Watch lovers shopping: If you grew up with a Nintendo Game Boy, your younger self probably would have never believed that one day we’d be carrying around computer phones and iPads capable of playing 3D games. Now, you can level up your gaming even further with this retro compact gamepad from 8BitDo. This keychain-sized SNES-style controller features 12 buttons and a classic Famicom-inspired color scheme. Simply sync the 8BitDo gamepad with your phone or tablet and get playing. The 8BitDo Mini Zero rings in at just $17 from YouTech.Me, making this cheap gadget tough to pass up (and the perfect small gift for gamers).
A small history of watches and a few advices for purchasing the perfect watch. Chunky, luxury watches don’t suit everyone’s style, but this sleek-looking beauty carries the elegance and swagger needed to stand out from the crowd. The steel blue-like dial with its mix of distinctive leaf hands and Roman numerals exudes an air of class appropriate to a watch brand founded in Geneva in 1830. At 40mm it’s on the upper end of the medium size scale. Strap it on your wrist and see why celebs like David Duchovny and Kiefer Sutherland are huge fans. Chotovelli, a brand founded in the 1920s in Turin, derived and inspired by Italian aviators, is a name you probably haven’t heard before. Which just means it qualifies as a ‘find’. For the price, this handsome oversized chrono is by far the biggest bargain on the list, and the opportunity it affords to give each admirer a mini history lesson is just icing on the cake. The saddle leather strap will only get better with age, but caveat emptor: at 47mm, this is one big watch.
LUC XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England 40mm 18k white gold case, black alligator leather strap. Beneath its demure Swiss dial, Chopard’s new special edition LUC XPS has a supremely English core. Created to commemorate the new flagship boutique on New Bond Street, London, it features a hinged case back covering engraved with a Richard I lion motif, which swings open to reveal an ultra-thin movement powered by a 22k gold micro-rotor. The 40mm watch comes in 18k white gold with a dial decorated with hand-guilloché detailing, contributing to the receipt of its Poincon de Geneve hallmark, a rubber-stamping of horological excellence. Only available in the UK and limited to eight pieces, you’ll need to mount your own crusade to get your hands on one.
Our forgetfulness costs us thousands of dollars over the course of our lifetimes. Unsurprisingly, one of the most commonly misplaced items is our car keys. Thankfully, the Bluetooth-equipped Tile Mate easily slides onto a keychain, allowing you to track the whereabouts of your keys using an accompanying mobile app — even if they’re locked inside your car. Tile is one of the best Bluetooth trackers on the market, and it’s compatible with several infotainment systems. Read more details on Epivend.
Now, this is cool. She’s not just in the Echo anymore, Alexa can be in your car with you. Just tap the microphone icon, ask her for directions, a local sub shop, anything you can think of, and she’ll give you a helping hand. If you’ve got your phone plugged into the fast-charging USB 3.0 outlet, you can have her take control and make/answer phone calls for you. Alexa-enabled technology is usually expensive, but Roav Viva is a company by Anker, and we already know how much value they want to give to you. That being said, there’s a 12-month warranty with this, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee. Though we don’t think you’ll find a reason to return one of the best car gadgets ever to grace your dashboard.
The one thing that will mess up a brisket, or any smoked meat, are spikes in temperature inside the smoker. Traeger’s Ironwood 650 is a Wi-Fi-enabled smoker that not only monitors, but regulates its temperature automatically. You can also control the grill using an app, which is also packed with recipes. The Ironwood 650 uses wood pellets, so fuel costs are slightly higher than traditional charcoal smokers. However, we can’t argue with the results: delicious, delicious barbecue.