It’s easy to think that the best gadget gifts are the fanciest and most expensive things. But there are plenty of options out there for the techie in your life that don’t require you to empty your wallet. If you’re struggling to come up with the right present for the early adopter in your life, we’ve gathered some of our favorite things that are both small and affordable. The best part? Everything comes in at $50 or less.

Chromecast with Google TV

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

If you’re at a loss when it comes to a good, cheap gift for the techie in your life, you can’t go wrong with a Chromecast. The latest Chromecast with Google TV is the one to get right now and it doesn’t matter if your giftee uses Google products already. Like other Chromecasts, this one lets you stream movies and TV shows from major services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu andHBO Max, among many others.

The Google TV interface has always been pretty easy to navigate, but it’s simpler than ever thanks to the remote that now comes included with the Chromecast. It has an Assistant button, giving you quick access to voice commands, plus a circular D-pad, shortcut buttons for YouTube and Netflix, and support for HDMI-CEC and IR, allowing you to control your entire TV with it. And, unlike larger set-top boxes or smart TVs that your recipient may already have, the Chromecast is portable, so they can take it with them to make binge-watching their favorite shows easier when they’re not at home.

Apple AirTags

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Most of us have someone in our lives who misplaces everything — their keys, wallet, purse or backpack, the list goes on. If that person in your life happens to also own an iPhone, AirTags make great gifts and you can buy one for only $30. (You could even get an AirTag case for them, too, and still spend less than $50.) These quarter-sized Bluetooth trackers pair almost immediately with iOS devices and can then be tracked using the Find My app.

You can use them to keep track of nearly anything, but they work best on items that take clips or keyrings or things like backpacks that have small pockets. In addition to showing their location, the Find My app also lets you force the AirTag to play a loud chime so you can more easily find it in your home. And if you’re close enough to the missing item, Apple’s Precision Finding feature can literally guide you to it using the tech in your iPhone’s U1 chip.

KeySmart Classic key holder

KeySmart

Those who have a mess of jangling keys weighing down their pockets may benefit from a KeySmart holder. The $23 Classic model is the best for most people as it’s slim and holds up to 14 keys in a neat little sandwich of sorts, in between two aluminum and stainless steel pieces. It’s easy to stack all of your keys on either end of the KeySmart and, once installed, you can rotate out only the key you need to unlock your door. The Classic also comes with a loop ring so you can easily attach your stuffed KeySmart to something larger like your car key.

Anker Nano II GaN charger

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Chargers like the Nano II GaN 65W adapter from Anker may not be the first things that come to mind when you’re exploring tech gift ideas, but they are some of the most useful gadgets out there. We all have so many devices — phones, tablets, smartwatches, headphones, earbuds, and more — and most of them need regular charging. An extra charger like Anker’s lets you power up more devices at once, but it also does so more efficiently. The gallium nitride technology inside this small cube prevents it from overheating even when charging up a larger device like a MacBook Pro. It’s also 58 percent smaller than the MBP’s own charging adapter, so it’ll take up less space in a bag or backpack when you’re on the go.

Most bricks of this size aren’t able to support fast-charging for multiple devices, but the 65W capacity of this Nano II model makes it a good option for all of your devices. Just before publishing this story, the 65W model went up in price by a few dollars, pushing it over our $50 threshold — but Anker sells 45W and 30W models as well, so you can get the same charging technology for even less.

Anker USB-C to Lightning cable

Anker

As with chargers, we all could use an extra cable on hand in our living rooms, backpacks, on our desks at work or anywhere else where we need to power up. Anker’s got plenty of Powerline II charging cables for all types of devices, but arguably the two most useful are the MFi-certified USB-C to Lighting cable and the USB-C to C connector. The former supports fast-charging and has been tested to withstand the bends and twists necessary to fuel your iPhone in strange places. The latter can fast-charge many devices and it works with larger tablets and laptops as well, making it a good all-purpose cable for your various USB-C gadgets.

Joby GripTight One GorillaPod stand

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget / Joby

Joby’s GorillaPod stands aren’t just for aspiring social media stars or photographers. The GripTight One stand in particular is a handy tool that anyone will find useful when they need to take a quick family photo, prop their phone up to watch a YouTube video, or hold their phone at a better angle to take a selfie. Its clamp grip can hold all smartphones and its rubber feet prevent it from slipping. But the flexible legs are the kicker here — they let you wrap the stand around objects like railings so you can get the best angle possible when shooting photos or videos. And considering how compact and lightweight it is, Joby’s stand is one of the best options out there for a travel phone stand.

