Not everybody celebrates Christmas. At Focus, many of us identify as latke-frying non-Christmas-tree-havers. However, we are also New Yorkers, and Christmas in New York will find you. Heck, Christmas almost anywhere will find you. Whether for family, co-workers, or friends, you will inevitably shove at least one Christmas gift under someone’s tree this year. And no matter how well you plan, some gifts have a way of sneaking back around tinsel time. So, in honor of the fast approaching holiday season, we present the ten Christmas gifts you buy every year.
1. A Newfangled Computer for Someone Younger and Hipper than You
Your niece/child/step-child/cousin deserves the best, but you don’t know anything about computers—and that’s ok! Check out our Buying Guide for easy, step-by-step instructions on how to pick a computer that suits their needs.
2. A ‘Techie’ Gift for Dad, Who is Suspiciously Hard to Buy For
Your father is not a man of hobbies; he’s a man of action. Ties just don’t do it for him. Instead, try a Pocket Size Pico Projector. Weighing in at .4 lbs, it’s highly portable and deeply practical. Your dad can use it to give presentations at work, share pictures, or watch movies at home. It’s an entertainment sneak attack!
3. A Point-and-Shoot for Someone with a Budding Interest in Photography
Point-and-shoot cameras get flak from professionals and hobbyists, but they’re actually pretty high-quality nowadays. Perfect for that friend or relative with a budding (read: new) interest in photography, portable point-and-shoots are a great way to practice framing.
4. A Pair of Noise Cancelling Headphones to Drown Out the World
Life is hard sometimes. Filter through the white noise with a Sony Bluetooth and Noise Canceling Headset. Hear only what you want to hear with technology that reduces ambient noise from the outside.
5. A Really Nice Mirrorless that You Planned to Buy on Black Friday, But Ended Up Paying Full Price for Because You Were Still in a Turkey Coma that Morning
Every. Single. Year. It’s okay. Mirrorless Cameras are really good this season, as in, good enough to buy the day after Black Friday (Leftovers Saturday) – or really any day until Christmas. Check out the Sony a6500, a high end hobbyist flagship camera with 5-axis stabilization, live view shooting mode, and a super-speedy LSI chip.
6. A Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker for a Pool Party Next August
Summer isn’t so far off, you tell yourself through a hot chocolate haze. A summertime gift like the waterproof and shockproof Boombotix Boombot Pro Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is a great way to metaphorically heat up (or cool off, depending on your perspective) while you await the seasonal shift.
7. A Drone for Breathtaking Ariel Shots and Spying
Drones are expensive. This is not a ‘we’ve been dating for six months’ kind of gift. This is an ‘I’m trying to impress my new step-child’ or ‘my partner of ten years deserves something spectacular’ kind of gift. The Autel Robotics X-Star Drone features a 4K Ultra HD camera hitched onto a removable 3-axis gimbal to record superb video and/or spy on your neighbors.
8. An XPlaystation Box Console to Improve Your Aim
There’s always a friend who could use a break from reality. Focus carries both Xbox and Playstation gaming systems, so you can give the gift of better first-person shooting.
9. An Action Camera, Which You Thoroughly Researched Beforehand
Fine, so you didn’t actually research it that thoroughly. Action Cams are still pretty new, and you’re not totally sure about the differences between them. Lucky for you, an Olympus TG Tracker Bundle covers all the bases.
10. A Karaoke Machine that Will Save Christmas
It doesn’t matter your religious affiliation, a good karaoke machine will save Christmas. Your Christmas. Your neighbor’s Christmas. Your partner’s Christmas. Jewish Christmas. Hindu Christmas. Christmas Christmas. Try the Emerson Karaoke System. It comes with a built-screen, so you never have to make eye contact with each other.
