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. Part 8: Tough stuff
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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 the eighth chapter, Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson and Rod Chester brave the outdoors to find the best action cameras and toughest devices going.
ACTION CAMERAS
GoPro Hero4 Silver
Shooting an adventure movie is easier with the addition of a built-in touchscreen on this new GoPro action cam. Aside from helping you frame shots, the screen makes it easier to navigate camera settings. It has several video modes and can shoot full-HD footage and 12-megapixel stills at up to 30 photos per second. Other improvements include a dedicated button for tagging key moments, and Night Lapse mode with a longer shutter speed.
GoPro
$549
gopro.com
- Pros
- — Touchscreen makes operation simple
- — Tagging moments easy with dedicated button
- — Night modes open up new photo opportunities
- Cons
- — Small battery life
- — Doesn’t have 4K video capture of Hero4 Black
- — Easy to forget to turn off wi-fi that drains battery
Sony Full HD Action Cam Mini with Live View Remote Kit HDRAZ1VR
This action cam is just two thirds the size of the previous model, achieved by moving its GPS chip into the Live View Remote. It has a 170-degree lens for wide-angled video, can shoot full-HD video, and 11.9-megapixel stills. With an iPX4 rating, it’s splash-proof without the case. Pop it in the case and you can dive to up to 5m.
Sony
$479
sony.com.au
- Pros
- — Super compact size
- — Easy to use
- — Splash-proof
- Cons
- — Case only waterproof to 5m
- — No built-in screen
- — No 4K video capture
Garmin VIRB Elite
Garmin’s take on an action cam offers a point of difference: they tap into data from a heart-rate strap so action videos show how you handled rushes of adrenalin. The VIRB Elite is bigger than some action cams but it’s waterproof without the need for extra housing. It has a 1.4-inch screen, can capture 16-megapixel still images, and can shoot up to three hours of full-HD video. It also has image stabilisation, built-in GPS, an accelerometer, and altimeter.
Garmin
$499
garmin.com/au
- Pros
- — Heart-rate integration
- — Waterproof without added housing
- — Built-in GPS
- Cons
- — Bigger than other cameras
- — Doesn’t shoot 4K video
- — GoPro editing software more advanced
Kaiser Baas 100x
Kaiser Baas adds to the budget end of the action cam market with an update to its x80. This new model records video in full high-definition and comes with a watch-like remote control. It also has wi-fi that lets you use a smartphone as a remote viewfinder, it can shoot 5-megapixel stills, and out the back is a 2-inch LCD screen. One big advantage with this action cam is that it’s compatible with countless GoPro mounts.
Kaiser Baas
$199.95
kaiserbaas.com
- Pros
- — Pairs with wrist-worn remote
- — 2-inch LCD screen
- — Waterproof, in its housing, to 30m
- Cons
- — Only records 1080p video
- — No screen on remote control
- — Bulkier than some action cams
Contour Roam3 Action Cam
This mermaid-like action cam is waterproof to 10m without a case, which is a big step up from Contour’s previous model. It’s simple to use: slide the button forward and you’re filming. When you’re weighing it up against the competition, note it doesn’t have wi-fi nor a screen or the ability to wirelessly pair to a smartphone. It can shoot full-HD video at 30 frames per second.
Contour
$299.95
contouraustralia.com.au
- Pros
- — Waterproof without case
- — Simple to use
- — Rugged
- Cons
- — No wi-fi connectivity
- — No screen
- — Bulky compared to other action cams
TOUGH STUFF
Canon PowerShot D30
Should you dive 25m below the water’s surface, you’ll still be able to take photos with this camera. Canon’s flagship tough camera is also designed to withstand drops from heights of up to 2m, and temperatures as low as -10C. It snaps 12.1-megapixel images, weighs 218g, and packs in a GPS sensor so you can sort or find photos by their location.
Canon
$399
canon.com.au
- Pros
- — Waterproof to a depth of 25m
- — Shockproof to 2m
- — Snaps 12.1-megapixel photos
- Cons
- — Slower to focus than some rivals
- — Lens only offers an f3.9 aperture
- — Features old image processor
Philips Dot
With a design reminiscent of the Guggenheim in New York, this cup-sized speaker is rugged enough to take with you on the go. It’s splash-proof so you don’t have to feel nervous listening to music near the pool, and it has a handy hook to attach it to your bag. It has a 3-inch driver that gives it a sound greater than you’d expect given its compact size.
Philips
$99.95
philips.com.au
- Pros
- — Splash-proof
- — Features a handy hook
- — Great sound quality
- Cons
- — No next button
- — Auto-mute feature not always reliable
- — Sound is one-directional
Sony Walkman NWZ-WS613 MP3 Player
The Walkman name continues with this media player pitched at active people. With 4GB of storage, you can load music directly on to these wireless headphones or pair them with your smartphone to play music from it. This Walkman is waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about sweat when working out, or you can listen to tunes while swimming laps. A handy ring-shaped controller is a convenient way of controlling music play and answering calls.
Sony
$199
sony.com.au
- Pros
- — Ring controller for music play
- — Can play music straight from smartphone
- — Waterproof device
- Cons
- — Ring controller is bulky
- — Loss of sound quality while swimming
- — Separate MP3 player doubles up on smartphone feature
Braven BRV-1
The Braven BRV-1 is a wireless speaker that’s built like a tank. It’s water-resistant and rugged enough to handle knocks and bumps outdoors. Its 1400mAh battery will give you 12 hours of play time, or you can use this as a battery pack to charge your other devices. The BRV-1 is great device to take camping or to the beach.
Braven
$219.99
braven.com
- Pros
- — Tough and rugged
- — Water-resistant
- — Can charge other devices
- Cons
- — Industrial look won’t suit everyone
- — Limited battery life
- — Sound quality doesn’t match some competitors
Outdoor Technology Kodiak
Just at home at the beach as in the office, the Kodiak brick is designed to withstand a lot. Its rubber shell makes it resistant to water splashes and low-level drops, ensuring it is a capable camper. Its internal battery stores up to 6000mAh of power, recharged with a Micro USB cord, and four lights under the hood indicate how much charge it has at any one time. It can recharge some phones four times on a single charge.
Outdoor Technology
$69.95
outdoor-technology.com.au
- Pros
- — Stores 6000mAh of power for several phone charges
- — Withstands knocks and water
- — Charges by Micro USB connection
- Cons
- — Weighs 266g
- — Body made bulkier by rubber cover
- — Only one outlet
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.