San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Ten gifts for the tech geek in your life
We might as well come out and say it: It’s impossible to boil down technology gift recommendations into 10 choices. Our approach here was to mix biggerticket items with smaller, more eccentric choices with a range that should apply to everyone. Not pictured, of course, is the Sony PlayStation 5 ($ 399), arguably the hottest video game console on the market today.
Sonos One SL ($ 179): At a time when tech companies are flooding the market with interactive devices to which you can speak, Sonos has doubled down on one that’s just a speaker. The One SL delivers roomfilling sound and can operate independently or can pair with other Sonos speakers through the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay and more. Each speaker comprises two classD digital amplifiers, a tweeter and a midwoofer for balanced sound that carries. The speaker is humidityresistant, so it can even live in a bathroom. Buy at www. sonos. com.
Solar Puff LS Solar Lantern ($ 30): Technically this 2.6ounce solarpowered light was designed for camping, but many fans use it to brighten everyday life — while barbecuing, picnicking or just hanging in the backyard with friends. Powered by a tiny solar panel, the waterproof lantern can offer up to 12 hours of continuous light on a single charge. The light folds flat and is easy to pull open for use at night; a Velcro handle enables users to dangle it from a tent hook or patio umbrella. This model includes a light sensor to extend the life of each charge. Buy at www. solightdesign. com.
Razor E300 Electric Scooter ($ 280): The E300 is Razor’s latest electric scooter, and it is bigger and bolder than any of its predecessors. The 8inch deck is wide enough for grownupsized feet, the frame is extralarge to support up to 220 pounds, tires are extrawide and the 250watt chaindriven motor can get the scooter up to 15 mph. Perhaps most important, the rechargeable battery in this new iteration can support up to 40 minutes of continuous use, which should be just long enough to do some tricks around the neighborhood and run an errand or two around town. Buy at www. razor. com.
Moodo Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser Bundle ($ 400): What makes this internetenabled aroma diffuser different from others on the market is that it affords users the opportunity to create their own custom scents. The magic lies in scent pods that look a bit like Keurig cups; each pod contains a different scent. The device takes four pods at a time, and users can leverage an app to pick preset scent mixtures or come up with scents of their own. Because the device is so
dynamic, users can wake up to one scent and unwind at the end of the day to another. Buy at www. moodo. co.
Pax 3 vaporizer ( Prices vary but the Complete Kit is $ 250): Cannabis lovers swear by Pax vape pens, which qualify as hightech because they are powered by USB chargers and run off batteries. This latest model — version 3 — comes in four different colors and is more versatile than any of its predecessors. Case in point: It is dual use, which means it can burn either loose leaf or concentrates ( a. k. a. oils). If there is extra cash in the budget, check out the Complete Kit, which includes flat and raised mouthpieces for easy use. The Pax 3 even works with a Smartphone app ( yes, really) that you can use to customize the potency of every puff. Buy at www. pax. com.
Crosley C6 turntable ($ 180): Old is new again with this fully manual twospeed record player created to give music fans a true analog experience. The player comes in four different colors and has a cover to keep vinyl safe. Like all great turntables, the C6 has a heavy plinth ( that’s fancy for base) to eliminate vibrations that can cause skips. There’s also a cueing lever to drop the needle gently on your favorite vinyl, RCA outlets in the back and a builtin preamp. The turntable even comes with a moving magnet cartridge preinstalled, but it uses a standard mount so you can upgrade as your collection grows. Buy at www. crosleyradio. com.
Prynt Case ( Prices vary but the Prynt Case Bundle is $ 50): Think of the Prynt Case as a conversion kit that changes your smartphone — pretty much any phone, by the way — into a Polaroid that spits out pictures on demand. The technology affixes to the back of the phone and can print any photo saved to your gallery or shot in real time. The only catch? Users must load special photo paper that only fits the Prynt case ( and that paper can be kind of spendy). The best bet for beginners is the Prynt Case Bundle, which includes the printer and 100 sheets of
paper. Buy at www. prynt. co.
Lexon Oblio Wireless Charging Station with UV Sanitizer ($ 80): While this desktop device looks like a vase or small trash can, the design facilitates its best feature: It not only charges phones, it also sanitizes them with UV LED technology. Amid a global pandemic with COVID19 wreaking havoc around the world, that’s a really good thing. In all, the device takes roughly three hours to achieve a full charge, and about 50 minutes total to kill 99.9 percent of germs on both sides of your phone. Perhaps the only downside is that the charger only fits one phone at a time. Buy at www. lexondesign. com.
My Skin Track UV ($ 60): Sunworshippers and outdoor enthusiasts alike will love this device, which amounts to wearable technology that measures exposure to ultraviolet radiation, pollution, pollen and other environmental aggressors or stressors. A companion app tabulates this data and — based upon skin type — provides customized recommendations to help improve healthy skin habits and overall general health. The device is about the size of a quarter and comes with equipment to wear as a bracelet or a lapel clip. Buy at www. larocheposay. us.
Moleskine Smart Writing Set ($ 150): Moleskine’s Smart Writing System combines smart notebooks with a special pen and stateoftheart technology. Through the system, every handwritten or handdrawn page appears instantly on a special app from which users can manipulate the content.
The keys to the system are the pen, which works like any old ballpoint, and the notebook, which has what Moleskine calls digital paper. Consider this gift for the writer who likes to operate in the modern world but isn’t ready to give up their notebooks just yet. Buy at https:// us. moleskine. com/ en.