Best Gift Ideas
Hundreds of gift ideas for the tech enthusiasts in your life (and everyone else, too).
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The 12 best gifts under $25 for 2023
Here are the best tech gifts you can get this year that all come in at $25 or less, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Valentina Palladino11.08.2023
The best retro gaming gifts for the 2023 holidays
Here are the best retro gaming gifts you can get this year, as chosen by Engadget editors.
The best gifts for gamers in 2023
Here are the best gift ideas for the gamer in your life, including some of the best games and gaming accessories that make great gifts.
Igor Bonifacic11.01.2023
The best gifts under $50 that make great stocking stuffers
Here's our list of the best gifts under $50 that make great stocking stuffers, inexpensive gifts for coworkers, and more.
Valentina Palladino11.01.2023
The best gadgets for your pets
Find the latest and best gadgets for your pets, chosen by experts at Engadget.
Engadget10.28.2023
All the gear you need to game-stream like a pro in 2024
Find the latest and best list of game streaming equipment, from webcams, microphone, capture cards, and more from experts at Engadget.
Jessica Conditt10.17.2023
12 gifts for tireless tinkerers
They say the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. But that doesn't necessarily mean you, the gifter, needs to be doing the assembly. Sometimes the giftee will enjoy building their own present. Over the last several years the maker movement has really taken off. And whether you're shopping for an accomplished builder or someone just looking to get their toes wet, we've got a few suggestions. If there's someone in your life that's super into making everything themselves (and you love them enough to drop $1,000 on a gift for them) consider a 3D printer like the Replicator Mini+ from MakerBot. If a grand is a little extreme for you, consider a simple driver set, like 64-piece one from iFixIt. They'll be able to open up and (hopefully) put anything back together with it. If the creator in your life is more into coding than building, consider a tool like RPG Maker, or for the wee one in your life Ozobot's Evo is an excellent place to start teaching programming skills. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Terrence O'Brien11.30.2016
12 gifts for the gaming geek in your life
Whether they've got a fully tricked out PC gaming rig or just looking to get a little retro button mashing done on their new 4K TV, we've got the gift for the gamer in your life. Obviously, with some new consoles on the scene, there's an obvious upgrade out there for the hardcore in the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S. But you don't need to drop $300 - $400 to upgrade your favorite geek's gaming experience. A high-end mouse, top notch controller or a new headset can make a world of difference for those glued to online battles. And, for those in your life that prefer their gaming be a little more... let's say physical, you can't go wrong with a board game like Mechs vs. Minions or King of Tokyo. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Terrence O'Brien11.16.2016
12 tech gifts for the geekiest people in your life
There's one in every family: The uber geek who pretty much has it all when it comes to tech basics. They don't need a laptop or a fancy TV. But don't worry, there's always some gap in their collection of gadgets that you can easily fill. And remember, the more niche the product, the better gift it is for these folks. You could get them started on building out their smart home with a lock like August or Kevo. Or maybe they need a central hub to control their sprawling network of connected goods from, like an Amazon Echo Dot. If the nerd in your life is too young for a smart home, you can always pick them up a high-tech take on the paper airplane or a box of tinker toys like LittleBits, to get them start on their journey to become the next great inventor. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Terrence O'Brien11.09.2016
The 12 best tech gifts for sports fanatics
Chances are there's at least one die-hard sports fan in your life. And look, even if your idea of game-time small talk is "Hey, how about that local sportsball team" you can still get them the perfect gift. Whether they're big NBA addicts, avid runners or trying to perfect that spiral and become an NFL quarterback, we've got you covered. And you don't even have to betray your tech-geek roots to do it. There's plenty of ways to get your game on while simultaneously getting your geek on. High-end TVs deliver football in 4K glory while wearables like the TomTom Adventurer let you turn that epic hike into epic reams of data. Check out the gallery below to see our 12 techie gift recommendations for sports fans and athletes. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Terrence O'Brien11.02.2016
Presenting Engadget's 2014 Holiday Gift Guide
Smartphones, tablets and laptops are standard fare in 2014, but living in an always-on world isn't just about the essentials. So this year, we looked beyond the gadgets that fit in your backpack or briefcase to compile our Holiday Gift Guide. We've collected a veritable feast of devices to cater to everyone from the amateur bartender to the DIY tinkerer, and made sure to offer a wide-ranging menu that hits every price point. We don't advise eating your gadgets, but playing with what's on your plate is a must. So grab a bib and dig in!
