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The holiday season is finally, really, actually upon us.
This time of year means different things to different people, but for most of us, some gifts will be exchanged.
Insider Picks has put together a number of gift guides to help, ranging from the hyper-specific to the vague.
This tech list is more general. Based on what I've used, and what I've heard friends and family asking for this year. These are higher-end gadgets, but if you've got a really special giftee, I can't see them being disappointed. More importantly, these products are still available before the holidays are here.
This list originally included a MacBook Pro, Echo Dot, and Hue bulbs. Those are still great products, but they're currently sold out.
Having trouble figuring out what to get people for the holidays? You can check out all of Insider Picks' 2016 gift guides here.
Bang & Olufsen headphones
The best headphones — wired or Bluetooth — that I've used come from Beoplay, an offshoot of Bang & Olufsen.
Both provide the music listener with incredibly clear, well-balanced sound. Regardless of what music you listen to, there's a good chance that you'll hear previously unheard subtleties in even your favorite songs. I listen to music for roughly six hours a day, and I couldn't imagine using anything but the H6's (save for when I'm conducting reviews.)
The H8's are similar. They're on-ear headphones rather than over-ear one, and they suffer from some sound degradation compared to their wired sibling. Still, if you want uncompromising sound without wires, the H8 are an excellent choice.
The Echo Tap
If you want to get an Amazon Echo device into a friend or family member's house, this is probably your last chance. After going in and out of stock for the past few days, the Echo Tap is now available.
The portable-friendly member of the Echo family, the Tap is meant to be used on the go as a Bluetooth speaker. At home, the Tap sits on a charging dock, where it can be used as a smart-home hub, just like the full-sized Echo.
If a person on your list is a music lover, who's thinking about dipping his or her toes into the smart-home world, this is the perfect gift.
A tablet
Tablets may not be as flashy or fancy as they seemed when the iPad first hit the scene in 2010, but they're arguably one of the most useful pieces of tech out there.
My mom is an iPad devotee, and I use mine as my primary home computer. I've also used an Amazon Fire Tablet, and came away impressed. Regardless of which brand you go with, you still have a few tablet options available to you.
If the person you're buying this for has an iPhone, or uses a Mac, I'd recommend the iPad. If they don't have any Apple loyalty, and they're an Amazon Prime subscriber, the Fire Tablet is the best choice.
A home theater projector
I had a projector in college, and while I'm very happy with my current TV, part of me still misses it.
Projectors give you a larger-than-life screen in your own home. Based on my personal experience, I've come to trust Optoma in this space. This model has a native resolution of 1080p, can create a 100+ inch screen (from a distance of 12 feet), and isn't that huge.
This model is significantly newer than the one I used back in college and has two HDMI ports, and more importantly an audio out jack. HDMI is the only way to connect devices to the projector, but it's been the standard video connector for long enough that it shouldn't be a problem.
You'll need the right room for it, but if creating a home theater in your home is on your 2017 to-do list, this is a great place to start.
A streaming box or stick
More and more people are ditching their cable subscription, opting to stream the shows they like instead.
The streaming hardware business is split into two categories: streaming boxes, and streaming sticks. Streaming boxes are more powerful, but they're bigger, and more expensive. Streaming sticks are smaller, but less powerful, and less expensive.
If you opt for a streaming stick, we recommend the latest version from Roku. Roku's hardware is rock solid, and has a simple user interface. Best of all, because Roku is platform agnostic, it has channels for every streaming service you can think of.
On the other hand, if you choose to step up to a full-sized streaming box, we recommend the Fire TV. It's capable of playing 4K content, whereas the Roku stick tops out at 1080P. You can also use the Fire TV for light gaming, and its Alexa-enabled remote lets you search for the shows you want using your voice.
An iPhone case
I've tried a bunch of iPhone cases over the past few months, and if I can only recommend one, it'd be the Defense Gear by X-Doria.
It strikes the perfect balance between being thin and light, while still providing ample protection. Its standout feature is a very clever design choice — one I hope more case makers adopt.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have a stereo speaker system. The problem is that each speaker is pointed in a different direction. One is in the earpiece, which faces toward you. The second speaker is on the bottom of the phone, and sends audio to the left or right of you. X-Doria built a solid bottom to this case, with a chamber for the bottom speaker's audio.
That chamber has holes in it, which sends the audio back toward you. This creates a more rich, and accurate stereo image. Not only does this case protect your phone, but it actually improves the experience of listening to music, or watching movies.
A Kindle
If you know someone who loves to read, you should get them a Kindle.
Nothing will ever replace the feeling of a real book, but the utility of owning a Kindle can't be matched. It allows someone to carry their entire book collection with them at all times. No more "I forgot to pack my book!"
The Kindle line is large, but given its current sale price I recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. It has a higher resolution screen than the standard Kindle, and backlights, so your giftee can read their book in darker places.
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