The 2024 Wishmas Guide for... the Ladies!

 

We can't forget the... Ladies, but on that note I'm handing this one off to Sophi!

As a woman who loves to stay updated with the latest trends, I know how challenging it can be to find the perfect gift for some women. Whether you're shopping for a tech-savvy friend, a fashionista, or a gamer, this guide has got you covered. Let's get started!

 Tech Items 

1. 4 Earbuds that Rival or Bests the Apple AirPods Pro 2
   
   
   • Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro + $20 Amazon Gift Card Bundle |  $190 
     
     
   • Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 |  $169 
     
     
   • Sony WF-1000XM5 |  $228 
     
     
   • Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds |  $229
     
     
2. Meta Quest 3S VR Headset

   • This VR headset provides an immersive virtual reality experience with high-resolution displays and intuitive controls. Great for entertainment, gaming, fitness, and virtual travel. This VR headset includes Batman: Arkham Shadow.
     
     
     

   • Price: $299
     
     
3. 3 Affordable Options that rival Amazon's Kindle Colorsoft
   
   
   

• Kobo Clara Colour | $149
• PocketBook Verse Pro Color | $145

• Kobo Libra Colour | $199
  
  
  The latest Kindle features a color display, making it perfect for reading e-books, comics, and magazines. It also has a waterproof design and wireless charging. This is great, but it's rather expensive when there are alternatives with similar and far better ratings. Research the features, while these are more reasonable in price, they don't natively support Kindle books. You will have to use third-party software to convert the Kindle files. On the bright side, these options give you access to their stores, public library systems, and support a wide range of formats.

4. Mobile Game Controllers

   • For Gamers, the SCUF Nomad is a premium performance mobile gaming controller designed for iPhone and compatible with iOS 16 and above. It features customizable rear paddles, anti-drift hall effect thumbsticks that you can swap, and an ergonomic shape for maximum comfort. The controller offers up to 16 hours of battery life and includes a free app for customizing gameplay settings. It's perfect for gaming on the go, allowing players to record and share their highlights effortlessly.
     
     
     
     
     This is a great gift option type because women are always with our cell phone, and this gaming device takes away the need to carry around a Switch or a Steam Deck for gaming. The SCUF Nomad can be used for the Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Steam Link, and the PS Remote. Get the 3-Year Protection Plan for $7.99 and this will ensure that any issues will be covered for years to come.
     
     This beats the Backbone, because she won't have to worry about a subscription fee. There are enough expenses to deal with and I just don't understand why a peripheral would need a subscription. The SCUF Noman is subscription-free, and you can add all your games to the user interface for easy access. There are clips to connect your phone to your standard PS5 & Xbox controller, but this is more cohesive.

   • Price: $59.99  $99.99

 Video Games 

1. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
   
   The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts that have appeared--and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it's up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in a brand-new The Legend of Zelda story!
   
   
   • Price: $59.99
   
   
2. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
   
   
   • This trilogy follows the journey of Apollo Justice, a rookie defense attorney, as he learns from Phoenix Wright and tackles various courtroom battles. The remastered collection features updated HD graphics, an improved user interface, and additional content.
     
     
   • Price: $39.99
   
   
3. Princess Peach: Showtime!

• Save the Sparkle Theater as Princess Peach, taking the spotlight in her very own game. Partner with the theater's guardian, Stella, and use the power of Sparkle to help the Theets and take on Grape and the Sour Bunch.

• Price: $59.88

 Easy Wins 

1. Beauty & Spa Service
   
   
   • A Beauty & Spa gift is perfect for women who love a good pampering session. Those who rarely have the time to indulge in these services will appreciate it even more. It's a wonderful way for them to relax, and you can help make that happen.
     
     
   • Price: Starting at $15.29 (Prices may vary on location)
     
     
2. $25 Panera Gift Card and 3-Months of Panera's Unlimited Sip Club
   • If she frequently visits coffee shops and loves Panera, this gift is sure to delight her. It includes a $25 gift card, and the Unlimited Sips Club membership, which grants her unlimited iced or hot coffees, teas, fountain drinks, and more. Every time she saves money on a beverage, she'll think of you.
     
     
     
   • Price: $23.20
     
     
3. Gift Cards
   
   
   • When you're unsure of what to gift her, one thing's for certain: gift cards are a great backup plan. They give her the freedom to choose exactly what she wants.
     
     
   • Price: Starting at $10

 Fashion 

1. Pajama Set
   
   
   • Ultra-soft pajamas provide a cozy option for bedtime or lounging around the house. They offer a breathable and comfortable fit, perfect for relaxing.
     
