Amazon’s new cheaper Kindle Fires
A Kindle Fire that comes in under £50 (€70) makes it an ideal time to take the plunge and get a tablet, particularly for your children or as a spare device. While Amazon’s OS is a hybrid of android and its own proprietary system, there’s still a goo d choice of apps in the Amazon app store. Those who want to get the Google play store will have to perform a series of simple tricks to sideload it.
Its spec details are good, too, with 7” IPS display (171 ppi/1024 x 600) and 1.3 GHz quad-core processor with rear and front-facing cameras.
You can add a microSD card for up to 128GB of additional storage, and the battery should last around seven hours.
Available from
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from £49.95
Star Wars BB8 Droid
We’ll soon be inundated with all things Star Wars with the new movies (Luke Skywalker living in the Skelligs, didn’t you know) and the attendant spin-offs, toys, games, comics, books and so on. So this new droid for the upcoming trilogy is bound to be popular. Yes, its pricey at €189.95 but it’ll make a Star Wars fan’s heart skip a beat. It’s app-controlled from your smartphone, reacts to your voice and has autonomous behaviour. Available from the
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and other outlets such as Amazon €189.95
SOI handbag light
If your other half is anything like my wife, who never seems to be able to find anything in her seemingly bottomless pit of a handbag, then this could be the gift for them. Quite simply it’s a handbag light that sits in the bag. The light kicks in when your hand approaches and then turns off automatically when you’ve finished searching for your items. Available from
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and other online outlets €29.95
Apple’s phones and tablets
All of Apple’s recently announced new products will be top of many peoples’ wishlists this coming festive season, especially those with a slightly plumper wallet. iPhone 6s and 6sPlus; Apple TV. New iPads, too, with iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4.You know the drill with Apple now: better specs and more powerful performance from each subsequent release. iPad Pro has a bigger screen and twice the memory bandwidth of its forerunner. It also comes with a foldable keyboard. iPad Mini 4 is described as a scaled-down version the iPad Air 2 that was released last year. It’s 6.1mm and weighs 0.65 pounds, the Mini 4 is approximately 18 per cent lighter and thinner than its predecessor. And Apple promises its sturdy design will keep your tablet by your side for years.
iPhone 6S, 4.5-inch display, from ¤759; iphone 6S plus, 5.5-inch display, ¤869 .
iPad Pro price hasn’t been released at time of writing, but the iPad Mini 4 is from ¤409. Available from all Apple stockists and mobile phone shops.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Samsung continues to keep pace with Apple’s phones not just in terms of power and functionality, but sheer good looks as well. The Samsung S6 Edge+ is another winner for the company and has a huge “gimme, gimme” appeal. While it was released a few months ago it’ll still be top of many present wishlists. An elegant-looking phone with a 5.7-inch display with all the bells and whistles you want in a device like this. 32Gb model from €679; 64Gb model from €899.99
Samurai kitchen knives
Hi-YA! Chop those veggies and meat products like a real Samurai. Ok, maybe not, but these kitchen knives designed to look like Samurai swords are quite novel and will look well on the kitchen counter. They and they are fully functional working knives not just decorations, so remember, chop responsibly – you’re not really a Samurai.
Available from
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Price €49
Does whatever a spider can – Spider-Man night light
One for the younger person – or young-at-heart person – in your life. This Spider-Man night light has a gentle glow to help induce sleep. It’s also got a cool cracked-wall effect that makes it look like Spidey’s face is crashing through it. Easily wall-mountable, and the manufacturer promises it has a 5.7-year lightbulb span. No electrics needed as it runs on batteries. €39.95 available from Amazon and
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PowerUp 3 Smartphone- controlled paper airplane
A blast from the past – remember your parents making your first paper airplane? This one comes with a twist of modern tech. Yes, it is a paper airplane but attach it to an ultra-lightweight motor and it turns your childhood experience into something new. It is, allegedly, crashproof and will operate for 10 minutes and fly 180 feet. A great present for children and grownups alike and a relatively cheap introduction into the world of remote-control devices. €59.95
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Fairground sweet grabber
A novelty game that’ll no doubt remind you of the frustration of using these sort of machines at fun parks and indoor game centres. A fake returnable coin gets proceedings under way. Fill the grabber with sweets, turn it on and once the music plays you can start trying to grab as many sweets as possible. Luckily your odds will be better than when using the huckster contraptions people regularly lose money to. Available from
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€42