Christmas Gadget Gift Giving Guide
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Delight the special
someone in your life by placing one of these items under the
tree this Christmas. |
Here is a small selection of
some of the items reviewed during the last year. They've
been chosen for their low cost, their novelty value, and their
usefulness.
Ranging in price from almost
free and with most items priced well under $50, you're sure to
find something that will be both a creative choice and also a
useful gift.
I own, use and recommend all
these items myself.
Cell Phone Headset - Free ($3.94 shipping charge) |
Freeheadset.org offered a variety of styles of
(nearly) free headsets to fit most models of cell phones
- no longer exists |
There is a growing awareness
of the danger of cell phone radiation when you use your
phone regularly, and a headset is the best way to reduce
this danger.
And headsets are also safer
when driving, and many times more convenient in all
situations.
There was an
off-beat website that offered to give you - for free
- a headset for your cell phone. There is no catch
- I've tested their service anonymously myself.
Clearly they make a meager profit
from the shipping charge, but at a total cost of $3.94
to get a headset delivered to your door, you surely
can't complain!
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Salk
International’s Airport Transit Guide - $9.95 |
All you need to know about getting to and from airports
all around the world |
This book saved me over $40 last week when it told me
how to get from the train station to the airport in
Munich by suburban train rather than taxi.
It offers comprehensive
information about getting to/from airports, and what to
expect at airports, all around the world.
If it saves you, too, a single
taxi fare, it has more than paid for itself.
(Update - the latest 2007 edition
is still $9.95)
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Key Chain Tote Bag - $12.85 |
This roomy lightweight carry bag compresses to a tiny
size that you can carry with you everywhere |
I always have my Key Chain
Tote Bag with me when traveling. It easily fits in
a pocket, and when/if I buy something, it becomes a
roomy carry bag. A tremendous convenience when traveling,
making it easy to buy something that unexpectedly
catches your eye while touring around.
Reviewed
here.
Now seems to be discontinued, some
available in the closeout section of rei.com (Nov 07).
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Travel Coin Purse - $14.85 |
The lovely Travel Coin Purse easily fits in your pocket
or handbag and is a convenient way to keep coins and
other travel essentials with you |
Most other countries make much
greater use of coins than here in the US, with coins
worth up to as much as US$4 each.
This convenient coin purse also has space for notes,
credit cards, tickets, and other items, and with a
non-slip finish is more difficult for a pickpocket
to steal.
Suitable for men and women.
Reviewed
here.
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WonderVase
Traveling Flower Vase - $14.85 |
The WonderVase is made of special plastic. It
packs flat, but when filled with water takes the form of
a lovely flower vase |
This is an off-beat item which
will certainly impress the recipient with your
creativity and sensitivity.
It provides a convenient way to
freshen up a hotel or other room with flowers while
traveling.
Perhaps best presented to
someone complete with flowers!
Reviewed
here.
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SIM Saver
- $19.95 |
This tiny and light-weight device copies the information
from your phone's SIM, so if you lose your phone/SIM or
change SIMs, you don't also lose all your precious
contact information |
This is an essential accessory
if you have a GSM type cell phone (most recent phones
from AT&T, Cingular and T-Mobile are GSM).
It enables you to save a backup
copy of your phone book data, and to copy it to other
SIMs.
(Note - now obsolete, modern phones
have much better address books which are saved in the
cloud.)
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Reflective Flashing Emergency Roadside Cone - $24.85 |
The Pack-a-Cone collapses to store in your trunk, and extends
to full size, complete with a bright flashing light for
maximum visibility |
There's a reason why emergency
vehicles are festooned with flashing lights all over.
Many drivers just don't notice parked vehicles until it
is too late.
This inexpensive safety device
helps you be noticed if you have to stop your car on the
road side.
It is
a great gift for everyone to keep in their car. It
takes little space, is easy to use, and might just save
your life.
Reviewed
here.
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First Class Sleeper - $29.85 |
What an amazing improvement in comfort this inflatable
seat back cushion offers! |
This really does work, and has
given me relatively comfortable sleep on flights where
I'd formerly toss and turn and not sleep at all.
You simply inflate it and
place it behind you on the seat. After your
flight, it collapses into a small lightweight carry
pack.
Reviewed
here.
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New Carry-on Suitcase - from $40 to $350 |
The Briggs & Riley U-21NX has been torture tested by me
and proven to be extraordinarily rugged and reliable |
If you haven't purchased a
long-lived and fully warrantied Briggs & Riley suitcase,
the chances are your current wheel-aboard might be
getting ready for retirement.
Our multi-part series on how
to choose a wheeled carry-on bag tells you what to
look for and then gives detailed evaluations on 11
suitcases ranging from $40 to $350 in price.
Review series starts here
David's
favorite suitcase |
Noise Cancelling Headphones - about $50 |
The Plane Quiet NC6 is our recommended model of noise
cancelling headphones |
Noise reducing headphones are
a great way to reduce the stress of long distance
flying.
Now cheaper - and better - than
ever before, these are increasingly a 'must have' for
fliers.
Multi-part review series. |
SteriPEN Water Purifier - about $140 |
The SteriPEN uses UV light rather than chemicals to
quickly sterilize drinking water for you |
Regrettably, you have to be
careful with the water you drink when traveling in much
of the world.
And if you're going backpacking,
even seemingly fresh clear stream water can sometimes be
full of harmful bacteria.
The SteriPEN is idea in both
situations. It is small, light, and simple to use.
It quickly (a pint in less than a minute) purifies water for you to safely drink.
Reviewed
here.
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Still More Ideas....
If the twelve ideas above
don't help, perhaps visit our
2005 or
2003 Christmas Gift Guide
- maybe one of the items offered on these other two pages will be just what you are looking
for.
Related Articles, etc
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Originally published
10 Dec 2004, last update
30 May 2021
You may freely reproduce or distribute this article for noncommercial purposes as long as you give credit to me as original writer.
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