For the Tech Whiz: 28 Cool, Off-the-Wall Gadgets
Some might find high-tech gizmos questionably practical, but really, life is better when your phone (and other gadgets) can do everything for you. To that end, we’ve curated 28 new, unexpectedly useful holiday finds. Gear up with levitating speakers, a canine GoPro, personal drones, an in-house dry-cleaning machine, a battery-charging solar-panel coat, and more devices for your every need.
*This article appears in the November 24, 2014 issue of New York Magazine.
Hovering Speaker The magnet-enabled levitation is more than just a gimmick (though a very cool one at that). This Bluetooth speaker doesn’t waste...
Hovering Speaker The magnet-enabled levitation is more than just a gimmick (though a very cool one at that). This Bluetooth speaker doesn’t waste sound-amplifying energy pushing sound waves into your coffee table.
Dummyproof Camera Short tap for pics, long tap for vids, completely waterproof. Images go straight to your phone.
Internet-Addict Ring Ringly connects to an iPhone, sending incoming text and email notifications to your finger via vibration and light.
No-Plug Charging Station Sockets are so 2014. This TYLT Vu wireless charger lets you juice up your Android phone while watching Game of Thrones a...
No-Plug Charging Station Sockets are so 2014. This TYLT Vu wireless charger lets you juice up your Android phone while watching Game of Thrones at a very pleasant 45-degree angle.
3-D Pen With some monklike patience, the 3Doodler, which has 50 drawing sticks in ten colors, will help you draw in three dimensions.
Custom Headphones Use the accompanying app to photograph your ear, and Normal will send a pair of custom earbuds in the mail that fit snugly into...
Custom Headphones Use the accompanying app to photograph your ear, and Normal will send a pair of custom earbuds in the mail that fit snugly into your canal and no one else’s.
Home Dry-Cleaner Hang your dress; in ten minutes, the portable Swash express refreshes just like your overpriced dry-cleaner.
A Motorola flip-phone Because, thanks to Anna Wintour, technophobia is very chic right now.
Bitcoin ATM Give it to the small-business owner in your life — or just get one for the living room.
Viral Pup This GoPro dog harness allows for exhilarating Frisbee-catching and squirrel-chasing footage; actual GoPro not included.
Just a Really Great TV Some people still watch TV on TVs, and the gadget-heads pretty much concur: Samsung’s Plasma F8500 Series Smart TV is, pla...
Just a Really Great TV Some people still watch TV on TVs, and the gadget-heads pretty much concur: Samsung’s Plasma F8500 Series Smart TV is, plainly put, one of the best on the market right now.
Hello Kitty Headphones So your 14-year-old (and your 14-year-old alone) can listen to Taylor Swift on repeat.
Bluetooth Shower Speaker For multitasking bathers: Take a break from howling "All About That Bass" and answer that call from Grandma.&n...
Bluetooth Shower Speaker For multitasking bathers: Take a break from howling "All About That Bass" and answer that call from Grandma.
Phone-Service Provider Strap this gadget onto a backpack or fanny pack for full cell service, whether you’re GPS-ing to a mountain summit or tryi...
Phone-Service Provider Strap this gadget onto a backpack or fanny pack for full cell service, whether you’re GPS-ing to a mountain summit or trying to find your friends after an ill-fated Coachella Porta Potty trip.
Stealth Elliptical Feel the burn without ever having to leave your cubicle.
Smart Soccer Ball Its integrated sensor connects to an app, giving you instant feedback on the speed, spin, strike point, and general Messi-ness ...
Smart Soccer Ball Its integrated sensor connects to an app, giving you instant feedback on the speed, spin, strike point, and general Messi-ness of your kick.
Bugged Umbrella Its price can perhaps be justified by the embedded Bluetooth chip. As soon as you’ve realized it’s missing, use an app to track t...
Bugged Umbrella Its price can perhaps be justified by the embedded Bluetooth chip. As soon as you’ve realized it’s missing, use an app to track the Blunt’s approximate location.
Subtle Smartwatch From French brand Withings, the Activité has the look of a handsome analog watch but functions as a fitness tracker.
Solar Warmth If you still don’t have the iPhone 6, this coat charges that damn battery via a removable solar pack.
Not Your Grandma's Gramophone A Bluetooth-enabled take on the classic.
GoPro Alternative The Narrative Clip camera fastens to your shirt, taking two pictures a minute and syncing with your phone so you can overshare ...
GoPro Alternative The Narrative Clip camera fastens to your shirt, taking two pictures a minute and syncing with your phone so you can overshare every part of your day.
Pono Player Neil Young’s Toblerone-shaped gadget plays high-resolution music that audiophiles swear sounds way better than humdrum MP3s.
Personal Drone Terrify your friends by sending them a bag of Doritos atop the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0; it syncs with your devices to fly 164 feet and...
Personal Drone Terrify your friends by sending them a bag of Doritos atop the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0; it syncs with your devices to fly 164 feet and captures it all on HD video.
Silicone Pocket Watch Lexon’s Take Time comes in nine colors and is equally suited to looping around your wrist, backpack strap, or belt buckle. ...
Silicone Pocket Watch Lexon’s Take Time comes in nine colors and is equally suited to looping around your wrist, backpack strap, or belt buckle. Waterproof to boot.
Spiffy Speakers Based in (where else?) Portland, the designers behind Case of Bass pack portable speaker systems inside vintage suitcases.
Lytro Camera Allows photos to be manipulated and refocused after the fact. NASA is thinking of attaching the lens to space probes.
Messy iPhone Case Chocoo’s one-of-a-kind candy-and-ephemera-cluttered cases are handmade in Hong Kong with “creamy silicone."
Art That Sings Wall art that doubles as a sound system. Either choose one of Soundwall’s existing prints or frame your own.
1
/
28