Breville | Geek Life: Augmenting Reality

So in the past few days, I've shared a few holiday posts, including the Geek's Guide to Spy Gifts, and STEM / STEAM gifting for the kids in your life. This is my one BIG post on a number of gifts that would be super appreciated by the all around Geek (or nerd. Yep, we're inclusive.) Geek is a relative term though, don't you think? There are Food Geeks, Sci-Fi Geeks, Music Geeks, even Antique Geeks. So, with all these preferences in mind, here's a collection of gifts that will paste a smile on the Geek on your list. The CASUAL Geek This is the geek-on-the-sidelines. They're interested in helpful technology that will improve their day, but aren't subscribed to tech newsletters, nor would ever dream of stepping one foot into a tech conference. They're more likely to watch The Bachelor over Comic Book Men. [easyazon_link identifier="B01GTKG5Z8" locale="CA" tag="geewitsty-20" nw="y" nf="y" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" popups="n"]Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 Printer[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_image align="center" height="500" identifier="B01GTKG5Z8" locale="CA" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/317WS8MBfuL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="293" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y"] The art of photo printing is nearly lost on us these days. I have 100s of photos of my nephews from the past month alone, but do you think any of them will see the light of day beyond my phone and Google Photos account? It's a little bit devastating. Picking up an instant printer like the Instax Share SP-2 means you can start printing and sharing photos with ease. We have a few pics of the nephews on the fridge now. My mom has one of her and her two daughters that fits nicely in her purse (her son was at work at the time, oops.) I don't remember the last time we had stood for all of 3 seconds to have a photo taken of us, let alone have it printed. Be sure to pick up [easyazon_link identifier="B00EB4ADQW" locale="CA" nw="y" nf="y" tag="geewitsty-20" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" popups="n"]Instax printer paper too[/easyazon_link], or the the Share SP-2 will be a paper weight until your geek picks some up. [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="500" identifier="B00EB4ADQW" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/513VGqOg92BL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="405"] [easyazon_link identifier="B01L3VEC08" locale="CA" nw="y" nf="y" tag="geewitsty-20" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" popups="y"]Tile Mate[/easyazon_link] [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="500" identifier="B01L3VEC08" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/41gvmDlPxL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="500"] This super useful piece of tech will keep your Casual geek all kinds of organized. Are they constantly look for their keys? The remote control? Their purse? Eek... do they more often then not, lose their car? The Tile Mate lets you know where your items are, so that you can concentrate on more important things in life. Like whether you worked hard enough in your spin class to say yes to the whip cream on your latte mocha. The FOODIE Geek I've recently decided to fully embrace my inner foodie (and even started a new instagram to share that love.) I've resisted for years, but came to the conclusion that it does no good holding back. There will likely be a lot more food tech shared on this site for 2017, just wait and see! Breville The Smart Oven Pro Besides Jay, this is the love of my life right now. Not a single day goes by, when I don't use this little toaster that could. It toasts, broils, bakes, heats and slow cooks everything I've asked it to with such a sweet, all encompassing heat. There is no such thing as cold spots in my food when the Breville Smart Oven Pro is on the job. Your Foodie geek will think you're all kinds of an amazing genius, once they give this baby a spin. Jay and the rest of the fam were actually a bit confused when they saw this new toaster oven sitting in our kitchen. We already had a "working" one, and they all thought, "why in the world would we need a new one?" Total air-quotes on "working" too, because there have been so many times where our old toaster would either over or under cook the various foods we'd trust it with. This Breville Smart Oven Pro won their hearts in less than a day. It evenly cooks everything we've popped in, with its convection technology. I got all kinds of excited when I unboxed this baby and one of the first items I see is the 13" pizza pan. Much like a TMNT, I love me some pizza, yo. And what's even more exciting, is that I can make a pizza from scratch using the oven. This is on the must do list for 2017. There will be a more in-depth review soon, but check out these cupcakes I made for my nephews birthdays! https://www.instagram.com/p/BNFhM_3Af2Y/ The ENTERTAINER Geek This geek is all about absorbing (and sharing) their love of obscure movies/tv, games and even radio shows. Jay is absolutely this kind of Geek. We listen to old radio stories every night just before sleep. This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but had to share. Mostly over my shock at how gouged the price is. For an item that is supposed to sell under $100 CDN, you can pick up the [easyazon_link keywords="Nintendo Entertainment System NES Classic Edition" cloak="n" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="n" tag="geewitsty-20"]Nintendo Entertainment System NES Classic Edition[/easyazon_link] game for close to $400 from individual sellers. Wow. Ow. [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="303" identifier="B01IFJBQ1E" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/41oRZQzJoDL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="500"] VQ Retro Radios This is a gorgeous gift for the stylish Entertainer geek. Bluetooth enabled, FM Radios, that also has the hidden function of turning into a USB charger for your smartphone. Listen to great tunes while your phone charges, hidden behind the radio. I got the chance to review the Hepburn MkII, and boy is this ever an awe worthy radio for those that appreciate audio. Flawless FM, even in the windiest of weather. It seems like everyone is trying to hide their music systems into their smart homes these days. You don't want to do that with this retro styled bluetooth system though. You'll be trying to find the best place to showcase it instead, with it's fusion of leather and metal casing. It's a conversation piece, with incredible sound. If your audio source isn't Bluetooth enabled, no worries, there is an aux input in the back. If you do have Bluetooth set up, you'll be paired with the VQ retro radio in a matter of seconds. Set the tune mood with the equalizer. Great for getting the sound just right for your standards. Six options to choose from, including: Jazz, Rock, Speech and Bass. I think my fave choice is Rock, and you can really hear the difference among the options. 