5 Boring Tech Gifts That Everyone Needs
Want to gift something to a distant relative or a bit tight on money this holiday season? Can’t think of any good gift ideas? Regardless, here’s 15 “boring” gifts that are the tech equivalent of socks that I can assure you everyone will love.
1. The Gift of Power — The Anker Nano Pro.
Yeah, new phones and laptops are cool and all, but have you ever thought about charging all of that stuff in a quick and efficient way? Fear not, because that’s where the Anker Nano Pro (40w) comes into play. The Anker Nano Pro has 2 USB-C PD ports to charge multiple devices, whether that be a new laptop or headphones. Additionally, you can fast charge a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Anker Nano Pro supports 40w. That’s double the amount that Apple’s brick that used to come with the iPhones and still comes with the iPads offers. And, it’s only $36. But how do you actually plug in? With the Anker PowerLine 3, of course. Anker’s PowerLine+ is the strongest charging cable I’ve tested, ever. It’s covered in a nice braided cloth material like MagSafe 3 for the new MacBook Pros and has strong ends to keep those frayed cables to a minimum. So go ahead and give the gift of power with Anker.
Buy Anker Nano Pro (40w, US only): https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-Compact-Foldable-MacBook/dp/
Buy Anker PowerLine+ (US only): https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Powerline-Lightning-Certified-Compatibility/dp/
2. The Gift of Connectivity — The UniFi Dream Machine.
Look, I know you’re gonna hate me for putting this one on the list, but the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine isn’t just for professionals. It’s truly the best WiFi system on the market for consumers, with added customizability for pros. The Dream Machine sports 802.11 AC WiFi with whole home coverage, and comes with an AP too. It has 5 gigabit Ethernet ports, supports their switches, and works with their APs. The killer UniFi network app is available for iOS and Android and comes with device monitoring, troubleshooting, internet speed test functionality and so much more. All you need is a router and a couple Ethernet cables to get started. I have this thing, and it’s bulletproof, and a must-have for heavy internet users.
Buy Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine (all countries): https://store.ui.com/collections/unifi-network-unifi-os-consoles/products/unifi-dream-machine
3. The Gift of Storage — Samsung T7
You never want to be stranded without your data, which is why everyone deserves a fast, reliable backup drive this holiday season. Samsung’s got all of us covered, with their T7 SSD. The T7 supports USB 3.2, goes up to 2 TB, and is all solid state inside. It’s great for Time Machine backups, or just for handling pictures of your cat, reliably. This SSD is compact, fast, portable, and versatile, for video editors to edit off of, for photographers to carry around, and for everyone to enjoy. It’s a must-have for anyone who cares about their precious data. It comes in 3 finishes, 3 sizes, and starts at just $80. A steal of a deal for a fast and reliable SSD. Keep you data backed up and secure with the Samsung T7, because it’s amazing.
Buy Samsung T7 (all configurations, all countries): https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/portable-solid-state-drives/portable-ssd-t7-usb-3-2-1tb--blue--
4. The Gift of Lighting — Nanoleaf A19
Smart Homes. I have one. They’re great. Do you have someone in your life who aspires to have one too? Help them get started with this amazing bulb from Nanoleaf. It’s cheaper than most bulbs (cough, Hue), has a wide variety of colors, and most importantly, works on Thread. Thread is pretty cool — it doesn’t require a hub that connects to your router like most smart home things. All it needs is one Thread hub, like an Apple TV or HomePod mini. Some smart home appliances, like smart plugs, even have thread radios of their own. It’s lower latency, doesn’t require an internet connection, and is more cost effective. I swapped out my Hue bulb in my bedroom for this and it’s truly amazing. It works with HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon, and they also have a pretty cool app. You can buy it anywhere (yes, even at the Apple Store for same-day delivery!) too.
Buy Nanoleaf A19 (US only): https://nanoleaf.me/en-US/products/nanoleaf-essentials/#nanoleaf-shop
5. The Gift of Good Zoom Calls — Blue Yeti Nano
We’re all working from home more than ever, and that means more Zoom calls. Look, I don’t know about you, but I hate it when people have bad audio. So, let’s fix that. Blue’s Yeti Nano is their new low-end, tiny microphone with pretty good audio. It’s small, so it’s perfect for small work from home setups, possibly with just a laptop and mouse, and plugs right into your computer with USB-A at the end. No XLR nonsense. It comes with a built-in stand, has support for a boom arm, and works with their pretty great software available for PC and Mac to change EQ and noise isolation. It’s a pretty good microphone for pretty much everyone that’s not doing professional work, and it’s only $100. So, please, bless those who you know have bad audio quality with this microphone, and transform the lives of their co-workers.
Buy Blue Yeti Nano (US only): https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphone-Podcasting-No-Latency-Monitoring/dp/
That’s it! Did you end up buying something here? Let me know. Stay home, mask up when around others, and happy holidays.
**** Ethics Statement: I received no compensation for promotion of the aforementioned products, and no company had any editorial impact on this gift guide. None of the aforementioned links are sponsored or affiliated in any way. I assume no responsibility for loss or damage because of the aforementioned products or websites.
