Every year, TIME's editors and correspondents work together to compile a collection of the most interesting and groundbreaking new products and innovations for the Best Inventions list. As holiday season approaches, the TIME team has pulled out a selection of 10 best consumer electronics items from the list that would make a perfect gift for the techies in your life.
—Clicks TechnologyA clacky, clip-on cellphone keyboard
In the decades since touchscreen keyboards became universal, plenty still mourn the sublime experience of typing on clacky BlackBerrys. The weary have compatriots at Clicks, a company chockablock with BlackBerry alumni devoted to bringing back tactile mobile keyboards. Its new Power Keys accessory is a slide-out keyboard that snaps onto the magnetic back of most phones. Clicks co-founder Jeffrey Gadway says it obsessively adjusted the curvature of the keys, the separation between rows, and the actuation points that trigger each keystroke. The goal was to “make something that will feel so good [to use], even if you don’t know why.” —Martin Cizmar
Buy Now: Clicks Power Keyboard on Clicks
—Nick Rochowski and CaligraCaligra Workbench
An ultra-minimalist operating system
Today’s computers are approachable, but also distracting, argues Caligra co-founder and CEO Grant Bisset. That’s why his company developed Workbench, a minimalist operating system for anyone comfortable opening files with terminal rather than clicking around for paper-shaped icons. Free of aesthetic artifice, the software offers scant apps beyond a web browser by default. “Nothing flashes, nothing moves, nothing sells you things,” he says. You can add anything you want via a package manager like Homebrew, quickly move windows around with keyboard shortcuts, and open the Stash dashboard to take notes or check the time. —Daniel Varghese
Buy Now: The C100 terminal designed to run Workbench on Caligra
—XREALLightweight XR glasses
The global market for extended reality devices is projected to sextuple to roughly $2.13 trillion by 2034. But stuffing the capabilities of a headset into normal glasses people can comfortably wear has long been a challenge. XREAL Aura’s Gemini-powered, tinted specs offer a 70-degree field of view, hand tracking, and spatial anchoring, while staying lightweight because computing power is in a tethered “puck” that clips over a pocket or on a lanyard. Powered by Android, Aura lets users download millions of Google Play and XR apps and connects to a Bluetooth keyboard to watch movies or play video games right on their glasses. —Richard Eisenberg
Buy Now: XREAL Aura on Xreal
—Plaud photographyPlaud NotePin S
A small stenographer
The diminutive Plaud Notepin S, which you can pin to your shirt or wear on a necklace, quietly records and transcribes at the press of a button. Its app summarizes the resulting text with the help of templates, ensuring its notes are useful whether you were in a doctor’s office or lecture hall. The company knew its original 30 templates had limitations. “We are not lawyers, we are not engineers,” said Plaud Head of Brand Communication Elina Tsao. This summer, Plaud established a Template Community allowing anyone to create and share templates that others with similar needs might appreciate. —Rae Witte
Buy Now: Plaud NotePin S on Amazon
—Samsung Electronics AmericaThe ultimate gaming monitor
Gaming monitors have long forced players to choose between pin-sharp detail and the speed needed for competitive play. Samsung’s 32-in. Odyssey G8 G80HS combines both, running games at 6K resolution and 165Hz, then switching at the press of a button to 3K at up to 330Hz. “The monitor adapts to the game, so the player doesn’t have to compromise their gaming performance or experience,” says Jim Kiczek, Samsung’s vice president of home entertainment marketing, audio and memory. It’s billed as the world’s first 6K gaming monitor with native 165Hz performance and 330Hz Dual Mode. —Chris Stokel-Walker
Buy Now: Samsung Odyssey G8 G80HS on Samsung
—OhsnapOhSnap Mcon
A comfy mobile game controller
What good is a mobile game controller if it gives you hand cramps? OhSnap's Mcon doesn’t sacrifice functionality for pocketability. The controller attaches to your phone magnetically and pops out to reveal a full-size gamepad with thumbsticks, analog triggers and fold-out grips. Less than an inch thick, the Mcon has a slider mechanism that makes it easy to switch back to using your phone for calls and texts. Plus, the magnetic back plate detaches, letting gamers prop the controller and play wirelessly, like a Nintendo Switch. —Jessica Sager
Buy Now: OhSnap Mcon on OhSnap!
—Kelvin YeA digital highlighterIn a world of multiplying distractions, it’s harder than ever to concentrate while reading a book—and harder still to save photos or screenshots of interesting lines for future reference. That’s where Mark II, the brainchild of founder (and avid reader) Eason Tang, comes in. It’s a smart bookmark that highlights text and saves it all in one app, making it easy to take notes without having to pick up your phone and risk losing focus. “It's a lot smoother of a process,” Tang says. The device also has a voice recorder for audio messages. —Eliza Thompson
Buy Now: Mark II on Thinkwithmark.com
—Fosi AudioFosi Audio MD3 MagDAC
Less cumbersome portable hifi listening
For true audiophiles, smartphone speakers don’t cut it. But portable digital-to-analog converters (DACs) typically come with their own drawback: a gadget hanging from your phone. Fosi Audio’s MD3 MagDAC solves both problems. The pocket-size converter and amplifier snaps onto the back of your device via MagSafe magnet, upgrading the audio quality coming out of connected headphones or speakers without downgrading user experience. The round LED display shows playback data, and the two USB-C ports ensure that you never have to sacrifice charging time for better listening. —Eliza Thompson
Buy Now: Fosi Audio MD3 MagDAC on Amazon
—Courtesy of XTEINKA pocket e-reader
While the most popular e-readers are smaller than a hardcover, many are still a bit too large for true grab-and-go convenience. Xteink filled the gap with its X3 and X4 e-readers, which are small enough to pocket and can also magnetically snap to the back of a smartphone. Now, the new X4 Pro makes the doll-size design more user-friendly with a touchscreen, adjustable warm-and-cool front lighting, and a larger battery. Like its predecessors, the Pro doesn’t include an ebook storefront, but its unlocked firmware means readers can upload their own EPUBs, PDFs, and more without worrying about compatibility problems or third-party restrictions. —Eliza Thompson
Buy Now: Xteink X4 Pro on Amazon
—AppleApple iPhone Duo
iPhone’s big makeover
Apple’s iPhone Duo, released in October, is far from the first foldable smartphone on the market. But it stands out thanks to Apple’s meticulous, design-first approach. The passport-sized phone is comfortable to stow in a pocket or use closed, but unfolds to reveal a matte, light-deflecting surface with a barely-visible crease. Prop the device open to 120 degrees to watch a movie, or play touchscreen games with intricate detail on the larger inner screen, which is nearly the size of an iPad Mini. The phone’s dual-camera setup also allows users to record video in both directions simultaneously. —Andrew R. Chow
Buy Now: Apple iPhone Duo on Apple
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