Spotify's 2024 Wrapped results arrived this week, and while the whole package seems a bit thin compared to previous years, we're still getting a kick out of seeing our listening habits laid bare. Apple Music also dropped its annual Replay, and Tidal's 2024 Rewind has landed, so non-Spotify users have some data to pore over too. For those among us who don't use any of the big streaming apps, well, it's still a nice time to reflect on personal favorites from this year.
Trying to find the right gift for an unabashed gadget lover during the holidays can be difficult, especially if you don’t keep up with tech industry news yourself. Fortunately, you’re reading Engadget.com, a site entirely staffed by people who spend all day figuring out what new stuff is and isn’t actually good. So allow us to help. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite gadgets and gear that just might satisfy the avid geek in your life, from premium keyboards and wireless headphones to audio samplers and karaoke mics.
For many of us, working from home is the new normal. If you know someone who spends most of their days inside their home office, the holiday season is a good opportunity to help make their day-to-day routine a little more convenient. As a group of remote workers ourselves, we’ve rounded up a few gift ideas that should make the WFH life a little more delightful.
Many Dads aren’t known for being forthright about what exactly they want for the holidays. (No, “peace and quiet” is not an acceptable answer in this case.) If you’re shopping for a father who likes gadgets but you aren’t sure what to get, let us help jog your brain. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite gift ideas for the typical dad below, with everything from VR headsets and gaming handhelds to toolkits and meat thermometers.
We don’t speak for all moms, but a brief and unscientific survey has confirmed one gift most moms will love across the board: Time. Unspoken for, unstructured, zero-obligation time. While we couldn’t find extra hours on sale anywhere online, we did find some gadgets and gizmos that help save time and others that make precious down time more enjoyable. Our recommendations include some of the gifts we’ve given to the moms in our own lives as well as what the moms on staff would want for themselves.
Since the dawn of humanity, we have traveled. We’ve come a long way from on-foot journeys laden with animal hide satchels. But the goal of good travel gear is the same: Get you and your necessities to a destination in the highest level of comfort available. If you know someone who is always catching a flight, rides the train to work or is bravely embarking on a cruise, some new tech may just help them out. We’ve put together our collective experiences in roving about the planet to come up with the items we wish someone had given us before we booked.
In Engadget’s Slack rooms, our pets are high on the list of stuff we chat about — just behind work-adjacent tech stuff, insane current events, video games and food. We’ve bought plenty of high- and low-tech stuff to keep our furry friends fed, occupied, safe and happy and we’ve put together the best of what we tried here. Perhaps you’re shopping for your own very good boy or girl, or maybe you have a dutiful pet parent on your list — either way, the gadgets gathered here will make great gifts, according to the enthusiastic tail wags (or aloof meows) of our own fur babies.
Teaching can often feel like a thankless job, so a good gift can help show that you appreciate someone who’s helped you or your kid learn and grow. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy: A thoughtful thank-you note, perhaps with a gift card, is still a warm way of recognizing everything they do (and is probably worth writing regardless). But if you’re looking for a little something extra, we’ve brainstormed a few gadgets, services and other gift ideas for the educator in your life.
Picking a streaming service these days can feel a lot like picking a show to watch — there are so many options, and each one offers something a little different. Whether you're into binge-worthy TV series, blockbuster movies, live sports or award-winning documentaries, there’s a service tailored just for you. Some platforms, like DirecTV Stream, bundle in news channels and live programming, while others like Fubo focus solely on being the ultimate sports streaming service.