Mophie 15W Wireless Charging pad

Mophie

Charging pads are like charging cables: It never hurts to have an extra wireless charging pad lying around. Mophie’s 15W pad is one of the nicer looking ones we’ve seen with its rounded square design, ultrasuede finish and LED indicator light. It’s compact enough to fit on a crowded side table next to your couch or on your desk. With 15W of power, it’ll fast-charge most smartphones and it works with cases up to 3mm thick. And, since it supports the Qi standard, you can use it to power up almost anything else with a wireless charging case, like those wireless earbuds you just bought.

Bandai Original 90s Tamagotchi

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Suckers for ‘90s nostalgia will be thrilled to find an original Tamagotchi in their stocking. The digital pet from 1997 is back and, at least with this model, not much has changed. You’ll still be tasked with feeding, cleaning and taking care of your Tamagotchi using the three buttons on the egg-shaped device. Yes, you can even discipline the creature when it’s bothering you — just make sure not to neglect it to the point of starvation.

Bellroy Classic Pouch

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Some people have started to go back into the office and maybe you know someone who’s been trying to bring some small comforts from home into the workplace. Shuttling mice, charging cables, power banks and keys to and from anywhere can make it look like a bomb went off inside your bag. Bellroy’s Classic Pouch is a good way to tame that mess. Measuring 5.5 x 8.9 inches, this half-moon, zippered pouch can fit most small essentials that you’d want to keep with you at all times. Inside are a few organizational pockets, including one with a magnetic closure,. We also appreciate the nine sophisticated colors that it comes in, and many of the pouches are made of water-resistant, woven fabric created from recycled plastic bottles.

Samsung EVO Select microSDXC card (256GB)

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget / Samsung

It can be easy to underestimate the value of having more storage. Flash drives, memory cards, portable SSDs and the like are gadgets that many people don’t have when they need it the most. Samsung’s EVO Select microSD card would make a good gift for any number of people in your life: photographers, gamers and all-around nerds. Samsung’s memory cards are some of the most reliable out there and also the most versatile — this one has read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds up to 90MB/s. That makes this a great option for those who want more storage on their smartphone or tablet. It also comes with a full-sized adapter so those with DSLR cameras will make good use out of it, too. Lastly, this would make a great gift for someone whose Nintendo Switch is packed with games, allowing them to download and play more titles than they could before.

Yubico Yubikey 5 NFC

Yubico

Having a good password isn’t always enough, which is why you should turn on two-factor authentication for your most precious accounts whenever possible. The Yubikey 5 NFC gives you a physical way to unlock your devices when you’re asked to authenticate for a second time. This particular model has NFC, so you can simply tap it to a compatible device to verify your identity. It’s also a USB-A dongle of sorts, so you can plug it into your laptop so you’ll always be recognized when you’re using it. Yubico sells a USB-C NFC version as well, but at $55 it’s just a bit too expensive for this guide. We also appreciate that the entire Yubikey NFC series works with Windows, Mac, Chrome OS and most mobile devices, and that the keys are made from durable water- and crush-resistant fiberglass.

PopSockets PopGrip for MagSafe

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget Popsockets

If you scoffed at PopSockets when they first came out, you’re not alone. But these circular doodads are actually great ways to better grip and prop up your phone. The only “problem” with older PopSockets is that they were a bit inconvenient to take off if you wanted to go socket-free for a time. But those with new iPhones don’t have to deal with that annoyance anymore thanks to the PopGrip for MagSafe, which is basically just a magnetic version of the classic PopSocket. It’ll attach to the back of any compatible iPhone and pop off which ease whenever you want to switch out your case. Also, the PopSocket itself has a swappable top, so you can add more of your personality to it with some of the company’s many interchangeable tops.

The latest iPad Pro is your best bet if you want to eschew traditional laptops and go for a more versatile Apple machine. Currently, both Amazon and B&H Photo have a great deal on the 512GB WiFi model — it's down to $1,249, which is $150 off and a new all-time-low price. If you plan on using this iPad as a laptop replacement, you won't regret springing for a model like this with a bit of extra storage.

We gave the 12.9-inch iPad Pro a score of 87 thanks in part to its stellar performance. The latest tablets run on Apple's M1 chipset, so they perform similarly to the company's MacBook Air M1. They handle taxing tasks like 4K video editing smoothly, and they won't break a sweat when handling multiple browser tabs, mobile games and other actions. Battery life is good too — you should get at least 10 hours before needing to recharge. On top of that, the latest iPad Pros have support for 5G, and they include a USB-C port for charging and connecting peripherals, plus the new Center Stage camera that keeps you in frame on video calls.

