Christmas Gift Guide 2014
Engineering
It’s time to start buying Christmas presents again, or at least start thinking about buying them. Below we’ve compiled the best in tech for your gadget-loving, geeky friends and family.
HP Stream 7 – £99
This 7″ tablet from HP 7 features a 1280×800 screen, a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3735G quad-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. It’s not the flashiest tablet on the block but don’t let that deter you. It has an 8-hour battery life, and runs a ‘Signature’ edition of Windows 8.1 which apparently removes all those unwanted extra programmes it’s bundled with. Plus its £99 price tag includes 1 whole year of Office 365 – usually priced at £72. Bargain!
Moto G 4G – £149
Perfect for grandparents, mums, dads, or in fact anyone looking for a budget smartphone. The Moto G Android phone is available in 3G and 4G variants and is arguably the best budget smartphone on the market. It has a 4.5″ display with 1280×780 screen – to put it into perspective, it has a better screen than the iPhone 5S.
It boasts a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. The 3G comes with 8GB or 16GB storage, and the 4G just 8GB, but it does have a MicroSD slot for expandable storage. The £149 price tag for the 4G is a modest amount for what you get with this brilliant budget phone.
Google Chromecast – £30
A great little gift for anybody with an HD ready TV. Just plug it in to one of your HDMI slots and you can mirror (cast) from your smartphone from compatible apps including Netflix, iPlayer and BT Sport (and yes, you can continue to use your smartphone while casting). It’s easy, it’s simple and it’s a must-have for anybody who likes on demand TV. RRP is £30 but it’s often cheaper online.
Kano – £100
For the would-be game developers out there, this £100 kit is just what you need to learn about coding and making games. Aimed at kids, it’s ‘as simple as lego’ and ideal for youngsters (and the big kids in all of us) who want to build a computer. It comes with the all the parts you need to get started. Watch the short video here.
Playstation TV – £80
For the adult gamers out there, the newly released Playstation TV is ideal if your other half keeps kicking you out of the living room while you’re trying to complete Call of Duty. Essentially the PS TV allows you to play your PS4 games on another TV in another room – you just need your wireless controller. It’s called remote play, which the PS4 already allows through the handheld PS Vita. But with PS TV you also get access to a range of old school PS One, PSP and PS Vita games ready for streaming.
GoPro Hero – £99
This is the entry-level GoPro for the adventurous filmmakers and sports enthusiasts. It records in full HD, is waterproof to 40m and fully mountable to helmets, bikes, skateboards or just about anything! Other features include burst photo and QuikCapture which lets you boot up and start recording at the push of a button. More expensive GoPros, including the Hero 3 White at just £150, allow you to control and view live recording with your smartphone, and instantly upload video over wifi.
