TechRadar Christmas gift ideas 2014
Christmas is no so much approaching as careering in on its final descent like Santa's sleigh to that good kids room - and that means your shame at not having finished your present shopping has kicked in.
But fear not, TechRadar has rounded up its experts and threatened them with an extreme reindeer fly-by unless they provide us with their list of last minute gift suggestions. And faced with a speeding Blitzen they duly provided us with some ideas.
Home entertainment
Chromecast
- View on Amazon
Chromecast is one of the best-value gadgets on the planet. It plugs into the HDMI port of any TV and then streams Netflix, BBC iPlayer, BT Sport, PLEX and a lot more over the web as you use your phone as a remote control.
Roku 3
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The Roku 3 is a slightly more advanced take on Chromecast and has onboard apps for streaming all sorts of media. It's not reliant on a mobile or tablet and comes with its own remote control. It's more expensive than Chromecast but also more advanced.
Samsung H6400
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There were two standout TVs this year when it came to offering mindboggling value and the Samsung H6400, available in lots of different sizes, is one of them. With excellent picture quality and smart features, it's a TV that could easily cost a lot more.
Sony W829
- View on Amazon
The best TV of the year though has to be the Sony W829. It's only a midrange offering but the stunning picture quality and features it offers for a bargain price simply can't be matched, and it even gives Sony's own flagship products a run for their mone.
Pure Evoke D6
- View on Amazon
Digital radios make brilliant Christmas presents and there's surely none more worthy than Pure's Evoke D6. Offering excellent sound quality and Bluetooth streaming from your phone it's the ideal kitchen or bedroom companion.
Streaming services
Spotify
- Download Here
Unless you are Taylor Swift, a subscription to Spotify is a fantastic Christmas present. Filled to the brim with millions of songs, many of which are of the Xmas variety, the service is a music-lover's dream and is right at the forefront of how music is consumed today.
Netflix
- View on Netflix
If you can forgive the somewhat hit and miss movie catalogue, Netflix is a must have. The reason: it's breadth of television content. From original programming, such as House of Cards, to entire series of pure brilliance (Sons of Anarchy), there's so much to devour that you will wish there are more hours in the day.
Amazon Prime Instant Video
- View on Amazon
It was late to the streaming game but Amazon has redefined its streaming service into something that is a true rival to Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video. Its original programming is on a par with its rival - Transparent is outstanding - while the bundling of Prime content means that there is better premium content there, if you don't mind paying for it.
Now TV
- View on Amazon
Sky has done a great job of unshackling its programmes from the satellite dish with Now TV - a low-cost, non-contract way to watch premium TV programmes, movies or sport. And even if you don't buy into Sky's services, it's worth getting the box as a cheap upgrade to a non-smart TV.
Google Play Music
- View on Google Play
Google Play Music allows you to upload 50GB of your own music to the service for free, so you can listen to your stuff on the go. This is great in itself, but there's also a more-than decent streaming service tacked on to it as well. If you are an Android user and want something that isn't Spotify, then look no further.
Wearable and cameras
Sports and smartwatches
Tom Tom Multisport Cardio
- View on Amazon
Tracking your running, swimming, cycling – a separate cadence sensor can also be fitted to your bike – and more, the TomTom Multisport Cardio is perhaps the ultimate wrist-borne personal trainer. If you're looking to move up from step-counting to proper, zonal cardio training, this is your new best pal.
Fitbit Charge
- View on Amazon
The Fitbit Charge is the world's favourite fitness tracker combines simplicity, strong social integration and sufficient accuracy to make it useful. It isn't for elite athletes – and you're not one anyway, let's face it – it's for anyone who wants to lose a bit of weight. This latest one adds call alerts for added smartness.
Garmin Edge Touring Plus
- View on Amazon
Any "proper" cyclist needs certain things: unflattering tights, an aerodynamic helmet, the inability to discern red lights… and one of these. It's a cycle satnav that shows routes other Garmin users have discovered, and also a cycle computer compatible with your heart-rate monitor. A MAMIL must-have.
LG G Watch R
- View on Amazon
The LG G Watch R is a chunky, blokey piece with all the usual Android Wear side benefits, primarily the ability to speak into it in order to get directions, send texts and resemble Dick Tracey. The P-OLED screen is always on, so no need to press a button to find out what the time is.
Withings Activite
- View on Amazon
For a more stylish spin on "smart watches", the Withings Activite is hard to beat. In a nutshell, it's just a very nice watch with a motion tracker in it. Plug it into your PC and you get step and sleep stats. Wear it on the street and you look like a regular chap.
