Holiday Gift Guide 2016: High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50

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The countdown is on and Dec. 25 is rapidly approaching. But what would the holiday shopping season be if not for those last minute gifts?

Las minte high-tech gifts under $50

Source: Apple

Another big goal at this point is to reign in spending. Christmas is great and being the one to give the best gifts is a good feeling. Getting a massive credit card bill in January? Not so much.

So this holiday gift guide is going to focus on two things. Last minute gifts, the sort of thing you can pick up in a mall or order online and get in time with two-day shipping. And high-tech gifts under $50.

So you can wrap up your holiday shopping, give the high-tech gear everyone loves, and not have to worry about getting a second job next year to pay for it all.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Amazon Echo Dot

Gift guide 2016, Amazon Echo Dot

Source: Amazon

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) kicked off the connected speaker craze with the Amazon Echo.

The Amazon Echo Dot is a smaller and less expensive version. You still get Alexa integration, streaming music and the ability to control smart devices. But Amazon has the Echo Dot discounted for the holidays to $39.99, making it very affordable.

Amazon.com is currently showing Dec. 27 delivery, but at time of writing, the Echo Dot was still in stock — and under $50 — at retailers like Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE:BBY).

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Tile Mate

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Tile

Source: Tile

The perfect high-tech gift idea for anyone who misplaces their stuff.

Tile Mate is a tiny Bluetooth tracker you attach to those things that tend to get lost around the house. Phones, remotes, keys … with your smartphone, bring up the Tile app and the Tile Mate attached to the lost object plays a tune so you can easily find it.

Attach a Tile Mate to luggage and you can track its location on a map. One Tile Mate sensor goes for $25.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Apple Lightning Headphone Jack Adapter

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Apple Lightning headphone adapter

Source: Apple

Is there someone on your shopping list who bought an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus?

If so, you can’t lose by giving them a $9 Apple Lightning to 3.5mm jack headphone adapter, because chances are they’ve already lost the one that came with their phone.

On second thought, maybe pick up a couple. These things are like gold to new iPhone owners who want to hang on to their old-school wired headphones.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Cree Connected LED Light Bulb

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Cree Connected LED bulb

Source: Cree

If there’s someone on your list who’s into smart LED lighting, consider a Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ:CREE) Connected LED Light Bulb.

It’s compatible with Wink and ZigBee standard smart hubs, including the popular Hue system from Koninklijke Philips NV (ADR) (NYSE:PHG). At $15, this soft white bulb is cheaper than most Hue bulbs, and great for expanding a smart lighting system.

Even if you guess wrong on smart standards, the Cree bulb can still be used as a “dumb” LED bulb, that provides 60W equivalent light for years, while saving electricity.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Google Chromecast Audio

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Chromecast Audio

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) makes one of the best gifts for music lovers, it’s high-tech and it’s inexpensive.

The Google Chromecast Audio is a $25 dongle that plugs into the headphone jack of any stereo.

Once connected, the Chromecast Audio lets you cast audio to the speaker over Wi-Fi using your smartphone. This turns even old stereos into modern streaming music systems.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Amazon Fire Tablet

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Amazon Fire Tablet

Source: Amazon

The Amazon Fire tablet tends to make it into a lot of holiday gift guides.

That’s because the company is willing to break even (or take a loss) selling a decent little tablet for under $50. In fact, during the holiday season, Amazon is selling the Fire Tablet with Special Offers for just $39.99, making it a steal for high-tech gift shoppers.

You won’t get cutting edge performance or a Retina display, but you get a capable tablet with a display that’s just fine for web browsing, checking social media or watching streaming video.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Apple 12W USB Power Adapter

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Apple USB Charger

Source: Apple

Everyone who owns an Apple mobile device loses their power adapter at some point.

There is a flourishing market in fake Apple chargers — many are even sold on Amazon — but these things can wreck the devices they’re charging, or even cause fires.

An Apple 12W USB Power Adapter makes a great last minute gift for any Apple Fan.

You can buy it direct from Apple for $19 and this version is compatible with virtually every iOS device, including every iPhone, iPad and most iPods.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: Anker PowerCore+ 10050 Portable Charger

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Anker battery

Source: Anker

There’s one thing that anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet needs: longer battery life.

Anker makes some of the best-rated portable battery packs and the Anker PowerCore+ 10050 Portable Charger makes a perfect last minute gift.

It’s $39.99, making it affordable. At under 4-inches long, it’s small enough to slip in a pocket and it features a premium aluminum finish and high quality components.

With 10,000 mAh of power, the Anker PowerCore+ 10050 has enough juice to charge an iPhone 7 Plus three times over, and it’s fast charge capable. This charger is compatible with most iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

High-Tech Last Minute Gifts Under $50: 1More iBFree Bluetooth Earbuds

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, 1More Bluetooth earbuds

Source: 1More

1More has been making a name for itself as a competitor to Apple’s Beats headphones, offering premium quality but cutting prices by scrimping on the marketing budget.

The company is currently offering up a holiday deal on its popular wireless, iBFree Bluetooth Earbuds. Select colors (including this cool green) are discounted to $39.99 — a steal for wireless earbuds.

They have a premium look, including aluminum alloy housing, they’re water resistant, offer 8 hours of music on a charge, include a wide assortment of ear tips and fins and work with any Bluetooth music source.

High-Tech Last Minute Giftss Under $50: Amazon Fire TV Stick

Gift guide 2016 Under $50, Fire TV Stick

Source: Amazon

Finally, another one of Amazon’s high-tech gifts, the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

It may not support 4K video, but the Fire TV Stick offers 1080p video streaming, support for Amazon Video and Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), and the remote is Amazon Alexa-enabled for voice control.

At $39.99, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is also one of the most affordable video streamers on the market.

As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

Brad Moon has been writing for InvestorPlace.com since 2012. He also writes about stocks for Kiplinger and has been a senior contributor focusing on consumer technology for Forbes since 2015.


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