Hi everyone, this is my 13th year of writing by Xmas gadget guide and boy what a year to be alive. Lockdowns have basically made 2021 seems like one giant blugh and who knows if next year will bring more of the same.
I have certainly been super busy this year in a year of change: new baby, house, job and lots of learning in new areas of investing like crypto.
I have re-found my love of writing and have been trying to make time for it. If you have been forwarded this email please do subscribe below I have written articles about: blockchain gaming, Defi, raising capital, IPOs, SPACs and many other random things that come to my head.
I only have two asks of you all in exchange for all of the wonderful gadgets below.
As many of you know I run a charity called Young Founders School which I started 7 years ago. We help high school students become entrepreneurs and we have just started a virtual internship programme. We need startups and companies to join us and lend a little time to help the next generation of entrepreneurs. If you are a startup or know one please either email me back or click this link
Take some time off this Xmas. It’s been a crazy year, nothing more important than family and friends. So block your calendar, turn off Zoom and enjoy your time
Would love to hear about what you have been up to, please email me back with a quick update on your life!
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Love Billy
Billys Gadget Guide 2021
Expensive Drone but worth the money
$2,199
I have been including drones in my gadget guides for years and similar to iPhones, they are getting incrementally better each year. The difference is that drones are still at the point where the tech is getting better by leaps and bounds.
Mavic 3 is quieter than the previous model and features 5.1K recording with 45 mins of flight time (50% increase vs the 2) and has 15km of range. That is much further than you can see without the naked eye.
The biggest change is the tech that keeps the drone connected to your controller even when behind buildings or very far away. For anyone that has had a drone drop “out of range” can know this is very scary. Overall a great Xmas present for when (if) we start travelling again
Best 360 camera in the world
$439
The 360 camera in the last few years have actually become small, useful and packed with features. You can use them for action sports, tours, and 360 videos.
The Insta360 is the best kit you can put that works seamlessly with an iPhone and has some pretty neat AI that is used to “delete” the selfie stick. The image stabilisation has been getting race reviews but the doesn’t perform that well in the dark. So mainly use it for the outdoor daytime filming.
The best way to find your lost devices
$30
The entire “tag” industry has come a long way from the original Tile app that was a crowdfunding success in 2015. Today most of the tile’s are pretty similar. I have an iPhone so have gone with Air Tag. Air Tag is far more functional then the original Tile. It is easier to setup, works further away and has much more spacial recognition. As long as someone with an iPhone is nearby you can find your item. The tile will beep and can be activated from as far as 30 feet.
You will never lose your bag, keys or Child again.
Track your kids without being weird
$90
Pretty simple: a GPS tracker for your kids. I know that some parents are all about them roaming free and let’s be honest, Singapore and HK are pretty safe. But at times when you just want that extra peace of mind this could be just what you need
The best portable speaker around
$499
I have tried to stay away from the Sonos ecosystem. Not because I don’t like the sleek looking devices but being a tech geek, I didn’t want to have ecosystem lock-in. Sonos’s new portable speaker changed everything though.
It is so small and has a richness of sound that you will usually only find in much larger speakers. It supports voice commands and has a neat trick to “sense” the type of room or outdoor space it’s in and adjusts the sound to suit.
I will admit that the Sonos app has been so easy to use that I now find that I use this tiny portable speaker as my main music speaker rather than my hi-fi, totally crazy I know! It is one of the best Xmas presents you can buy for your house. Will I move fully to Sonos? Prob not quite yet but I am definitely a big step closer
Sony Wireless Neckband SRS-NS7
One of the more ridiculous gadgets I saw this year
$198
I try and include gadgets that are purely ridiculous just for fun and oh boy does this will win the gadget wooden spoon. Touted as a “personal surround sound” it lets you have a surround sound experience without impacting those around you. I have a LOT of questions
Given its a personal device I assume itis only designed for one person, why would that person that need to be “aware of your surroundings”?
It doesn’t look like you can share it with anyone, if you happen to have another person in the room you can see in this ridiculous video, they also wear one as well! Why not just get a normal home theatre system? Maybe you have a kid but are single and so don’t want to disturb them and thus happy to wear this device
They also say that its “perfect for video conferences” I would really question anyone coming on a Zoom call wearing what looks like a deflated neck pillow around their neck
The best self-balancing board in the world
$1400
I have been fascinated by electric scooters and skateboards ever since my first ride on a Bird scooter. The issue is that all-electric mobility devices are banned from footpaths in Singapore (but not bikes and electric bikes which is kinda crazy to me). BUT if I did live somewhere that it was allowed I would 100% by buying this device.
