The holiday season is upon us, and that means it’s time to find the perfect gifts for the tech enthusiasts in your life. But what do you get for someone who loves both cutting-edge technology and sleek design? Don’t worry – after a year of curating the latest and best in tech, we’ve rounded up a selection of standout devices that go beyond just high performance. These picks are crafted with thoughtful design and innovative features, sure to surprise and impress even the most discerning tech aficionado. With a range of price points and functionalities, there’s something here for everyone on your list.
Who has the time to spend valuable minutes making coffee every morning? After all, five minutes per day equates to over 30 hours per year – that’s right, more than one full day (for the calculator junkies, that’s over 100 days in an 80-year lifetime). The Terra Kaffe TK-02 will save the coffee-lover in your life a whole day of time, while looking great. It’s a fully automatic espresso machine, with a dedicated app and the ability to integrate with a coffee subscription. That will allow the user to save even more time, by automatically ordering coffee beans when they’re needed.
Samsung is all in on frames. On top of the Samsung The Frame TV, the company also makes the Music Frame Speaker. It’s actually a pretty smart speaker, disguised as a picture frame. The underlying speaker supports AirPlay, Alexa, Google Home, and Chromecast, plus it even supports decoding Dolby Atmos audio, and you can integrate it with your home theater setup, if you use a compatible soundbar. The image itself isn’t smart – you’ll use a real-life 8″ x 10″ or 8″ x 8″ photo. But, for many, that’s a good thing, considering the more realistic image. Maybe one day, Samsung will blend the technology in its Frame TV with that of the Music Frame Speaker.
A portable projector may not replace your TV completely any time soon, but it certainly might reduce how often you use your TV by allowing you to watch anywhere you want. The MoGo 3 Pro is one of the better portable projectors out there, offering a 1,080p resolution, with a 450-lumen brightness. Sure, that won’t compete with much more expensive stationary projectors, but those projectors don’t have a super-portable, flexible design that lets you project on a surface at any angle (even the ceiling!). The MoGo 3 Pro can be bought with a tripod that allows for even more versatility in placement. It has Google TV built into it, lets you stream content from your phone, and has dual 5W speakers for decent sound.
Speakers that blend into their environment seem to be a trend. The Lexon Tamo Mini is a tiny portable speaker looks kind of like a little salt shaker, or at least a little tabletop ornament. It allows you to quickly and easily pair your phone with a tap, and it has a three-hour battery life, which isn’t huge, but is pretty good for a speaker this size and price. And, it has a bright aluminum finish to help make it look even more premium.
Why should your CD collection sit there and gather dust? Available from the MoMA Design Store is the aptly named “CD Player with Speaker CP2,” which, yes, is a CD player that has a built-in speaker, preventing the need for external speakers. It’s minimalistic and stylish, and puts the CD you’re listening to on full display. And, it’s reasonably high-tech, with Bluetooth connectivity as an output and a USB-C port for charging, on top of the headphone jack.
Give your desk or another space a modern flare with the Steelcase Eclipse Light. This light is highly adjustable, both in terms of placement, and in terms of illumination, with its dimming capability. It goes beyond just being a light though, with a copper tinted mirror to check yourself, and a wireless charging pad, to keep your compatible phone juiced up. It comes in three colors, including Pearl Snow, Matte Black, and Pewter.
My wife blends smoothies in the morning, and I don’t. The result? With our standard-size blender, she has to either blend for the whole week, or we have to clean the whole giant blender every day. The Beast Mini Blender gets around that. It’s as powerful as a full-size blender, but blends single servings, so you can flip the canister around and have it double as a cup when you’re done blending. The system comes with lids and straws, and its 600W motor is more than strong enough for most blending needs.
The Amazon Echo Pop is the cheapest speaker in the Amazon Echo lineup, but that doesn’t make it any less smart. Like every other Echo, it has the same Alexa capabilities, so you can use it to search the web, control smart home devices, and more. Unlike some other Echos, it comes in super fun colors, including Lavender Bloom and Midnight Teal. Its speaker may not be as impressive as the full-size Echo, but it still sounds fine for casual listening.
Smartwatches and luxury watches don’t often cross over, but when they do, they can be pretty impressive. The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 is a perfect example of that. It has the TAG Heuer aesthetics that you know and love, coupled with a bright and vibrant OLED display and the Google Wear OS smartwatch operating system. That will allow you to use it to manage notifications, interact with Google Assistant, and more. And, with a built-in heart rate monitor and other fitness sensors, it can track your day-to-day fitness. The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 starts at $1,250 for the 42mm model, but ranges up depending on the size, style, and accessories you want.
Most people with a modern smartphone can use a wireless charger, but a wireless charger can be much more than that. The Courant MAG:3 Wireless Charger has two Qi charging areas (perfect for your phone and earbuds), plus it has a extra USB-C port that you can use to charge something else. On top of that, it has space for other bits and pieces, like jewelry, your keys, and so on. Perhaps the best thing about it, compared to other wireless chargers, is the build-quality. It boasts Italian leather or Belgian linen, and it looks stunning. For an additional $15, you can get it monogrammed for your gift recipient.
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