     
   • Price: Starting at $14.30
     
     
2. 
   Belt Bag
   
   
   • A sleek belt bag is perfect for carrying essentials like her phone, wallet, and keys. It can be worn around the waist or as a crossbody when she doesn't want to carry a purse, is going for a run, or wearing pants without pockets. This is a great gift for women who tend to misplace their belongings.
     
     
   • Price: Around $7+

3. Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System

• This multi-styler cuts down on heat damage and helps achieve professional-level looks with little effort. It includes attachments for different hair types and it sure to make styling her hair more manageable.
  
  
  

• Price: Around $209
  
  
4. Purses

• Purses make fantastic gifts, offering a wide range of colors and sizes to suit any preference. Take the time to identify her style and choose a high-quality purse that complements her fashion sense ahead of the big day!
  
  
  

• Price: Varies but doesn't always reflect on quality.
  
  
5. Smart Watch

• 
  This gift beautifully bridges the worlds of tech and fashion. While it stands as one of the more premium options, it offers long-term benefits for health, fitness, and productivity. The selection includes the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Apple Watch Series 10 with sleep apnea detection, Google's Pixel Watch 3, Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, and the OnePlus Watch 2.
  
  These are among the best smartwatches available in 2024, making any of them a fantastic gift choice. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the most affordable option, and if she isn't loyal to Apple, it's a clear winner for your wallet! A traditional watch is a great alternative if the price of the Apple Watch is too much to chew.
  

• Price: Starting at $228
  
  
6. Sunglasses

• Sunglasses are a perfect stocking stuffer that give her the ability to protect her eyes from the sun, while also looking stylish. You don't have to go expenses in this category, but if you're going to go for affordable, I recommend Sojos.
  
  
  

  
  
• Price: Around $15

These gifts are sure to delight any woman in your life, whether she's into tech, fashion, or gaming. Happy shopping!

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Sophima

 + Blu 

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Wishmas List 2020!

So... today is the day to present my 2020 Wishmas List! 

These products are in no particular order, and get the job done for function and/or fun!

Off the bat... the 1More Portable BT Speaker. These speakers deliver a damn good audio experience... and pairs together for increased immersion. Portable speakers and headphones don't cancel each other out, there's a time and place for both. These speakers work great for in-home audio, but... they're portable and allow you to get out and enjoy music, shows, movies, and even games while outside or just away from home in general.

Portable speakers are mentioned first, because with Covid-19... I know that many are tired of being at home and... if you want to get out and switch things up... these speakers come in handy. You can use portable speakers to dance with bae, enjoy music at the park over a meal or dinner + a movie, have social distance workouts, and all that good stuff.

Another portable speaker that I have to mention in this Wishmas List is the Sony SRS-XB Portable BT Speaker... even if the body of some models doesn't exactly work well for all surfaces (while standing). This particular speaker wasn't reviewed on SDGT, but... I have to mention it because the party connect (of up to 100 compatible speakers) increases the number of things possible. You don't need a loudspeaker for group activities like yoga/fitness groups to keep everyone on beat + socially distanced, and if you break out the projector... you have some drive-in movie potential going on. BYOS!

This particular speaker is the Sony SRS-XB43

Mentioning a certain monitor this year is a bit of a challenge, even with monitor upgrades. This year I want to bring the price point down, but in the $50 to $200 range there really isn't a solid monitor with good enough specs. So to go slightly beyond that... I suggest the Viewsonic 27" WQHD.

This particular Viewsonic is a 27" curved gaming monitor for $229.99 with a refresh rate of 144Hz + a max resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a response rate of 3ms. It comes with FreeSync Premium under the hood as well. You also get 2 HDMI Inputs + 1 DisplayPort. There is a Gigabyte out there with similar specs, but... the max resolution is 1920 x 1080 for the exact same price. Just say... no. The Samsung Odyssey G5 is nice too, and also has similar specs as the Viewsonic... except it's missing that extra HDMI port.

Not everyone is looking for a new monitor, some of you have a telly on your wishlist. This year, I can easily recommend the TCL 6-Series. The TCL 6-Series R635 HDR 4K UHD Smart QLED TV... not only comes equipped with a Roku under the hood for pretty much all your streaming needs, but it delivers some really awesome quality for the price. You can place this TV alongside some of the more popular brands and get similar, almost as good, or even better quality as far as clarity is concerned.

Now... size is totally up to you, they come in 55", 65", and 75"... but I can't go bigger than 55" (personally). Either way you play it, just make sure that you have the right sized entertainment center or base to hold this thing. Again, with Covid-19 in full swing... the in-home entertainment is one of the easier things to upgrade if the price is right... and the TCL 6-Series 55" comes in less than $700!

