‘Tis the season! The season of giving! And by “giving,” I mean the vibe this time of year is giving, “What in capitalism’s name do I buy for all of these freaks (my friends/family) for the holidays?”
For me, James Pero, a senior writer here at Gizmodo who specializes in audio, smart glasses, and pretty much any AR/VR/XR face ‘puter, my solution in this high-stress situation is obvious: everyone’s getting a gadget. (Oprah voice) You get a gadget, and you get a gadget, and you get a gadget! Because, whether they know it or not, everyone likes a toy, and some of the best ones happen to have silicon in them. But you can’t just pick any old gadget, because the last thing your loved ones need is another overglorified lithium-ion battery collecting dust in their home.
Instead, get them something cool; get them something useful; get them something that I, a man of self-described impeccable taste, would buy. Get them, I don’t know, something on this list you’re about to read.
8. Soundcore Sleep A30
© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
Part of the art of gadget giving has nothing to do with gadgets, but everything to do with finding a balance. As nice as a SodaStream is, it doesn’t necessarily scream, “I see you, and I hear you.” Finding something that’s both useful and functional, though… That’s where the magic happens.
In my opinion, nothing says useful and functional like Soundcore’s Sleep A30 wireless earbuds, which aren’t your average pair. As you may have gathered from the name, the Soundcore Sleep A30 are all about helping you block out noise while you sleep, and in that quest, they’re surprisingly adept. I tested a pair myself and have continued to use the Sleep A30 beyond my testing to silence the all-hours noise of two cats. They’ve been a lifesaver, to say the least.
These wireless earbuds are designed from the ground up for comfort, so you can wear them all night with your ear pressed into the pillow like I do, and the active noise cancellation (ANC) is much, much stronger than you’d expect. Soundcore also provides various kinds of soundscapes for blocking noise, concentration, and relaxation, and includes a clever solution to the whole battery life issue (downloading a soundscape to the buds to play locally) that should help its Sleep A30 last a full 8 hours.
If you know someone—anyone—who needs white noise when they sleep or needs to suppress a partner’s snoring, the Sleep A30 could be a godsend. Hell, it might even save a marriage.
See Soundcore Sleep A30 at Amazon
7. PreSonus Studio 24c USB-C Audio Interface
© PreSonus
If you know anyone who likes to record their own music and is maybe just starting out, then an audio interface could be the perfect gift. This one from PreSonus, which I own myself, has been more than solid for the price. There are two inputs for instruments / mics, both with their own preamps, and also two five-pin ports for MIDI devices in the back for things like keyboards.
Without nerding out too much, all you really need to know about this audio interface is that it’s versatile, affordable, and incredibly easy to use. Audio interfaces extend the number of inputs and improve the quality of recorded sound, which are very important things when you’re recording!
I love to make music, but I’ve never been a super nerd about audio gear, and I can say from personal experience that this has been just the perfect ratio of professional-to-amateur functionality for me—one that makes recording in GarageBand sound a lot less shitty.
See PreSonus Studio Audio Interface at Amazon
6. Final Fantasy VII & VIII Remastered (Nintendo Switch)
© Walmart
I’m such a sucker for nostalgia, and nothing in the gaming world (outside of maybe Kingdom Hearts) makes me all warm and fuzzy inside like the Final Fantasy games I played growing up. To match the ’90s nostalgia, you can gift the old-ass gamer in your life a physical copy of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII remastered for the Nintendo Switch.
Having played both, I was grateful that when times were tough, I could coddle my brain with memories of playing these games in an era where nothing mattered much. Plus, for $40, they’re kind of a steal. If you know someone who grew up with a PS1 in their life and now owns a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, you should heavily consider adding this to your gift list. Either that or I’m sending you straight to the great pizza in the sky (the real heads know what I’m talking about).
See Final Fantasy VII & VIII Remastered at Amazon
5. Drinks by the Dram Tasting Set
© Drinks by the Dram
Fun fact: drinking isn’t a bad habit if you’re pretentious about it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. For those of us who are snobby about what we drink, there’s no better way to expand our knowledge (and our ABV) than with a little sample of a lot of things. Drinks by the Dram (a dram is a unit of alcohol measurement, by the way) sells curated sets of different spirits in tiny bottles depending on what you’re into.
