
Valentine's Day Gift Guide 2013
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Valentine's Day is one of the most romantic times of year, but as it approaches, many find themselves searching for the perfect gift for their loved one. If you've yet to decide on the perfect Valentine's Day present, we're here to help with a selection of gifts that are sure to meet any taste.
ipico Portable iPhone Projector
Say goodbye to standing around a tiny cell phone phone to share home movies or family photos: the ipico hand-held projector is small enough to fit in your pocket but projects a huge 50" image right from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, without any messy cables to wrangle. If your loved one is a movie buff or a world traveler, this is a great way to watch iTunes movies or travel videos shot on the smartphone wherever you are.
For the perfect Valentine, we recommend pairing it with a favorite romantic movie to watch together.
Note that newer Apple devices, like the iPhone 5, will need a lightning adapter to connect to the ipico which is designed for the older Apple plugs.
Price: $129.99 on beabigshowoff.com, $106.95 on amazon.com .
COOKOO Watch
This clever timekeeper is sure to please anyone with an old-fashioned aesthetic: the COOKOO is a completely analog watch, but it connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth to provide notifications and other handy features. This smart watch will alert you to calls and calendar events, let you check in on Facebook with a single button press, and notify you if you're about to leave your phone behind. The COOKOO comes in a variety of colors and would be an eye-catching gift for any iPhone fan!
Price: $129.99 or $249.99 (limited edition) on connectedevice.com
Lytro Camera
Though cell phone cameras are all the rage these days, anyone with a fondness for photography is sure to love the innovative Lytro camera, Unlike standard cameras, where you focus the image when you snap a picture, the Lytro takes "living pictures" that let you you change the focus at any time later. This lets you grab quick shots now, and focus them just the way you want to later: perfect for catching great snapshots of your the family without worrying about camera settings.
You can pick up the Lytro in a variety of colors, any of which are sure to please: Red Hot (16GB), Electric Blue (8GB), Graphite (8GB), Seaglass (8GB), and Moxie Pink (8GB, exclusive to Target).
Price: $399.99 (8GB) on amazon.com or $499.99 (16GB) on amazon.com
or target.com (in Moxie Pink).
Personalized iPad mini
iPad's seem to be on everyone's gift list lately, and we love the new mini for both its extra portability and its lower price tag (prices start at $329). The mini has a 7.9" display and weighs a scant .68 lb while offering many of the features of a full-sized iPad, like FaceTime, HD video recording, the voice assistant Siri, and access to Apple's large selection of apps, movies, music, and books in iTunes. If your loved one already uses an iPhone or Mac, the iPad mini will seamlessly work with his or her library of apps and media.
And for the perfect gift, Apple will let you personalize your iPad mini with two lines of engraving for free (though be aware that this will increase shipping time) -- add a romantic message to make your mini just right.
Price: Without cellular: $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB), $529 (64GB) or with cellular: $459 (16GB), $559 (32GB), $659.99 (64GB), (though be aware that cellular service will cost an additional fee from your wireless carrier) on apple.com.
Jawbone Big Jambox
Jawbone is well-known for their wireless Bluetooth headsets and speakers, and the Big Jambox is their latest audio treat. Though it's larger than their original Jambox, the Big Jambox offers bigger sound and a longer battery life (15 hours to the Jambox's 10) to make up for it.
The Big Jambox will work wirelessly with any device that's Bluetooth-enabled or you can plug it in to the headphone jack of any device that isn't. If you're looking for a wireless speaker with a smaller price tag, you might consider the original Jambox, which starts at $199.99. While it may seem less impressive than its large-scale cousin, you can customize it be any of a number of different color combinations and make it just right for your loved one.
The Big Jambox comes in a variety of colors, but for a Valentine's treat, we recommend the Red Dot color with an appropriately romantic playlist to go with it.
Price: $299.99 on jawbone.com or $269.99 on amazon.com
Kindle Paperwhite
If your loved one reads every spare moment they have, there's no better gift than the latest, greatest ereader. Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite has a screen that's crisp and doesn't glare in bright light, but also lit for easy reading in the low light -- essentially, the Paperwhite combines best features of both paper books and tablets for an ideal reading experience. For an extra fee, you can also get the Paperwhite with global 3G access, allowing your loved one to download new books wherever they are.
And if you want to take this present to the next level, you can also gift your loved one with Kindle books.
Price: $119 or $179 (3G) on amazon.com
LUMINOUS Designer Snake-print Case for iPhone 5
If your loved one is a new iPhone 5 owner but doesn't yet have a stylish carrying case, the LUMINOUS Collection from designer Ayano Kimura may be just the thing. These clutches have a snug space for an iPhone 5 (with a camera hole for taking pictures without removing it from the case) as well as compartments for cash, credit cards, and ID.
LUMINOUS clutches come in a variety of colors including gold, gun metal, black and metallic pink as well as a snake-print pattern -- definitely up to the iPhone 5's style factor.
Price: $59.99 on bling-my-thing.com
Geeky European-style Charm Bracelet
If your Valentine's interests are more on the geeky side, this unique bracelet may be just the thing to charm her with. Buy the bracelet and then choose the perfect charms to go with it: from a tiny computer to a Portal Companion Cube. And, though some of the charms are certainly on the geeky side, the bracelet is subtle enough -- and, we think, lovely enough -- to be worn on any occasion.
Price: $39.99 plus $12.99 for extra charms on thinkgeek.com
ShaveTech Travel Razor
This electric razor takes its design cues from the iPhone and, like the iPhone, comes in both black and white. Its slim casing is no larger than the average cell phone and it charges via a built-in USB connector, so you don't have to worry about carrying cables or chargers, making it ideal for travel or the gym.
Price: $39.99 on shavetech.com or amazon.com
A Personalized Card and Gift from Treat
Treat is an iPhone app that lets you design personalized cards for any occasion -- and they have a huge selection of Valentine's Day cards to choose from and customize with your own photos and text just for your Valentine. You can add an extra special gift to your card as Treat easily lets you include gift cards from a number of different retailers. For a great Valentine's Day gift, we recommend a SpaFinder gift card for a couple's massage! Treat's cards are sent by postal mail, so be sure to leave enough time for arrival.
Price: $3.50+ on treat.com.
We hope you've found something on this list to make Valentine's Day special for your loved ones. When in doubt, a gift card from Treat or one from a major gadget outlet (Amazon, Apple, etc.) will always be appreciated.
Great gadgety gift list!
From Kim Lachance Shandrow on February 20, 2013 :: 9:34 pm
I especially like the ipico iPhone projector. And how insane is that mini shaver?! Nice roundup. My husband’s bday is just around the corner and I’m eyeing the ipico for him. Thanks for tipping me off to it.
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