In search of a gift for a geek? Get a good one that’s not pricey
Over the course of each year, I test hundreds of new products, the best and brightest of which I mark for inclusion in my end-of-year gift guides. This week, I’ve got a bunch of great and inexpensive gift ideas for the geeks you love.
If your loved one has an Apple Watch of any vintage, the Elago W3 Vintage Apple Monitor charging stand puts the fun back in functional. Cast in beige (or black) silicone, it looks exactly like a miniature Mac Plus, with your watch face in place of the Mac screen. It uses the charging puck included with every Apple Watch; works with all three generations of Apple Watch; and supports Nightstand Mode. Best of all, it’s just $9.99 at Amazon.com.
The new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X all support wireless charging — which is great — but none includes a wireless charger in the box. So, if your loved one
has a new iPhone, nothing says you care like a wireless charger. Any Qi-compatible charger should work. I’ve tried a few and the one I like best is called Turbot. It has a larger charging surface than many of the others and doubles as an iPhone stand that works great in portrait and landscape mode. And, at just $22.95, it’s less expensive than many other wireless chargers.
If your loved one has a set of Apple Air Pods, Lunies Anti-lost Leather Protective Cover for Apple Air Pods Charging Case is just what its name implies and costs just $10.99. Fabricated from genuine leather in your choice of black, brown or pink, it has a little cutout for the lightning port, a secure snap for easy insertion/ removal, and a little carabiner so it’s easily attached to a backpack or key chain. It’s the best thing I’ve found so far to keep my Air Pods from going astray.
I’ve become a fan of the combination wallet/ iPhone case for my new iPhone X. Apple’s iPhone X Leather Folio is crafted from soft, supple leather and easily able to accommodate my driver’s license, a few credit cards, and some currency without looking or feeling overloaded. Available in four colors — Blue, Black, Taupe, or Berry — it’s exquisite but expensive at $99.
So, I found another wallet case I like almost as much at a fraction of the price. The Silk Folio Wallet for iPhone X is not made of leather but of textured fabric. It’s handsome and accommodates the same payload as the Apple case for just $14.99.