Great Christmas gadget accessory gifts
What better to buy a gadget fiend this Christmas than a nifty accessory for their phone, laptop or camera?
What Christmas present do you buy for someone who already has a house full of gadgets? Accessories for those gadgets, of course. After all, mobile phones need new headphones, hands-free car kits, wireless charging docks...
Whether you'd like a padded bag to protect a camera or a cooler mouse for your computer, I've trawled through thousands of accessories to find the tasty few for you to feast on, or to serve up as a gift.
Klipsch Image S3
Price: £38 from Play.
The Klipsch Image S3s prove that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a pair of earphones that significantly improve on the earbuds that come bundled with most MP3 players and phones. Despite costing less than £40, they're not only lightweight and comfortable to wear, they also produce good all-round sound quality, with strong bass performance in particular.
The oval ear tips are the same ones found on the much more expensive Image X10i earphones and mould well to the ear canals, offering a secure fit and good noise isolation.
Philips Fidelio L1
Price: £230 from Amazon.
Fidelio is Philips' newest brand for its higher-end audio products and the L1s are one of a trio of headphones available from the marque. They definitely look the part, thanks to the liberal use of aluminium and leather in their construction. They feel comfortable to wear too, as the inward pressure of the pads against the ears is nicely judged and the leather-clad headband sits comfortably on the crown.
The headphones use a semi-open design, so they're more suited to enjoying music at home. They create a more open and airy soundscape than many of their rivals.
House of Marley Bag of Rhythm
Price: £300 from Play.
The latest offspring of the House of Marley audio brand is one of its coolest products -- the Bag of Rhythm. It's a bag to carry around your beats by holding a sound system with two 4.5-inch woofers for deep and powerful bass and twin 1-inch tweeters for crisp reproduction of higher frequencies.
In the middle of all this is an iPod and iPhone-compatible dock that will charge your device as it pumps out tunes. Naturally, the bag is designed to be portable, so it can run from batteries as well as AC power.
Microsoft Arc Touch Wireless BlueTrack Mouse
Price: £40 from PC World.
Apple users may crow on about the wonders of the Magic Mouse, but to my mind, Microsoft's Touch Mouse has the edge on it. Its design is not just outstandingly beautiful but also hugely practical, as the mouse straightens out flat when not being used, allowing it to easily slide into pockets, rucksacks or bags.
You turn it on by curving it and turn it off by flattening it out. It's very accurate too, thanks to Microsoft's BlueTrack technology that combines optical and laser tracking for a more responsive feel.
Case-Mate Samsung Galaxy S3 Vibe case
Price: £36 from Zazzle.
There's a plethora of funky cases available for the iPhone, but sometimes it can be a little more difficult to find cool cases for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Case Mate has a pretty extensive line-up of cases available though, with some real corkers in there, including this retro police box.
The outer part of the case is made from hard plastic, but internally Case Mate has opted for a shock-absorbing liner to protect the S3 from bumps and scrapes. It should help to keep your wonder phone in tip-top condition and ready to go on eBay once the S4 arrives...
Jabra Cruiser 2
Price: £42 from Handtec.
Not only is it unsafe to natter on a hand-held mobile while driving, it's also been illegal to do so since 2003. If caught, the punishment is an automatic fine of £60 and three points on your licence. Of course, it's legal to make and receive calls in a car if you're using a hands-free device and the Jabra Cruiser 2 is one of the most convenient and best around.
It can be clipped to a car's sun visor and connects to Bluetooth-compatible mobiles, providing up to 14 hours of hands-free calling from a single charge.
Powermat
Price: £12 by LambdaTek.
Some phone manufacturers are already embracing wireless charging. Palm had it on the ill-fated Pre handset and Nokia has integrated it into its Lumia 820 and 920 models. The Powermat system offers a way to add wireless charging to a range of other devices that don't already feature the technology, such as the iPhone and some Android and BlackBerry phones.
You buy the charging mat and then add separate clip-on jackets for your devices that add the wireless charging functionality. Then the gadgets can be charged just by laying them on top of the mat, saving you the need to hook up cables.
Logitech Ultrathin iPad Keyboard Cover
Price: £90 from Logitech.
If there's an iPad owner who's asked for both a keyboard and a cover for their new iPad for Christmas, then you can kill two birds with one stone with this gem from Logitech. The keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect to the iPad, so there's no need to hook up cables to the iPad's docking connector, and it's set into a sturdy aluminium shell that also acts as a protective case for the iPad when it's closed.
It works with the iPad 2 and new iPad (3rd gen) and is available in both black and white to match the iPad it's attached to.
Lowepro Urban Photo Sling 150
Price: £60 from Jessops.
Carrying around photography kit can be a hassle, so if you're gift buying for a keen snapper then a good photography bag would make an excellent present. The Urban Photo Sling 150 is more versatile than most as it can be worn three different ways -- front, back or side. It can be loaded two ways -- from the top or with the front panel fully opened.
There's also a neat padded and adjustable divider system, zippered front accessory pocket and built-in memory card pocket. There's enough space inside to hold a digital SLR with a lens attached plus two extra lenses. So despite being quite compact, it offers a decent amount of storage space.
Bowers & Wilkins A7
Price: £700 from Hifi Gear.
The A7 is B&Ws lush wireless music system that connects to iPods, iPads and iPhones, or even computers running iTunes via Airplay technology. It's a self-contained unit with a 6-inch Kevlar reinforced subwoofer for richer and deeper bass. This is combined with four stereo drivers that are used to spread the sound out naturally throughout a room, while also making the box unfussy as to where it's positioned.
More units can be added later to create a multi-room set-up, allowing users to walk from kitchen to bedroom and have their music follow them as they go.
Computing Guides
Laptops
Desktops & Monitors
Computer Accessories
Photography
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