The Best Christmas Gifts for a Techie (On a Budget) – Part 02
View(s):By Mahesh de Andrado
Continuing from the previous part of the Best Christmas Gifts for a techie on a budget, here are a few more that made the list.
When you’re on-the-go and you need your files with you.
If you’re like me and you have a bootable USB flash drive with Windows, Linux and other operating systems, and you also use your pendrive to store TV series and movies AND also use it as a backup of your phone, then you’ll need a pretty big pendrive. This is where the Sandisk USB 3.2 OTG flash drive comes into play.
The beauty of this pendrive is that not only is it USB 3.2 Gen 2, which means it can copy to and from quickly, but it also has a regular USB A on one end and a USB Type C on the other. Perfect if you want to watch a movie or a TV series you downloaded to watch on your PC and you want to watch it on your phone.
If you have an iPhone, Sandisk also has a model that comes with regular USB A on one end and a lightning port on the other.
When you need to juice up really fast
With fast charging becoming the norm now, everyone wants to charge their phones, laptops and other devices faster. The market is flooded with brands that all claim that their charger is the fastest, but how many can walk the talk? If you have a device that charges via USB Type C, then one of the best investments you can make is to get a really good cable. I use a Baseus 100W Type C to Type C Cable and I am totally in love with it. As the name suggests, this is a USB Type C to Type C cable capable of supplying up to 100W of power. This is provided that your charger is also a 100W charger. For example, if you have a new MacBook, you can use this cable with your Macbook’s charger and experience the full charging speed of your macbook charger.
The Basues 100W USB Type C to Type C cable can give you up to 100W of power, provided you have a 100W charger (Image Credits: Guiding Tech)
Speaking of chargers, the Powerology 33W GaN PD Charger is a good idea if you’re looking for an affordable fast charger. Compared to a regular charger, a GaN or Gallium Nitride charger is smaller because it needs less components as the material is able to conduct far higher voltages. This makes them more efficient at transferring current and also produces less heat
While it won’t make use of the full capabilities of the Baseus 100W cable, you can rest assured that the cable will not be the bottleneck in charging your devices. 33W is more or less the standard for smartphones from brands such as Xiaomi, Redmi or even Samsung, so if you already have a 33W or slower charger, and you are looking for a backup charger and don’t want to compromise on charging speeds and break the bank, this could be your next charger.
The Powerology 33W Gan PD Charger can charge your devices at up to 33W (Image Credits: Celltronics)
If you are looking for a more portable solution, then Xiaomi comes to the rescue with its 10,000mAh powerbank. The powerbank has a battery power of 10000mAh and a rated capacity of 5500mAh. It is capable of delivering up to 22.5W of power, the powerbank can deliver and charge via USB Type C and also supports USB PD and QC3+. All this comes in at just Rs.7,999/-.
For the Stylish Fitness Enthusiast on a Budget
I’ve spoken about the Haylou Solar LS05 before, and this is my go-to watch if you want a stylish smartwatch/fitness tracker and you’re on a budget. It packs a 1.28” LCD display, a metal frame and button and comes with a comfortable silicon strap that can be swapped out for a regular 22mm watch strap.
The watch can last up to 30 days on a single charge or 15 days of regular use. I myself get around 12-14 days on a single charge and I’m not complaining at all. It tracks my steps, sleep and my heart rate and the accompanying Haylou Fun app is easy to use, and it also has Google Fit integration (something I rely heavily on for Pokemon Go).
And there you have it, these are the gadgets I would recommend for anyone looking for a techy Chrtistmas for themselves or a loved one. If you have any other recommendations, please do share your feedback.
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