Christmas Gift and Holiday Ideas from 2017

With Black Friday and Christmas right around the corner, it's time to find some great technology gifts for everyone in the family.

Disclosure:

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I know there are still some die-hard shoppers out there who usually can't wait until Black Friday to be trampled to get that absolutely drop-dead deal!

For those who love sleep more than stampedes, it's sometimes better to let the Internet do the work for you.

Every year, I scour the Internet and find unique (and not-so-unique) Christmas gifts for people who love technology!

These holiday gifts are for the non-techies looking to buy techie tech for techies (did that make ANY sense!).

What I mean to say is if you have a family member that is, let's say, technology-handicapped, and doesn't know how to reboot their phone, or doesn't know a Gigabyte from a megapixel, this may be the Christmas list for him or her who are technology-oriented family members. Christmas Gifts for Him, Her, Mom, Dad, Daughter, Son...even the family pet.

I've been building these Christmas gift and holiday idea lists since the start of DanylkoWeb, so if you can't find anything on this list of gift ideas, there are 150 more Christmas gift ideas you can browse through to find that special gift.

Finding Technology Deals for Christmas Gifts

One of the best ways to find deals online is to use technology. To find those outrageous sales, here are some of my favorite tools to use.

Honey (Honey Affiliate Link)

Honey is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari to assist in finding you the best deals on the Internet.

Once Honey finds these deals, it automatically applies those deals to your order using a specific promotion code.

All you have to do is checkout.

Sidenote: Just to show how popular Honey is, I recently mentioned in my newsletter where Paypal just acquired Honey for $4B .

eBates (Rakuten Affiliate Link)

eBates is a little different from Honey. While it's still a browser extension, it gives you a percentage of your purchase back.

Think of it as a rebate that you don't have to send through mail...hence the name. ;-) Once you reach a certain threshold, they will send you, what they call, a big fat check. As a matter of fact, they recently sent me a check for $157 because of a vacation I took with my family and a software upgrade.

Dev Deals

For the entrepreneurial freelancer, I keep a list of the latest deals from brands I use almost everyday. These brands are companies I stand behind and provide reviews on some of them as well (like Dashlane and other freelance services).

Depending on the season, they provide me with some great deals for developers and entrepreneurs alike, and with Black Friday and Christmas sneaking up, there will be a large number of deals arriving on this page.

Amazon Price Trackers (Keepa / CamelCamelCamel)

With Amazon prepping for the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas season, it's ALWAYS a good idea to keep track of prices on a product's financial roller-coaster.

Price Trackers allow you to monitor and notify you when a certain product drops (or rises) in price during the holiday season or any other time of the year.

The one I use the most is Keepa.com. It's a browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, IE, and Opera supported) that appears when you visit a product detail page on Amazon. A chart appears displaying the product's price history. They also have a premium service to notify you when you absolutely need to know when the price drops.

CamelCamelCamel is another price tracker to assist with your shopping endeavors. I didn't realize they also watch hotel prices.

2017 Christmas Gift and Holiday Guide

Previous Year's Christmas Gift and Holiday Ideas

2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017
2018

Motorola Moto G5 Plus (32GB, Lunar Gray, unlocked)
For those looking for a solid budget phone, CNET raves about all of the features included in the Motorola Moto G5 Plus. which makes me sold on this unlocked phone as a gift.
$205.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Air Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds

The Air wireless earbuds from crazybaby was originally an Indiegogo campaign, but are now on Amazon for the masses. I personally bought these and used them for three-to-six months and I love them [Review].

The one reason I went with these over Apple's earbuds is the crazybaby Air Wireless Earbuds are water-resistant.

A great gift for a music lover or an entrepreneur on the go (yes, they do answer calls as well).

$169.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Flameless LED Candles (Set of 9)

Why buy real candles every month when you can purchase a set of nine LED candles that last way longer than real candles?

Even a remote is included where you can dim the candles for that calming bath or brighten up a room when the lights go out.

$30.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Nintendo Super NES Classic Edition Carrying Case

If you've already grabbed a Super NES Classic Edition for $80 this year, here's a best seller carrying case for your gear.