Christopher Trout11.13.2014
Daily Roundup: SteamOS release, holiday gift guide for the geek, Z Ultra Google Play edition and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Andy Bowen12.11.2013
The 12 Days of iMas, Day 2: Some refrigerator magnets to take you back in time
Today is the second day of a 12-day feature where we'll show you the strangest Apple-flavored gifts we can find. Check out the previous days here: Day 1 Day 2: iOS 6 fridge magnets, because you know you don't deserve iOS 7 It really would make sense if these 18 magnets, modeled after the iPhone's instantly recognizable default app icons, were designed to resemble the ones from the current iOS generation... but they're not. Deal with it. Why would anyone want even one of these tiny metal magnets, let alone all 18 of them? I have no idea. Maybe they have a tiny black or white fridge that they want to make look like an iPhone. Maybe they're so in love with iOS 6 that they just can't stand to let the skeuomorphic beauty of those apps die. Or maybe they have an iPhone and you can't think of anything else to cram in the stocking of a loved one. All of these are valid reasons, and for less than US$4, it's hard to bet against these little guys.
Mike Wehner12.10.2013
Engadget's 2013 holiday gift guide
It's that time again: The approaching holidays provide a perfect opportunity to take inventory of the best gadgets on the market across every budget and category imaginable. And what better way to highlight your best bets than stealing from the wishlists of Engadget editors? Not to brag, but we have pretty good taste. Come for the expert advice, and stay for the giveaways! Enter the raffle in each of our guides for the chance to win one of 11 Sony products. Keep this page handy, as we'll be adding guides throughout the month. Happy holidays!
Engadget11.11.2013
Engadget's 2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Household
Welcome to Engadget's holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. If you ask us, gadgets for the home make some of the greatest gifts. After all, your parents may be doing just fine with their smartphones du jour, but now's your chance to give them the intelligent thermostat they never knew they were missing. The picks in this category represent some of the freshest ways to tech up the living room -- seriously, even the vacuums are cool.
Engadget11.11.2013
Apple shares Valentine's Day gift guide
Perhaps you haven't glanced at your calendar lately, but it's February 5 -- and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Apple has created a Valentine's Day Gift Guide in the iTunes App Store to help you find the perfect gift for that certain someone in your life. The gift guide is full of categories to make searching easy. Is your honey a photographer? There's a special category for that. Have a hankering for a certain hardcore gamer? No problem; there's a huge section for that, too. The App Store curators also provide a quick tip at the top of the guide on how to send an app as a gift, so if you really want to make that someone special happy, you'll start gifting them with apps today... Just don't forget the chocolate. Apps are no substitute for chocolate.
Steve Sande02.05.2013
Apple publishes Chinese New Year gift guide
Apple has enjoyed a recent burst of success in China, with the new iPad mini selling out faster than supplies can be replenished, but rather than sitting back and enjoying the regional boom, the company is going on the offensive with a new Chinese New Year Gift Guide. M.I.C. Gadget reports that the new buyers guide is included in Apple's online store in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Not surprisingly, the iPad mini is featured prominently in the guide, along with both first-party accessories like the Smart Cover and third-party wares from the likes of Logitech and Plantronics. Prices are displayed in the appropriate regional currency, and each Apple gadget on the page is accompanied by a bounty of related products. Apple is also promoting free shipping and gift wrapping as part of the holiday guide.
Mike Wehner01.10.2013
TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Randy Nelson
2012 was the first year I can remember where I didn't make a single new hardware or accessory purchase. Software, though, was another story. If there was a notable iOS app released this year, chances are good that I have it -- and I've made a list of favorites to share with you. I'm also an avid gamer (and a pretty discerning one, at that) so you'll find my absolute top iOS titles among my picks. Google Maps (Free) Seeing as my car's built-in navigation system decided to bite the dust this year, the ability to use my iPhone as a suitable replacement skyrocketed in importance. Apple's Maps in iOS 6 was adequate, but since I still have an iPhone 4, that meant turn-by-turn directions were out of the question. Enter Google Maps, which not only provides turn-by-turn guidance that's better than my now-deceased dedicated navigation system, but one-ups Apple Maps in every respect. I really can't get over how complete it is -- and still totally free. Fantastical (US$3.99) I'm trying to be a more organized individual heading into 2013, and part of that is making sure I keep a good schedule. My iPhone's pre-installed Calendar app is certainly adequate, but I really wanted something that gave me a way to see what's on my plate at a glance, and made it easier to add new items. Fantastical takes care of both these needs with aplomb. Its natural language event entry is a snap and its day ticker view is ingenious. You might even say the app is fantastic. Clear ($0.99 for a limited time) If