Sometimes shopping at the last-minute can be a good thing. You get your pick of all of the price cuts, and in many cases you find gifts that you would’ve never thought of that will be useful for the new year. Here are a few items that I think that you should check out if you are still shopping for last-minute gifts.
Kodak Printomatic Instant Print Camera – $68.99
Kodak is making sure your holiday season will always be remembered with their Printomatic Instant Print camera, so at your Office Dinner or Christmas Party, you can go ahead and take quick snapshots and have the images readily available on 2×3 prints to hand to your family & friends. I’ve used the Printomatic myself over the holidays and the point and shoot approach has worked a great deal, and the fact that there’s no messy cartridges to change out (or batteries to have to change), the Printomatic by Kodak was a hit at my holiday party. Keep a picture booth in your back pocket by picking up the Printomatic today.
D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD – $149.99
Smarthome cameras have been on the rise the past few years, and if you are looking for a great home camera that works with Apple’s HomeKit platform, has a super simple set up, look no further than the Omna 180 camera by D-Link. It’s one of the few cameras on the market that comes with expandable storage via Micro-USB, which means there’s no subscriptions you need to sign up for. More importantly, the Omna’s 180-degree camera is always on giving you full HD 1920×1080 resolution, even in complete darkness, and you can witness all things going on in your house courtesy of the Omna app from the App Store. Currently available for $149.99, you can head over to D-Link to pick up one.
Lifeproof iPhone X Cases – Starting at $49.99
With Apple’s iPhone X being a hot holiday item, if you are lucky to get one in your hands, you absolutely must have a case on it. Even with AppleCare, the iPhone X deserves a bit more hands-on protection, and there’s no better cases than the Lifeproof cases. Lifeproof offers three tiers of cases for the Apple flagship, the SLAM ($49.99), the NËXT ($79.99) and the FRE ($89.99) each with the own personal take on protecting the front and back glass of your iPhone X. The Slam is drop proof, the Next is both drop and “weather” proof, while the Fre is completely waterproof and covers the screen while the Slam and Next do not. I love the Next for it’s form factor and the fact that the screen is exposed, but it’s all a matter of personal preference. You can check out all three and decide for yourself over at Lifeproof.com
Anker Powercore II 20,000mAh External Battery Pack – $49.99
If you’re visiting the family (or your in-laws) for the holidays, you should invest in a reliable battery pack, and there’s none better than Anker’s PowerCore 20000 portable charger. With enough battery life to charge two of your favorite devices multiple times over, what makes the PowerCore II so special is that is offers QuickCharge on BOTH USB ports, which is great if your phone supports that. If your pockets are big enough, the PowerCore II is great to carry both on your person or in your bag, and with ten LED indicators to let you know how much battery life remains, you’ll never NOT know how much juice your battery pack has. You can purchase the PowerCore II directly from Amazon today.
Anker PowerCore 13,000mAh Compact Battery Pack -$31.99
Compared to the larger 20,000mAh Powercore II, the PowerCore 13000 battery pack doesn’t have Quick Charge functionality, but still offers up two USB ports, LED indicators that show the device’s battery life in 20% intervals, and more importantly has a smaller footprint. This is actually the battery pack I carry in my bag daily, and even when I go out for long periods of time, it’s in my jacket or back pocket. You can pick one up yourself today here.
Anker Quick Charge 3.0 4-Port USB Car Charger – $29.99
Over the holidays, you might have family in the car with you, either picking them up from the airport, or riding around town. Chances are everyone has a smartphone and at some point it will need to be charged, right? That’s what the Anker 4-Port USB Car Charger is there for. Coming complete with three USB ports and a single USB-C output, this car charger is a MUST have year round, not just the holidays. You can pick one up here today.
Anker USB Type-C 5-Port 60W Wall Charger – $29.99
This time of the year is all about family, and if you happen to be hosting some in your home over the holidays, the Anker 5-Port wall charger is absolutely necessary. With four dedicated USB ports, and a single USB Quick Charge port you can charge smartphones, tablets, and if you have a MacBook, you can even charge it thanks to the 60W output of the wall charger. It’s come in handy for me, and it’s at the TOP of my list of items you should have in your home, or to give away as a gift. Click here to purchase.
Anker’s Powerline II USB-C & Lightning Cables – Starting at $11.99
If you trust in Anker to charge your devices, you need to trust in their cables. Durable and built last, I’ve personally never had a cable from Anker fray on me. They stand out in any room, and are available in multiple colors, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a few in your arsenal. You can pick up a Lightning, or USB-C ($11.99) today.
Sunbeam Renue Neck Wrap – $49.99
Not ever gift needs to be super techy, and one great gift that works for everyone has to be this awesome Neck wrap by Sunbeam. If you know someone who deals with any type of shoulder, neck or back pain, and you’re looking for something sweet to give them to alleviate that pain, the Renue Neck Wrap by Sunbeam will do the trick.
Designed to give you hands-free heat therapy to the applied area, the Renue uses weighted beads to apply light pressure to areas that cause a lot of tension. Lined with a soft fabric that’s gentle on skin, you can use it for hours. And did I mention that it comes with a customizable digital controller so you can set it and forget it. Get someone special the Renue today for $39.99.
