Holiday season is the perfect time to spoil not just your family, friends but your employees as well with gifts. In this blog post, we cover some geeky and not so geeky gifts that Devops Engineers and SREs would love. Here is your chance to play Santa for your hard working “elfs” who work throughout the year keeping your systems running smoothly!
The list of gifts covered here are from an internal poll we had at Squadcast. We asked our engineers tech gadgets/gifts they would love to get their hands on. Not surprisingly, the resulting list has a good mix of geeky stuff. It contains new gadgets to ooh and ahh and damnnn over, from the outlandish high-concept ones to the downright handy.
Best-case scenario, they are the kinds of gadgets that will make your lives more efficient, more entertaining, along with making your homes look cooler. Worst-case scenario, reading this article, will quell your boredom of being perpetually stuck at home in front of your monitor with only Alexa/Siri and an outdated gaming console for company (just kidding! or, are we?)
On a brighter note, as 2020 ends, we hope this list cheers you up, and leaves you with something to look forward to in the coming year.
In no particular order:
1. DJI Mini 2
Unsurprisingly this mini drone proved to be very popular in our internal poll. With over 6 miles of remote range, 4k recording and ultralight weight, this is a perfect gift for all techies who love photography.
Whether you are shooting a panoramic view or a timelapse ,the Mini 2 does not disappoint. Mixing the worlds of high-tech and art, a mini drone will always be appreciated.
2. Anker Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector
The second most popular gift is an innovative mini-projector that is perfect for movie nights. This gadget is great for viewing movies in your backyard or on camping trips with friends. Some features include a 200 ANSI Lumen lamp with Wi-Fi, a 8W Speaker, and support for a 100” image.
Sony’s latest gaming console is a must have for all serious gamers. With 4k support, an ultra fast SSD and a controller with haptic feedback, the PS5 makes running heavy-duty games look effortless. Understandably, it's hard to get your hands on one right now as it got sold out within seconds but it's well worth the wait.
4. Apple MacBook Air with M1 chip
The MacBook Air with M1 chip is the fastest version of the product range yet. Letting you mix play and work, the M1 chip performs extraordinarily well for both daily tasks and computation intensive work.
This is perhaps the most portable computer ever made. An innovative take on the Raspberry Pi computer - this kit features a fully functional computer contained within the keyboard. You just need an external monitor and speakers to get started.
To those who were unable to get their hands on the PS5 there is always the XBox. Boasting of 4K support, an ultra fast SSD and a monthly game pass subscription, both versions of the XBox are great entries into experiencing nextgen gaming.
7. DRAGON'S LAIR X REPLICADE (Mini Arcade machine)
Probably the king of all desk toys is this fully-functional mini arcade machine. After a hard day's work of coding and fixing bugs, this is the perfect distraction. This unique gadget is a 1/6th scale replica of the original 1983 Dragon’s Lair arcade machine. It also supports an external USB controller.
8. Nanoleaf Shapes: Hexagon Smarter Kit
Bright, colourful and interactive, three words to describe this unique home decoration. These programmable lights are great at creating an atmosphere whether it's a gaming or movie night at your home.
The best way to capture those timeless moments and adventures - the Osmo pocket is the smallest 3-axis stabilized handheld camera made by DJI. Further features include the option to capture video footage in 4k 60 fps.
Bring booming sound to your home with this compact soundbar from Sonos. With support for Dolby Atmos and compatible with major home entertainment systems, this soundbar perfectly complements the portable projectors our colleagues love.
Our holiday gift list has something that everyone will love. Hobby electronics, entertainment products and high tech photography tools. ‘Tis the season to be merry and the season to give. And if you are an on-call engineer, go ahead and treat yourself this holiday season.
Though this is not an exhaustive list, we hope some of your favourites are here. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear from you on the gadgets that you feel should make this list! Leave a comment or reach out over a DM via Twitter and let us know your thoughts.
Wishing all our friends a safe and happy holiday season!