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42<br />
Your<br />
Christmas Tech<br />
Many of the gifts we give or get at Christmas are<br />
gadgets, and that means Santa has a few things<br />
to think about in the days before the big<br />
day. For example, if the kids have asked<br />
him for a games console it’s highly<br />
likely that the console will need to<br />
download a big software update<br />
before it can play online; the worst<br />
possible time to do that download<br />
is on Christmas morning when<br />
everybody else in your street is trying<br />
to do the same. If you can, connect any<br />
new console to the internet in advance so<br />
there’s no delay before the kids can play.<br />
Another good idea is to prepare a bit of paper<br />
with your Wi-Fi details and password on it: from<br />
Amazon Echo speakers to Apple iPads and even<br />
many kids’ toys, a Wi-Fi connection is needed<br />
for them to work. Digging out the details in<br />
advance will speed things up considerably on<br />
the day.<br />
It’s worth looking out any USB-ready charger<br />
plugs (such as from iPhones or Kindle Fire<br />
tablets), because to help reduce electronic<br />
waste many USB-powered devices will come<br />
with a cable but not the plug it connects to.<br />
And of course, it’s a very good idea to check<br />
what batteries any gadgets, toys or remote<br />
controllers are going to need. If you don’t<br />
already have one, a battery charger with a<br />
couple of sets of AA and AAA rechargeable<br />
batteries will come in very handy in the next<br />
few days.<br />
Last but not least, we’d recommend having a<br />
multi-tool or a screwdriver set and some really<br />
good scissors handy. We’ve found that many<br />
kids’ toys come screwed to the packaging or<br />
require very small crosshead screwdrivers to<br />
open their battery compartments, and others<br />
come in extremely strong clear plastic that’s<br />
very hard to open.<br />
OCULUS QUEST 2<br />
APPLE WATCH<br />
Checklist<br />
The top big-ticket Christmas gifts <strong>2020</strong><br />
The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch ever<br />
made. There are now three watches to choose<br />
from, starting at £199 for the Series 3 and rising to<br />
£399 for the Series 6.<br />
£199, Apple.com<br />
This is very geeky, we know, but the<br />
Facebook-owned Oculus Quest delivers<br />
an incredible virtual reality experience<br />
without wires or the need for a computer.<br />
£299, Oculus.com<br />
PLAYSTATION 5<br />
The next-generation PlayStation<br />
is big, beautiful and it isn’t quite<br />
as expensive as we feared: the<br />
standard version is £449 and the<br />
disk-free digital version is £359.<br />
£449, Very.co.uk<br />
FITBIT SENSE<br />
If you or your loved one is a<br />
fitness fan, the new Fitbit Versa<br />
adds clever new features to its<br />
tried-and-tested fitness tracking,<br />
including EKG, temperature<br />
sensing and even stress sensing.<br />
£299, Fitbit.com<br />
DYSON SUPERSONIC<br />
If your time is money, then<br />
Dyson’s high-tech hairdryer will<br />
pay for itself very quickly: not<br />
only does it make your hair look<br />
amazing, but it does it in an<br />
amazingly short time too.<br />
£299, Boots.com
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