The TV also includes HDR10, HLG, and... (drums) Dolby Vision! There are definitely other features in there... but you're welcome to check them out here as I move on to the next item on the Wishmas List! By the way, if you're looking to make your TV... smart for a decent price, consider the Chromecast with Google TV. You get the apps to stream to your hearts content + Google Stadia support is headed to the device in 2021... which gives you the option to game without a PC or console.

This next item up... is a surround sound system. Specifically the Logitech Z906 THX-Certified 5.1 Surround Sound. Before I jump in... don't pay $400 for this system, use this link so that you can price match it at Best Buy for $233.65! As a matter of fact, use any of these links to price match and get the best deal!

Anyway, the Logitech Z906 system delivers 1000 watts peak sound, THX-Certified + Dolby Digital + DTS encoding. If you're at home and want to enhance your audio experience... i'd have to recommend a solid system but the reason why I single this one out is because of the ports. I have Logitech, but I didn't want to make it a brand thing... I like the versatile setup of the Z906. You can connect multiple inputs simultaneously, which range from compatible 3.5mm devices, RCA, six-channel direct, digital coaxial + optical inputs. Also you get a control console + a basic but useful remote control.

Add this to your TV or PC setup and dive into your enhanced audio experience. There are definitely other brands out there to choose from for lower prices... but I haven't utilized a lot of them.

As far as headphones go, i'd easily add the 1More True Wireless ANC In-Ear THX-Certified Headphones. No wires, charging case, the case is also able to be charged wirelessly + the sound quality is just amazing. Check out the full review... here!

I can't forget about the Smartwatches. Specifically the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, because I can get that traditional look while still getting smart watch functions. I'm more inclined to have this sort of watch because I don't think the usual look for the smart watches look as good with a suit (IMO). Samsung gives you the option to decide on the size, face, and the band color (though there are some great third party bands out there if you want to increase your options).

I'm not hating on the Apple Watch, but I haven't invested in the Apple ecosystem, and I don't like the way the watch looks when paired with my style... but to each your own. Apple also has options as far as bands go, and they appear to have a crapload more than Samsung, so take your pick based on what works best for you (look, function, price). 

Smartwatches are on the list in general based on what they do, but I want mine to fit my style + enhanced functionality.

The Galaxy Watch 3 has a meditation feature, stress meter, a breathing sensor, a sleep sensor, mobile pay potions, voice command, talk to text, the ability to stream music and pretty much the features i'd expect on an Apple Watch. There are certainly other watches out there, but if either of these are on your radar... I chalk it up to the look but also the Galaxy Watch is compatible with both OS if I decided to ever switch up.

Another item on the Wishmas List this year are remote control cars, but I urge you to beware because there are a lot of really bad options out there. Avoid the cheesy ones that focus on gimmicks rather than actual speed and the ability to take on rugged terrain, they're a waste of money to me and buyer's remorse is bound to set in. I don't hate on the stunt RCs but the flipping tires aren't something that will prove entertaining for the long haul.

I'd go as low as the Bezgar 17, but i'd recommend something more on the lines of a Soyee 42 Km/h All Terrain RC. The Soyee is less than $100 bucks but delivers on the functions that will make it enjoyable long term. You can actually race against other cars on and off road and also take on the terrain. It has a water proof rating of IPX5, 100m max range + a RC390 Brushed Motor (at 21K revs/minute).

I wouldn't normally add this sort of product to the Wishmas List, but... it's a gift that can transform playtime into some serious competition and gets you outside (I was thinking about this when Nintendo unveiled Mario Kart Live). 

Just imagine several racers spaced out (safe distance in effect) around a track made to scale, that gives you the ability to enjoy the company of others and... race it up on or off road. No offense to Nintendo's Mario Kart Home Live Circuit, but... how much are you spending on that when you could simply get Mario Kart for the Switch? There's a major price difference and less is required, plus you have the ability to race against anyone regardless of what type of RC they own (no compatibility requirements).

This year... I don't know if I recommend a console, but if I were to recommend one... it would either be the Playstation 5 or the Nintendo Switch. No offense to Xbox fans, but I have my reasons. I would recommend a PC before either of those this year, which gives you the option to work, play or create. When you consider Covid-19 and how many people are forced to work or learn from home... the PC is probably the top item i'd recommend this year. PC's range in price and specs, but with the various streaming options for games... you can play games that require higher specs on lower end PC's for the same price you would have to pay for a console subscription (based on your internet speed).

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PS5 or Xbox X|S: Still unsure? Consider this!