Valentine's Day gift ideas 2020: 14 great gizmos and gadgets for the tech Aussie
Let's face it: it's damn hard to shop for a Valentine's Day gift for that special someone, and just a cute card, candy and flowers isn't going to cut it these days. Instead, you'll have your significant other or even yourself - a brand new toy to play with as nothing highlights your tech choices like a new gizmo or gadget to spoil your loved one.
However technology is advancing at a fast pace, it's really hard to keep up with all the technology stuff that your better half deserves. So to save you the trouble of having to worry about having someone visit you this Valentine's Day, Australia, the first team has traversed the realm to shortlist the top 15 tech gift ideas for different budgets, and each one will show your partner how special they are to you.
Folding book lamp
If your better half is a book lover, this would be a very cute addition to their nightstand - a portable lamp that looks exactly like a real book. Thanks to its adaptable design, the light can be opened to reveal pages or stored in a closed novel. It even opens in full circle like a round folding fan. This is a beautiful little light that is not widely available in Australia but you can find it on Amazon and ebeee.
Nostalgia can be a wonderful thing, and if you have a loved one in your life who is all about old school games, then the Sega Mega Drive mini (known as the Mini game console in the US) is one heck of a gift. It comes pre-loaded with 40 classic games and two bonus titles, so there's plenty to play along as you reminisce about old favorites. Sega poured a lot of love into this scaled down copy of the original, making it a thoughtful Valentine's gift.
Read our in-depth Sega Mega Drive mini/Genesis mini review
If your special someone is an avid reader, then install them with bated breath Kindle Oasis. This ultra-sleek e-reader from Amazon can store thousands of books and is a joy to own and hold. Its all-metal body means it has the ability to back up its many features, which includes automatic backlight adjustment that will change hue throughout the day. There are seven inches of screen real estate and a 300ppi electronic ink display making pages appear exactly like physical printed pages. Did we say it's waterproof? Ideal for swimming reading, or by the pool and on the beach.
Read our in-depth Amazon Kindle Oasis comment
This sock from Fitbit pulls double as a fitness tracker and smartwatch - so it can meet all your intimate needs. It's not over-the-top on smartwatch specs, but it's not necessarily a bad thing, especially for casual users. There are several color options available, including a special woven band edition that looks very nice on the wrist.
Read our in-depth Fitbit vice versa 2 review
Retro Music Bluetooth Speaker
If they're feeling sorry for the vintage of a bygone era, this charming music tabletop has built-in Bluetooth enabled speakers. It's reminiscent of the classic style of the 50s, with retro LED lights fringing the sides. A fun way to listen to your favorite tunes, especially if they're in rock and roll. Various designs and styles are available in Australia, with two available options listed on Amazon - a gorgeous light machine from gramophone and another, more modest brown version from ClearClick.
Available in two classic styles to suit almost everyone, it's more than just glasses - it has a built-in speaker system with Bluetooth connectivity so your significant other can enjoy the tunes of their loved ones. The best part is that no one will be able to eavesdrop, either as protruding points inward into the user's ears, which only leaks about 1% of the sound. So walking around the area hand in hand and no one around you will know what you are listening to. There is also augmented reality audio which allows you to play around using third party apps. There's only three hours of battery life on board, so they'll never replace traditional headphones, but they're a pretty cool and very stylish gift.
Read our in-depth bose frames commentary
A great way to enjoy a Valentine's Day evening is to relax at home with your loved one and enjoy a drink or two. This factory's original item has three levels of fizz to tingle your taste buds, right there on the appliance's LED display. The carbon dioxide adsorber is reusable and there are many places around Australia that will do it for you, including several large supermarkets and gas stations. So join your partner in saving Planet Plastic this Valentine's Day and give them a soda.
One gift that is sure to make your significant other's eyes light (color) is one of the best products from Nanoleaf, a company that specializes in lighting products with a difference. The Nanoleaf canvas is a set of square light panels that add life to any boring old wall and make it interactive. Not only will the lights dance to these love songs you'll be listening to on Valentine's Day, you and your partner can even play some games on them as they are touch sensitive. You can create your own light patterns and games, or choose from thousands of pre-existing ones in the app. The canvas can be controlled via voice assistants, by touch or via an app and of course the colored lights are perfect for setting the mood too.
Read our in-depth Nanoleaf canvas comment
Squirts of tenderness for your partner on this smart rug. You can use the pen to write on any paper, then use the companion app to convert it into a digital version that you can send to your loved one. Heck, you can even create a Valentine's Day shopping list on it and make sure your significant other walks through the door carrying sacks of goodies. Nothing more important can also be saved to other cloud services like Dropbox.
Is your significant other hoarding a cache of vinyls somewhere because there's no way to listen to them? Then give them this turntable and watch them dust off these records with delight. The -LP120-USB can play 33⅓, 45 and 78rpm, meaning no album that can't be played. There's also a built-in phono stage so you don't have to worry about finding one on your own. This deck strikes the perfect balance between ease of use for beginners while at the same time some extra features for your special someone to grow up.
Show how much you appreciate your better half by adding some "me time" to your day with this superb robot vacuum cleaner. This little helper can be scheduled for a specific time, doesn't roll down the stairs, and automatically recharges when done, giving you (or your significant other) more time to spend with each other doing things you like to do than chores.
Read our in-depth iRobot robot vacuum cleaner Roomba 980 review
Polaroid is the original name in instant photography, but if you thought its hay day had come and gone, think again. If your special someone likes to take pictures of both of you, then Polaroid OneStep 2 will allow them to instantly look at physical images, without the need for an electronic screen. The OneStep 2 site is a throwback to the original OneStep site from the 1970s, and exudes charm, is easy to use, and spits out a large area of prints.
This little device fits in the palm of your hand and can spew out all those great pictures of you and your boos taken together. It connects to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth and does not require any ink to print photos. Instead, he uses 2 x 3 inches of zinc paper that is intertwined with colored crystals. These melt into the printing process and you will have many memories to share in physical form. The Canon Mini Print app also lets you get creative with filters to customize your smartphone shots.
Love Google Assistant? Bring your mind to the bedroom with Lenovo smart watches. It's a humble little smart display that will wake up with your significant other (or you) to help start the day, and serenades them to sleep at night with their favorite tunes. While it looks like a rather unfussy digital alarm clock perfect for a nightstand, it's essentially a small smart display that can control any smart home device you or your partner might already be using. There's also no built-in camera, so you'll have private living in the bedroom doing… things.
Read our in-depth Lenovo smart watch review
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