Holiday gift ideas for men can be tough. There isn’t a magical holiday gift guide for men. So what do you get for the guy who has everything? Or the guy who has nothing and likes it that way? There is one surefire way to succeed with gifts for men around the holidays – technology. Most men don’t want sentiment, or for you to remember something they mentioned in an offhand comment three months earlier (hint: that’s a pain). They want something that does something; something that can be controlled with an overly-complicated remote control; something that requires an electrical source or at the very least, a couple of double As. Men want technology.
Ai InSite put Rob Lehmann, chair of Audio Production at The New England Institute of Art, on the task of coming up with technology gift ideas for the hard-to-please men on your list, and here are the results:
Holiday Technology for Men
Bose Quiet Comfort Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones – Starting at $299, the Bose Quiet Comfort Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones are the perfect way to block out the rest of the world and appreciate music, movies, or just a little peace and quiet on a long flight.
“One of the greatest gifts I ever got was noise cancelling headphones,” Lehmann says. “I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t appreciate a pair of these. With our ever-intrusive world trying to get our attention at every possible angle, its time for a little pushback. And nothing says it like these headphones.”
iPhone4 – Starting at $199, the iPhone4 offers HD video recording, a 960 by 640 resolution 3.5 inch screen, and video calling. It’s all about multitasking done right.
“This year there are tons of cool gadgets out there,” Lehman says. “For example at the top of my list is the new iPhone. I got my iPhone a couple years ago, but now it is old and not quite what I need anymore (it can’t take movies, for example).”
iPad – Starting at $499, the iPad really is “delicious, current, learning, playful, literary, artful, friendly, productive, scientific, magical,” and all of the other things it claims to be in the commercials.
“The iPad is pretty cool too, except that it is kind of like a giant iPhone without the phone part,” Lehman says. “I still love my laptop computer and am not ready to split the difference between it and my phone just yet.”
Solio Solar Chargers – Ranging from $11.95 up to $99.95, a Solio solar charger can be either a stocking stuffer or a great under-the-tree gift for the guy looking to stay connected in the great outdoors.
“There are also a lot of nifty accessories to choose from that can improve on something that the receiver of your gift already has – solar chargers, for example,” Lahmann says. “But remember, there are a lot of limitations with this kind of gadget. If you are buying this gift for someone who is outdoors a lot, it could be quite good. But for the wrong person, this gift is destined for the yard-sale box.”
Genelec 6010 and 5040 speakers and subwoofer – starting at around $290 and $574 respectively, the Genelec 6010a and 5040a are the ultimate tech gifts for computer users who want to get the most out of their audio experience.
“As the chair of Audio Production at The New England Institute of Art, sound is very important to me and I am constantly surprised at how lousy most computer speakers sound, and that people put up with them,” Lahmann says. “If you want to really make someone smile this Christmas, get them a pair of Genelec 6010a speakers for their computer. Then next year you can get them the Genelec 5040a sub-woofer and they’ll love you all over again!”
Holiday gift buying for men can be a challenge, but remember, unless you’ve ever caught the person you’re buying for reading a copy of Walden by candlelight; carving the word Quickbooks on the side of an abacus; or training carrier pigeons to deliver abbreviated messages like “gr8, c u 2mro”, they will like your technologically advanced, insightful, and maybe even thoughtful gift.
Ai InSite Honorable Mentions:
Xbox Kinect – Starting at $149, the Xbox Kinect gets gamers off the couch and into the action with hands-free fun.
Duracell MyGrid Pad – Starting at $65, the Duracell MyGrid Pad offers drop-and-go charging for up to four devices.
Flip Video – Starting at $149, Flip Video cameras capture everything on the world’s simplest shoot-and-share cameras.
Perfect Portion Digital Kitchen Scale – Starting at $49.99, the Perfect Portion Digital Kitchen Scale boasts a 2,000 food database, making portion tracking a breeze.
Tell us what tech gifts you want for Christmas.