I'm Dreaming of a Tech Christmas

Merry Christmas from DormNet!  Every Christmas, there's always the problem of knowing what gifts to give to people who are tech-savvy.  A lot of the technology they want to get their hands on is a bit on the pricey side and can be out of a lot of people's budgets (especially for college students).  There are some techie gifts that you can get on a budget, however, that will make all of your tech-savvy friends and family smile.

Most smartphone users experience the frustration of running out of battery too early in the day.  A portable battery pack such as the one above is a great stocking stuffer and a great all-around gift.  There are lots of options when picking one of these, but the important thing to look at is the milliamp-hour (mAh) rating of the battery.  The more mAh's you have, the more "juice" the battery stores and can deliver to your phone.  A typical value is 2200 mAh, which allows you to have a few more hours of use, but again, the higher the mAh capacity rating, the more you can charge your phone.  There are lots of different options in terms of sizes and shapes, and even outputs.  There are some portable batteries that allow you to charge multiple devices at once, like the one below.  These devices can be found online at vendors like Amazon.com or eBay, or can be purchased at a local business like WalMart or Target and can range anywhere from $8 and up, depending on the features of the battery and the brand.

Another great device to have is a Bluetooth audio receiver.  It is a small device that allows you to turn any set of headphones (3.5 mm jack) into a bluetooth-enabled headset with media controls and a microphone.  This particular model, the MOCREO Bluetooth Clipper can be found on Amazon for just $12.80.  This makes a great stocking stuffer for everyone in the family.  They're very easy to use, so even folks who aren't tech savvy can benefit from having one of these great devices.

Another brand of audio receiver is the iRainy NFC Bluetooth receiver that allows you to connect quickly to the device via NFC (can only be used with NFC-capable devices) by simply tapping the receiver and the smartphone together.  It has a digital optical audio port in addition to the typical 3.5 mm stereo jack, so it's compatible with many of the newest sound systems such as sound bars and other home audio devices that have high-quality digital optical cable ports.

While we're on the subject of audio, another great, inexpensive stocking stuffer is a simple audio splitter.  They can be just a 2-way splitter or more complicated like the 5-way splitter seen below.  Audio splitters allow people to share their music and watch videos and such together without having to blast the speakers out loud.  This is handy for long car and plane rides, for sharing your favorite study playlist with a few friends, or just enjoying the media you're sharing with a friend along with them.  These devices can be found just about anywhere electronics are sold, but they can get pricey if you're not careful.  Really, a $5 adapter is going to work just as well as a $10 adapter, so don't feel like you have to spend a whole lot to get a good one.

And last, but not least, is the Grid-It technology organizer by Cocoon.  It is a portfolio, of sorts, that allows disorganized tech users to keep things under wraps.  The bungee strap grid allows a highly-customizable layout that will suit the individual preferences of everyone on your list this Christmas.  It is highly adjustable to fit nearly any device and provides a simple, organized, clutter-free way to carry all those different cords and devices around with you for whenever you need them. 

This is a very short list of all the possible gadgets that exist out there, but hopefully this will have sparked some inspiration for finding the perfect gift for your tech-savvy loved ones this season.  So happy shopping, everyone!  May you appease those who sing, "Oh, bring us some techie gadgets and bring some right here!" this Christmas as you wrap up your holiday shopping.  We at DormNet want to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!