The term "hipster" gets thrown around quite a bit. Perhaps you are sitting across from a mustachioed chap who dresses like an 1890s saloon owner right now.
Typically, though, the term hipster is used derisively to describe people who have more spare time and disposable income than you. While you're busy picking Cheerios out of your hair and wrestling with an overflowing gutter, they have the freedom (nay, the gall!) to pursue a passion to a completely unnecessary extent.
In fact, they don't only pursue these passions, they embody them.
These "hipsters" make sure to know at least a little about all of life's finer things (be it music, food or art), but they make it their duty to know ev-er-y-thing about a select few of things in particular. You know the type.
Surely, you have at least one friend, family member or co-worker who can go on long screeds about how noisecore punk is the logical extension of 1950s bebop, rattle off a list of every subtle pop culture allusion in Inglourious Basterds or rank the best artisanal cheeses by continent of origin. Those people.
And now you have to buy them a holiday gift. But don't be intimidated. Let us be your guide and help you find the perfect tech gift for the people in your life with a lot of free time on their hands. Whether they are a dedicated foodie, amateur musicologist or uncompromising oenophile, we can find a piece of technology to fit their passion.
"Pics or didn't happen?" That's so three years ago! In 2016, it's all about "
physicalpics or it didn't happen." That's where a good photo printer comes in. With
Fujifilm's Instax Share SP-2, users can turn images from their mobile device into funky little Polaroid-style images. Images can be sent transmitted wirelessly via the Instax Share app (available on iOS and Android). The device is designed to accept images from multiple users in a group setting (anyone with the app just needs the passcode) like a bar or party -- that means all your regrettable party decisions will live on forever!
Mobile devices and laptops are where music lives today. Unfortunately, big full soundscapes are not what these devices are known for. Any true music fan in your social circle is rightly disgusted by the tininess of these wimpy little speakers. An external Bluetooth speaker is a must. There are lots of options out there, but if the audiophile on your gift list also cares about style, then you may want to consider the retrotastic (and quality sound-making) Marshall Kilburn. This speaker looks like an old-school guitar amp from yesteryear, but is specifically designed to give some oomph and fullness to your streaming audio.
If the hipster on your gift list is dedicated to fostering the ideal indoor environment, then they need some smart lightbulbs in their life. One of the best systems out there right now is the Hue Connected Bulb system from Philips. These connected bulbs plug into any ordinary outlet, but unlike traditional bulbs, they can bathe a room in any color light -- red, yellow, blue, green and any color in between.
But there's more to smart lights than their rainbow color pallet -- an entire home's lighting system can be controlled via an app on the user's phone. Individual bulbs can even be set on timers for specific, repeatable effects (i.e. a gentle warm sunrise effect every morning, or a slow light fade-out for the evening).
The
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is our choice for best ebook reader in any category. With a crisp bright 300-ppi E Ink screen, it's one of the closest experiences to reading a physical book, but with all the cloud connectivity that make ereaders worth it. If they've got money to spare, check out the
Kindle Oasis, which comes with a leather charging cover.
This laptop was among the first
gaming laptops to include Nvidia's Pascal graphics, which means it can handle the heavy graphic lifting required for modern gaming (including VR). But that also means that it can easily handle just about any other heavy multi-media use you might have. Aside from its bleeding-edge specs, the
Dominator Pro-005 has a cool customizable backlit keyboard creating a sexy futuristic user experience.
Sure, if you want a good marquee-quality device, you could get a Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone. They're fine choices…for sheeple! But for users who require an individualistic boutique, stylish mobile experience, may we suggest the beautifully designed Nextbit Robin (which, as per its name, comes in a beautiful shade of Robin's egg blue).
But this unlocked phone isn't just about external design. It offers a unique approach to storage by uploading data to the cloud when internal storage gets full and then trading it off as it becomes needed. This phone doesn't offer the meatiest specs among unlocked phones, but it is -- hands down -- the most attractive Android phone you can buy right now.
Walking is so pedestrian. Thankfully, technology has come along to improve upon the transportation experience. The
Swagway Swagtron T3 is a stylish and cool way to get from place to place. We should note that this hoverboard is
not part of last year's crop of
occasionally exploding scooters. This second-generation hoverboard comes UL 2272 certified, which means it (probably) won't blow up on you. (Keep in mind that hoverboards -- even safer ones -- may still be banned in certain localities.)
You know what's better than a regular display? A big wide display -- say in the 34-inch range. But you know what is even more impressive than a big wide computer display? A
curved display! That's how you show the virtual world that you mean business! One of our favorite computer displays from the past year was the sexy, immersive and curvaceous
Brilliance Curved UltraWide by Philips. It's like the digital world is closing in around you!
This
stylish beer dispenser from Synek can keep any brew (but, in particular, the finest craft brews, of course) fresh and crisp for up to 30 days. It packs a separate CO2 line to add that effervescent straight-from-the-tap experience. This is the
perfect addition for the home bar enthusiast.
What use is owning something if you can't make it
yours? Xbox's Design Lab makes it possible to
customize an official wireless controller. Users can even design the controller themselves to their specifications right on
the designlab site. Unfortunately, the system doesn't incorporate a gift certificate option, however designs can even be shared over email through the site -- so your creative giftee will have the ability to design an individual controller themselves, email their design to you, which you can then purchase for them after the fact.
Thanks to some novel magnet magic, this speaker has the ability to spin and levitate. To reiterate: yes, this speaker friggin' levitates. The sound produced by the
Mars speaker from Crazybaby is good. But let's not lose sight of the important thing here: It
levitates.
Most keyboards are boring and made out plastic. But for the hipster giftee in your life to whom aesthetics are a top priority, consider this wireless keyboard and mouse
made out of bamboo. They aren't happy with the same boring keyboard that everyone else has. Let them shine. The geeky hipster in your life might also appreciate an old-school
mechanical keyboard.
Sometimes The Beatles let Ringo have one. And sometimes one of those Ringo ones became a smash hit and the inspiration for a trippy animated film. Now let us enshrine this strange pop culture moment in Lego form with this
official Yellow Submarine Lego set.
