As someone who gets to play with tech toys for a living, you might say that I’m a little bit spoiled. And now that I’ve been doing it for over 20 years you might also say I’m a little bit jaded. You would be wrong.
Even after all this time I’m excited to try out the latest gadgets, and that’s especially true around the holidays, as I get a chance to show off my very top picks on Fox 5’s Good Day New York TV show. And this year’s lineup is the best I’ve ever had the chance to put together. Check out the full video clip below.
Yes, the usual suspects like the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the LG G3 OLED TV are awesome to give and receive. But I wanted to look beyond the ordinary to find something for everyone on your list. From an indoor electric oven that can cook pizzas in 90 seconds and smart glasses that can record holiday memories to a tiny replica of my favorite arcade game ever, here’s my 7 favorite gadget gifts.
Great for Foodies
Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven
You know a gift is hot when it makes Oprah’s list of favorite things. The Ooni Volt 12 is a stellar all-electric pizza oven that heats up to 850 degrees in just 20 minutes for fresh stone-baked pizza at home. Just make your pizza and put it in the oven and you’ll have a finished pie in just 90 seconds. Seriously.
The Ooni Volt 12 is easy to use with its adjustable dials, and there’s a built-in timer to make sure you don’t overcook your pizza. We actually cooked a pizza with this thing before going on air, and I was amazed with the result, complete with slightly crispy bubbling cheese on top. This oven takes up a decent amount of counter space, but if you really love pizza it’s worth it.
Great for Gamers
Nintendo Switch OLED + Super Mario Wonder
As someone who isn’t a hardcore gamer, I love just sitting back and playing the Nintendo Switch OLED, especially on my commute. You get a vibrant OLED display, an improved kickstand over the original Switch and more internal storage for games.
The Switch OLED’s screen is the perfect canvas for the new Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a side-scrolling game with loads of playable characters, stunning visuals and badges that give you all sorts of new abilities. I also love how the Wonder Flowers alter levels in wonderfully trippy ways.
Great for Travelers
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
If you have a frequent flier or mass transit commuter on your list, they will be wowed by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. These new cans offer a sleek design with pillowy earcups and superior noise cancellation for keeping everything from crying babies to roaring engines silent.
The QC Ultra also offers a new Immersive Audio mode that makes it feel like the sound is coming from all around you while listening to music and watching movies. And you get a strong 24 hours of battery life.
Great for Health Nuts
Ninja Thirsti
If you’re sick of buying bottles and cans like I am, the Ninja Thirsti is a great alternative. This system can make still and sparkling drinks using a combination of cold water and CO2. And you can pick from multiple flavors, including everything from Lemonade with all sorts of B vitamins to Ripe Raspberry and Peach Mango with Caffeine.
And unlike the very popular SodaStream, you have control over the amount of fizz and the ability to combine flavors. You can also customize the drink size from 6 all the way up to 24 ounces. The flavored water drop packs are $7 each or about $20 for a 3-pack.
Best for Influencers
Okay, I said they’re for influencers. But the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are also for anyone who wants to listen to music on the go or podcasts while hearing the world around them. Or for taking photos and videos without having to get out their phone — perfect for when you’re sightseeing or playing with the dog.
I recorded a quick clip walking around Bryant Park to where the ice skaters were gliding around the rink, and I was pretty impressed with the video quality. Plus, you can live stream directly to Facebook and Instagram. These smart glasses are getting smarter all the time, too, as you can now use them to help pick out your outfit.
Great for Retro Fans
The pang of nostalgia the first time I fired up the My Arcade Ms. Pac-Man Micro, a device that lives up to its name by offering a handheld size replica of the original arcade classic. The gameplay is identical to what you remember along with all of the cute intermissions, music and gobbling pellets and fruit sound effects.
If Ms. Pac-Man isn’t your thing, you can choose from 7 other options, including Galaga, Mega Man, Space Invaders and Street Fighter. The joystick is small but I got used to it pretty fast. And I love that I don’t have to keep entering quarters to keep playing.
Great for Apple Lovers
Raise your hand if you have someone on your list who owns more than one Apple device. Okay, I think that’s pretty much everybody. For you I present the HiRise 3 Deluxe from Twelve South, which is a compact 3-in-1 wireless charger that juices your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once.
The magnetic phone stand supports the handy Standby Mode available in iOS 17, which essentially turns your iPhone into a smart display with an alarm clock, widget access and photos. The pop-up Apple Watch charger puts your wearable front and center, and the back part of the stand can power your AirPods or even a second iPhone.