The new Pint X is designed to be smaller and more portable, one can easily shove this under your desk at work. The max speed of 18mph and 10-mile range should satisfy almost any use case. Let’s face it, after the Olympics, skateboarding is cool again and EVs are cool so what is not to like about this
Keep your family close with wifi zapped photos
$176
During this pandemic, everyone has felt the pang of missing their loved ones. Whilst Facetime calls and Zoom dinners have helped somewhat, this gadget has been a huge help. I sent this to my parents, set up the app on my phone and connected it to a certain Google photos album and then everyone in the family can add photos and videos to the folder. It is then updated in real-time on the photo frame without them having to do anything.
They LOVE it and it helps bring a cheer to their face as they see the photos
Companion for your pets
$229
There were three things that it seems everyone bought during the Pandemic. Pets, cars and if you were in the US a Peloton. The issue is that only one of those things are with you for life. How do you look after your pets when you finally can go to the office or go on holiday.
This smartphone-connected device has a HD camera, night vision and you can give them snacks
Level up your grilling game
$98
If you own a BBQ you will know that getting the cooking temperature of Meat is 100% science not art. But not only is it a pain to check but the act of opening and closing the lid impacts the quality of the cook. Weber - the king of BBQs, have made this wireless, app-connected smart thermometer that you can monitor from the comfort of your couch. Never panic about your cook again!
Become a WFH pro
$500
As lockdowns drag on around Asia and WFH becomes the new normal. I decided to level up my WFH set up in my new place. I wrote a substack about all the gadgets that I bought but by far the most useful one is the Poly P15. This is Polycom’s first foray into the consumer market and they have done a decent job. The camera tracks your head and body movement (sometimes a bit too zealously). The camera is excellent in low light so those late-night calls look far perkier.
The microphone’s AI is by far the best feature as it only picks up sound in a narrow field, everything outside that (like a crying baby or angry wife) is cancelled out by AI. Before you ask, no you can’t use it more generally in life...although that could be an interesting business idea.
Portable camera glory
$149
There are few things worse than being stuck on Zoom calls all day. Oh wait yes there is. Being stuck on Zoom calls when people use their terrible laptop cameras so the camera is looking at the top of their head, chin or up their nose. Please for the love of God can everyone get an external camera!.
After a tonne of research, the best camera on the market seems to be this Brio. Was super easy to install, comes with a soft carrying case and has a bright picture profile. The camera clips neatly onto the top of the laptop or on a stand.
Skiing gadget for your squad
$130
Having not gone skiing for the best part of 3 years, I don’t know I am including a Skiing gadget here. If you have ever gone skiing with a radio, you will never go back. The ability to keep in touch via voice and not have to dig through your pockets to see your WhatsApp (and likely drop your phone off a ski lift) is a lifesaver. Not to mention being able to pretend you are still talking on walkie talkies whilst at Apres!
This audio system clips into your helmet and brings that experience into the 21st century. If I do go skiing again I will buy it and let you know how it is!
Display your NFTs
$1197
If you follow by Substack or Linkedin you will know my obsession with NFTs and crypto has extended this year in a big way. Yes, I own some NFT art andI do think about displaying it not only in the metaverse (Billy’s museum is coming soon) but also IRL.
Samsung have the perfect frame to display your digital art in your home! Pick this up for the crypto geek family member and they will stop saying “gm” to you each day. I promise(!).
AR cometh
Like most people, I have a love-hate relationship with Meta (nee Facebook). But one thing is for sure, Mark knows a platform change when he sees one. Metaverse in all its forms whether it’s gaming, VR or AR is coming and probably much sooner than we think. At work, we have certainly taken some very big bets that this is true. Meta’s first steps into AR is a good direction, the glasses don’t look like those strange Google glasses. But having a camera on your face is still creepy and having Meta control is creepy x10. However, the direction is right, we are very close to living in a mixed reality world and I can’t wait!
Reusable smart notebook
$299
A shout out to Sean for making this suggestion. I haven’t yet tried this but love the idea of a digital notebook that works. I have tried all sorts of combinations and never been satisfied. I still have a trusty Moleskin on my desk that I scribble on. Sadly they don’t ship to Singapore so I can’t try it but do let me know if you do buy it!