30 Presets for you FM Radio Going to keep this lovely item in your bedroom? Use the alarm to wake up to your favourite radio station. Or if this will be kept in your kitchen, there's a countdown timer to help you keep track of all your dishes (I always never have enough timers to keep track of everything.) sudio Wireless Bluetooth Headphones If your geek is all about portable music/audio, they'll want the right equipment to keep them going comfortably all year long. The amount of headphones we've so far gone through in this household could probably fund a small country. We'd pick up a pair of $20 headphones, and have them last for maybe a month. These sudio wireless headphones though? I've been testing them for about a month, and the sound is so clear, and will keep going even when quite a few feet away from the paired device before it starts to cut out. I have about 14 feet from my desk to my office door, and the reach didn't start to cut until I walked out of the room. The battery life is incredible. There was a week in November where I couldn't handle any distraction from work, even music, and they sat on the sidelines, just waiting for me to come back to them. I fully expected needing to recharge them before use, because tech can lose power, even when turned off, and was happily surprised to find that they hadn't lost even a quarter of a charge. Since I didn't think to gauge how long they could go unused without charging, I'm going to guess that it lost 7% while sitting around powered off for that long. The buds are a nice squishy comfort, which means my ears aren't hurting from constant use all day either. And they're just so pretty. If your Entertainer Geek is all about style, they'll undoubtedly would love to find these under the tree. DVD/Blu-ray movies & TV shows are absolutely the way to go for the Entertainer Geek. They are all about the extra bonus features, and will sit through every single audio commentary made available. HBO has two fascinating shows for this geek. Satisfy their love for Science Fiction / Fantasy with box sets like the newly released Game of Thrones, as well as this amazing gem that takes a hilarious look into modern geek culture, and the start up entrepreneur. Silicon Valley Honestly, I'm on Amazon right now checking out [easyazon_link identifier="B00L5QX0S2" locale="CA" nw="y" nf="y" tag="geewitsty-20" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" popups="y"]Silicon Valley Season 1[/easyazon_link] to 3. Game of Thrones [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="500" identifier="B01H2JPTDO" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/51P5xJt9SDL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="381"] #WinterIsComing - it really is! I'm finally starting to see snowflakes outside my window, so kudos to the Starks. If your geek has been keeping up with every season of GoT, then they're probably all kinds of ready right now to see Season 7 (airing sometime in 2017, and rumored to be the darkest season yet.) Picking up [easyazon_link identifier="B01K4USKCK" locale="CA" nw="y" nf="y" tag="geewitsty-20" cart="n" cloak="n" localize="y" popups="y"]Season 6 of Game of Thrones[/easyazon_link] is like a balm on an impatient soul, where the Entertainer geek can get their fill of bonus content that makes DVD / Blu-ray box sets so worthwhile. Deleted scenes, in-depth looks of battles, and watching the creation of these fantasy worlds will keep your geek going over the dark days of winter. The GEEK's Geek This geek loves Sci-Fi/Fantasy movies, comics, and has a fair share of collectibles decorating their house. They can't stop talking about their love/hate for the latest installments to the Star Wars franchise, and is probably the proud owner of an impressive collection of fandom based graphic t-shirts. Here are some tried and true gifts that will tickle any GEEK geek. Funko Pop! Figurines Pop! figures are fun for all kinds of fandoms. They're [easyazon_link keywords="Funko Pop" cloak="n" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" tag="geewitsty-20"]tiny statues of your favourite characters[/easyazon_link] and are all kinds of fun to collect. I'm not sure of there being any Science Fiction / Fantasy fandom that isn't represented by Pop! There are quite a few cartoons available too. [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="357" identifier="B00APPF3M0" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/51qxdSWUQIL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="500"] Easily find all kinds of these vinyl figures at Amazon, EB Games, and probably Toys 'R Us too. They're everywhere these days. .50 Comic Books / $3 Paperbacks Grab Bags If you know someone who enjoys comic books, but aren't quite sure what they have in their library, order a whole bunch of "grab bag" comics from Things from Another World. They're available in Kids, Marvel, DC and Mature, so there is a whole slew to choose from. Comic readers love to find new stories to enjoy, and this is the best way to try a series that one might not readily pick up on their own. If you're ordering from Canada, the cheapest shipping cost is roughly $25, but ordering 20 comics for $35 (.50 per comic, plus s&h) is still an incredible price. That's about $1.75 for new comics, which is more than half off regular price. Specialty Fandom Coins from the Mint There are a number of Canadian coins made in the past few years that have been overlaid with stellar bits of Science Fiction / Fantasy art. You can find coins with Star Trek designs, Superman, Disney characters, etc. These art pieces will wow any geek, and could be a nice investment for their future. [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="250" identifier="B01M296KJ6" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/41d1FQyMx4L.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="250"] [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="250" identifier="B01M68QMKH" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/31zWqPEpB8L.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="250"] [easyazon_image align="center" cart="n" cloak="n" height="251" identifier="B01M5G42PB" locale="CA" localize="y" nw="y" nf="y" src="//geeklife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/31R4MqQ6PRL.jpg" tag="geewitsty-20" width="251"] Visit Fan Expo's Toronto Fan Days If you live in the GTA, and have a Geek geek in your life, you should definitely go visit Fan Expo's Fan Days this Saturday December 10th! It will have comic book artists and writers that will autograph their comics for you. An artist alley for fellow geeks to sell their incredible art, jewellery, and all kinds of unique objects. And easily all the Funko Pop! Vinyl figures you could ever dream of. Fans LOVE one of a kind. And there will be an abundance of unique here to settle everything from stocking stuffers to that big gift you want to pick up for them this year. Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling So that's my big list for top Geek gifts this year, that should fit any budget. Do you have a gift that you know your geek will love? I'd love to hear more! Disclaimer: This post is a mix of items received for review, as well as compensated to write. All opinions are my own.

Tag: Breville

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