8 Great Gadget Gifts for Entrepreneurs
This story appears in the December 2014 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Entrepreneurs are a unique, creative group, but they can be hard to buy gifts for. The team at Entrepreneur was up to the challenge, however. From beer lovers to athletes, there's something for everyone on the list below.Picture show
LyveHome ($299)
Move those thousands of snaps and videos off your smartphone and onto the Wi-Fi-connected LyveHome hard drive, which has 2 TB of storage space. Its 5-inch touchscreen can display your shots for all to see (whether they want to or not).
Wood works
Grovemade desk collection ($29 to $119)
This handmade, laser-cut desk set, with individually available items in walnut or maple wood that range from a basic paper-clip holder or planter to an elegant high-end monitor stand, will make any workstation look sharper than its occupant’s paygrade. A smart touch: The hefty iPhone dock stays firm on the desk and keeps the charger in place when you pick up your phone.
What’s on tap?
PicoBrew Zymatic ($1,699)
It’s beer o’clock somewhere. Consider celebrating in personalized style with this fully automated, internet-connected brewery. Load the ingredients (water, grain, hops), choose one of 40 recipes from the smartphone app, push a button, and the Zymatic takes care of the rest, brewing up to 2.5 gallons of suds per batch.
Big hitter
Zepp Sensor ($150)
This app-connected smart sensor attaches to baseball bats, golf clubs and tennis rackets to collect information like hand speed, swing plane, spin and power, generating a 3-D analysis that will help ramp up anyone’s game.
Climate control
Netatmo Weather Station ($179)
Have a weather-obsessed ’trep in your life? Netatmo’s Weather Station monitors every detail of a user’s environment. This app-powered indoor/outdoor weather station tracks everything from temperature and humidity to air pressure and carbon dioxide concentration, and syncs it all to a smartphone.
Count on it
Nimbus dashboard ($100)
Serious bean counters can keep track of custom metrics with this four-gauge, Wi-Fi-connected desktop display. Configured through a smartphone app, the dashboard can measure any number of
data points, from unread e-mails to Facebook likes. It can even monitor traffic delays on the drive home or count down to your next deadline.
Talk me through
Mobile Home ($79)
Drivers can install Mobile Home’s Bluetooth-connected iPhone home button within hand’s reach (clipped to the visor or stuck on the dashboard, for example), then press it to activate the Siri voice-command system through the vehicle’s microphone and speakers. No need to dig through a bag or pocket to find your phone while speeding down the interstate.
Rock out, block out
Plantronics BackBeat Pro ($250)
These high-quality Bluetooth cans become a virtual isolation chamber by streaming audio from phones, tablets or computers while blocking out external sound with active noise cancellation. With an incredible wireless range of up to 330 feet and the ability to play for 24 hours on a charge, these headphones are made for marathon work sessions.