Both the 11-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad Pros look much the same as they have for the past couple of years. However, the 12.9-inch version has the added bonus of a Liquid Retina XDR display. You'll notice its full benefits when watching videos — the full screen can hit up to 1,000 nits of brightness, while some HDR elements like flashy visual effects will shoot up to 1,600 nits. Combine that with the screen's 120Hz refresh rate and you have a stunning panel that's excellent to use on a daily basis, and even better when watching TV shows and movies.

We still consider the MacBook Air M1 to be the best Apple laptop for most people, but you can get a similar laptop experience with a bit more versatility by opting for an iPad Pro. Paired with the right accessories — like the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil — a 512GB iPad Pro would make a solid laptop replacement for those that value portability above all else. And thanks to the M1 chipset, you won't sacrifice power to get a better grab-and-go machine. 

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Can't wait to play Elden Ring? While the game is still a few months away from release, FromSoftware will broadcast a 15-minute gameplay trailer later today at 10AM ET/7AM PT. You can watch the entire clip on YouTube, Twitch and right here.

For most Souls fans, this will be the best chance to see the highly anticipated RPG in action before its February 25th release date. FromSoftware plans to hold a closed network test to stress test "various technical verifications of online systems," but that will be only open to a small group of lucky players.

Today's trailer is likely to give fans a more in-depth glimpse of Elden Ring's open world. In June, director Hidetaka Miyazaki said there would be six areas linked by a hub (think: Firelink Shrine). Not all of those will be accessible from the start of the game, but each will feature a main dungeon with various smaller forts, caves and catacombs to explore. Players can expect the largest world FromSoftware has created to date.

Elden Ring will be available on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. And like you, we can't wait to play it.

Since 2017, Arlo has been one of the few companies to offer a security camera that can work without a WiFi connection. It’s not the only option in the marketplace, but it’s easily the best known. And at $430, it’s also the most expensive. Enter the Go 2. Not only is it more affordable than its predecessor, but it also comes with a handful of upgrades.

First, the price. Arlo plans to sell the Go 2 for $250. As for upgrades, the most notable is a 1080p camera, up from a 720p one on the first model, that features a lens with a 130-degree field of view. It also comes with a built-in spotlight, support for two-way audio and color night vision. As with its predecessor, an internal battery allows you to install the camera without the need for any wires and the weather-proof casing will protect it from the external elements.

Arlo

The Go 2 includes both WiFi and LTE connectivity, and it can use the latter as a backup if your home wireless network suffers an outage. Otherwise, it’s fully capable of running on only an LTE connection. On that note, while each Go 2 camera will come with three months of complimentary access to Arlo Secure, you need the company’s subscription to use the device. If you prefer to store footage locally, the Go 2 comes with a microSD slot. Additionally, if you ever lose the camera or someone decides to steal it, it’s possible to locate it through GPS.

Arlo envisions people using the Go 2 at construction sites and vacation homes. In other words, places where a stable WiFi connection may not be guaranteed. You can buy the Arlo Go 2 starting today through Verizon. It will come to additional carriers in 2022.

Both small bespoke auto customization businesses and major car manufacturers, like Chevy, are pulling out the old and putting in the new when it comes to vintage car engines. Now Ford is making a similar statement with its F-100 Eluminator concept.

It’s an upgraded 1978 pickup truck with two of the company's new Eluminator electric crate motor kits. The power plants are the same as the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, giving the F-100 a total 480HP and 634lb/ft of torque. Ford didn't discuss performance benchmarks or range — it’s likely the car body is heavier due to the era it comes from. And yes, it’s a concept.

Ford is hoping, however, that you’d buy the $3,900 Eluminator motor for your project car. The automaker eventually hopes to supply everything you might need for an EV retrofit, including batteries. For now, however, just the engine is available, making it a high-level project that is probably beyond the abilities of most of us.

— Mat Smith

Amazon's Ring Alarm Pro is now available

The system starts at $250.

Amazon

It combines an Eero WiFi 6 with a home security system. As with most of its security devices, you can buy the system as part of several bundles. That said, if you want the router on its own, it’s $250. Another option is to buy it as part of a $300 eight-piece kit that comes with a keypad and multiple sensors.

