Gadgets to thrill the booklovers in your life
It’s a very techie holiday season. For the next12 days, we’re going to highlight gadgets for all kinds of enthusiasts.
Today, we’re spotlighting great gifts for the book lover in your life: Glowing words: While shoppers are swept up in the tablet craze, to be honest, many models aren’t great for long-form reading, as the screen can lead to eye strain and cause the same issues as staring at a monitor all day.
E-readers are great gifts for older readers and folks who don’t need all the horsepower of a full-on tablet. Some models also now boast websurfing abilities. Toronto-based Kobo has two new models for the reader in your life. The Kobo Glo ($130, major retailers) is their latest offering, boasting a backlight that makes it perfect for reading in bed without disturbing your partner with a lamp.
For those who want something smaller, the Kobo Mini ($50) is really the cutest e-reader on the market. It doesn’t have a backlight, but it does easily fit in a very small purse. Show your love on your (phone) sleeve: Out of Print (outofprintclothing.com) sells very cool iPhone cases featuring shrunken covers from literary classics. Beautiful covers ($35) include The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm and the very fitting On The Road, making this a great gift for the bibliophile who also loves their smartphone. A touch of magic: You will need a PlayStation 3 and the Move controller, and preferably a young Harry Potter fan, but books come to life with Sony’s new Wonderbook, which uses augmented reality to present another side to Hogwart’s wizarding world. The Book of Spells ($79.99 with bundle including Move, $39.99 for the book alone, major retailers) teaches kids to use the controller as a wand to cast spells, weaving a magical world mixing console technology and storybook. Find more tech news and reviews online at thestar.com/tech