$22.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Amazon's Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
If you don't want to deal with cables and you already have a Smart TV, it makes sense to plug in this best seller to receive all of the streaming media you want and finally cutting that cable...uhh..cable with an Amazon's Fire TV Stick and Streaming Media Player.
$40.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Stranger Things: Funko POP collection

With Season 2 of the latest retro-pop horror series of Stranger Things behind us (Season 2 was awesome, BTW), Funko POP is working on Series 2. While we wait, Series 1 is available as a collection.

It even includes a demogorgon!

$100.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Amazon Cloud Cam Indoor Security Camera

Amazon's Cloud Cam works with Alexa, allows for 24/7 monitoring, night vision, two-way audio and more.

$120.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Solo Black OPS Radar Messenger Bag

I've been using the Solo brand of messenger bags for a while and they are durable and last for a long time (as noted in one of my posts).

This Blacks Ops Radar messenger bag holds a 13.3" laptop, multiple pockets for accessories, and additional slots for documents and luggage slips.

$50.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Keurig K575 Single Serve Programmable K-Cup Coffee Maker

I don't know too many developers, designers, or entrepreneurs who don't need some coffee to keep them going.

This Keurig K575 K-Cup Coffee Maker has an 80-ounce water reservoir, multiple K-Cup Pod brew sizes, and an extra-large color touch screen.

$160.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
JBL Pulse 2 Portable Wireless Speaker

JBL has created another winner with their JBL Pulse 2 Bluetooth Wireless speaker.

This speaker is splashproof, provides an interactive light show, gives 10 hours of playtime with no signs of quitting.

$100.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
JBL Clip 2 Waterproof Wireless Speaker

Speaking of speakers (wireless, that is)...

Do you like the news in the morning while taking a shower? Here is a simple way to stream the Internet into your morning shower or while you swim.

The JBL Clip 2 even gives listeners a clip to hang their speaker, a mic for speakphone calls, and has a waterproof rating of IPX7 (Good for up to 1 meter underwater).

$45.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Lenovo Yoga 920

I love my Lenovo Yoga 900, but this years' 920 series model seems to blow mine away.

The Lenovo Yoga 920 has 8GB of memory, 13.9" FHD Touch screen, 8th Gen Intel i7, and 256GB SSD. It even comes with a stylus for drawing on the screen.

There is even a 16GB version.

$1,200.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7-Inch, 32GB Tablet (Black)

This is another gadget that I would love to get for Christmas to replace my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is Amazon's Choice for this year's Android tablet and includes the Samsung S Stylus Pen, powerful quad speakers, and 4GB of RAM along with SD card slots.

$498.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Apple iPad Pro 10.5-Inch (64GB, Wi-Fi, Rose Gold) 2017 Model

The 2017 version of Apple's iPad Pro is an updated version of last year's model.

This year's version gives users a 10.5-inch display, 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi capabilities, a battery life of 10 hours, with the Mac OS X installed.

$610.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Microsoft Surface Pro 2017 (Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB)

We can't leave out Microsoft in the tablet wars.

Microsoft Surface Pro for 2017 has even more this year where it has an identity crisis. It doesn't know whether it's a laptop or a tablet.

With 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage, 2.5x faster than the Surface Pro 3, and 68% longer battery life than the Surface Pro 3, this years model provides enough computing power for the even pickiest travel-preneur.

$1,145.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Google Pixel C

The Google Pixel C is Google's line of tablets to compete with the Microsoft, Samsung, and Apples in the tablet world.

The Pixel C sports a 10.2-inch screen, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, Wi-Fi only, weighs 2.2lbs., and has Android Nougat installed as the OS (Operating System).

$749.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
FitBit Alta HR

This year's FitBit is already a best seller for those looking to improve their health.

The Alta HR sports a new band, a new feature called PurePulse which uses continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to measure calorie burn all day, simplified heart zones, and a better personalized Cardio Fitness Score.

$149.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
TENS unit Electronic Pulse Massager

I've been looking around for some TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) units lately for some stiff joints and I'm putting this on my Christmas list! ;-)

This Amazon's Choice product allows you to stimulate your neck, shoulder, back, elbow, hip, ankle, knee, foot/hand, and wrist with 15 modes to help pain relief with 9 auto-stimulation programs.

