’s something that works for any driver. LumiSign is a battery-operated wireless license plate frame lighting system. So you put this gadget around your rear or front license plate, and it knows when you’re braking or accelerating. When you do either, other drivers will see whatever message you have on your license frame. You can get light up messages like, “Student Driver,” or “Baby on Board!” or “In God We Trust.” Or maybe you’re a football fan, and you want a license plate frame that lights up and says, “Ohio State Buckeyes” or “Clemson Tigers.” It’s made by Olens Technology and on their website and Amazon.com, it retails between $39.59 and $59.99, depending on the design.
For the camera enthusiast. You may want to check out the AirSelfie, a pocket-sized camera and video drone. It weighs two ounces and has a 5-megapixel camera and a 4 GB SD memory card. It retails for $339.25, so your giftee should really like cameras. But if you think someone in your life wants to take selfies or group shots from above, this is that gift.
For the disorganized. This could be an intriguing gift. Pixie is an item tracker that uses augmented reality and an iOS device to literally show you the location of lost items. Sadly, it can’t locate every lost item in the world. If you lost something in 1986, Pixie can’t find it for you. But if you have several items that you often do lose, from car keys to your TV remote, you may want to get Pixie, from their website or from Amazon.com. The retail price starts at $29.99. You attach these little tiny gadgets called Pixie Points to the aforementioned TV remote — and then if you lose it, you can use your smartphone to track it.
For the “Star Wars” fan. You could go to Ultrasabers.com and buy your favorite “Star Wars” fan his or her own customized lightsaber. They look and sound like the real thing for the ultimate fan of the famous movie series. Prices vary widely based on quality and size of the lightsaber.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
For someone who wears glasses. It’s another camera, but a pretty intriguing one. The PogoCam attaches magnetically to your glasses and is, the manufacturer claims, the world’s smallest and lightest camera. It weighs as much as two dimes, according to the website. You can take 100 photos and six 30-second videos before you need to transfer them to your smartphone. And why not just use your smartphone as a camera? Well, the argument is that because the PogoCam is on your glasses, it’s seeing what you’re seeing. But doesn’t a smartphone do that? Look, poke holes in the argument for buying anything if you want, or get someone a gift that seems a little like a gadget out of a James Bond movie. It retails for $149 and can be found at Pogotec.com.
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Your Tech Holiday Gift Guide originally appeared on usnews.com
