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.

  

More Gadget Stocking Stuffers

Stocking stuffers have come a long way since candy canes and decks of playing cards. Kids today love gadgets and electronics so there’s a whole new set of possible gifts. Small gadgets and gadget accessories offer great gift ideas in today’s world and we’ve got some more to go with the stocking stuffers highlighted in our Holiday Gift Guide.

Dual USB Charger

The first one is small and simple but very useful. We’re always on the go, and now everyone in the family or in the car has their own gadgets. With more people needing a charge, it’s great to have a charger that can accommodate more than one device.

Bracketron offers a Dual USB Charger (pictured above) which allows you to charge or power two devices at the same time in any vehicle. The Dual USB Charger is available now for $24.95 at Bracketron.com and is available at consumer electronics retailers. It includes both high and low-current USB outputs, perfect for quickly and safely charging your tablet and handheld mobile device simultaneously while you’re on the road. Of course, you need to be careful while driving! The pocket-sized device is compatible with iPad, iPhone/iPod, MP3 players, satellite radios, GPS units, smartphones and more. It definitely fits into a stocking and it’s perfect for people on the go (and that includes kids!).

Toddy Smart Cloth

With so many gadgets offering touch screens, our screens easily get dirty and smudged. To clean them properly it’s handy to have something specifically designed to do the job. The Toddy Smart Cloth is a carefully handcrafted microfiber cloth provides effective, scratch-free cleaning for your iDevices, screens, camera lenses and more, and it features an antimicrobial coating. It’s offered in a bunch of cool designs, so you can pick one that fits the person on your list. One side of the cloth is made to clean, while the other has the design and makes it easy to hold and swipe the device. Check out their website to pick out a cool design.

Luna Voyager II

Finally we have a clock radio for the Apple generation. Everyone appreciates a cool clock radio for their room, and now you can wake up to your favorite music by hooking up your iPhone, iPod or iPad to this device from XtremeMac. The Luna Voyager II is an easy to use alarm clock that delivers 4 watts of power and dual speakers for superior stereo sound. Setting the clock is simple with the auto time set feature, simply dock the desired Apple device and the time is set automatically. Users can choose to set alarms directly from the Apple device with the free Luna Voyager App or manually on the dock itself. Dual independent alarm settings allow two users to wake to iPod, FM radio or chime. Additionally, the Luna Voyager II features a battery backup to ensure users will never miss an alarm. It’s great for kids and adults alike.

Enjoy the final week of shopping!

  

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.