We all have that family member who always want to have the latest, greatest smartphone and gadgets before anyone else. They probably had the first iPhone and could tell you all about Android before Google even bought it. They are also your "go to guy" for any question you have on the newest smart devices.
These are the trend-setters and the early adopters of consumer technology - and they can be tricky to buy for, not least because they can rarely wait a week to get the latest tech, let alone until December. But fear not, as GearBrain has rounded up our top picks for gadgets and tech products which we think the geeks and early adopters in your life will love.
Walabot DIY 2, Smart Stud Finder
For the person who likes to do renovations around the home or is a carpenter, you must check out Walabot DIY 2, a visual wall scanner. This smart stud finder can locate stud centers and eliminate the risk of drilling into pipes and wires. It can even detect rodent movement behind your walls. GearBrain reviewed the original version of the Walabot years ago and is in the process of testing their new version (DIY 2) which brings "X-Ray vision" to both iPhone and Android users. It also comes with new features like extended reach to allow the device to operate separately from the phone and a built-in rechargeable battery with 5 hours of non-stop scanning.
The Walabot DIY 2 costs $145.95 and is available on the company website and Amazon.
All tech geeks drink coffee, tea or some type of hot beverage. Why not surprise them this year with a smart mug this holiday season. Glowstone upgraded their original smart mug and just released the new Glowstone Smart Mug 2. It is a fine bone china self-heating smart mug which you can wirelessly charge on a Qi wireless coaster. It can keep drinks at their optimal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit or 62 degrees Celsius. The Smart Mug 2 holds up to 12.5 fluid ounces (370ml) and is dishwasher safe. The mug even has an auto switch off which is activated once you finish your drink.
The Glowstone Smart Mug 2 costs $159.99 and is available in e different designs: Honeycomb, Classic White, Classic Pink, Classic Blue and Classic Stone. You can order them from the company website or on Amazon.
One of the interesting new smart devices around are smart sunglasses. Many of these devices have built-in Bluetooth speakers and touch control. Some can allow you to add prescription lens or Blue-light lens. But what if you could change the tint of the sunglass lens with just the touch of your finger? Let us introduce to you Dusk, the App-enabled electrochromic smart sunglasses by Ampere. Dusk comes with open-ear audio system, integrated microphone, voice assistant ready in a Classic Wayfarer-style frame made with premium materials. It is IP65 waterproof and dustproof. And comes with fast-charging and a durable battery. The lenses are polarized and can block 100% of the UVA and UVB light. They are the perfect gift for any techie or coach potato who is too lazy to take their sunglasses off when they come inside.
Dusk smart sunglasses cost $295 and come in either Black or Navy and Teal. They are available on the company website.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
Google's new smart display, Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a solid, well designed smart display that can be an efficient personal and home manager. What makes this new robust voice assistant different from the previous version is its new Sleeping Sensing feature. This new feature provides details on your sleeping habits. It can track how long you slept as well as how well you breathe through the night. Sleep Sensing is a feature found in Fitbits (which Google purchased last year) which Google as added to their smart display. The new Nest Hub (2nd Gen) costs only $99.99 and will look good on any geek or early adopter's nightstand or kitchen counter.
Both Sony and Microsoft are launching next-generation video game consoles this fall, and the cheapest is the Xbox Series S. Priced at $299, the Series S is a very well-priced console, and for many gamers a more affordable way to experience next-generation gaming from day one.
The Series S isn't as powerful as the Series X (or the PlayStation 5), and upscales its gameplay to 4K instead of running at that resolution natively. But until this generation of games has matured and truly starts to push the new hardware, the S should offer a near-identical experience as the X for a good while after launch.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) – $249.99
Another brand-new gadget, the Echo Show 10 is Amazon's latest Alexa-powered smart display. It is also the first to include a motor that lets it rotate ensuring you stay neatly in shot when on a video call (Skype and Zoom are supported), but also points the screen at you as you move around the room. It's a handy feature for when you're cooking and following a recipe from the Show's display, turning as you move around the kitchen.
Want a gift idea for the person who sings in the shower, but you want to drown out their voice with music? Check out Ampere's Shower Power, a hydropower Bluetooth shower speaker. It's 100% waterproof and runs on hydropower or the water from your shower. This is great since you will never have to recharge it.
Shower Power connects to any shower head (fixed, rain or handheld) and is easy to install. It works on a Bluetooth 5.0 connection and has 360-degree immersive sound. And when the shower is off, Shower Power can play music for up to 14 hours.
Shower Power costs $99 and comes in Black or Chrome. It's available on company site.
This year drone makeer DJI is offering a DJI Pocket 2 bundle for $439. This bundle includes the Pocket 2 , a compact video camera and gimbal system for shooting stable 4K video with ease. This model comes with auto recording and includes a modular system for attaching accessories like an external microphone connection and tripod. The camera sensor is also larger and resolution is up to 64 megapixels, enabling 8x lossless zoom.
