A gizmo in your stocking

In today’s tech savvy world, one of the best buys for a Christmas or New Year gift, whether for a friend, colleague or loved one, is an IT gizmo. We trawl the web and stores for gadget gifts that are bound to impress. 

 

In the picture

Shutterbugs with a penchant for travelling will love the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. This compact camera features a one-inch 20.2 Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is larger than general compact digital cameras and thus captures better quality. It comes with bright f/1.8 Carl Zeiss lens and Wi-Fi and NFC connections. It retails for Bt22,990.

 

An Apple a day

The ideal gift for the girl on the go, the sleek and cute Apple iPad Air is 20-per-cent thinner than previous iPad models and comes with 9.7-inch retina display. The 16-gigabyte model with Cellular connection is selling for Bt21,400.

 

A bigger bite

Multimedia producers and video editing enthusiasts need a computer that can be easily carried around and this is where the Apple MacBook Air comes into its own. The 11-inch model is powered by 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM making it powerful enough for editing digital movies. The model with 128 GB flash storage retails for Bt31,900 and with 256 GB for Bt37,900.

 

All in the game

Have a son who is always playing computer games? Then help him up his scores with a set of game-playing peripherals from leading game hardware manufacturer Razer. One of the peripherals is the Razer Kraken 7.1, which sells for Bt3,790 at JIB and Zest and other game hardware shops. It’s a USB gaming headset that provides complete 7.1 surround sound gaming experience. Another is the Razer DeathAdder, a mouse designed for game players with 6400dpi optical sensor, high level of performance and natural feel. It sells for Bt1,890. Complete the set with Razer BlackWidow, which sells for Bt5,790. The keyboard is designed for game players with mechanical key technology that provides a distinctive tactile feedback in form of a light displayed to your tap of fingers. It features optimised actuation force of 45g and tactile and silent key feel.

 

Beautiful back up

A portable hard drive that lets you store music, photos, video clips and other files, is now a must for the digitally aware. The Seagate Slim portable drive is as thin as a pencil and it is available in a black or silver anodised metal finish. It supports USB 3.0 connection. A 500GB model retails for Bt1,990.

 

Power to the people

A portable power supply or power bank is also necessary to mobile life and the Sony CP-F10L is among the best. It provides 10,000 mAh for recharging a smartphone or tablet computer on the go, has two USB output ports for charging two devices at once and can be refilled with the provided AC adapter in about seven hours. Weighing a mere 260 grams, it’s a great gift for Bt2,990.

 

Walk on the wild side

Fed up with helping colleagues search for their flash drives? Then award them one of Apacer's “Q Zoo” series. Designed for smartphones and tablet PCs, they come in Pinky Piglet, Brownie Bear and Jumping Tiger models and are compatible with Android smartphones or tablet PCs that support the USB OTG (On-the-Go) function. A Q Zoo mobile flash drive weighs merely 7g and is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB for Bt390, Bt590 and Bt1,290 respectively.

 

Rocking around the clock

Music fans will love the Sony NWZ-WH505/B, which has 16 gigabytes of internal memory and thanks to the built-in xLOUD stereo speakers, can be worn around the neck for personal surround sound. The 40mm-diametre driver units pound out the bass and the built-in rechargeable battery lasts for up 20 hours. It’s a steal at 

Bt5,990.

 

Docking with dynamism

iPhone 5 users will love the JBL OnBeat Micro. docking speaker system. The compact dock with built-in Lightning docking connector for the iPhone 5, iPod Touch 5th generation and iPod Nano 7th generation, packs a serious audio punch, thanks to two full-range transducers and built-in digital signal processing (DSP) that combine to deliver dynamic, space-filling sound. It retails for Bt3,990.

 

The ears have it

A portable Bluetooth speaker system for smartphones and tablets like the JBL Flip is a must for listening to music on the go. With two 40mm drivers, a built-in bass port and an acoustic volume of 200cc, the JBL Flip delivers sound with exceptional bass. It retails for Bt3,990.