Unbox Holiday Shopping and Gift Guide: Accessories and Peripherals
There are also a lot of great accessories and peripherals (aka “cool stuff”) available today that you can buy for yourself or give as gifts this December. Some of them are actually just as expensive (or even more) than smartphones and tablets. The list we’ve compiled below is pretty much some of the best we’ve found over the last few months.
First up is a product that we just featured a few days ago, Wrist Free! This nifty mouse pad plus wrist rest combo has made using the mouse much more comfortable. The rolling contraption below the wrist rest is sheer genius (makes you think why no one has thought of it in the past) and the mouse pad offers great traction for your IR mouse. What’s even better is that Wrist Free won’t leave a burning hole in your wallet. Apparently it just sells for Php400! This is definitely one of the best gifts you can give to your friends and family. They’ll really appreciate it since it truly deserves space on their work desk. Two thumbs up from us here at Unbox for this product!
Next we have the ultimate “techie” watch, the Mute Watch! What’s so cool about it? Well it has motion control and touch-based interface! To show the time on the display you can touch the screen with your finger or you can flick your wrist towards you (the natural way of checking the time on your watch). Awesomeness eh? It also has other features like Alarm (it vibrates, thus the name “Mute Watch”) and Timer making it a great all-around watch.
Our only problem with the Mute Watch is the price. It sells for Php12,950. Available in Beyond the Box, Digital Hub, and Digital Walker.
Next up is one of our favorite finds for November… the Ravager Transformer 16GB Flash Drive! This is by far the most epic USB drive… ever! Hehe.
This is basically your usual USB Flash Drive except that it comes in the form of the Decepticon, Ravager. It’s available at Galleon.ph for Php1,630.
Another favorite of ours is the Recoil Winder. This accessory is the ultimate cable/wire organizer!
With just one pull it will roll up your cable effortlessly and you can quickly store it away in your bag or on your desk afterwards. A full set of three Recoil Winders with the tray sells for Php1,800. It’s available in iStudio branches that are usually in malls.
Next on our list is the ultimate protection for your smartphone or tablet: Otterbox. We recommend anything that they make, regardless if it’s the Impact, Commuter, Reflex, or Defender Series. Otterbox cases have saved our gadgets numerous times in the past and we strongly recommend people to put them on their gadgets. Yes it will add some bulk but that’s a small price to pay to keep your phones and tablets in pristine condition. Otterbox has cases for almost all the popular smartphones: iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, HTC, BlackBerry, etc. Go get one! Stat!
Gamer? Blogger? If the answer is yes to either two then you might want to consider the Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Keyboard. Personally I’ve been a fan of Razer products because I’m a gamer but I’ve come to love their keyboards even if I’ve already stopped by gaming habits. The Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Keyboard is such a joy to use because of the responsive tactile keys and the satisfying “click clack” sounds it generates when you’re typing away blog entries. In fact I’ve written almost all of the entries here at Unbox using this keyboard!
The Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Keyboard sells for Php3,999. Note that there’s a more expensive version that sells for over Php6,000 which is called the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate. If you’re just getting one for typing, settle for the normal model. If you’re a serious and competitive gamer then you might want the Ultimate.
Of course a recommended list of accessories won’t be complete without a portable mobile charger/battery pack. When it comes to this category we highly recommend MiLi. One product of theirs, the MiLi Power Prince, has had a permanent spot in my everyday bag. It has extra 5,000mAh which can juice up my iPhone, Galaxy Note 2, Pocket WiFi, and even my FiiO amplifier. Definitely a must-have considering batteries of smart gadgets aren’t really that great (well save for the Note 2).
How much? Php4,800 for this model. They have other products though that are more affordable but have less juice in them. Just get the one that suits you. The MiLi Power Prince is available in most gadget stores in malls, especially in Apple Reseller Shops like Power Mac Center.
Speaking of chargers, the Joy Zip Multi-Charging Station has been a permanent fixture on the desk beside our bed!
This amazing device can charge multiple gadgets at the same time and you can easily get your phone or tablet without yanking the cable since the charging connectors are magnetized! Cool eh? SRP is Php4,500. Available in Digital Hub, Beyond the Box, and Digital Walker stores. Definitely pricey but it offers a lot of convenience and also makes for a great conversation piece if you have it in your living room. 😛
Alongside my headphones and my iPod Touch, the FiiO E17 Alpen is one of my most used accessories for 2012. This is simply a must-have for music lovers and budding audiophiles.
There are several ways to use the FiiO E17. Just like other amplifiers, will make the audio tracks coming out of your iPod or computer sound much better and louder. You can also use it as a Digital Audio Converter (DAC) and hook it up to a desktop amp and then connect it to your laptop. This makes the FiiO E17 a versatile audio companion. A very good buy for just Php6,000 (again this is more for music lovers and audiophiles).
The next item on our list isn’t actually an item… it’s a shop. Applewerkz is a premium accessory shop that started in Katipunan but they now have several branches already. They have a lot of great cases, covers, and other cool oddities. They’re also the shop that usually gets first dibs on the best cases for the latest smartphones. The case below for the Galaxy S3 is from them.
If you want more information about Applewerkz and the various products they carry, just go to their Facebook Page.
Next up we have the ultimate mobile internet device: the Smart LTE Pocket WiFi!
If you have LTE coverage in your area you might want to get this. We have LTE coverage here in Greenhills and we consistently get around 10-15 Mbps download speeds with the LTE Pocket WiFi. That’s crazy fast! Smart already launched this commercially and it’s actually available in Smart Stores. You can get it with Php2,000 cash out at either Plan 1799 (10GB cap) or Plan 3500 (21GB cap).
When our regular home router broke down a few months ago we were fortunate enough to get a review unit of the Linksys Smart WiFi Router EA4500. After using it for months now I can honestly say that I have a new found appreciation for routers and the level of technology in them, especially with this model.
The Linksys Smart WiFi Router EA4500 not only boasts of broader and stronger coverage, it also has web and mobile applications that will make managing your network a much more easier and fun experience. For example, with the app you can easily send a unique password to guests who want to connect to your network. O-som! SRP is Php9,600.
Lastly we have the Energizer Flexible Charger. There are still a lot of gadgets that require AA batteries and it’s annoying to have to keep going out to the nearest convenience store to buy ’em once you’ve drained the ones you have. Having rechargeable AA batteries is always a good thing. This will definitely save you money, time, and effort in the long run.
SRP of the Energizer Flexible Charger is Php1,800. Kit comes with two AA batteries but the charger can simultaneously juice up 4.
These are just a few of the peripherals and accessories that we’ve reviewed and featured here on Unbox that we recommend. Remember to seriously think if you really need a product before you buy it. The price tags on these things aren’t cheap so better be sure you need ’em and you can afford ’em. 😛
