Do you have a mate who is a massive petrol head? Or perhapsa loved one who happens to spend a lot of time behind the wheel? Here are some rad tech ideas for them this Christmas. And by that I mean – here are all the things you’ll probably want to buy for yourself.
Wireless Charger
One of then biggest car trends I noticed in 2018 was the inclusion of wireless chargers. This is great and all, but not everyone has a brand new car. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t get on the wireless charging bandwagon.
There are quite a few wireless charging mounts that you can buy separately for your car. Unlike a built-in charger, a mount can be placed within your line of site AND it can be swapped between vehicles.
You’ll find a range of options to cater for different budgets. One of the more premium options is Mophie’s Charge Stream Wireless Vent Mount, which will set you back $100.
The Funuse Qi Wireless Car Charge mount is also quite popular on Amazon and comes in at $33.
Price: $33 – $120
Multi-Port Charger
While we’re on the topic of chargers – not all cars have USB ports built-in. Or if you live your life like me – no car ever has enough ports. This is easily fixable. Whether your mate has a ridiculous amount of tech they like to keep juiced up, or simply need more power for a family holiday – a multi-port charger is always a useful investment.
If you want to go hardcore, you might consider something like this multi-port offering which is only $29.
If you require a less-intimidating and tasteful 2-port set-up, you have a huge selection to choose from for as low as $10.
Price: $10 – $30.
Dash Cam
Regular readers will know that we’re big fans of dash cam content here at Gizmodo. But putting funny videos aside, the security and safety element dash cams offer is becoming increasingly important for people.
Alternatively, they can also be used to capture road trip footage, if you have one with a high quality camera.
There’s a huge range of great dash cams to choose from in 2018 – it all depends on the price point you’re after. If you don’t mind throwing around a bit of cash for something premium, you might want to look at the $429 BlackVue’s DR650S-2CH 32G Dash Cam (1080p full HD video recording, 129 degree viewing angle and in-built GPS).
Garmin’s Dash Cam 55 is also a good choice and starts at $255 – it’s both sleek and packed with features (1440p video quality, 122 degree viewing angle and in-built GPS).
You can also find some good budget options if you don’t want to drop fat stacks on a dash cam yet – like the $80 Blueskysea B1W (360 Degree Rotatable Lens, 1080p, 30fps) or the $63 YI Compact Dash Cam
(Full HD recording, 1080p. 30fps).
Price: $63 – $430
Portable Espresso Maker
Just because you’re on the road doesn’t negate the fact that you’re entitled to damn fine coffee. Anywhere. Anytime.
You can do that with a Handpresso Auto Coffee Set. It’s shaped like a water bottle so it can rest safely in your car’s coffee holder and is juiced up from your car power receptacle.
It’s not cheap, though. The price varies on Amazon, or you could choose to order it in from overseas.
Price: $150 – $300
Stinger Plus Emergency Escape Tool
Okay this may not be the most festive gift in the world. Its actually a tad pessimistic – but I’m a big fan of practicality and being prepared!
This bad boy is like a car mulit-tool and charger all in one. Not only can it charge your phone if you’re in an emergency situation, it can also smash a car window and slash a seatbelt. Fun!
Price: $115
GoPro
I mentioned dash cams for content creation further up, but if your loved one is serious about recording their adventures out in the wild and behind the wheel, a GoPro is probably a better choice.
At the high end of the market in terms of quality (and price) is the Hero7 Black. $600 gets you a top-of-the-line piece of kit that is sturdy as all hell (it’s even waterproof), allows hands-free commands, has a touch screen and supports both live streaming video and time lapse.
When it comes to the camera itself you’re looking at 12MP photos and 4K60 1080p240 video, as well as 8x slo-mo.
If this is a way more than you want to spend, you might want to consider the mid-range Hero7 Silver or the budget Hero7 White. You can also find previous generation GoPros on Amazon.
Price: $300 – $600 for the 7 generation, cheaper for previous gens, which are still great
Project Cars 2
Obviously this isn’t a present to go in the car (please don’t try that!), but a lot of us car enthusiasts love a bit of Project Cars. The latest entry into the series was released last year, so now is a good time to pick up a copy if your dad has a console.
Price: $35
Portable Car Jump Starter
This is another extremely practical entry, but an important one. I think most people have found themselves to a dead battery situation at some point in their driving lives, and it isn’t fun.
What I like about this is that it’s a modern upgrade on old school jumper cables – the device comes with LED lights and quick charge.
And much like the emergency toolkit, it also contains USB ports so you can charge your device.
Price: $120