I need notifications for important to-do items, I stick with Reminders. But if I just want to jot down a quick list of groceries or components I need, Clear really is the perfect app. It's entirely gesture-based and a breeze to use. It's also easy to read at a glance, so I can hopefully keep from running into obstacles and people while using it at the store. Note that I said "hopefully." Tweetbot for Mac ($19.99) There was a lot of fuss around pricing a Twitter client at $20 when the Mac version of Tweetbot launched, but as someone who's used it ever since I can honestly say the premium is more than worth it. Tweetbot is the slickest Twitter app I've ever encountered on any platform, and possesses all the functionality I could need. If you've been on the fence about this one, I really don't think you'll be disappointed if you commit. The Walking Dead: The Game (episode one free for a limited time) Created by the adventure game mavens at Telltale Games, The Walking Dead is a five-part episodic video game treatment of Robert Kirkman's zombie-filled comic book series (which is probably best known as a hit show on AMC). As someone who plays a lot of games, and is a huge fan of the adventure genre, there's not much that surprises me -- but The Walking Dead did. In addition to just offering a great story and compelling characters, the series actually gives the many difficult choices you have to make lasting consequences. There are surprises around every corner, and it tugs at your heartstrings like no other title released this year. Dream of Pixels ($0.99 for a limited time) I'm a big fan of puzzle games, especially those that are easy to pop into while I'm out and about waiting in lines or taking a train. Dream of Pixels fits that bill perfectly, as an inverted take on Tetris where you have to remove shapes from a pre-existing wall moving down the screen. It's a simple title, but one I found myself getting engrossed in time and time again. It was the cause of many a "Sir? Sir? Sir, may I take your order?" moments this year. Rayman Jungle Run ($2.99) Endless running games are a dime a dozen on iOS, but Rayman Jungle Run isn't really like the rest of them. The best way I can describe it is a traditional platformer where you don't have to worry about moving your character. The game does the running for you, but you still need to be pretty adept at leaping across chasms and timing every move just right. The levels are designed to offer a perfect degree of challenge and the visuals look good enough to eat. Just trust me when I say that you don't want to be seen licking your iPhone's screen in public, especially at places you frequent.
Randy Nelson12.28.2012
TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Megan Lavey-Heaton
Now that Christmas rush is over, you might find that you have some extra cash or gift cards to spend. Or, you might have a new Apple device, and find yourself looking for good recommendations on software or accessories. These are some of my favorites in 2012, in no particular order. mophie juice pack (starting at $79.95) I picked up a mophie juice pack on Amazon in January to use as a battery backup while at Macworld | iWorld, but it's become my full-time case. The amount of battery life I've gotten out of my iPhone has been amazing with the mophie. I was able to use my 4S for a full 12 hours of shooting video, photos and sending over 3G in New York City in April thanks to the juice pack. It's helped my 4S survive being dropped a number of times. It's not just a good battery case, it's just a fantastic overall case. A big reason I haven't upgraded to the iPhone 5 is that there isn't a mophie case for it yet. [The demand for iPhone 5 power cases isn't lost on the company; there's an ongoing giveaway of five portable powerstation external batteries every day until the new juice pack models ship. –Ed.] iPad mini (starting at US $329) Like Kelly H., I love the portability and ease of this iPad, especially while doing other tasks. As I admitted in my review, I wasn't sure how I would get along with the mini at first. But the size quickly won me over, and I use it constantly as a second screen or instead of my laptop. While the price is still a little high, expect to see some refurbished iPad minis pop up on the Apple Store within the next few months. Belkin Classic Tab Cover with Stand ($29.99) I'm not a fan of the Smart Cover for the iPad mini. It's too expensive for what it delivers. After trying out several cases, the first one I settled with was the Belkin Classic Tab. It's readily available in most places you can buy the mini and is a pretty good stand. While the BookBook for iPad mini is replacing the Belkin in my affections, it's still a great cover to start out with. I just wish it came in other colors besides black, pink and purple. Jot Pro ($29.99) and Remarks ($4.99) I tested the Jot Pro stylus at Macworld | iWorld 2012 and loved it. It has the feel of a regular pen, and I use it if I'm taking notes on my iPad. Paired with Readdle's Remarks app, it's turned my iPad into the portable notebook I've always wanted it to be. I've done everything from mark up PDFs at work to writing comic scripts. Surprisingly, I have yet to lose the tip on the Jot Pro. It popped off a couple weeks ago, but I was able to easily put it back on. Rdio (free with ads, plans start at $4.99 a month) I used Spotify through the latter part of 2011, but after my husband moved here from the United Kingdom, Rdio's family plan became a big draw. I also like Rdio's Mac and iOS apps much better than Spotify, and the music selection is just as good. Rdio also can be used through a web browser, which makes it