These accessories make the perfect stocking stuffers this holiday season.
Christmas 2016 is nearly upon us and many of us are scratching our heads, wondering what gifts should we pick up. Each year there are countless Big Books, gift guides etc, that deal with buying for that special someone. Whether they like cars, cooking, hunting, tech, toys, etc. there are guides. One of my favorite aspects of Christmas is the stocking, hung by the chimney with care. If you are like me, the stocking tends to be the last bastion of presents on Christmas morning. This is a tradition that continues unto today. Typically, gifts inside the stocking have been candy, small toys, gift cards and an occasional prank. What if I told you that there are some amazing tech stocking stuffers out there. I have included a few options from two of my favorite companies: Nite Ize and Nomad.
Nite Ize
1. Nite Ize Gear Ties
Have you ever pulled a set of earbuds out of your pocket, only to find an utter mess of tangled wiring? Have you noticed how unruly your video cabinet or computer cables become? Nite Ize attempts to solve these problems with their Cordable Twist Ties and Gear Ties. The gear ties are available in 1 in, 2 in, 3 in 6 in, 12 in, 18 in, 24 in, 32 in and 64 in sizes. They are also available in multi-pack kits called ProPaks. These are available in a variety of colors. Gear ties are amazing, but the newer Cordable Gear ties are even more amazing. Available in 3″ and 6″ lengths, the cables have an “integrated stretch loop” on one end to allow a cable to pass through or to tether around the USB-A end. You can roll the cable and then use the twist tie section to wrap up your cable. With the variety of colors, you can pick your favorite, your roommate or significant other can pick another and you now have a color-coded system. You can buy a 4 pack of 3″ ties for $4.99 or a 2 pack of 6″ ties for the same price. Each of the 3″ cables weighs 0.05 ounces and each of the 6″ ties weighs 0.1 ounces. They are waterproof, reusable and work incredibly well to keep your many cables organized. I prefer the 6″ for most cables, but the 3″ works well for headphones.
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2. Nite Ize QuickStand
Not all of our cases come with a kickstand or a mechanism to hold a phone or tablet and either vertical or landscape mode. Nite Ize solves this problem for you with a neat little device that can fit securely inside of your wallet or purse. Wearing a mere 0.3 ounces, The device will take up roughly the space of two credit cards. It is strong enough and durable enough to hold up a 9.7 inch iPad Air 2 in both landscape and vertical mode, with the convenience of always being with you. You never know when you will need to be able to view your phone hands-free. This could be a perfect device for that home chef in your life, to place your cooking companion iPhone or iPad. At roughly $9.99 this is a perfect gift. Tablets in vertical mode are still a bit top heavy, but phones and tablets in landscape work perfectly. You can adjust the angles of the device, to better cover viewing angles. With the size/weight and quality of build, this should be in your wallet.
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Nomad
1. Nomad ChargeKey
Have you ever found yourself with more day than charge and without a charging cable? Nomad has helped this problem by providing a 2.5″ keychain dongle called the ChargeKey. This is not a universal device, rather it is available in both lightning and Micro-USB. If you have an Apple fan in mind, one who has multiple lightning charging devices, this device would be an amazing gift. Weighing 7 grams (7 paperclips), it makes sense to have one of these on your keyring. It has rugged scratch resistant metal contacts to remove the need for end caps. These are convenient lightweight, rugged chargers to have on hand. The only downside that I have seen is the boxy plastic end of the lightning adaptor. This will not fit into Lifeproof or Catalyst cases, which have a rounded opening for the traditional apple charger. At $19.95, these sync and charge ChargeKey’s are perfect for those on the go.
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2. Nomad Carabiner for iPhone
I do not always have my keys on my person. Although I do have a Nomad ChargeKey, I more frequently have the Carabiner clipped to the outside of my every day. Weighing 53 grams and being made of a scratch-resistant material, this is a perfect charging cable to have on hand. Just like the ChargeKey, the end is a bit boxy for some cases. It works perfectly fine with my new iPhone 7 plus in an Otterbox defender case. It did not work with my 6s Plus inside of a Catalyst case or inside of a Lifeproof case. Either way, I have found myself wth only this charging cable and I did not hesitate to remove my phone from the case to charge it. At $29.99 this portable rugged steel clip may save you a headache in a pinch. USB 2.0 certified for the Micro-USB version and MFi certified for the lightning version.
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