Right or wrong, many folks put tremendous pressure on themselves to procure the perfect holiday gift for their loved ones. Many times, the pressure mounts so high that gift-givers resort to gift cards, and, let's admit: those aren't any fun to unwrap. If your holiday giving list includes a social media addict, have no fear! Social Business is here! Rich Harris and I worked together on this list of cool gifts for the digitally savvy social butterfly. Whether your enthusiast manages social business or likes to tweet the cat, these six gadget gifts will bring holiday smiles.
Pogoplug Pro
This multimedia sharing device brings the "cloud" to you by allowing any USB drive to be accessed over an Internet connection -- from anywhere. Pogoplug allows for unlimited and private file sharing, social networking integration, full access sharing, and much more. It's compatible for file retrieval through many smart phones, web browsers and operating systems. Files can then be shared, uploaded, downloaded or even printed. This is a great way for social media types to access and share files in a simple, easy-to-use way. There is even a business user version available. The Pogoplug starts at $99.
MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
MiFi is the solution to the social connector who needs to get on from anywhere but is wary of the security challenges of public wifi networks. With a simple button push, users can access the Web from anywhere with any WiFi-enabled device. It's also got some other snazzy features, like the ability to allow friends and family to join into your network. As most Web junkies know, getting on the 'net whenever needed can be a challenge, and the MiFi solves that. There are a range of models but the MiFi 2200 starts at around $100.
Plantronics Discovery 975
Let's face it -- even the most digitally connected person needs to speak to people voice-to-voice every once in a while. Especially if you're a true connector that needs to do business and make relationships work, then chances are you're on the phone all the while doing your digital stuff. I personally love this BlueTooth headset from Plantronics. It's remarkably simple to use, reliable, clear call quality, and aesthetically pleasing. The charging/carrying case makes for exceptionally long battery life so being near a wall socket to charge isn't required and the case gets rid of the many accidental "pocket calls" of other BlueTooth sets. It's also very comfortable to wear. This little gem is $129.
eStarling TouchConnect
This ain't your mother's photo frame -- unless your mother is a digital maven. The eStarling digital photo frame has all kinds of fun features. Friends and family can use Gmail to send photos directly to the frame. It integrates with Facebook, Instagr.am and even can bring you to Twitter. There's an RSS photo feed and it can access photo sharing sites. It can even show your Google calendar. Of course, all of this is made possible through built-in Wifi connectivity. The price? $149.99. Not too shabby. eStarling is currently offering this with free two-day shipping, so there's plenty of time if you're trying to beat the Christmas rush.
Nikon COOLPIX S8100
This camera has everything. It captures 1080p HD video and features a 12.1 megapixel camera. And it's a steal for only $249, especially since competitive cameras are more expensive and feature lower quality. It's a high quality camera with advanced photo features, and is also great for social media types who travel to a lot of events and don't want to lug heavy photo or video equipment around.
MacBook Air
We couldn't make this list without at least one Apple product. The iPad was a close second, but missed the list because of its inflexibility for the business person. The MacBook Air, however, is great for the traveling blogger or social media manager extraordinaire. Compact and lightweight, but much more powerful than the iPad. It's an excellent tool that uses flash memory (which, of course, means no moving hard drive parts) so it is super quiet and fast. Santa Claus will have to make sure that the recipient was exceptionally good this year, though, because the MacBook Air starts at $999.
So there you have it. Six gifts that Rich and/or I think are stellar for the social enthusiast, or gifts that we wish our loved ones might get for us! We hope this helps, and happy holidays from Social Business!
