My old roommate may shudder at the thought, but since Thanksgiving has officially come and gone, we have entered into the "holiday season". I might not be putting up the Christmas tree quite yet, but it's always good to be ahead of the game when it comes to your holiday shopping. I've already had requests from my family for wish lists. They're eager, I know.
Whether you're looking for gift ideas for yourself or for other, the posts in my upcoming "5 Faves" series will give you take a look at some of my favourite products from different categories that I would put my stamp of approval on.
1. Clear mobile case
I love being able to customize my phone's look, but good quality cases can get pretty expensive. All I need is one clear silicone case and I can change out coloured/pattered fabric or papers to get a new look whenever I want. One thing to note: the clear silicone can grab dark colours if you keep them in the pocket of your jeans.
No doubt you can find them at any phone accessory provider, or for cheap on Ebay.
2. Bamboo tablet
For those of you who are into graphic or web design, this one is a gem. While I understand these can seem pretty expensive, it is really a game changer. It makes such a difference when you have precision of a stylus. This would make a great gift to anyone interested in digital media.
3. Camera connection kit
This was one of those things that I bought off eBay on a whim, and it sat for months without being used. Then I went on vacation, and decided to bring it with me. Best idea ever. This baby let me download all my pictures off of my phone and camera without having to have a computer or internet connection. I used the USB and SD card ports to transfer all of my pictures to my iPad. It's small, so great for on the go, and for $4? Yes please.
4. iPad Keyboard
I had been looking for an iPad keyboard for a while, but thought all of the options I saw were pretty expensive for what they were. I found this one on eBay for just under $20 and it has worked out great. It makes the device way more functional for work on the go.
Whether you're looking for gift ideas for yourself or for other, the posts in my upcoming "5 Faves" series will give you take a look at some of my favourite products from different categories that I would put my stamp of approval on.
1. Clear mobile case
I love being able to customize my phone's look, but good quality cases can get pretty expensive. All I need is one clear silicone case and I can change out coloured/pattered fabric or papers to get a new look whenever I want. One thing to note: the clear silicone can grab dark colours if you keep them in the pocket of your jeans.
No doubt you can find them at any phone accessory provider, or for cheap on Ebay.
2. Bamboo tablet
For those of you who are into graphic or web design, this one is a gem. While I understand these can seem pretty expensive, it is really a game changer. It makes such a difference when you have precision of a stylus. This would make a great gift to anyone interested in digital media.
3. Camera connection kit
This was one of those things that I bought off eBay on a whim, and it sat for months without being used. Then I went on vacation, and decided to bring it with me. Best idea ever. This baby let me download all my pictures off of my phone and camera without having to have a computer or internet connection. I used the USB and SD card ports to transfer all of my pictures to my iPad. It's small, so great for on the go, and for $4? Yes please.
4. iPad Keyboard
I had been looking for an iPad keyboard for a while, but thought all of the options I saw were pretty expensive for what they were. I found this one on eBay for just under $20 and it has worked out great. It makes the device way more functional for work on the go.
5. External Hard Drive
This one may seem like a "no duh" type of recommendation, but if you haven't already invested in an external drive do it. Now. Nothing is worse than having any of your devices crash and losing all the work, photos, videos, etc. that you've had for who knows how long. I had my laptop crash the week before final exams in my first year of university, and I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't backed up all of my notes.
My recommendation? Spend a little more and go the wireless route. The one I use automatically connects to my computer and backs up all of my files periodically when I'm at home. Being a forgetful person, this is incredibly handy as I don't have to rely on my own brain to keep me out of trouble.
And there you have it. My recommendations for techy accessories that you may or may not of thought about, and why they really are worth the coin. Look for more in this series coming to you over the next few months!
This one may seem like a "no duh" type of recommendation, but if you haven't already invested in an external drive do it. Now. Nothing is worse than having any of your devices crash and losing all the work, photos, videos, etc. that you've had for who knows how long. I had my laptop crash the week before final exams in my first year of university, and I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't backed up all of my notes.
My recommendation? Spend a little more and go the wireless route. The one I use automatically connects to my computer and backs up all of my files periodically when I'm at home. Being a forgetful person, this is incredibly handy as I don't have to rely on my own brain to keep me out of trouble.
And there you have it. My recommendations for techy accessories that you may or may not of thought about, and why they really are worth the coin. Look for more in this series coming to you over the next few months!