Keep in mind, you’ll need a Ring Protect subscription to take advantage of many of its features. That adds cloud video storage and 24/7 backup internet for your security devices (via an LTE module in the Ring Pro base station). There’s also Eero’s cybersecurity subscription thrown in for fair measure, too.

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The best board games to gift this holiday season

Have some screen-free fun with your family this year.

Engadget

On the lookout for analog gifts? Board games are a great gift for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family without the need for pixels. But keep the divorce-bating Monopoly in the cupboard, we have some new titles to try.

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HBO Max teases post-apocalyptic series 'Station Eleven'

Watch the teaser for the limited series launching December 16th.

HBO Max has released the first teaser video for its adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel's post-apocalyptic novel, Station Eleven. In the short video, you'll get glimpses of most of the main characters of the story as they face a pandemic that ravaged most of the planet. Ulp, relevant.

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Nintendo releases big 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' update earlier than expected

It's the game's last free major content update.

Nintendo

Nintendo has released its last free major content update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons over a day earlier than planned. The update is now live to download to your Switch. Version 2.0 adds several characters from old Animal Crossing titles.

One of those characters is Brewster, the quiet pigeon proprietor who'll open up the Roost Café at the museum after you do a certain favor for museum director Blathers. Kapp'n, the singing sailor kappa, is also back and will take you to remote islands on his boat. Only once a day, however. If you’re waiting on that paid DLC, Happy Home Paradise is still scheduled to come out tomorrow.

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GM's self-driving Cruise division has launched its fully driverless robo-taxi service in San Francisco, with co-founder and President Kyle Vogt getting the first ride. To start with, the service will be available for free to GM employees and certain members of the public, TechCrunch reported. 

"Earlier this week, I requested a ride through our Cruise app and took several back-to-back rides in San Francisco — with no one else in the vehicle," Vogt wrote in a YouTube video description. "There are lots of other Cruise employees (not just me) who are testing and refining the full customer experience as we take another major step toward the first commercial AV [ride hailing] product in a dense urban environment."

Vogt said the Cruise launched the Bolt vehicles on Monday at 11PM, and it "began to roam around the city, waiting for a ride request." He got his first ride from a Cruise Bolt EV called "Sourdough," saying the experience was "smooth." A separate video showed sections before and after the vehicle picked up passengers while it was in "ghost mode" with no one in it.

Early last month, Cruise received a California DMV permit to operate the service between the hours of 10PM and 6AM at a maximum speed of 30 MPH in mild weather conditions (no worse than light rain and fog). It's allowed to run them without drivers and charge for delivery services, but not ride-hailing. For paid robo-taxi rides, it must apply for a final permit with the California Public Utilities Commission. 

GM recently launched its "Ultra Cruise" system for passenger vehicles, promising that it will "ultimately enable hands-free driving in 95 percent of all driving scenarios." The company has spent 10 million miles testing the system, and its previous Super Cruise has generally garnered positive reviews compared to rival systems like Tesla's Autopilot.  

Scammers used a new type of phishing campaign, which doesn't use emails, to steal around $500,000 worth of cryptocurrency from wallets this past weekend alone. According to Check Point Research, those bad actors purchased Google Ads placements for their fraudulent websites that imitate popular wallets, such as Phantom App and MetaMask. The malicious websites have URLs close to the original's, such as "phantonn.app" — the real service's URL is "phantom.app" — with designs also copied from the real deal. 

Check Point Research

The scammers will then steal the victim's passphrase if they visit the fake website and type it in. If the victim uses the fake website to create a new wallet, they will be given the attacker's secret recovery phrase. In the event that they use the recovery phrase to log in, they'll actually be logging into the bad actor's account, and any fund transferred to it will go to the scammer. For MetaMask, in particular, the fake website has the option to import an existing wallet. Since doing so requires a seed phrase, the scammers will also get access to it. 

As Check Point Research explains, the Phantom App and MetaMask are some of the most popular wallets for Solana and Ethereum. It cross-referenced Reddit forums to come to the conclusion that around half a million dollars were stolen last weekend alone, and it found 11 compromised wallet accounts containing crypto worth between $1,000 and $10,000. The scammers had already withdrawn funds from those wallets before CPR found them. 

CPR says scamming groups are now bidding on keywords on Google Ads, which is a testament to how effective the method is. It's now advising users to examine the wallet's URL closely and to skip Google Ads results altogether so as not to unknowingly fall for the scam.

