Much of my Top Ten Tech Gifts for Father’s Day 2011 post remains true, though some have had nice price reductions (the Canon Rebel T3i with lens dropped from $916 to $720). I thought I’d add a few more thoughts for Christmas.
A friend brought this little gizmo on a recent camping trip and I was amazed. It connects to a multitude of devices via bluetooth and pumps out thumping sound for it’s size (6″L x 2.2″W x 1.6″H; 12 oz.). It is rechargeable and lasts about 10 hours. It also works well as a speakerphone. The Jambox retails for $199, but you can get the red model shown above for much less with no tax and free shipping using the following link. (Amazon.com, $163)
Sonos has long been a provider of whole-home wireless music solutions, but the recent release of the Play 3 and Play 5 remote speakers have brought rave reviews. Easily control your music from an iPhone, iPad, computer or Android device–playing the same song everywhere or a different one from each speaker. In addition to your iTunes library, Sonos has built-in support for Pandora, Last FM, Spotify, Napster, Sirius XM, and many other offerings from the Internet. The speakers are well built, crank out great sound, and adding another zone means simply buying another speaker. If you don’t have a wired network connection where the speaker will be placed, you’ll need the $49 Sonos Bridge–you only need one for all the Sonos speakers in your home. (Amazon.com: Play 3, $299; Wireless Bridge, $49)
Epson recently released these turnkey projectors, but Amazon has already lopped the price dramatically in time for the holidays. The 720p model is HD, though not full 1080P HD, but it should be fine for showing the kids the latest Pixar movie on the side of your house. And the built-in speakers are loud enough to handle that rehearsal dinner slideshow. The iPhone/iPad dock is just gravy. (Amazon.com: 720p, $680; 520p, $549)
It’s silly not to upgrade to the latest iPhone if your contract allows it. You can sell that old phone on eBay for about as much as the new one costs you. And the new iPhone 4S offers increased speed, Siri, and an amazing camera upgrade. Dealing with the phone companies makes this a difficult gift to give, so the link takes you to the iPhone gift card page. (Apple.com, $199 with contract)
If you need an extra computer around the house, the entry level Apple laptop is a great choice. Shoehorning this much power in such a small and light package is amazing. And the recent upgrades make this laptop even more of a bargain. (Amazon.com: 11.6″ Display, $940; 13.3″ Display, $1,280)
I have used this line of scanners for five years now. The combination of build quality, performance and ease of use are unparalleled. Turning that pile of bills on your text into digital copies (now acceptable to the IRS) is much better than filing them all. And it folds up so small, you’ll barely notice it. (Amazon.com, $190)
Just a few ideas. I know they are a little expensive in these difficult times. Check my Father’s Day post for some less expensive options. Or just get him some Thorlo socks. Those are quite nice.
Incidentally, while the iPad is still one of my favorite gadgets (I rarely use a computer at home anymore), the rumor is that they will update it sometime around next March. So I would leave that for a Fathers Day gift.