$27.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Huawei SmartWatch Black Stainless Steel For Android and iPhone

While I've got a watch on order from an Indiegogo campaign I backed, I've heard from others that the Huawei Watch is one of the wearables to "watch" this year...excuse the pun. ;-)

This watch was marked as Amazon's Choice as well. It has the ability to modify the watch face digitally so you can change your watch to match your mood.

It provides fitness and heart-rate tracking, uses the latest AndroidWear OS, and a stylish circular-look instead of a square brick on your wrist.

[CNET Review]

$290.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Logitech Spotlight Advanced Presentation Remote

If you have an executive in the family who does presentations, then the Logitech Spotlight is perfect for them.

The difference between regular remotes and the Spotlight is you can precisely highlight or magnify specific content right on the screen with the simple touch of a button. It's also slim enough to slide in and out of your pocket to create a conversation.

It's universally compatible with most devices and works with Windows, Mac OS, Powerpoint, Keynote, PDF, Prezi, and Google Slides.

Great gift for executives and entrepreneurs.

$130.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System

For those looking to save a couple extra bucks from buying a Keurig, there's the Ninja Coffee Bar.

The Ninja Coffee Bar comes with a built-in frother to brew, froth and drink-all in your favorite mug sizes like a regular cup, XL cup, Travel mug and XL Multi-Serve.

Great for a personal cup of coffee or iced tea.

$99.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
RAVPower FileHub Plus

While traveling, there are times when you want to share a video or pictures taken on a trip.

The RAVPower FileHub Plus is perfect for taking videos and pictures on your camera and inserting the SD card into the FileHub. Once the SD card is inserted, users around you can Wi-Fi to this access point (no, it doesn't connect to the Internet) and access those files on the SD card or USB external drive if you want.

It's a wireless travel router, SD Card Reader, USB Portable Hard Drive Companion, and DLNA NAS Sharing Media Streamer...ALL IN ONE! As you might expect, it's great for long car rides.

$40.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera

Here's another "Amazon's Choice" to satisfy the photographer in the family.

It comes with a 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens, an ISO 100-25600 (expandable to 51200), up to 11 FPS (Frames Per Second) continuous shooting, and a 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor and Focus Sensitivity Range :EV 0 to EV 20 (at ISO 100 equivalent with F2.8 lens attached).

There is a reason it has over 1,000 reviews and it's at a 4.5 rating. This camera has it all.

$548.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Nikon D3300 DSLR

I've always liked Nikon and Canon cameras. They always have top quality cameras.

This Nikon D3300 DSLR is a 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with Auto Focus-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Zoom Lens.

What I like is the 5 frames per second continuous shooting, the 1080 HD video it can capture, and the 3x optical zoom. It also has 11 AF points with 3D tracking and an ISO 100-12800 (expandable to 25600).

$447.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Nintendo Switch - Grey Joy-Con

Not only does everyone want a Super NES Classic Edition (the $80 tiny console), but also the Nintendo Switch for the season.

The Nintendo Switch rests in a dock while you're at home and can play with others. Remove the Switch from the dock and you can game on-the-go. Or if you want, flip the stand down on the mobile console so you can play anywhere.

This year's great gaming console concept.

They even have a Red and Blue Joy-Con version.

$300.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Instant Pot DUO60 Pressure Cooker

This pressure cooker is small enough to give to a college student, but will definitely maximize the ole budget.

It's a 6-Quart, 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker that can steam, sauté, cook rice, and create yogurt. It's even a warmer of food.

Too much? There is even a smaller version of this pressure cooker for almost $25 less (3-Quart Instant Pot DUO Mini for $52.49).

$75.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Soto Pocket Torch

This little gadget attaches to a regular disposable lighter and "enhances" the flame a bit.

For those moments when you want to impress someone...or maybe you just want an awesome Creme Brulee to impress the in-laws this holiday. ;-)

$19.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
READYMAN Wilderness Survival Card

This was an interesting find. A wilderness survival tool...as a credit card.

This metal accessory is a template of a credit card and contains 22 metal survival tools. All you have to do is detach the pieces and start using them.

The READYMAN survival tool contains fishhooks (9 of them), arrows, snare locks, awl, sewing needles, tweezers, and saw blades.

