Music gadgets for gift ideas

We’ve talked about gadget gifts and stocking stuffers, and here we have two items that are great for the tech-savvy people on your list who like to create music.

GuitarConnect Pro

This cool device from Griffin Technology (pictured above) is designed to work with any instrument that has a ¼ inch jack (including guitars, bass guitars, electric violins, keyboards, etc.), GuitarConnect Pro was created to turn iPad or iPhone into a compact performance or practice rig. A built-in gain control wheel allows the user to adjust the strength of the instrument’s input signal. Users gain a high-quality, all-digital connection from guitars and other instruments directly into GarageBand and other audio apps. It’s a simple yet very powerful device and music lovers will really appreciate it. And, it fits nicely into a holiday stocking!

Korg nanoKEY2

Here we switch to keyboards, which is a very popular way to create music. The nanoKEY2 is built with 25 keys and allows full control of pitch. It’s one of the devices in the NanoSERIES2 which are all compatible with GarageBand. Imagine how much fun music-lovers can have playing around with this device.

Even if someone hasn’t tried to create their own music in the past, devices like these two above offer an easy way to get started. They spur the creative process, and for that reason alone they make great gifts.

  

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Toshiba Canvio 3.0 External Hard Drive

In today’s world, you always have a need for more storage, and as we start to organize photos and videos in digital format, we need ways to back up and protect our data.

Toshiba has introduced a new series of Canvio 3.0 hard drives that meet these needs. They offer blazing-fast transfer speeds and pre-loaded backup software, and they are cloud-backup capable. The units offer a variety of storage capacity and we tested the one terabyte model.

One of the main characteristics of these devices is the ability to sync with the cloud. The Canvio 3.0 is pre-loaded with Windows™-based NTI® BackupNow EZ™ software that provides step-by-step and fully-customizable backup capabilities to the cloud and to the drive. Users create a cloud account with NTI® BackupNow EZ™ where they can backup specific folders, certain file types, and conduct a complete system backup to the Canvio 3.0. The backup software also scans the user’s system and files and recommends which files to backup to cloud-based or on-device storage.

The Canvio family now includes the support of USB 3.0, enabling Canvio users to take advantage of the faster data transfer speed of USB 3.0-enabled devices. We were impressed with the speed when we tested it out.

Some advanced features include complete password protection with up to 256-bit data encryption to prevent unauthorized access to data and an on-screen Drive Space Alert monitor that sends an alert when storage space is running low. The internal Shock Sensor and Ramp Loading Technology protect the drive during daily movement from a pocket, desk, bag, or beyond so you can feel comfortable carrying this around. It’s amazing how small these devices have become and how much you can store in a portable device.

The design of the unit is very slick and sturdy with rounded rectangular form factor and sleek high gloss finish. It’s also easy to grip it on the sides. It’s available in black, white, silver, red, green, and blue3.

This makes a great gift for anyone on your list, both techies who will appreciate the advanced features and others who need a simple way to protect their photos and home videos.

Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for more gift ideas.

  

Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router

Wireless access to the Internet has become a priority for both personal use and business use. But when you’re traveling, Internet access often requires a cable Ethernet hookup, which means you can only get access through the one hooked up PC. This makes it impossible to get online with other gadgets like iPads or other PCs used by friends or coworkers unless the devices have 3G capability.

These problems can be solved by the Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router from Belkin. Hook this device up using the cable hookup, and then all your PCs and other gadgets can use this personal hotspot to get online. So basically you pay for one online hookup and get to use multiple devices. It’s pretty small so it’s easy to pack, it comes with a handy carrying case and has high dual-band performance.

With the holidays around the corner, this device could be a great stocking stuffer for the personal on your list who loves gadgets and loves to travel. Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for more gift ideas.

  

USB Twin Tablet Charging Kit 4.2

In a world dominated by gadgets, we’re always looking for power. There’s nothing worse than losing a charge in your phone when you really need it.

So we all have car chargers, but now with iPads and other gadgets, we sometimes need more than one charger.

The USB Twin Tablet Charging Kit from Qmadix is a handy tool as it lets you charge two items at the same time through a USB cable. With this dual charger, you and your passenger can both charge your phones at the same time, or you can charge your phone and iPad at the same time. The unit comes with the dual charger and one USB cable for Apple products. It’s a great stocking stuffer if you’re looking for holiday gifts.

  

NoiseHush NX80 3.5mm Stereo Headphones

We tried the new NoiseHush NX80 3.5mm Stereo Headphones and there were plenty of features to like. First and most importantly so sound was very good, particularly when you consider the reasonable cost for these headphones.

Next, these headphones have an inline answer/end button and microphone. With so many gadgets, we all need several sets of headphones and it’s nice to have options that let you make hands-free calls as well.

This headset also sports a fettuccine style no tangle cord. After dealing with cords that tangle up you’ll appreciate this feature. The cord is also bright red, so with the black ear buds the headphones look unique as well.

These make a great stocking stuffer, particularly for someone who wants to make a style statement.