Cameras
Canon 7D Mark II
- View on John Lewis
Canon made its fans wait a long, long time for the EOS 7D Mark II, its new flagship APSC DSLR. But it was worth the wait, because the Canon 7D Mark II delivers a professional continuous shooting speed of 10 frames per second at a third of the price of a pro camera. The new sensor and advanced AF system produce terrific results.
Fuji X-T1
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Fuji's 16Mp XTrans sensor may not have the highest resolution, but it delivers beautiful image quality with a handy 400% dynamic range expansion option that really works. It's the Fuji XT1 design that wins hearts, though – a blend of oldschool controls with cutting edge imaging technologies. It looks and feels just like SLRs used to!
Panasonic FZ1000
- View on Amazon
Bridge cameras can be disappointing. You get a massive zoom range but a small sensor that delivers only mediocre image quality. But Panasonic has broken the mould, cramming a much larger 1inch sensor into a bridge camera body. The zoom range is 'only' 25400mm, but that's plenty and the lens is a cracker. The Panasonic FZ1000 put other bridge cameras to shame.
Panasonic LX100
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Panasonic pulls off its 'big sensor' trick with the LX100 too, squeezing in a Micro Four Thirds size sensor (the same size used on Panasonic and Olympus CSCs), a terrific 2475mm f/1.72.8 lens and even an electronic viewfinder. It doesn't stop there. The LX100 tops it off with brilliant retrostyle external shutter speed, aperture and ISO dials – and even 4K video.
Samsung NX1
- View on Simply Electronics
This is the camera that could put Samsung, and CSCs, well and truly on the map. The Samsung NX1 combines a high pixel count and backilluminated sensor technology to produce great image quality, but the real story is its 15fps continuous shooting speed – higher than any pro DSLR – and its ubersophisticated hybrid AF system. The weathersealed metal body is impressive too.
Phones and Computing
Phones
HTC One M8
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The best phone on the market made better, simply by refining what was already there. Adding in more metal, a superior design, excellent balance and improved screen with punchier speakers make the HTC One M8 a joy to use.
iPad Air 2
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The Air was close to perfect - so how did Apple make it better? By going lighter, thinner and improving the screen - not only in colour, but speed of touch - to make the iPad Air 2 the best tablet by a street.
iPhone 6
- View on Apple
Apple was in danger of falling behind in the phone race, so the rebooted iPhone 6 had to be brilliant... and it was. A blazingly fast engine and great design were welcome, and the screen would have been world beating were it not for the lower resolution.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S
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If you're against Apple's products for some reason, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S is a brilliant tablet, with the Super AMOLED screen combining well with great design for a well-balanced slate. The fact it came out three months after a new Tab is funny, but shows Samsung realises what it takes to get these things right... sometimes.
LG G3
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The LG G3 is the first QHD smartphone on the market and it also packs in top end specs in a rather compact chassis, given it's a 5.5-inch screen. And for the price (nearly half the cost of the iPhone 6) it's a brilliant piece of technology, and the high sales show LG is firmly back on the comeback trail.
Computing
MacBook Pro with Retina (2014)
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Until the Retina MacBook Pro emerges from the shadows, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina (2014) will likely stand as Apple's most impressive notebook. It has a faster CPU than last year's version while retaining its portability, solid build quality and stunning display that helps OS X 10.10 Yosemite shine.
Samsung UD590
- View on Argos
Few companies can do a decent 4K monitor on a budget, but Samsung has managed it with the UD590. While we love its nippy 1ms response time, angular design and simple setup, it's the monitor's vibrant colours and deep blacks that impress the most.
Alienware 13
- View on Dell
We love the Alienware 13's concept. A high-spec gaming laptop that docks into a Graphics Amplifier housing a GTX 980GPU for extra graphical grunt, it's the ultimate setup for gamers who need power both on and off the road. It's not unique, but Dell's stylish approach ticks the right boxes.
Brother MFC L2740DW
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Brother's MFC-L2740DW is cheap to buy and run, which makes it an excellent option if you're fed up of buying inkjet cartridges. Its ability to print double-sided pages will help keep costs down, and you can plonk it in the corner of a room thanks to its built-in Wi-Fi capabilities.
Surface Pro 3
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A real statement of intent, the Surface Pro 3 brought Microsoft within touching distance of creating the ultimate 2-in-1. Lighter than a MacBook Air while packing a sharp 12-inch touchscreen and excellent pen support, it was slim, thin and undoubtedly full of win.
from www.techradar.com