Looks like a stocking stuffer for the man who has everything, but you better hurry. The last time I checked, there was 1 left in Amazon's inventory.

$9.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
GoPro HERO 6 Black

GoPro's have been around for a while so they always make their action cameras solid and feature-rich.

This latest version automatically sends your footage to your phone where it can turn it into a QuikStory with edited video.

It shoots in 4K60 and 1080p240, contains upgraded hardware (GP1 chip optimized specifically for the GoPro), and absolutely awesome video stabilization for smooth footage.

It also has a 5GHz Wi-Fi where you can copy your photos and videos over to your phone (while skydiving?)

$499.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill

OK, Listen up Buckeye Fans! Here's your PERFECT Gift! Why?
1. It's Amazon's Choice.
2. Tailgating hardware for the OSU games!
3. It's Red and Gray!
$86.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Roku Premiere+ (Refurbished)

I mentioned the Roku Ultra on last year's Christmas List, but this year, the Roku Premiere+ is too good to pass up.

The Roku Premiere+ is a 4K UHD streaming media player with a Quad-Core Processor, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, and IR Remote.

There are additional features like HDR, ethernet connections, and MicroSD slots for transferring content to view on your TV.

I have one (along with an Ultra) and both are worth cutting the cable cord.

$68.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
TCL 55S405 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV (2017 Model)

Since I've mentioned Roku on my list this year (again!), what better way to watch your Roku than on a Roku TV. And what a TV indeed!

Let's look at why this is such a steal: 4K, Smart LED TV, it's 55-inches, the latest model...Oh, and it's only $399.

This is unheard of for a 55-inch TV with this many features.

And, of course, it's one of Amazon's Best Sellers!

$399.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Butterball XL Electric Fryer

Ehh...Who needs the stove when you can deep-fry the turkey?

Not only is this an Amazon's Choice, but it's also a Best Seller as well.

This deep fryer can hold up to a 20 lb. turkey, 5 lbs. of chicken wings, or become a large seafood boil.

It has an aluminum basket with drain clips, a magnetic breakaway cord for safety, dishwasher safe components, and an oil drain valve for easy clean-up.

Fry that bird for Thanksgiving.

$88.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Case for the Official Raspberry Pi 7" Touchscreen Display

Have a Raspberry Pi sitting around? Check out this awesome case for DIY projects.

This simple case is another Amazon's Choice pick and can hold a Raspberry Pi A+,B+,2, and 3.

Bundle this case with a 7" display and a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B with keyboard and you have your own "mobile" computer.

$28.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Amazon Echo Plus

I mentioned the Amazon Echo last year and this year's model is the Echo Plus.

The Echo Plus is a little more money, but the added features makes it worth it. The Plus version contains a hub for all devices to connect to it.

Echo Plus is a hands-free speaker you control with your voice, with a built-in smart home hub. It connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, ask questions, make calls, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask.

It can control hundreds of devices, voice control your music, use hands-free calling and messaging, and can connect to other Echo devices like the Dot, Spot, and Show.

$150.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Amazon Fire 7" Tablet

The Amazon Fire tablet includes Alexa with a 7" Display, 8GB of RAM, capture photos or video with 720p HD video.

It also comes in an 8" tablet and 10" tablet.

$50.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Pioneer SP-PK52FS

It's always good to keep your movies at their best with an awesome audio soundtrack.

The Pioneer SP-PK52Fs was rated highly on CNET and Amazon with it's 5.1 surround sound system, two pair of bookshelf speakers, a center-channel speaker, and a subwoofer.

$389.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Lifeprint 2x3 Portable Photo AND Video Printer for iPhone and Android

This reminded me of a photo printer I receive from Dell called the Wasabi. The difference between the Wasabi and LifePrint is the LifePrint makes your pictures come to life using augmented reality.

Take your picture or video with your phone and print out the picture with LifePrint. When you hover your phone over the picture, it plays the video on your phone.

Watch the video on Amazon.

. Make Your Photos Come To Life w/ Augmented Reality - White

$117.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
DROCON Scouter Foldable Mini RC drone

This 5-star, best selling drone is perfect for kids looking to get into drones.

