Merry and bright
Gadgets — and, ahem, gadgetadjacent gifts — go down a treat in a digital-obsessed world, so here’s our list of new and cool goodies for under your fibre-optic tree.
Snap happy
The Fujifilm Instax SQ6 instant cameras are a cheerful throwback to the heyday of Polaroids, and that nostalgia seems strong in the market right now.
Several brands are offering this sort of insta-print camera, including Kodak (remember them?) and Leica.
The Instax SQ6 creates almost-square format (86mm x 72mm) prints in three minutes from Instax Square film. Yes, you’ll have to buy film again. These cameras retail from around R1,999, and come in several bright colours.
Love you a latte
Show the caffeine addicts in your life how much you love them with a new Nespresso machine – this one is for latte lovers. Nespresso’s Lattissima One combines the capsule coffee maker you know so well with an easy milk frother section. These two functions exist in Nespresso machines already, but the difference here is that the latter pours directly into the same cup for a virtually onestep cuppa. Yuppiechef.com offers these from R3,249 (currently on special for R2,249 including a R400 voucher for capsules from Nespresso boutique stores).
Portfolio life
If you’re prepared to wait until the new year to open your present (or have an international visitor to bring one in for you), the HP Spectre Folio convertible laptop is a showstopper. The outer case is 100% full-grain leather, and the Folio shifts from laptop to tablet format. It offers 16GB memory, up to 2TB solid state drive (SSD) storage, and full highdefinition display and (naturally) touch screen. At just 15.2mm thick, it’s travelready. This is not a machine for hardcore gamers or video editors, but the low-power CPU and fan-less format should handle regular browsing and workloads without breaking a sweat. This is a premium-looking machine, with a price tag to match, starting from R24,999 in local stores from January.
Lounge around
Stop denying just how much time you spend Netflixing, or on your device in bed. Let’s be honest, the revelations of ios’s new-ish screen-time analysis report is the stuff of nightmares. Rather embrace it – but with back support. The Lounge Pillow is functional and comfy,
Bundle up
Rethink the stereotypes: according to research by the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of gamers is 35, and 44% of gamers are women.
In fact, your average woman gamer is 43 years old — think middle management.
So give the first-generation gamer in your household one of the most eagerly awaited titles of the year, Red Dead Redemption II, for R899 from Takealot and other retailers.
Then, if the family gamer is a proud Pokémon geek, ready to wear their hearts on their sleeves, the Core Group has brought a bunch of Pokémon gear into the country including caps, clothing and wallets, as well as a Christmas-themed sweater just for laughs. See store.nintendo.co.za. packed tight with shredded foam in a back-and-arm (to reduce shoulder strain) support shape that will hold you in better form for a marathon scrolling session or three-season binge-watch. These are R899 from Vencasa and Tempur showrooms.