This list of the top NYC holiday tech gifts for 2015 has exactly what your plugged-in friends and family members are asking for. From the coveted Apple Watch to a sweet Super Mario enhancement, New York has the latest techie trends—and amazing places to go to track them down. These are our picks for the best tech gifts for shopping in NYC this holiday season.
Tech Gifts: The Smartbrella
Fumbling for your phone to answer a call or change that darn Beyoncé song on your shuffle is a real pain when you’re also balancing an umbrella in the middle of a rainstorm. Sound like your bad weather blues? Suffer less with The Smartbrella, an umbrella that boasts built-in Bluetooth technology with a wireless speaker and microphone, and accessible buttons right on the handle. Pick up that call. Switch that song. Stay dry. $59.95; Hammacher Schlemmer, 147 E. 57th St.; hammacher.com
Tech Gifts: The Mistletoe Drone
Rooted in antiquity as a symbol of fertility and later adopted by Norse mythology to induce celebratory kissing, this flying version—developed by Hammacher Schlemmer—hovers in place with a little help from some its rotors. $69.95; Hammacher Schlemmer, 147 E. 57th St.; hammacher.com
Tech Gifts: Super Mario Maker for Wii U
Just released this fall, the Super Mario Maker for Wii is a true power up. Create your own Super Mario world with all of your favorite old school tricks (Goombas forever), and revel in its new features, which give you total gaming freedom to program levels, insert enemies, and so much more. Expand the roster of possible costumes by completing the 100 Mario Challenge mode or tapping compatible amiibo™ accessories. $59.99; Nintendo World, 10 Rockefeller Plaza; nintendoworldstore.com
Tech Gifts: MuzikOne
Introducing Muzik® One, the world's most advanced wireless headphone. Program and touch a Hot Key that you personalize to make your life easier and more connected, like a remote controls a TV. Save or share the current track, identify what's playing, call your mom, hear the news, hear your weather forecast and much more, all with one touch from your headphones; DataVision, 50 W. 23rd St.; datavis.com
Tech Gifts: Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition
From your first Goomba stomp to your thousandth victory in Final Fantasy, the Nintendo Entertainment System™ may just be the most nostalgic gaming console ever. And now, a new, miniaturized version is here, pre-loaded with 30 of the all-time greatest games, including The Legend of Zelda™, Super Mario Bros.™ 3, and Mega Man 2. Just plug it in…and play. $59.99. For kids 10+ with Mild Violence.
The NES Classic Controller brings authentic retro gaming to your fingertips! This replica of the original NES Controller is designed for use with the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition system. It can also be plugged into a Wii Remote controller, so you can also use it with Virtual Console NES games on your Wii or Wii U console. Available at Nintendo NY.
Tech Gifts: Jamstik+
Learn guitar on the go with the jamstik+ SmartGuitar. This portable MIDI controller, designed with an authentic guitar neck, fret boards, and strings for strumming, plugs into your iPhone or iPad and mimics the sound of almost every instrument under the sun, from classic acoustic guitar to an 80s synthesizer. Connectivity to the app responds to your touch, and teaches you chords until you get them just right. For beginners or pros who want a guitar they can throw in their backpack, the jamstik+ hit all the right notes. $299; jamstik.com
Tech Gifts: Leica D-LUX
Leica has been leading the photography pack since it was founded in 1849. The German brand has evolved with the digital age, and has turned out stunning cameras that don’t just keep up, but really set the bar. Ditch your phone’s grainy camera and forget about that disposable. The Leica D-LUX at B&H is a worth-it investment that will produce pictures you’ll hold onto, no matter where technology takes us next. $1,051.6; 420 Ninth Ave., 212-444-5003, bhphotovideo.com
Tech Gifts: DxO ONE Digital Camera
Upgrade your iPhone and iPad photography with the DxO One at B&H, a super compact, lightning-connected camera with an impressive 20.2 MP 1” BSI CMOS sensor and fast 32mm equivalent f/1.8 lens. $599; 420 Ninth Ave., 212-444-5003, bhphotovideo.com
Tech Gifts: Apple Watch
Let’s face it, our lives are run by Apple technology. While Apple launched a whole new roster of great products, it’s clear that 2015 is the year of the Apple Watch, which allows us to wear all of the innovative functionality we rely on—music, photographs, texting, etc…—on our sleeves. New York’s high-tech Apple Stores are destinations in themselves, like the shopping at Grand Central Terminal. Prices vary; apple.com/watch