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2018 Gift Guide – Tech gift ideas

ARTICLE – Call them geeks, call them techies, or call them nerds, but people who like gadgets, gear, and gizmos are sometimes the hardest people to buy for because there are so many products that fit in that niche that it’s hard to know what to pick. If you have techies on your holiday list this year, here are some gift ideas to help you out with your shopping tasks.

Cross X Liberty United Collector’s Edition Carbon Black Rollerball Pen

Available in the color you see above or grey, this rollerball pen not only looks sharp but it has a story. The Cross X Liberty United pens are made from recycled melted steel from confiscated guns that have been taken off the street of America by police officers. The pen features a slide and click open and close mechanism, a pocket clip with a serial number of a confiscated gun that was taken off the streets, and a lifetime Mechanical Guarantee.

Price: $95.00 MSRP
Where to buy: Amazon

Pixel Pals

Here’s a fun gift idea for any comic book or gaming nerds on your holiday gift giving list. They are called Pixel Pals and they are collectible pixel art versions of your favorite game and comic book characters. Besides the fact that they have a cool retro vibe, they also light up. Each one is around 6 inches tall and is powered by 2 AAA batteries.

Price: $14.99
Where to buy: pdp.com and Amazon

Watch Gang watch of the month club

Forget about coffee of the month or sausage of the month subscription clubs, that idea is played out. Instead, check out Watch Gang, a watch of the month club that ships a cool wrist watch to you each month. The watches are different styles and brands, but you get to choose the basic style that you like best upon sign up so you’ll be happy with the monthly selections. There are 3 tiers to the club that will send watches valued from $150 up to $1500 each depending on the tier. Club members are even in the running for weekly drawings for TAG and Rolex watches.

Price: $29 – $299 a month or a one time purchase of $29, $99, or $299
Where to buy: watchgang.com

Bluffworks travel wear

 

Andy Jacobs: BluffWorks might just be the best travel clothing company you’ve not yet heard of, and as an owner and wearer of a handful of BluffWorks items, I can attest to this.  Their Chino Pants are outstanding: very comfortable with just the right amount of stretch, a slimming cut, and hidden security pockets.  Their Travel Shirts are similar, with a bit of stretch, and almost impossible to wrinkle.  But my favorite recent BluffWorks item is their Gramercy line of Blazers and Pants that can be worn separately or combined into the most comfortable suit I’ve ever owned, and hands-down the best for travel (both pieces are machine washable, too).  As with all of BluffWork’s apparel, the Gramercy Suit has just a bit of stretch, but the fabric has a very classy look and feel, like a sporty suit would.  The Blazer is also packed with extra pockets that make it even more perfect for travel..  If you have a traveler in your life, are a traveler yourself, or just like sharp-looking and functional men’s clothing, BluffWorks should be on your holiday gift list.

Price: varies depending on the garment
Where to buy: Bluffworks

Leatherman Micra

If you’re looking for a small pocket-friendly multi-tool that includes a handy pair of scissors, a knife, screwdriver, and 7 other tools, the Leatherman Micra is a popular choice. Available in a variety of colors, this stainless steel tool is built to stand up to everyday wear and tear and will provide years of EDC use.

Price: $29.95 MSRP
Read our review: Leatherman Micra multi-tool review
Where to buy: Amazon

Circuit Scribe

Flying a drone is fun, so building your own drone and then flying it has to take the fun to a whole new level right? Yes! But building a drone has to be difficult right? Nope. It’s not with the Circuit Scribe kit, which lets you build a drone by drawing the electrical circuits with a pen that has conductive ink. It might sound like tech sorcery, but it’s not. This kit provides everything you need to get your drone up and flying quickly. It even has a built in camera and you can control the drone with your phone.

Price: $60.00
Where to buy: circuitscribe.com

La Roche-Posay My Skin Track UV Sensor

 

When I was a kid, my sister and I would get burned to a crisp every summer when we’d spend the day at the lake house of a friend of my dad’s. We thought it was funny back then, but of course, that was back in the ’70s when coating your skin in baby oil and laying outside in the sun seemed like a perfectly great idea. Now we know better and this tiny clip-on UV sensor from La Roche-Posay measures and tracks your UV exposure and provides pollution, pollen, and humidity information based on your location all without needing to be charged. Just clip it your clothes or cap and it will do the rest through the iOS app (sorry, there’s no support for Android yet).

Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Apple

Jabra Elite 65t wireless earbuds

Our own Dave Rees loves these earbuds and said as much in his review this past spring:

The Elite 65t’s are Jabra’s second generation of truly wireless earbuds with improved sound quality, a better, more secure fit, and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. These lightweight earbuds are not only comfortable with a secure fit but engineered/optimized for listening to music, videos, and participating in calls.

