As last year came to a close, people were congratulating themselves for surviving a global pandemic. The light at the end of the tunnel, however, turned out to be the oncoming COVID-19 freight train that was the delta variant.
We still shopped our hearts out, with 2020 seeing an 8% increase in holiday retail sales over the previous year. And online shopping set a new record, accounting for 25% of what we spent.
Perhaps most interestingly, though, the sale of gift cards more than doubled, as more people than ever decided to delegate the choosing of a present to the recipient.
If you still prefer to demonstrate thoughtfulness in your holiday gift giving, however, I have some advice and suggestions.
First, time is priceless, yet costs us nothing … especially if everything is out of stock. The pandemic still reverberates through the supply chain. If people on the mainland can’t get bubbles for their soft drinks, you better believe people in Hawaii will be facing dusty inventory and empty shelves this year.
Don’t wait for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Find and buy what you want now. Even online giants like Amazon, Best Buy and Target are already out of stock on the hottest items.
Second, health and safety are safe bets. Tech gifts that sanitize, filter or take a task touchless are great ideas. Just watch out for “hygiene theater,” as UV disinfecting lights and HEPA filters often fall short of their claims.
My top gadget recommendation remains an Apple Watch, provided your recipient is an iPhone user. From health tracking to fitness, with features like heart rate alerts and fall detection, it’s easily the best health care gadget on the market.
Apple offers an affordable SE version of its watch for $279, and the new Series 7 adds blood oxygen level monitoring and ECGs for $399.
No iPhone? No problem. Fitbit offers a much wider variety of health tech without the Apple price. And now that Fitbit is a Google company, it’s a safer bet — provided you trust Google. The Fitbit Charge 5 fitness and health tracking band is $179. Their fanciest watch, the Fitbit Sense, is $299.
Third, Zoom is here to stay, as is Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. From videoconferencing to conferences hosted via video, remote meetings are now the norm. My advice? Upgrade your teleconference tech.
Tired of the low-quality or poorly positioned camera built into your laptop? For less than $100, pick up a Logitech C900-series USB webcam and gain at least 1080p resolution and the ability to position it however you like.
Lighting is a common shortcoming of Zoom setups, especially if your desk leaves you backlit with sunlight. A ring light or LED light cube can showcase your pretty face for less than $50.
I think improving your audio is the best upgrade you can make. Don’t rely on a built-in mic, and even Apple’s “beam-forming” Airpods have their limitations, especially in a noisy room.
A comfortable headset with a boom mic is best. Ask your favorite teen to recommend a “gaming headset,” but avoid designs that will make you look like a Transformer. My top pick is Jabra’s Evolve series with over-ear earphones and two-way noise-canceling, but they’ll run you around $300.
Tired of telling someone “you’re muted”? I love physical, light-up mute buttons that make it easy to tell if you’re on mute, and tell others around you that you’re on a call. Try MuteMe or MuteSync or Luxafor options for under $50.
Finally, much to the chagrin of movie theaters, the pandemic has taught us to love streaming media, or love it even more. There are many great gift options for movie and TV fans.
Nearly all TVs are “smart” TVs, with built in streaming apps. But you don’t have to use them, especially if your TV is older or the interface frustrates you. Upgrade your experience with an affordable and simple Roku box for under $60. I love my 4K Apple TV, but it costs three times as much.
And here again, sound quality is often overlooked. If you use the speakers built into your TV, please stop. A decent soundbar costs less than $200 and makes a huge difference. Add a powerful bass “woofer” and satellite speakers and never set foot in a puddle of fruit punch and popcorn again.
Ryan Kawailani Ozawa publishes Hawaii Bulletin, a free email newsletter covering Hawaii science, tech and innovation. Subscribe at hawaii.bulletin.com.
