Holiday Gift Guide: Under $100
It's that time of year again - time to celebrate the holidays and give gifts to friends and loved ones. But with the economy in a pinch, things can be a little tight. While it's not always easy to find a bargain, especially in the tech world, we've rounded up 10 solid gifts that are sure to please... all for a Benjamin or less!
1. Livescribe Echo Smartpen
Price: $100
The Livescribe Echo Smartpen removes the hassle out of taking notes at meetings. This device uses special paper, starter pack included, to record your notes electronically. You can also record your meeting with a built-in audio recorder, search within your written document for words or phrases, and enhance the pen's features with apps.
Then, after the meeting, you can review your audio recording by playing it back through a built-in speaker. Later, when you get home, you can transfer your notes and audio recordings quickly and easily to your computer or mobile device using a standard micro-USB cable. This is one pen you'll never leave home without.
2. Fitbit Ultra
Price: $99
Can you really put a price on health and fitness? Maybe not, but with this little gadget you'll be able to track your progress on the way there. Fitbit Ultra monitors the number of steps you take during the day, how many stairs you climb, how many calories you burn, and even how well you're sleeping at night. Data is uploaded wirelessly to the Fitbit website, where you can track your progress and set future goals.
3. Apple TV
Price: $99
Stream digital content from the internet with the Apple TV for your home theater. Access HD TV shows and movies from iTunes and Netflix as well as music and photos from your computer. And with iCloud and Photosync, this little device makes viewing practically anything in your iTunes library a breeze.
4. Nook Simple Touch
Price: $99
A step down from the full-fledged Barnes & Noble Nook or Nook Color, the Simple Touch is an excellent e-reader for the price. It ties in with the Barnes & Noble Nook marketplace, with more than 2.5 million books deliverable by wifi. There's no built-in advertising, which is a nice surprise for this lower-end device. With an extended battery life and the ability to borrow books from your public library, this will be a welcome addition to any bibliophile's gadget collection.
5. Amazon Kindle
Price: $79
With the addition of newer devices like the Kindle Fire, the regular Kindle has dropped in price significantly. However, this low-end version does have built-in advertising. Tap into Amazon's huge listing of available titles, and download titles from local libraries as well. The Kindle is built for portability, at less than 6 oz. and a 6" screen size - Amazon claims it fits in your pocket, although we wouldn't necessarily recommend carrying it there.
6. Klipsch Image S4 Headphones
Price: $79
Klipsch offers a wide range of high-quality headphones, but the Image S4 fall just in our price range. These particular headphones (more like earbuds) feature noise isolation and enhanced bass for excellent quality of sound. It includes three different earbud attachments to help to ensure a snug fit and keep out external noise. Add a stainless steel carrying and organization case, and this is one classy audio accessory.
7. Roku Streaming Player
Price: $50 and up
Roku streaming media players are similar to the Apple TV mentioned earlier, but aren't tied to a primary source of streaming content, such as iTunes. Instead, the Roku LT, which starts in the middle of our price range, comes with more than 350 entertainment channels, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and more. Roku players all use wifi to stream content from the internet to your TV and play 720p HD video. If you bump up the price (up to $100 for the highest-priced model), you can get 1080p HD; this higher-res model includes games, an expandable memory slot, bluetooth, and a USB port for accessing your own media.
8. Sansa Clip Zip
Price: $50
The latest addition to the Sansa Clip lineup, the Clip Zip features a 1.1" full-color screen with a new graphic user interface. It comes with 4GB of space, but you can add on to that using the expandable memory card slot. Other features include a stopwatch, FM radio (recordable), and a voice recorder with a built-in microphone. The Clip Zip's compatible with DRM-free iTunes AAC format music files, so your existing music library will easily transfer.
9. Apple iPod Shuffle
Price: $49
For just $49, the 2GB iPod Shuffle is as simple an MP3 player as you're likely to find. It features the iconic iPod buttons for navigating your music files and, because it doesn't have a screen, the VoiceOver feature will actually speaks the song title, playlist, artist name, or battery status in 25 languages. The device syncs with iTunes, which allows you to load it with multiple playlists. If your gift recipient is an Apple fan, this could be just the thing.
10. uNu iPhone Battery Case
Price: $35 and up
Not only does the uNu iPhone Battery Case offer full-body protection for the iPhone (available for 3GS, 4, and 4S models), it also has a matte, anti-slip finish, so it's easy to grab on the go. But that isn't the real selling feature of this case, which is its built-in 1700 mAh high-volume battery. Charge this baby up for three to four hours, and you'll give the iPhone a boost you won't soon forget. This case also features an LED power indicator to let you know when the battery is running low. It's rated for over 500 charging cycles, so you'll get more than your money's worth out of this jewel.
What have you discovered?
Now that you've got the goods on some great deals for this holiday season, go out and share the love. Did we miss something in the under $100 category that is a favorite item of yours? Share it with us in the comments!
This article was written by Michael Arcand and originally appeared on Tecca
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