Know someone who loves Speyside whiskey? You’re in luck. How about Islay whiskey? They have that too. Hell, they even have sets for the handful of people who are really specific about different kinds of spiced rum. I haven’t gifted anyone a set myself, but I have been gifted a bourbon set in the past, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that the curation is top-notch. For those who partake, I got a Weller 12-year, which is very similar to the oft-lauded (and maybe overhyped) Pappy Van Winkle. Yes, those are all real things; look it up.
I know this one isn’t tech, but distilling spirits is its own kind of technology… right?
See Tasting Set at Drinks by the Dram
4. Whisker Litter-Robot 4
© Whisker
There aren’t a lot of things I can say definitively in this world, but if there’s one truth I know to be absolute, it’s that lots of people love cats, but nobody likes cleaning their cat’s litter box. For the cat lover in your life, give the gift of not having to deal with the smelliest part of owning a lovable little fur gremlin by buying a Litter-Robot from Whisker.
Whisker sells quite a few models now, but the Litter-Robot 4, which my partner owns, is a great mix of features and convenience. This bad boy can hold enough waste for up to 8 days in a one-cat household, is carbon filtered for smell purposes, and stores the used litter in a drawer that can be easily removed and emptied.
If you’re really into knowing your cat’s, uh, data, you can also use a companion app to track things like weight, how frequently they use the box, and track metrics on if the Litter-Robot is full and whether you need to get your lazy butt off the couch and empty it. The Litter-Robot 4 might not be cheap, but for those with enough space (this thing is pretty big), it could be worth every penny for someone who loves their cat but not the chores that come with it.
See Whisker Litter-Robot 4 at Amazon
3. Fujifilm Instax Mini 40
@ Fujifilm
Instant cameras are so back. I’ve never really been much of a camera guy myself, but when I was gifted Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 40, my mind changed completely. This retro-inspired instant camera has been huge (figuratively, not literally) for being able to capture special moments on the go and help adorn my bare fridge with the places and people I like to look at.
The Instax Mini 40 is as easy to use as any instant camera and comes with some nice features like autofocus and a little mirror on the front for taking selfies. If you’re feeling extra thoughtful, you can even buy a case to make sure this thing doesn’t get smashed to smithereens when it inevitably gets dropped. The great thing about instant cameras is that you don’t need to be a pro photographer to use one. Instant cameras are all about capturing the moment quickly, warts and all, and without having to pull out your phone and face the threat of all those icky apps inside.
See Instax Mini 40 at Amazon
2. Fortnite V-Bucks
© Epic Games
I’m going to admit something that I don’t like to admit… I love to play Fortnite. That’s right. I’m a big dumb baby who likes big dumb baby games. So what? I’m obviously not alone in that love, either, since last I checked, Fortnite was kind of, sort of, popular. That means there’s a high chance someone you know either openly (or secretly) also loves to romp around the metaverse and pew pew until their last remaining brain cells beg for mercy.
I can’t tell you how many V-Bucks to gift with a gift card (for those not in the know, V-Bucks are in-game currency that can be used to buy skins, etc.), but you should know that a solid skin usually costs around 1,500. If you can get over how inane this gift is, you should trust me when I say that anyone who plays Epic Games’ battle royale shooter will thank you when they finally get to bust a cap in Homer Simpson’s ass while cosplaying as a xenomorph from Alien.
See V-Bucks at Fortnite
1. Nothing Headphone 1
© Raymong Wong / Gizmodo
Sure, you could do the same thing everyone does and get the audio lover in your life a pair of Sony WH-1000XM6, or you could take the less-trodden approach and go with Nothing’s Headphone 1, which look a lot cooler and still have great sound. They’re also a lot more affordable than other pairs of wireless headphones like AirPods Max, which is great for your overall holiday budget.
I tested the Headphone 1, Nothing’s first entrant into the world of wireless headphones, and was surprised at how many marks this pair excelled in. Just because they’re not the top in categories like sound or ANC doesn’t mean they’re not great, either. The sound, which was tuned by hi-fi audio company KEF, is a major highlight for me.
Like I said, this pair might not be the top in every category, but for anyone in your life who has been known to appreciate a cool factor in gadgets, they’ll likely scratch that hipster itch.
See Nothing Headphone 1 at Amazon
