Digital Paw Print Holiday Gift Guide: Deck the halls with cords and cables

It’s that time of year again folks. Whether you’re searching for the perfect gift or a self-indulging splurge, the Digital Paw Print Holiday Gift Guide has a few ideas to get you started.

 

Note: All prices are the base price MSRP, and are subject to change. Some manufacturers may lower prices for “holiday deals”.

 

Smartphones

Apple iPhone 6 / 6 Plus ($199.99 / $299.99)

The Apple iPhone 6 or 6 Plus is an obvious choice for any tech fan or newbie. With a beautiful and easy-to-use interface, an abundance of fun and powerful apps, a fantastic camera, and attractive design, the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus will make any Christmas morning memorable.

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 ($199.99)

The Galaxy S5 packs a vigorous quad-core processor, a high resolution AMOLED display, a robust camera, and the powerful Android™ operating system, the S5 will be a gift that anyone will treasure.

 

LG G3 ($149.99)

While Samsung and Apple duke it out for smartphone supremacy, LG created a smartphone that sent ripples throughout the smartphone universe – and it’s called the G3. The G3 is fast, has an outrageous Quad HD display, an innovative camera, and fits quite snugly under a Christmas tree.

 

Motorola Moto X ($99.99)

For the customization obsessed, the Moto X is guaranteed to place a smile on their face. The Moto X delivers power, performance, and an unaltered Android™ experience – all in a design that you can customize with its trademark Moto Maker. The Moto Maker offers all sorts of colors, materials, and trims to make it a gift like no other.

 

Sony Xperia Z3/Z3v ($629.99 for T-Mobile / $199.99 for Verizon)

The Xperia Z3 (And its Verizon counterpart, the Z3v) is the ultimate luxury smartphone. Period. With its stunning design, über fast Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, outstanding display, and a camera that records 4K video, the Xperia Z3/Z3v will please any techie.

 

Computers

HP Stream 11 ($199.99)

The HP Stream 11 is an outstanding budget laptop. For $200, you get a 2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, Windows 8.1, and 32GB of SSD storage. 32GB isn’t very much, but the HP Stream comes with one terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) of Microsoft OneDrive online storage, plus a free year of Microsoft Office 365.

 

Apple MacBook Air 11″ ($899.99)

The MacBook Air is a thin, light, and affordable. What more can be said? Though that last word sounds awkward. It’s strange to call an Apple product affordable.

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ($799.99)

The Surface Pro 3 is a worthy opponent to the MacBook Air, with a price that undercuts it by $100, a fast processor, and the modern Windows 8.1 operating system. This gift will be an honor to bestow upon any Windows fan. It just might be the tablet hybrid that can replace your laptop.

 

Lenovo Y50 Touch ($1,399.99)

The Lenovo Y50 Touch is the perfect gift for the gamer in your life. The Y50’s ultrafast 4th generation Intel processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics are guaranteed to meet and excel the high standards of modern gaming computers. And for $100 more, you can get a 4K display.

 

Tablets

 iPad Air 2 ($499.99)

The iPad Air 2 is simply the best tablet on the market. The Air 2 delivers an extravagant 10.1 inch Retina Display, a faster A8X processor, and the advanced iOS 8 operating system.

 

iPad Mini 2 ($299.99)

Apple scores yet another win in the tablet category with its brilliant compact tablet, the iPad Mini 2. One question you might be asking is, why shouldn’t you buy the Mini 3? Well, the iPad Mini 3 doesn’t offer any advantages over than the Mini 2 other than the Touch ID and the new gold color. The iPad Mini 2 is nearly identical to the Mini 3, with a price that undercuts it by $100.

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5’’ ($499.99)

The Galaxy Tab S 10.5’’ is an excellent Android alternative to the iPad Air 2. It has a fantastic display, hordes of power, and has features aplenty, all in a slim design. It’s counterpart, the Galaxy Tab S 8.4’’, is also a great Android alternative to the iPad Mini.

 

Google Nexus 9 ($449.99)

The Nexus 9 is Google’s latest venture into the tablet market. The most compelling feature of this tablet, other than its exceptional build quality, speed, and display is that it runs the latest version of Android. In fact, the Nexus 9 is the first tablet have Android 5.0 Lollipop installed, and it will likely be one of the first to receive any major updates to the operating system.

 

Amazon Fire HDX 8.9” ($379.99)

The Amazon Fire HDX 8.9” has a great interface, which is perfect for tablet beginners. Amazon’s customized Android™ interface, called Sangria, is very easy to use. The Fire HDX also makes a great gift for Prime subscribers (Prime is Amazon’s premium subscription service), as it allows easy access to Amazon Prime Instant Video and Prime Music. The table also has Firefly installed, which is an item-recognition app. You can point the Fire HDX’s camera at a product, and Firefly will identify it for you, and will offer options to purchase it on Amazon.

 

Cameras

GoPro Hero4 Black Edition ($499.99)

The GoPro Hero4 Black Edition is the ultimate camera for capturing photos and videos on the go. The Hero4 Black can be easily attached to just about anything, from the top of your helmet to the tip of your surfboard. It has a built-in touchscreen and can record video in 4K (4K, also known as UHD, is four times the resolution of standard HD).

 

Sony RX100 II

The Sony RX100 is arguably one of the best compact cameras in its category. The RX100 II has won several titles, such as CNET Editor’s Choice and Gizmodo’s Best Point-and-Shoot Camera of 2013. The RX100 II offers several features, such as a 20.2 megapixel sensor, Full HD (1080p) video recording great photos in low light, NFC (near field communication), built-in Wi-Fi­­®, a tiltable LCD display, and HDR (High dynamic range; works by capturing several images at different exposure levels to produce an overall brighter picture).

 

Polaroid Cube ($99.99)

This $99 camera is a mere 1.4 inches tall and 1.4 inches wide, but it packs a huge punch. The Cube can capture up to Full HD (1080p) video or capture 6 megapixel images. And it’s incredibly cute.

 

Olympus Tough TG-3 ($349.99)

For you adventurers out there, the Olympus Tough TG-3 is for you. The TG-3 has a 16MP sensor and can record Full HD (1080p) video. But the TG-3’s most distinctive features include that it is waterproof down to 50 feet, shockproof up to 7 feet, dustproof, and is freezeproof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Headphones

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x ($239.99)

The ATH-M50x headphones are most likely the best headphones available under $250. They sound great, have high build quality, and offer fantastic bass. And for those who enjoy music more than the sounds of the outside world, the headphones also have noise cancellation technology.

 

Bose QuietComfort 25 ($299.99)

But if the noise cancellation of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x doesn’t satisfy you, the Bose QuietComfort 25 surely will. The QuietComfort 25 has the greatest noise cancellation technology you will probably be ever able to find in a pair of $300 headphones. $300 may sound like a lot, but these headphones are guaranteed to impress even the most scrutinizing audiophiles.

 

Sony MDR-1R ($299.99)

‘Cause you know I’m all about that bass. And Sony’s MDR-1R headphones are more about bass than any other over-the-ear headphone on the market. Not only do they have spectacular bass, but they also have terrific design, clear and crisp sound, and have a microphone built into the cable.

 

Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2 ($179.99)

If earbuds are the gift of choice, then the Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2 are the right choice. They provide rich, high quality audio and tight bass all in a modern and attractive design. But keep in mind that these earbuds are designed to work with Apple devices, so the in-line remote won’t work with Android devices.