Aura Smart Home Monitoring System – $449
If you’ve been looking for an affordable Smart home monitoring system that won’t break the bank and doesn’t come with instructions that you can’t follow, get the Aura. The first self-installed home security system on the market, the Aura is a wireless way of detection motion in your house. It’s small, inconspicuous, and only needs to be plugged into an outlet in your home. This is a great way of protecting your home without having strategically placed home cameras in your place, and it’s way less invasive, only sending you alerts when you need them, which you set up within the companion Aura Home app. You can pick up an Aura Starter Kit today here.
Catalyst Impact Protection Case for iPhone X – $39.99
If you’re not a fan of thicker cases and want to be as minimalistic with your phone case on your iPhone X, all the while protecting your smartphone from drops, get the Catalyst Impact case. I’ve used the case personally and it’s amazing how it’s saved my hide quite a few times with my phone on the edge of my desk at work, taking a tumble and surviving that drop without damaging the front or back glass.
Did I mention that since the case actually is clear on the rear, you can show off how great the device looks. It’s not waterproof unfortunately, but Catalyst does have their Waterproof model currently on pre-order. But I still suggest picking up the Impact case by Catalyst.
PodPocket – $19.95
Apple’s AirPods are one of the most sought out products for the holiday season, so much so that they are currently on backorder until 2018. However if you currently have a pair, or giving a pair away as a gift, you should really pair the wireless headphones with the PodPocket. Essentially a case for your AirPods, I’ve found the case to not only protect the easily scratch-prone white case of the AirPods, but you can even attach your AirPods to your keys so you’ll never be without them. You can pick up the PodPocket from Best Buy, or directly from the PodPocket site.
Elgato Eve Degree – $65.98
Earlier this year Judie reviewed the Elgato Eve Degree and loved it. The HomeKit compatible weather station is the perfect tracker for your homes air quality, humidity and temperature. A must have for any home or stocking stuffer, you can pick up the Elgato Eve Degree currently on Amazon for $65.
Elgato Eve Energy – $49.95
What better gift to give a friend that a start to their smart home? The Elgato Eve Energy is a switch and power meter that hopes to assist in lowering your electricity bill with it’s usage, and with the Elgato Eve app you can check to see how much power your appliances are consuming, all without a bridge. You can pick one up today.
Elgato Eve Door & Window – $39.95
Know when all of your guest come in and out of your home with the Elgato Eve Door & Window. With simple setup instructions just like any other Elgato product, the Elgato Eve Door & Window give you insight on who’s entering your place, and fully works with Siri and Apple’s HomeKit. Available now for $39.95.
Elgato Eve Room & Eve Motion – Starting at $49.93
Elgato’s Eve Room is a wireless indoor sensor that is battery operated, and allows you to get a broader sense of your home’s air quality, but in a little white frame that doesn’t have the LED screen like the Eve Degree. This is a minimalistic approach to home monitoring, all while working to give insight on your home every single day. The Eve Motion works in similar fashion showing you notifications when there’s movement detected in your home. The two of these products are a great gift for the in-laws, friends, or even as a nice White Elephant gift for the holidays.
AiroSpa Pillow – $29.95
When you’re flying over the holidays, the AiroSpa needs to be the accessory in your carry-on. I’ve had some of the most uncomfortable sleep on airplanes, in hotels, and even other people’s homes because their pillows were not great, or just because of my poor sleeping habits. The AiroSpa looks to rectify that for anyone, promising improved sleep for everyone.
So if you know someone who snores, this is perfect. If you have a friend who wants to improve their posture or even relief stress, the AiroSpa is that bridge getting you to great relaxation. Included with a few aromatherapy oils, and an included fan, the AiroSpa is only missing one thing, a masseuse. You can pick up one today for $29.95 directly from their site.
NVIDIA Shield TV – $169.99
The best gift for ANYONE in your family, from the kids to your grandparents isn’t a fancy speaker that talks or a smartwatch, it’s the NVIDIA Shield TV. If you know a cord cutter, or just someone who watches Netflix and Hulu, the NVIDIA SHIELD TV does it all as both a media player and gaming device. Currently on sale for $169.99, the NVIDIA SHIELD runs 4k HDR, and running on the Android platform, you can access all of your Google content or even Google Assistant courtesy of this baby. It’s smart home ready, comes with a gaming controller, and if you buy today you even get three free months of YouTube Red. There’s no reason NOT to make this a gift for that special person in your family this holiday season.
ARA Toothbrush – $129
Everyone needs a toothbrush right? Why not get yourself one that’s a bit smarter than those traditional ones in department stores? Let me ask you, have you had a toothbrush that monitors your progress over time, as well as timing you and your frequency? The Aura Toothbrush does this all, and with the companion Kolibree app, your toothbrush syncs wirelessly to your smartphone so you can see in real-time which areas you need to work on brushing a bit harder. This is a GREAT gift for anyone, including yourself, and can even prevent bad news from the dentist. You can purchase one directly from their site today.