Last year I started a tradition of publishing what I found to be the 5 best gift ideas of the year. So without further adue, here’s a years worth of research of the best gifts out there.
1) Pebble Watch
Pebble is a smartwatch that integrates with your iOS or Android smartphone. It’s so new you can’t even get one unless you had backed it on kickstarter. Even the backers are in for at least another month wait. You can preorder for a non-estimated release date for $150. Besides telling the time it allows you to receive text messages on your wrist, adjust your music, and really do anything that your smartphone does, controlled from your wrist assuming you can make apps or someone makes an app for the watch that does what you are wanting it to do.
2) Fenix TK70
If you’ve ever had a Mag light, this is no Mag light. Mag light has become the Kodak of flashlights where technology has progressed quickly (High intensity LEDs) and they have basically ignored advances and hoped that being the most well known brand would be enough to keep their product viable.
This is the TK70, one of the latest from Fenix. Fenix is a Chinese company that designs top performing flashlights. Mag light offers an LED version of their flashlight that touts a 100 lumen brightness rating. The TK70 can provide up to 2200 lumens. And the TK70 provides multiple brightness settings, so if you wanted to preserve your batteries you could use the lowest 20 lumen setting and a fresh set would last you 168 hours. Here’s the full stats for brightness and run time:
The “bulbs” are rated to last 50,000 hours of use: roughly 5 and a half years. They’re durable torture tested lights, so beyond waterproof. If you’re not looking for something quite so large then the pd32 is a great alternative (or supplement) to the TK70.
3) Traxxas XO-1
This is by far the most expensive (and least practical) gift on the list this year coming in around $1k. It uses your iOS device as a control panel to give you data like rpm’s, temps, and speed which reach over 100 MPH. This isn’t your Walmart’s RC.
4) Syma S107
On the other side of the spectrum this RC helicopter is the most affordable item on the list coming in around $20. It get’s great reviews because of the low cost and the high amounts of fun. The kids love it in our family, at least until the batteries die.
5) Apple Something
A few years back the best gift would have been Apple stock as it became the most valuable company on the stock market this year. There’s a reason for that: they make great stuff.
Whether it’s laptop, phone, tablet or iPod you can’t go wrong getting anything Apple.
Bonus: Fenix PD32
The Fenix PD32 is a great flashlight that will fit in your pocket. On it’s high or turbo settings it will out shine a 4D Mag light. On low batteries will last for 200 hours.
Last year I started a tradition of publishing what I found to be the 5 best gift ideas of the year. So without further adue, here’s a years worth of research of the best gifts out there.
1) Pebble Watch
Pebble is a smartwatch that integrates with your iOS or Android smartphone. It’s so new you can’t even get one unless you had backed it on kickstarter. Even the backers are in for at least another month wait. You can preorder for a non-estimated release date for $150. Besides telling the time it allows you to receive text messages on your wrist, adjust your music, and really do anything that your smartphone does, controlled from your wrist assuming you can make apps or someone makes an app for the watch that does what you are wanting it to do.
2) Fenix TK70
If you’ve ever had a Mag light, this is no Mag light. Mag light has become the Kodak of flashlights where technology has progressed quickly (High intensity LEDs) and they have basically ignored advances and hoped that being the most well known brand would be enough to keep their product viable.
This is the TK70, one of the latest from Fenix. Fenix is a Chinese company that designs top performing flashlights. Mag light offers an LED version of their flashlight that touts a 100 lumen brightness rating. The TK70 can provide up to 2200 lumens. And the TK70 provides multiple brightness settings, so if you wanted to preserve your batteries you could use the lowest 20 lumen setting and a fresh set would last you 168 hours. Here’s the full stats for brightness and run time:
The “bulbs” are rated to last 50,000 hours of use: roughly 5 and a half years. They’re durable torture tested lights, so beyond waterproof. If you’re not looking for something quite so large then the pd32 is a great alternative (or supplement) to the TK70.
3) Traxxas XO-1
This is by far the most expensive (and least practical) gift on the list this year coming in around $1k. It uses your iOS device as a control panel to give you data like rpm’s, temps, and speed which reach over 100 MPH. This isn’t your Walmart’s RC.
4) Syma S107
On the other side of the spectrum this RC helicopter is the most affordable item on the list coming in around $20. It get’s great reviews because of the low cost and the high amounts of fun. The kids love it in our family, at least until the batteries die.
5) Apple Something
A few years back the best gift would have been Apple stock as it became the most valuable company on the stock market this year. There’s a reason for that: they make great stuff.
Whether it’s laptop, phone, tablet or iPod you can’t go wrong getting anything Apple.
Bonus: Fenix PD32
The Fenix PD32 is a great flashlight that will fit in your pocket. On it’s high or turbo settings it will out shine a 4D Mag light. On low batteries will last for 200 hours.