…the Elite 65t’s have become my new goto headphones for the rest of the time. Their comfort, secure fit, sound quality, and overall design are excellent and really the truly wireless earbuds to beat.

Price: $169.99 MSRP
Read our review: Jabra Elite 65t true wireless earbuds review
Where to buy: Jabra and Amazon

Element Case Vapor-S Bumper for the iPhone

 

Why cover up your snazzy looking iPhone with a boring plastic case that hides the Apple logo when you can add the head-turning unique protection of the Vapor-S Bumper Case from Element Case. The Vapor-S bumper is made of aluminum and polycarbonate that has mil-spec drop protection and a raised edge that makes sure the iPhone’s display and the camera lens stays above any table top that you set it on.

Price: $79.95
Where to buy: Elementcase.com and Amazon

ThinOptics Reading Glasses

When you reach a certain age, your eyes change requiring you need progressive lenses in your existing glasses or you need a pair of reading glasses. If you’re in the latter group, consider a pair of ThinOptics which are…wait for it… thin! ThinOptics are available in a variety of fun styles, colors, and in strengths from +1.00 to + 2.50.  But the really cool thing about ThinOptics is that they can be carried with you all the time. Either on a keychain, on the back of your phone case, or in your pocket.

Price: $19.95 – $49.88
Read our review: ThinOPTICS Reading Glasses review
Where to buy: ThinOptics.com and Amazon

Kano Computer Kit Touch

I reviewed this touch screen computer kit back in October and absolutely loved it. It was a lot of fun to put together because it comes with easy to understand instructions and it doesn’t require any special tools. Although this kit is marketed for kids, adults that like to tinker will like it too especially if they have an interest in learning to program.

Price: $279.99
Review our review: Kano Computer Kit Touch review
Where to buy: Amazon

Silk Smartish smartphone cases

Protect your iPhone and some Samsung Galaxy smartphones with a variety of cases from Silk Smartish. They offer cases that not only protect the phone but offer additional features like the ability to leave your wallet home and carry your main credit cards right in the back of the phone case.

Price: $9.99 – $24.99
Where to buy: Silksmartish.com

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is a service that gives your kids great content for their devices. Content includes digital books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games, in both English and Spanish, each hand-selected for quality and age-appropriateness by the Amazon FreeTime team. For just $2.99/month for Prime members or $4.99/month for customers who are not yet Prime Members (one-year pre-paid plans are available, too). Another easy option: every new Fire Kids Edition tablet and Echo Dot Kids Edition comes with a one-year subscription to FreeTime Unlimited.

Price: $2.99/month for Prime members or $4.99/month for customers who are not yet Prime Members
Where to buy: amazon.com/freetime

HP Sprocket Printer

From my review: I’ve reviewed a couple other printers very similar to the HP Sprocket, so I wasn’t expecting the resulting prints to be much if any different than ones I’ve been using for years. But I actually was surprised. The prints from the HP Sprocket look a bit crisper and have more vibrant colors than prints from Polaroid and Panasonic ZINK printers which have always looked a bit washed out to me. The HP Sprocket app is a bit more polished as well compared to the other printer apps. If I was in the market for a pocket-sized photo printer today, my first choice would be the HP Sprocket portable photo printer. It’s a keeper.

Price: $129.99
Read our review: HP Sprocket portable photo printer review
Where to buy: HP and Amazon

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2018 Gift Guide – Tech gift ideas originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 22, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Joe Porletto

ARTICLE – As you may be able to tell from my gear pics, I take my EDC kit very seriously (and I prefer the color black). Navigating the streets and subways of NYC for the last twenty or so years has helped me hone my kit down to the absolute bare necessities for daily urban survival. Now that I live in the Pacific Northwest though, I’ve started to modify my EDC a bit, but overall it’s stayed pretty consistent. Here’s my EDC update for 2018.

The success of an EDC kit is completely dependent on the bag that holds it all, and there is no bag tougher than the GORUCK GR1. Before I owned my GORUCK, I’d buy a new backpack or messenger bag at least once a year. I was always on the lookout for the perfect bag. Since acquiring my beloved GR1 though, I haven’t given another bag a second look. The fit, construction, material, and aesthetic are all the absolute best I’ve ever encountered. The GORUCK costs more compared to other backpacks, but it’s 100% worth it.

Now, let’s break down everything that fits inside my GR1 on a daily basis.

Items (Clockwise L to R):


Bag:

Internal items:

Items (Clockwise L to R):

Not pictured:

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Joe Porletto originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 18, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Gerber Dime multi-tool review

REVIEW – I recently posted a review of the Leatherman Micra multi-tool which got a lot of views and comments, so I have decided to do more EDC tool reviews and my next one is the Gerber Dime. The Dime is another mini multi-tool that can fit in your pocket like the Micra and my favorite Leatherman Squirt multi-tool. Let’s take a closer look.

