Gadgets To Live

It's almost Christmas and you are looking to make a high tech gift? To assist you in your search, Numerama offers this buying guide containing some suggestions for less than 100 euros.

Between consumer electronics whose price can reach heights and very low cost gadgets whose quality is sometimes questionable, it is not always easy to find the right shoe. As the holiday season approaches, this guide aims to help you find gift ideas at reasonable prices - under the 100 euro mark - without compromising too much on quality.

This list is intended to be very diverse, with no particular theme. You have items that are intended to be useful (such as a tech anti-theft backpack, a GPS tracker for pets or an external hard drive), products to quench a passion or even equipment to otherwise enjoy your equipment (such as the Chromecast Ultra or HyperX Cloud Alpha headphones).

For players who play in groups and who need to speak so as not to waste time, the HyperX Cloud Alpha helmet appears to be a very good candidate. Certified by Teamspeak and Discord, two popular communication platforms in the gaming world, the product is a circum-aural headset that incorporates a headband and ear cups covered with imitation leather with memory foam padding.

Regarding sound, the device provides highly satisfactory and precise sound for this price range. There are double-chamber transducers in its bowels that provide low distortion and clearer sound. In addition, the pads isolate outside noise well, which further improves the quality of listening. It also has a remote control on the braided cable, which allows you to adjust the volume and mute the microphone.

Interesting feature of the helmet, the pole on which the microphone rests is removable. Useful if you want to use the helmet outside, for example on public transport, without looking curious. Besides, the cable has an intermediate connection which allows to reduce the length of the wire. Which is also very practical on the move.

A high-end version of the Chromecast, the Chromecast Ultra is a dongle designed by Google. The device is actually used to stream content from your smartphone or computer to your TV screen. The product works with many applications, such as Netflix, YouTube, Twitch, OCS or MyCanal. But it can also manage music or video game applications, for example.

Compared to Chromecast, the Ultra is especially interesting if the broadcast is in ultra high definition (4K). The device connects via HDMI to the TV and the connection with the device (under Android, iOS, Windows or Mac) is via Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz). If you don't have a 4K TV, it's better to fall back on the cheaper basic Chromecast.

If you were born in the 70s or 80s, it is quite possible that you had in your hands an NES console. Thirty years have passed since the release of this machine, which has left a lasting mark on a generation and revived the sector of home consoles. Since 2016, Nintendo has decided to revive it via a dedicated console, the NES Classic Mini.

This machine, which in fact emulates the old console, comes with thirty integrated games and a controller (note that the classic and pro controllers of the Wii are compatible). You can acquire one more to play two. Something to dive back into childhood and taste again the atmosphere of 8-bit consoles. And to feel the path that has been traveled since in the gaming industry.

If you have a little one who is between 7 and 15 years old, and who already shows a certain resourcefulness, a Makeblock robot could undoubtedly make his happiness - and perhaps also that of the dad or the mom, because this type of construction is a good opportunity to spend time with your child through a common activity.

The Makeblock robot mixes manual work (adding sensors, motors, LEDs, etc.) and programming with a Scratch editor. Writing instructions is actually quite simple, since you have to arrange blocks together, like a building block, in short. We can for example have fun trying to make the robot follow a specific circuit. In short, a gentle introduction to computers.

With smartphones, photography has become very commonplace. A photo is missed? Just start over. However, some seek to regain a bit of nobility in this hobby, or at least a vintage character that digital cannot offer. In this case, it is to the film that we must turn, especially since instant cameras are experiencing a certain renaissance.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 is one of them. The photos he takes are immediately printed. It doesn’t sound like much, but it gives some risk when taking the picture, because the film is consumed. And a missed photo is a really lost photo. And then, it's quite nice to see these paper photos on a wall, in a refrigerator or in a dedicated album.

Since the release of Star Wars, Episode VII, the BB-8 droid has become the cool new thing in the film saga (well, okay, the Porgs too). It is round and cute, but above all, its way of moving is reproducible in real life! Sphero has indeed built a small remote-controlled robot which is controlled via a mobile application, on Android or iOS.

Equipped with LEDs and a speaker, the Sphero BB-8 reacts to films in the saga and can also interact with other Star Wars droids controlled by the Sphero app. Via the app, it is possible to move it as you wish, by making it follow a route for example. With a full recharge, you will have enough fun for an hour. If you have a close Star Wars fan, this is something to consider!

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