Top Gadgets for Christmas
It’s no secret that the stereotype of men loving gadgets is grounded in more than just a sliver of truth. However, with the modern influx of everything from smart phones to digital everything, giving the gift of gadgetry is no longer a boys-only domain. Every year, companies clamour over each other to produce the sleekest, smartest, and most coveted gadget, vying for the attention (and the wallets) of holiday shoppers everywhere. Here is an edit of some of the most amazing gadgets available this holiday season.
Meta Space Glasses
The classic science fiction movies of days gone by with actors in their stereotypical space-age eyewear may actually have been unwittingly predicting the future. Meta is a start-up company that is merging printable 3D technology with virtual reality, to produce a product that lets the customer interact seamlessly between the real and virtual realms. Although this sounds very high-concept, Meta Space Glasses actually produce a tactile, tangible result using technology that already exists. And naturally, yes, that technology has been fashioned into the form of one really futuristic, if not a bit intimidating, pair of glasses. Officially, Meta are calling their creation a personal holographic interface. Once the customer puts on the glasses, they are able to create and sculpt virtual items by hand. The customer can then “carry” the item over to a 3D printer and create a physical representation of the object they just created. Meta Space Glasses retail for just $667.00.
Livescribe Echo Smartpen
The pen may truly be mightier than the sword after all. This smartpen allows the user to take notes and record audio simultaneously. There is also a micro USB connector, and the capacity to save and share interactive notes to your computer. There are various models of the Livescribe pen available, some with even more bells and whistles, to include up to 800 hours of audio, and one even with a small LED display and application menu. Prices start at $160.00.
MindSpa
MindSpa is a small device that resembles an MP3 player and earphones, and yet another sci-fi inspired-looking pair of glasses. But do not be fooled, Mindspa is so much more than just a music player and a wacky pair of sunglasses. Based upon evidence-based scientific principals of the effects of certain frequencies of light and sound on the state of the human mind, MindSpa is a tool which the consumer can use to guide the brain into one of two states of deep mindfulness; deep relaxation, known as the alpha state, and a state of sharpened cognitive stimulation and focus, or the beta state. It all may seem just a little bit out there, but recently the well-loved UK programme The Gadget Show tested the Mindspa out on a focus group consisting of three stress-besting products, and the results were unanimous; MindSpa was the hands-down favourite. The MindSpa retails at £225.
Phillips Wake-Up Light
If you or someone you know is prone to smashing the snooze button repeatedly, or perhaps even throwing the alarm clock across the room in a fit of agitated denial, the Phillips Wake-Up Light is for you. The Wake-Up Light is offered in five different models, ranging in price from £59 to £180. No matter which model you might choose, the premise is the same; instead of waking with a blast of sound or music as you would with a traditional alarm clock, the Wake-Up light awakens you gradually, simulating the rising morning sun with a gradually brightening light. Music also plays in the background, gradually getting louder, and some of the models even mimic the sounds of nature. The latest version of the Wake-Up Light even has an iPhone docking station and is controlled by the Phillips Wake-Up iPhone App.
iPad Air
Rally, no list of amazing gadgets can be complete without at least one item from Apple appearing on it. Apple is truly the industry leader in sleek, elegant technology, and the iPad Air is no exception. This is the thinnest iPad yet, with different memory sizes available as in their previous models, with the biggest being 125GB. The picture is as sharp as ever, and it is truly amazing to see so much technology coming out of something so thin. iPad Air starts at £399.00.
Emperor 1510 Gaming Environment (http://www.mwelab.com/index.php/en/products/emperor-1510)
Looking like a hybrid between something from one of the Alien movies and the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, the Emperor 1510 Gaming environment is for the hardcore gaming enthusiast. The Emperor is fashioned much like a captain’s chair with a scorpion-like tail that hangs overhead and acts as a mounting structure for the user to mount anything up to a three-way monitor system (which is not included). Consumers can also add-on a Bose surround-sound system, and a laptop tray. The Emperor 1510 is an epic piece of equipment, and functions as a full-on, total-immersion computer-command-central that is completely ergonomically optimized. The Emperor 1510 is not for the feint of heart, or of pocketbook. MSRP is $5950.00, but if you want to find one in the UK, be prepared to pay between £5 and £7 grand.
Koubachi Outdoor
The Koubachi Outdoor is a WiFi enabled plant sensor probe that accurately senses the health of your plants, and sends you a message via iOS or Anderod about what steps you should take to ensure your plant’s health. The Koubachi Plant care modules have been developed by leading biologists, and there is an entire encyclopaedia of plant species available to choose from. For every plant the Koubachi Outdoor reads, it is able to tell you exactly what you need to do to ensure the health of your plant, and when you need to do it. The device even takes climate into consideration when making its recommendations. The Koubachi Outdoor is available for around £99.