FC Barcelona, one of football’s biggest clubs, is auctioning off NFTs “based on some of the club’s historic moments.” Details are scarce for now, but it appears as if the club will allow fans to bid on clips of highlights in a style similar to that of NBA Top Shot. The transactions will take place through Ownix, a new Ethereum-based marketplace which will offer auctions for digital trinkets in a variety of categories. The company says that the Barcelona NFTs will be selected by a “special joint committee” and then minted, first as unique one-off auctions, and then later as a broader limited edition or collection. Ownix, which is emerging from stealth with this announcement, currently has a fairly limited selection of items to purchase, including some Squid Game and Batman-themed fan art, plus whatever the hell this is. 

Barcelona’s decision to begin selling NFTs may have been prompted by the debt crisis the club is currently in, with debts reported around $1.56 billion this summer. The club’s previous leadership is accused of reckless spending on a number of players on high wages that have subsequently underperformed. This summer, the club was forced into a fire sale and, due to rules on how big its wage bill could be, was unable to retain Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most successful players. That NFTs are, essentially, the definition of money for old rope, means that it's the sort of financial opportunity a club like Barcelona are incapable of turning down right now. 

The club isn't alone in leaping feet-first into the cryptocurrency mire, with many major names offering "Fan Tokens" through Socios. That company offers clubs the ability to mint their own coins and use it to run engagement schemes with their fans. But, unlike real socios — the Spanish word for the members who own a real ownership stake in their club — these tokens will only allow you to take part in polls set out by the club's leadership, enter competitions, and so on. But despite the obvious limitations, Socios is already making money, and when France's Paris Sant-Germain signed Lionel Messi, part of his "welcome package" was a bundle of these tokens, believed to be worth (at the time) up to $34 million.

Nintendo has cut its Switch sales forecast due to ongoing semiconductor shortages, the company announced in its earnings report. It now expects to ship 24 million Switch units for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 instead of the 25.5 million units it had originally predicted. 

The issue came into focus this quarter, as Nintendo managed to ship just 3.83 million Switch consoles compared to 6.86 million during the same quarter last year. So far, its net sales for the year are down 18.9 percent to 624.2 billion yen ($5.46 billion) year-over-year. That's not a huge surprise, however, as Switch and software sales exploded during the COVID-19 lockdown and following that has proved to be impossible — particularly as chips and components have since become more scarce. 

Despite the revised sales expectations, Nintendo expects to match total revenue of 1,600 billion yen ($14 billion) from the previous fiscal year, thanks in part to games. It aims to sell 200 million software units, 10 million more than last year, which would help offset the console sales drop. Upcoming titles include Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl plus a Zelda-themed Game & Watch.

The most popular games so far this fiscal year include Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (3.6 million units sold), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (3.34 million units) and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2.22 million units). 

Despite the reduced expectations and tepid console sales this quarter, Nintendo has now sold 92.87 million Switch units to date. That's still short of the Wii, which has the current home console sales record of 101.63 million units shipped. However, if Nintendo comes close to matching the 11.57 million units sold during last year's holiday period, the Switch — aided by the new Switch OLED model — could finally top that mark by the end of the year. 

Nintendo has released its last free major content update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons over a day earlier than planned. During its Direct presentation in October, the gaming giant announced that it's rolling out New Horizons version 2.0 on November 5th. As TechCrunch and IGN have confirmed, though, the update is now live and can be downloaded to your Switch. Version 2.0 adds quite a number of new features to the game, including characters from old Animal Crossing titles. 

One of those characters is Brewster, the quiet pigeon proprietor who'll open up the Roost café at the museum after you do a certain favor for museum director Blathers. Kapp'n, the singing sailor kappa, is also back and will take you to remote islands on his boat. You can only purchase boat rides once a day with Nook Miles, though, so you can't endlessly sail around all day. If you want to shop from new stores owned by familiar characters, you can head over to Harv's Island, which now has an open market. Reese & Cyrus' shop, for instance, will offer new types of furniture customization, while Katrina will read your fortune.

The update adds gyroid hunting and cooking activities, as well. For the latter, which will be part of DIY recipes, you can combine anything you harvest and other ingredients to create new dishes. Finally, New Horizons 2.0 introduces several quality-of-life improvements, including the ability to establish ordinances. You can make the residents get up at the time of the day you're active in the game, for example, or reduce weeds' growing rate. The update also allows you to keep more items by giving you a bigger home storage and storage sheds you can place around your island. 

In addition to the free update, Nintendo announced last month that it's releasing a Happy Home Paradise paid DLC that'll let you design vacation homes for characters on November 5th. That one isn't available yet, but it'll set you back $25 when it comes out tomorrow.