Not sure what’s hip and happening in the world of consumer technology this Christmas? Let us help you out by giving you our top 5 best technology Christmas Gifts for 2014.
1. Pebble Steel Smartwatch
This part of the technology world is fairly new to everyone and has only been embraced by a small section of the technology pie, but we here at CMS IT are highly impressed with what wearable technology has to offer for 2014, going on to 2015!
Branded as “technology that makes your life better”, the latest offering of the Pebble Steel Smartwatch does alot more than tell you the time. As of this writing, there are 246 apps and countless watch faces available for the Pebble. And it’s not just a ragtag group of half-baked apps anymore; Pebble scored some big name partnerships, such as apps from Yelp and ESPN. The Yelp app has a nifty “discovery mode” which pops up a nearby suggestion with a flick of the wrist. You can read snippets of reviews and find contact and location information. Apps like these have the intention of making our lives “easier” and more informative especially when on the go.
So why the Pebble Steel Smartwatch as a Christmas Gift? It’s our choice as the best smartwatch out there in the market. Picking a smartwatch right now comes down to what kind of phone you use. If you’re on team iPhone, you’re limited to the Apple Watch or the Pebble line. And keep in mind that if you ditch your iPhone for another platform, that Apple Watch becomes nothing more than a pricey paperweight. On the other hand, with Android whatever phone you choose, and however often you switch devices, the Moto 360, Samsung Gear S, or the Pebble Steel watch on your wrist will chug along without complaint.
2. Nexus 6
So smartphones haven’t just been getting smarter over the years but instead they have been getting BIGGER. At last Apple have made the move of making a bigger phone after it kept getting left behind by its rivals who churn out better specs year in, year out – and one of the reasons behind that probably was the smaller screen size (less resolution etc).
But move over Apple as that isn’t the biggest mobile technology story news of 2014 – the announcement and release of Nexus 6 is!
The Nexus 6 is the first to run Android 5.0 Lollipop and there’s no better way to experience Google’s newest offering other than on a Nexus device – the closest Android will get to an Apple Hardware and Software integration experience without all the manufacturer bloatware.
So why the Nexus 6 as a Christmas Gift? This beast of a phone packs a 6″ display, 493ppi pixel density, 3GB RAM, Quad-Core processor and comes with 32GB or 64GB internal space all out of the box. It’s by far the best spec’d phone out there at the moment coupled with the offering of Android 5.0 Lollipop interface. It also bridges the gap between a phone and a tablet – why carry both when you can just have the Nexus 6.
3. Drift Ghost-S Action Camera
The Ghost-S Action Camera supports Full HD 1080p, HD 960p, HD 720p and SD WVGA resolution video, as well as high-resolution 12-megapixel still image capture. Ideal for the casual user or prosumer, the Ghost-S is a feature-packed action camera with an easy-to-use interface. The Ghost-S improves upon its predecessor by adding 60 fps recording at 1080p, a Clone Mode for syncing and controlling up to four Ghost-S cameras from one master camera, a slow shutter mode for improved low-light performance, and an impressive 3.5 hour battery life.
The camera is equipped with Wi-Fi for communicating with smartphones via the free Drift Mobile App. You can use the Wi-Fi connectivity to preview and line up shots remotely, snap photos, and playback footage directly through your mobile device. You can also transfer video footage to your smartphone or tablet for immediate uploading to the Web including YouTube and other social media sites.
So why the Drift Ghost-S Action Camera as a Christmas Gift? Not only does it pack amazing recording features in such a small device, it has its uses anywhere – whether you’re going for a bike ride or even walking down the street. Most importantly, and this is for the drivers out there, this doubles up as an in-car dash camera. Great for insurance purposes and great for capturing anything and everything whilst on the road. A great all-round device!
4. SanDisk Ultra II SSD
Speed is everything, especially in this day in age. Faster internet gets to the worm more quickly and so does a fast computer. The SanDisk SSD gives your PC that performance boost that’ll give it wings. It is built for speed and endurance, and has ultra-fast speeds with nCache 2.0 Technology.
To be honest there are a few manufacturers bringing out SSD’s and sooner rather than later we should see them as the norm, but we’ve been impressed with Sandisk’s Ultra II offering. It is competitively priced and that seems to be the tone for Sandisk when it comes to SSD’s. SanDisk pairs the SSD series with a Marvell (88SS9190-BJM2) controller, and they combine it with their own and latest Toggle NAND flash memory. The end result is a SSD series that is offering very decent specs, these devices passes 550 MB/s in reads and 500 MB/sec writes. With 4K random read performance estimated at roughly 90.000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) it is here to make a sturdy for the money impression alright.
5. Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920
This isn’t just any old webcam. This is a Full HD Recording webcam , with auto-focus, stereo audio and 15-megapixel snapshot capability! Gone are the days of 0.3 megapixel webcams which could barely show you the face of the person you were trying to communicate with. Now webcams have advanced with the times and this logitech model is definitely present and future ready.
Let’s face it webcams haven’t advanced much and offering a Full HD solution is just about right in today’s world. Coupled with Logitech – who know their stuff when it comes to computer peripherals – if you’re looking for an external webcam then this is definitely the one to buy.
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