easy to listen to at work if I don't want to pull out my iPad or iPhone. Flickr (free), Snapseed (free), Camera+ ($.99) These are all my go-to apps for image processing and editing on the iPhone, plus sharing afterward. Even though iPhoto for iOS does have its own strengths, I vastly prefer the ease of Snapseed and the features of Camera+, though the I also love the new panorama feature in the built-in Camera app in iOS 6. If you're looking for a good guide on how to tone photos using Snapseed, check out this one by Peachpit's Jeff Carlson. Flickr is a late addition the line-up, but it's replaced Instagram for photo sharing among several networks at once. The one thing about it that bugs me is that the captions don't go along with it, so I have to go to Facebook and Tumblr to fill those out after. Nikon D3100 ($476.95 on Amazon) and Aperture ($79.99) I finally made the leap to a DSLR earlier this year, going with the now sub-$500 Nikon. The included kit lens is decent, and the battery life is excellent on the camera. I decided to upgrade from iPhoto to a professional photo processing tool that could easily handle the increased number of images I was taking thanks to the new camera. After trying Lightroom and enjoying ACDSee Pro 2, I found myself going back to Aperture. It's the best software you can get for the price, and the more that I use Aperture, the more I love it. I wish Apple would bring back the 30-day free trial for the app. Plex Media Server, Plex for iOS ($4.99) and Apple TV ($99) Plex has been amazing. The media server is installed on every computer (Mac and Linux) in this household, and the mobile app is on both our tablets and smartphones. Our Internet-capable TV can even connect to Plex through the network. It's been essential as we've dropped cable, and used streaming media to catch up on current TV shows, season passes in iTunes, and ripping our DVD collection to store digitally. With Plex for iOS, we can access our media libraries from outside of the apartment. Sadly, thanks to Apple's FairPlay DRM, we can't watch the TV shows purchased in iTunes or play music that hadn't been upgraded to DRM-free tracks through Plex. But, we can quickly see what we do or do not have if we're out and considering a purchase. Likewise, we can bring up our photos no matter where we're at, even ones in Aperture. Apple TV allows the streaming of iTunes content that Plex can't play.
Megan Lavey-Heaton12.27.2012TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Steve Sande
While I'm busy running the TUAW Best of 2012 nominations and voting process (voting starts soon!), I have a few favorites that I wanted to pass along as my personal Best of 2012. These picks don't follow any particular order and they're definitely not following the categories that we've set up for the TUAW Best of 2012. Best Desktop Mac: The new 27" iMac. With a 1 TB Fusion Drive, 16 GB of RAM (so far) and a blazing 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU plus a less reflective display, this was my favorite purchase of the year. Best iPhone: The iPhone 5. Sure, I really didn't need one this year, and I probably should have saved the money. But what an amazing phone! It's light, amazingly thin, fast, and the 4" screen is outstanding. On top of that, Siri seems to work quite a bit faster. Best iPhone and iPad Game: Without a doubt, it's Letterpress. Don't laugh, but while I'm writing this I'm also playing a game against "Harumph" of TUAW TV Live. Best iPhone, iPad and Mac Writing App: Day One. I love this app, since it lets me keep a daily journal wherever I happen to be. I've used all three versions to enter my "Dear Diary" entries, and they're always in sync. Universal iOS app is here, Mac app is here. One of the first things I plan to do in 2013 is to sit down and read my entries for the past year. Best iPhone Navigation App: Sorry, Google Maps, but I find Apple's much-maligned iOS 6 Maps app to be perfectly fine. I like the Siri integration, being able to say things like "Take me home" to get directions back to my house from somewhere else, or "When will I arrive at home?" to get an estimated time of arrival. Best iOS 6 Surprise: Hands-down, it's Passbook. I use it for airline boarding passes, Starbucks purchases, and movie tickets. I can't wait to see where Apple and third parties take Passbook in 2013. Best iPhone, iPad and Mac Browser: Google Chrome. It's fast, it syncs settings between platforms, and it just seems to work on everything for me. iPhone version's here, iPad is here, and Mac can be downloaded here. Best iPad stylus: It's a tie! I don't usually use a stylus unless I am attempting art, but when I do, I love both the Pogo Connect and the Sensu Brush. Best iPad Accessory: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Best Apple-related Books: Hey, I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a personal plug for two books written by me and my buddy Erica Sadun. Talking To Siri will soon be out in a second edition and enhanced edition, while Pitch Perfect is about to come out in an expanded version. Best Mac Utility: Reflector. I use this app to broadcast iPhone and iPad screens on TUAW TV Live, and it's also useful for capturing video for training purposes. It was excellent when it first came out and has been getting steadily better with each new release. That's just a random sampling of some of my favorite things from 2012. It was really a great year for both applications and accessories, with some real maturity coming to the iOS market. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2013. We'll start voting on the TUAW Best of 2012 soon, so keep your eyes open.
Steve Sande12.23.2012