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Holiday Gift Guide 2016: Arts & Entertainment Gifts For You!

Business Entertainment Lifestyle Dec 23, 2016

by Matthew Currie

When the weather outside is frightful, these toys will keep your holiday season delightful. Here are our picks for the season’s finest home entertainment offerings — from virtual reality goggles to cheeky robots to Bollywood blockbusters.

Samsung Gear VR Oculus, $130 CDN

Photo Credit: Samsung

Why just watch Finn, Rey and Han soar through the stars in the Millennium Falcon when you can live the adventure yourself? Compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, Samsung’s virtual reality headgear puts you right in the thick of the action with a best-in-class fit and intuitive controls. Needless to say, this one’s a particularly nice buy for video gamers.

Vivitek Qumi Q6-BU Pocket Projector, $778 CDN

Photo Credit: Vivitek/personalprojector.co.uk

The perfect gift for the on-the-go cinephile or titan of industry in your life, this admittedly pricey pocket projector lets you turn any wall into a screen for immaculately rendered photos, movies and important business presentations. WiFi-capability, 4 GB of internal memory and a sleek design round out an industry-leading package.

Nutshell, $16 CDN

Photo Credit: Random House/ew.com

The latest from Atonement author Ian McEwan is a novel told from the most unusual perspective: an unborn fetus who, from the womb, regales us with the sordid tale of his mother and uncle’s plot to betray his father. Uniquely funny, gripping and, needless to say, unlike anything else you’ll read this year.

Apple Watch Series 2, From $359 CDN

Photo Credit: Apple/target.com

Apple smooths out the kinks in its flagship wearable tech with a second-gen smart watch that’s quicker and more intuitive — in addition to being waterproof and GPS-enabled. It also sports a vibrant screen and oodles of fitness-tracking functionality. If you were holding off on the smart watch craze, now is the time to hop on the bandwagon.

The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma, $21.99 CDN

Photo Credit: Bloomsbury/amazon.in

A funny, insightful look at life in modern India from an exciting new voice in fiction, Ratika Kapur’s novel tells the tale of Renuka Sharma. The protagonist plays the very traditional role of wife and mother in a rapidly changing country — until a fateful conversation with a stranger forces her to reexamine everything.

Google Home Smart Speaker, $129

Photo Credit: Google/businessinsider.com

High-performance audio is only part of the equation. Think of Google Home as a fully functional, voice-activated search engine that just happens to blast Rihanna on command — and look damn good while doing it.

The Iron Giant: Ultimate Collector’s Edition, From $91.64 CDN

Photo Credit: Warner Bros./blu-ray.com

The sweet, poignant, gorgeously animated tale of a gargantuan robot from outer space teaming up with a lonely kid and going on the run from the government was a bit of a flop when it came out in the summer of 1999. But it’s since gone on to find reverence as one of the most beloved animated achievements of all time. And the upside of a film going under the radar is that you get the pleasure of introducing your friends and family to it. Released just a couple months ago, this Ultimate Collector’s Edition presents you with the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Pink , $20 CDN

Photo Credit: mtwiki.blogspot.ca

The great Amitabh Bachchan heads up this blistering indictment of India’s rape culture, a timely message communicated via the tale of a bipolar lawyer called upon to help three women fight for justice after being assaulted and systematically tormented by a group of powerful men.

Cozmo the Robot, $180 CDN

Photo Credit: Anki/popmule.com

All the fun of a pet, none of the cleanup. Billed by manufacturer Anki as a “supercomputer on treads,” this quirky little ’bot comes with tonnes of personality that comes out while he’s playing games with his owners (note: he doesn’t like to lose) and exploring his surroundings, reacting spontaneously to stimuli. Cozmo is ready to go out of the box, and all you need is a smartphone to get him started.

AKG Y50 Headphones, $190 CDN

Photo Credit: AKG/av-online.hu

With a striking design to match their amazingly detailed performance, these over-ear headphones are a cheaper option than Beats and make a statement while they blast your tunes.

Main Image Photo Credit: AKG/av-online.hu

Original Post Date: December 1, 2016

Matthew Currie

Author

A long-standing entertainment journalist, Currie is a graduate of the Professional Writing program at Toronto’s York University. He has spent the past number of years working as a freelancer for ANOKHI and for diverse publications such as Sharp, TV Week, CAA’s Westworld and BC Business. Currie ...

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