What is it?

The Gerber Dime is a folding multi-tool that offers 12 different tools in a compact form factor.

Design and features

The Gerber Dime is available in Black, Green, Purple and the Red version which you see here. This folding multi-tool has a two-color handle with the Gerber name and model name printed on one side.

On the opposite side of the tool, you’ll find the Gerber logo. As you can see, the Dime has a flashier look than the more utilitarian looking Leatherman Squirt which is part of my EDC.

Probably the first thing you’ll notice about this 2.75 inch (when closed) multi-tool, is the weird hook thing on one end. This hook is a bottle opener that can double as an attachment point. There’s also a small split ring on the same end that you can use to clip the Dime to your keychain.

The Tools

The Gerber Dime offers 10 tools. The first tool we’ll check out is the removable tweezers.

The tweezers are very similar to the tweezers that you would find in a Swiss Army knife. They work pretty well for being so small.

Unlike the Leatherman Micra, most of the tools can be accessed without unfolding the handles.

There’s a fine edge knife blade and package opener on the left, spring-loaded scissors, medium flat driver, crosshead driver and file on the right.

Check out that package opener blade. I like that there’s a dedicated blade for slicing through plastic packaging and tape. That way you don’t get your regular knife blade all sticky with tape residue.

I like that you don’t have to unfold the handles in order to access the knife blade. The Gerber Dime knife has a larger blade than the Leatherman Squirt and Micra. I also feels more substantial than those other multi-tool blades. Note that the blade does not lock in place when in use.

Unfolding the Dime handles turns the Dime into a pair of spring-loaded pliers with a built-in wire cutter.

The rounded edges of the handle keep the pliers comfortable in your hand.

What I like

  • Most of the tools are accessible without having to unfold the handles
  • Large knife blade
  • Dedicated package opening blade
  • Affordable

What needs to be improved

  • Tools don’t lock

Final thoughts

The Gerber Dime has a lot going for it. Notably the ability to access the tools without unfolding the handles. The dedicated packaging opener blade also sets this pocket-sized multi-tool apart from other tools, but the price makes it a good choice for budget-minded EDC shoppers. I’m sticking with my Leatherman Squirt because I prefer the classic look and feel over the Dime’s more flashy style. That said, the Dime is a nice multi-tool with a solid set of tools.

Price: $21.00 MSRP
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds.

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Gerber Dime multi-tool review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2018 at 12:20 pm.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Michael Strange

ARTICLE – I’m not the type of person who has a need for an EDC bag. However, I did have the occasion to use one a few months ago. I was shooting and editing a music video for a couple of friends and enlisted the use of a Belkin Classic Pro laptop backpack that I had reviewed for the Gadgeteer back in May.

The backpack was perfect for carrying everything I needed for the shoot. I was able to carry my 13” MacBook Pro and 10.5” iPad Pro, both of which I used for editing on the fly. I was also able to pack charging cords, my Apple Pencil, a portable hard drive, and a couple different size tripods. The backpack was the perfect companion for the 3-month shoot. I was easily able to transport what I needed and more importantly because of the backpacks padded interior, keep the contents safe.

As far as the EDC items I use every day, I never go anywhere without my iPhone Xs Max (which I love so far) and my Nike Edition Apple Watch.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Michael Strange originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 9, 2018 at 12:35 pm.

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Elizabeth Rodriguez

It’s EDC time again! I tend to swap out a lot of what’s in my bag depending on what I’m doing that week. I commute to New York City from Long Island so I try to keep the backpack lightweight. Lately, I’ve been working on my web developer portfolio, so here’s what I bring:
My favorite bag is still the Incase Reform backpack. I reviewed this bag in 2015 and it’s still going strong! The contents inside are:
  • New 13″ MacBook Pro with touch bar and charger
  • Google Pixel 2 XL smartphone
  • Metallic rainbow business card holder (purchased from Blick Art stores) because hey, you never know who you meet!
  • Audio Technica ATH-SR5BT Bluetooth wireless headphones
  • Logitech MX Anywhere 2S Bluetooth/wireless mouse
  • Archer and Olive “Night Sky” dot grid notebook/bullet journal
  • Tons of pens and pencils that I swap out depending on mood
  • Freepeople studded leather wallet
  • Tortoise & Blonde eyeglasses
  • Inexpensive sunglasses in case the sun pops out
  • My book of the month for my book club. This month we’re reading Crazy Rich Asians
  • Little rubber duckie to help me debug code 🙂

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Gadgeteer Team EDC 2018 updates – Elizabeth Rodriguez originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 8, 2018 at 12:14 pm.

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