The Holiday Season can be stressful, especially when it comes to gift giving. Almost everything we use has received a “smart” upgrade from fitness equipment, home appliances, your vehicles to everything in-between.  If you’re looking for the best tech gifts for family or friends, we’ve rounded up ideas for everyone on your holiday shopping list this year.  Believe it or not, as an Internet Service Provider, we know a thing or two about technology. Here is a list of nine tech gifts that the techie in your life will love. 

1. For the at home fitness guru: Peloton Bike  

At home fitness has spiked drastically these last couple of years due to the pandemic and even though some have returned to the gym, it seems that many people are sticking to working out from the comfort of their own home. The Peloton Bike + makes working out at home fun and exciting with its immersive technology. You can take a bike ride through the mountains, or train in real time with an actual fitness trainer. Although it is a bit of an investment, it is bound to add to your techie’s workout regime.  

2. For the creative techie: Apple MacBook Pro  

 Let’s be real, Apple is huge right now and they’ve got a very loyal customer base, BUT we aren’t recommending this product to keep up with being trendy. The facts are that MacBook Pros are a power tool for the creative, especially those interested in graphic design. They have the display, color, graphics, processor and RAM that your creative needs! Not only that, but they are portable. Who doesn’t want a workbook that is easy to lug around!  PRO TIP: The APP store has plenty of applications for editing videos, photos and graphics. Download some on there to really impress your Techie this Christmas.  This laptop really is worth the hype, that’s probably why it’s on almost every “tech gifts” guide this year!

3. For the Amazon fanatic: An Echo Show

Okay so yeah, Apple has a loyal customer base, but Amazon does too! Maybe Apple isn’t your techie’s brand, but they can’t get enough of Amazon devices. Consider giving them an Echo Show! Our personal favorite is the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen).  This version of the echo show has most features, but not all the fancy ones, making it cheaper and giving you the best bang for your buck. You can use it to video chat, stream shows and music, manage your smart home, and just make your life easier with simple tasks like checking your calendar, the weather or your to do list.

4. For the techie with a new smart home: Philips Hue lighting  

Is your favorite techie a new homeowner? Or maybe they have a home and want to hop on the smart home wave? This is the perfect way to help them get started! These lightbulbs are simple and easy to set up. Once they are set up, they are controllable from any smart phone or even a voice assistant, such as Alexa or Google Assistant! They can be changed to 16 million different colors which makes this gift extra fun if your techie is big on hosting parties or streaming.  

5. For the techie who wants to live in the Bahamas on a budget: A smart thermostat  

Upstate New York has some beautiful seasons, but the winter can be dreadful for those who just aren’t made for the cold. This is the perfect gift to get for your techie who loves the island temps but needs to experience warmer weather on a budget. With a smart thermostat they can save money by programming the heat from anywhere! It’s best to get a smart thermostat that works with whichever voice assistant and brand they prefer, like Amazon or Google. Depending on the device, a smart thermostat has the capability to control the temperature in each individual room. This is the ultimate gift for someone who is always cold or budget conscious!  

6. For the germaphobe: iRobot Roomba

Imagine having a clean house without having to clean? That is the ultimate dream come true. Unfortunately, unless you have the money to hire a cleaner, the iRobot is the best it is going to get. It’s still a great deal though! This robot vacuum learns the floor plan of your house and allows you to control it from your phone! It also empties itself for up to 60 days (about 2 months)! That is 60 days of clean floors without you having to lift a finger! On top of that, it is great for homes with pets. Your techie can now have floors clean enough to eat off, without having to pay thousands, or touch a vacuum for 60 days!  

7. For the techie who is always on the go: A smart plug 

People who are on the go 24/7 tend to be more forgetful! Help your techie this year by getting them a smart plug! Say they left the house too quickly and forgot to turn off the coffee maker, now they can right from their phone! We’ve all experienced that moment when you get into bed too fast and completely forget to turn off a lamp, the tv, or even the radio! But now thanks to you, your favorite techie doesn’t have to roll out of bed, they can just turn off any appliance from anywhere! It’s a win for them, and a win for their electricity bill. They won’t be able to thank you enough for this gift!  

8. For the social butterfly: A smart lock 

This is the ultimate gift for the person with a bunch of friends. We aren’t talking about the party goer; we are talking about the party thrower. The person who always has people over. Now they can, but without lending their keys or door passcode. They can let whoever they want in, at any time, from any place! With a smart lock, they can grant people permanent or temporary access to their home, no key needed! This also limits the need to hide keys around the outside of the house, which is just safer overall. Smart locks are easy to install and are also compatible with voice assistants too.  

9. For the Instagrammer: Mini Photo Printer  

Surprise your techie with a mini photo printer! They love to take pictures on their phone and post them to their feed, and now they can have those same photos printed! All they have to do is connect their phone to the printer, and they’ll be able to print any photo! Gone are the days of dragging a camera around with you to get tangible photos. Plus, smart phones are beginning to have amazing camera quality, which means you aren’t missing out so much when it comes to good quality photos.  

 Bonus! For every techie:  Greenlight 

The holidays are here so snatch up these tech gifts while you can! If your techie is in a serviceable area, consider giving the gift of Greenlight this year! 2023 is around the corner, start your techie’s year off big with our GIG! With 1 Gig upload and download speeds your techie can run all these devices at the same time and more! That is a 2-hour HD movie downloaded in 25 seconds! That’s how fast we are talking.  The best part is our Big Gig plan is only $100 a month. With our fast speeds, and affordable prices, we will be able to keep up with every techie no matter their lifestyle! Happy shopping from Greenlight