2016 Holiday gift guide: Technology, gadgets under $100

An inexpensive but fun gift is the Roku streaming stick. Especially helpful if you want to avoid cable subscriptions, the dongle plugs into the back of a television set and uses an Internet connection to grant the user access to thousands of free streaming channels whether you're interested in the news, sports, or entertainment.

Price: $29.99 (£19.99)

Via: Roku US | Argos UK

Google Cardboard, a do-it-yourself virtual reality kit, could make a quirky gift this Christmas. The VR set can be used with your smartphone to project 3D environments and works with both Android and iOS devices.

Price: $14.99 (£9.99)

Via: US | UK

This Christmas, an Amazon Paperwhite could make a great gift which does not break the bank. The e-reader uses e-ink technology and has a high-resolution 300 ppi display for reading, in addition to an inbuilt backlight.

Price: $119.99 (£79.99)

Via: Amazon US | UK

The Amazon Echo Dot, the smaller sibling of the Amazon Echo, could be a fun and affordable gift this Christmas. You can use the Dot's voice activation assistant to control your smart home devices, connect up to speakers to play music and ask for information, as well as book a cab or even order pizza.

Price: $49.99 (£49.99)

Via: US | UK

If you're looking for a gift this year to make a statement or act as a talking point, check out the Shapeways market.

The platform offers everything from jewelry to handy accessories -- such as the laptop camera cover shown in the image -- and every item is manufactured through 3D printers.

Via: Shapeways

A useful stocking filler this year comes from Mywraps, which offers earphones that wrap around your wrist without becoming entangled and act as something of a fashion accessory when not in use. Available in a variety of colors and designs, you're sure to find one that will be loved this Christmas.

Price: $Varies

Via: Mywraps

Flic are smart home buttons based on the "if this, then that" programming system. You can clip the buttons on or stick them to your walls and program them for particular functions depending on how many times you press, such as turning on IoT lights, sending a text message or performing a mobile app function.

You can now also purchase $19.99 Flicsingles which are buttons wired for particular tasks, such as finding your phone, taking a selfie or controlling your music playlists.

See also: Flic review

Price: $34

Via: Flic

A useful stocking filler or smaller gift could be a protective case or cover from Snugg, which offers a range of protective cases in leather, silicon and other material for devices such as the Apple MacBook, Google, Samsung and LG smartphones as well as laptops and cameras.

Price: $Varies

Via: Snugg

The JBL Charge 2+ is a portable Bluetooth speaker which can be used to play music from your smartphone or tablet for up to 12 hours on a single charge. The speaker is also splashproof and, once connected to your mobile device, can be used to take calls as a de-facto microphone.

Price: $99 (£99.99)

Via: US | UK

The Misfit Shine is a small, discreet fitness tracker which can be worn as a button, sports band or as a fashion accessory.

The tracker monitors your daily steps, sleeping patterns, distance traveled and calories burned to help you refine your fitness regime.

Price: $29.99 (£35)

Via: US | UK