The DROCON Scouter Mini Drone has a unique spinning function, fold it up and put it in your pocket, and is perfect drone to teach beginners.

Just let the kid play with it, dad! ;-)

$39.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
TP-Link AV200 Nano Powerline Adapter Starter Kit

The Powerline Adapters from TP-Link give your network up to 200Mbps speed for your HD video streaming and online gaming with a plug and play configurations.

This best seller is another way to get maximum performance using your existing wiring in the house.

LifeHacker has a great post about fixing your slow network.

$25.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
NetGear Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band WiFi Gigabit Router

One of my co-workers has one of these and has vouched it is definitely worth the money.

It's compatible with the Amazon Echo and Alexa and Google Assistant. You can control your home network with voice commands. It also has Circle Smart Parental Controls 600+1300 Mbps speeds with a 1GHz Dual Core Processor (in a router? Wow!).

It delivers the best performance for gaming and streaming movies and audio.

$148.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Anker PowerCore 13000

This #1 Best Seller 11,215 reviews and with an average of 4.5 stars.

Pretty impressive for a light and compact design with two high-speed USB ports and high-speed charging technology and comes along with a snazzy travel pouch.

$24.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Sparkr

For the man who has everything, this Amazon's Choice is an all-in-one device with a flashlight, plasma lighter & lantern.

It's definitely a great tool for the outdoor enthusiast and for $60, they'll never be cold or in the dark.

Update: KinjaDeals has this product for 25% off with a promotion code: JXRW4K5Q

$60.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Bose SoundLink Micro

This Bose Micro Bluetooth Speaker is another Amazon's Choice as a holiday stocking stuffer.

With colors like Black, Bright Orange, and Midnight Blue, this waterproof speaker is well-tested with 73 customer reviews with a 4.5 rating.

It can play for 6 hours on a single pairing.

$109.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
DJI Spark Drone

The DJI Spark mini drone gives you Intelligent Flight ModeSmart with a High-Performance camera images along with stabilized video shots.

It has a 2-Axis stabilized Gimbal Camera with a handheld control.

It's also an Amazon's Choice.

$640.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Oculus Rift and Touch

Excuse the pun, but Virtual Reality is becoming quite a...reality.

The leader in this field is Oculus Rift with the Touch controllers. Included in this package, you get 6 free titles like Robo Recall, Lucky's Tale, Quill, Medium, Dead and Buried, and ToyBox.

However, this package doesn't look like it works on a Mac or Linux, but it's an Amazon's Choice.

$399.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
HTC Vive

Another top of the line virtual reality system is the HTC Vive.

The HTC Vive allows the user to be seated, standing, or in a 15 foot x 15 foot space and is powered by SteamVR with 1500 games to play and plenty of apps on HTC's global VR app store.

Any VR system is a techie's dream and is what the industry considers the next level of consoles.

$599.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Samsung Gear VR

For a little easier on the budget and for someone interested in Virtual Reality, there's the Samsung Gear VR.

It comes with a VR visor and controller and comes with hundreds of games and experiences from Oculus.

Unfortunately, there are only a handful of devices compatible with this. Since it's from Samsung, the compatible devices are Galaxy Note8; Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, and Galaxy Note5.

$125.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
Star Wars Speeder Bike Remote Controlled Drone

I cannot wait until Star Wars: The Last Jedi, so I've been looking over the drones and this one stood out since I'm more of a Star Wars guy.

This drone features durable construction and is meant for kids ages 8 and up. It has an adjustable height-lock technology for stable and level flight with a controller range of up to 200ft.

I've always loved the speeder bikes, AT-ATs, Milleniu Falcon, and snow speeders.

$60.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)
WD 512GB My Passport SSD Portable Storage

Of course, for any IT professional, they always need storage. Developers need a place for code, designers need storage for their images and wireframes, and DBA's need a place for their databases.

The Western Digital 512GB SSD drive is a USB 3.1 Gen 2, Type-C, and USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and USB-A compatible. It can transfer files with speeds up to 515 MB/s and password protection capabilities with hardware encryption along with automatic backups.

I'm actually looking this over for Christmas. :-)

$179.00 - Check Prices (Affiliate Link)