Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
Christmas is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. This is a compilation of the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap for others, or just yourself.
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Christmas is a not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. The Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide compiles the best technology of 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself. In this tenth chapter, Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and Rod Chester gathers the technology bags and the travel devices you’ll need for getting away from it all, while taking it all with you.
TECH BAGS
Crumpler Vis-a-Vis Attaché
If a frayed backpack is your choice of luggage companion, walk away now. This glossy, hard-shell case from Crumpler’s Vis-a-Vis series is more for the polished executive look than world-weary budget traveller. Made out of tough polycarbonate, it has easy-access external pockets for items you want to grab quickly, such as a tablet and passport. Open the case, which you can secure with a built-in, TSA-approved lock, and the inside is divided into two sections. One zipped section offers a compartment for your clothes, the other half is organised by pockets, including a padded sleeve for a laptop up to 15 inches in size.
Crumpler
$295
www.crumpler.com/au
- Pros
- — Stylish, tough and well-designed
- — Quick access to important items
- — Padded shoulder strap and cushioned handles
- Cons
- — Shiny black shell will show scratches
- — Heavy and without wheels
- — External tablet pocket does not detach from the main bag
Lowepro Hardside 200 Video
Summer travellers with pricey lenses should appreciate this tougher-than-merely-tough case that promises to keep camera accessories safe from water, debris, impacts, and even outside air. Designed for video, but capable of securing still cameras too, the Hardside case comprises of a hard shell and a soft, removable and customisable bag inside that can be used as a backpack.
Lowepro
$229
maxwell.com.au
- Pros
- — Will keep lenses safe in a plane’s cargo
- — Outside shell survives immersion for up to 30 minutes
- — Inside case can be removed
- Cons
- — Weighs 3.2kg
- — Adds bulk to a camera and lens collection
- — Tripods need to be carried separately
Crumpler Low Level Aviator 3-Day Pack
Made for a long weekend away, or a summer adventure, this Crumpler backpack has plenty of room for clothes and gadgets. The middle compartment will hold a laptop up to 15 inches in size, the deep front zipped pocket will store plenty of cords, while the largest compartment at the back holds clothing. Weatherproof polyester is designed to keep everything dry.
Crumpler
$195
crumpler.com/au
- Pros
- — Generously sized for a long weekend
- — Plenty of pockets and spaces for tech
- — Comfortable, padded shoulder strap, and waist strap
- Cons
- — 52cm height may not suit vertically challenged wearers
- — No dedicated tablet pockets
- — Waist strap can’t be hidden or removed
STM Aero
This compact backpack would suit those looking for a bag that is not bulky but big enough to fit a 13-inch laptop. It has a fleece-lined pocket on the outside for a smartphone and headphones, and compact elasticised pockets on the side for a water bottle or small umbrella. One of the best points of this bag is the luggage pass-through strap on its back for securing it to the extended handle of a rolling suitcase.
STM
$99.95
stmbags.com
- Pros
- — Fits a 13-inch laptop and a tablet
- — Compact size
- — Pass-through luggage handle strap
- Cons
- — Side pockets are small
- — Only 10-litre capacity
- — No waist strap
Thule Gauntlet 13” /15” MacBook Pro Sleeve
You don’t always want to carry a computer in a bulky backpack but you should always want to keep it safe. This sleeve case will fit a 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pro, and it is tough enough to protect it from the knocks and bumps of daily life, with the added bonus of a water-resistant shell and zipper. An elastic strap keeps a computer secure as you open the case, and the clamshell design means you can leave it in the sleeve as you get on with your work. Available in blue, grey and black.
Thule
$59.95
thule.com.au
- Pros
- — Tough and water-resistant
- — You can work on your computer without taking it out of the case
- — Use it on its own or put it into your backpack
- Cons
- — No carrying strap
- — Limited range of colours
- — No room for chargers and accessories
TRAVEL
Western Digital My Passport Wireless
Whether you’re looking to backup holiday snaps as you travel, or wirelessly access your image library, this unusual drive can help. The My Passport Wireless device has an SD card slot so you can insert the memory card straight out of your camera for a quick save, and it also features wireless connectivity so you can stream videos or share photos with smart devices. A USB 3.0 connection also features for faster backups, and it can also be used as a wireless hub to share a wired internet connection.
Western Digital
$299-$399
wdc.com
- Pros
- — On-the-go backups could save images
- — Wireless access to image library
- — Quick, USB 3.0 backups
- Cons
- — Battery delivers only up to six hours of use
- — 2TB drive weighs 350g
- — Can struggle to stream high bit-rate video
Lenmar Mutant
When getting away from all but your gadgets, you need a portable power source. This battery pack from Lenmar lives up to its “mutant” title by offering 20,800mAh of power, or enough to completely charge an Apple iPhone 6 more than 11 times. The mutant can deliver power to four sources at once, however, including two mobile phones and two power-hungry tablets. Four lights on the side let users know how much power is stored within.
Lenmar
$199
harveynorman.com.au
- Pros
- — Four outlets for simultaneous charging
- — Two outlets with a two-amp charge required by tablets
- — Matte finish for easy grip
- Cons
- — Battery packs weighs 500g
- — Not designed to recharge laptop computers
- — Charges using proprietary plug
Navman MY600LMT
Car GPS units have come down in price recently while adding features. This 5-inch unit has driver alerts, traffic updates, and large graphics showing what lane to take at highway lane mergings. You can use intuitive menus to search for a destination or voice control. One of its handiest features is Landmark Guidance Plus that prompts you to turn using landmarks you can see as you drive.
Navman
$199
navman.com.au
- Pros
- — Intuitive menus
- — Landmark guidance
- — Traffic updates
- Cons
- — Traffic hazard warnings beep constantly
- — Traffic updates not always accurate
- — Voice commands can be unreliable
TP-LINK TL-MR3040 Travel Router
This pocket-sized router can help you deal with slow wi-fi in a hotel room. Plug the hotel Ethernet cable into this device and it creates your own wi-fi network that you don’t have to share with other hotel guests. It’s got a 2000mAh battery so you can run it without having to plug it in. You can also pair it with a 3G or 4G modem to create a wi-fi network for up to five devices.
TP-LINK
$53.95
tp-link.com
- Pros
- — Convenient size
- — Battery-powered
- — Simple to use in some modes
- Cons
- — Makes hotel wi-fi faster but not cheaper
- — Some features could be confusing to those unfamiliar with routers
- — Compatible with 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n, making it slower than some travel routers
Uniden iGo Cam 750
This crash cam with a 2.7-inch colour screen shoots 1080p video with a 170-degree lens. With a collision-detection mode, you can set it to start recording as soon as it detects changes in motion, and it adds geotagging information to identify where an incident occurred. Its alarms can alert you to fixed speed cameras, red-light cameras, and if you drift out of a highway lane.
Uniden
$199.95
uniden.com.au
- Pros
- — Speed camera warning
- — Good quality video
- — Micro SD storage
- Cons
- — Menus can be awkward
- — Lane drift warning not always reliable
- — Low-resolution display
Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
CHRISTMAS is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. We've compiled the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself. Part 1: Cameras
Hottest 100 Christmas gadget guide
Christmas is not just a time for giving, but a time for gadgets. This is a compilation of the best technology from 2014 for you to wrap up for others, or yourself.