The Pocket 2 has four microphones, up from two on the Osmo Pocket, and software adjusts the audio based on which direction the camera is facing. It also automatically narrows the sound field when zooming in. This should help reduce background noise coming from sources that are out of frame.
All of this will help improve audio recording, but as mentioned earlier it is now possible to connect a wired or wireless microphone for even greater sound capture capabilities. The 875 mAh battery promises up to 73 minutes of video recording per charge.
DJI Pocket 2 Exclusive combo comes with a lightweight combination of accessories, including DIY handle and sling strap.
The latest virtual reality headset from Facebook-owned Oculus is called the Quest 2. Replacing the immensely popular Quest, the new model is more powerful than its predecessor, with better image quality (1832 x 1920 resolution per eye) for a more engaging VR experience. It also has a higher 90Hz refresh rate for smoother video, 50 percent more RAM than before, and comes with a pair of redesigned wireless hand controllers for gaming and has 64GB of storage.
As well as being a standalone VR headset, the Quest 2 can also be plugged into a PC to play more demanding content. The Quest 2 can be pre-ordered now and goes on sale on October 13.
Jabra Elite Active 75t Earbuds– $149
If looking for good earbuds for your early adopter friend, the Jabra Elite Active 75t Earbuds are a solid buy. They're small, well-designed, have a great fit, can pick up calls, connect to voice assistants and have an app that lets you personalize the way you want to listen to music. These earbuds can pull double-duty. Whether it's handling calls on your phone or smartwatch, or accessing your smart assistant while exercising, these earbuds are the ones to buy.
They also have excellent active noise cancellation and long battery life.
Amazon's new Fire TV Stick includes a remote with integrated Alexa, buttons for controlling your TV's volume and power, and support for Dolby Atmos. The stick can stream content at 1080p Full HD resolution, with HDR10+ and HLG video formats, and it is 50 percent more powerful than its predecessor.
Like most TV streamers, the Fire TV Sticks plug into a spare HDMI socket of your TV or monitor, connects to the Wi-Fi network, and gives access to services like YouTube, Netflix, HBO, Apple TV, Hulu, Spotify, and Amazon's own Prime Video.
The DJI OM5 is the latest in DJI's Osmo range (and renamed the OM). It is a stabilizing gimbal designed to hold your smartphone and produce super-smooth video. The new OM5 model folds up for easy storage and has a new magnetic mount system that makes it easier to attach any smartphone. There's also gesture control and new fourth-generation Active Track system in DJI's video-shooting app, and there are shooting modes like Hyperlapse, Motionlapse and Timelapse to create cinematic videos, just like those from DJI's market-leading drones. But the OM5 comes with a new design to improve your results and two colors, Athens Grey and Sunset White. The built-in extension rod will offer you better selfies as well as unique new angles to record your videos. The cost of the DJI OM5 is $159 and available on DJI's site.
You're probably familiar with smartwatches and fitness trackers from the likes of Fitbit, but what about a smart ring? The Oura Ring from Finland is arguably the market leader, and while it tracks activity all day, its real focus is on sleep.
The ring monitor your every movement, along with body temperature and heart rate, to help inform you about your daily activity and sleep. With this data, the Oura Ring understands your sleep depth and quality, and offers advice via a smartphone app on how to improve it. The ring comes in four different colors and materials, and is available in a range of industry-standard sizes to ensure a good fit.
New for 2019, the MX Master 3 by Logitech is a high-performance computer mouse that is designed to be both comfortable and functional. The mouse has an ergonomic design and features a near-silent electromagnetic scroll wheel which is accurate to a single pixel, yet capable of scrolling 1,000 lines of text in one second.
Logitech says the wheel is 90 percent faster and 87 percent more precise than its predecessor, and the mouse's thumb buttons have been redesigned to be easier to use. You can even pair the mouse to two computers at once and drag items from one to another, even if one is Windows and the other is Mac.
Logitech MX Master 3 Advanced Wireless Mouse - Graphite
Is your early adopter friend an Apple fan? Are they Apple geeks? If so, you might want to consider getting them the Kensington StudioDock. It will help them use their iPad as a minature iMac setup as well as provide an SD card slot, USB-C, Ethernet, HDMI and three USB-A ports plus wireless charging. ( See the GearBrain review of Kensington StudioDock here.) It's a well-built docking station for any Apple iPad user, however, note the Kensington StudioDock is not compatible with the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9-inch.
The docking station is available for 11-inch iPads ($380) and older models of 12.9-inch model ($400).
If you still need help in finding the perfect gift for your geeking friend or early adopter family member, try using The GearBrain, our compatibility find engine for smart devices . It can help you find compatible products that work with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa enabled devices. as well as any other smart device your early adopter might have in their smart home.
How to Find Products in The GearBrain, Our Compatibility Find Engine for Smart Deviceswww.youtube.com