The holiday season has arrived – time to get festive! Here, we bring you the best gifts in tech to get for your loved ones, whether it be a piece of hardware, or maybe an interesting book to introduce someone to the AR world, we believe the recipient will love any one of these. Happy shopping!
1: Magcbike Augmented Reality Sports Camera Glasses
Designed for the sport geeks, these Augmented Reality glasses from Magcbike can be a little expensive, but we believe this is one great investment for your health. There are several applications you can use with it – and have some fun while doing your weekly cardio.
2: Merge VR/AR Goggles for Kids 10+
A very interesting (and inexpensive) choice is Merge Goggles. These VR/AR Googles are designed to be the perfect tool for initiation in the world of Augmented Reality for your little ones. They have adjustable lenses, are comfortable and have a very beautiful presentation. Merge Goggles are available in almost every possible color; they simply need to be used with a powerful iOS or Android device in order to provide the best experience. However, with the introduction of ARKit and ARCore guarantees a ton of new AR experiences in the near future.
3: Holokit – Cardboard-Like Augmented / Mixed Reality Set for Everyone
Are you looking for the most affordable (but useful) AR kit ever? That’s what Holokit is! What we like about Holokit is the compatibility with so many devices: Iphone 7 Plus (ARKit), Google Pixel (ARCore), Galaxy S8 (ARCore), Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, Zenfone AR (Tango) are some. If you are not sure about jumping into Augmented Reality, this is the perfect excuse for doing so!
4: Cybust’s Virtual Reality Headset Stand, Matte Black
Have you noticed how awful your AR/VR headset looks when you are not using it? Cybust’s VR Headset seems to be the perfect stand since it fits almost every headset available and, let’s face it, it’ll look cool in your AR studio.
5: Christopher Harbo – Easy Origami Ornaments: An Augmented Reality Crafting Experience (Origami Crafting 4D)
In the middle of a stressful world, sometimes you just need to sit down and do something that takes you away. Origami is just one of those things that over the years has proven itself as a great tool for relaxation. We are aware that this is not a medical book per se, but relaxation is also a part of getting a healthier life. We encourage you to enjoy it.
6: Octagon Studio – Animal 4D and Food 4D Flashcards
This product also fits in the same category as the previous one, it’s a great pastime. Originally designed for kids to learn about the different animals and food dishes in a very exciting way, getting to see an elephant or a lion emerge from the flash cards and roar is going to be a great experience for all the family! It does need a smartphone to work, but at $15.00 – it’s a great investment.
7: Seedling – Parker: Your Augmented Reality Medical Bear
Very recently, we dedicated a whole article to the wonders and marvels of Parker. The only setback is that it’s currently offered solely available for iOS system. But, let’s take it for what it is: a great experience both for you and your children. Parker transports children to a healthy and beautiful learning experience!
8: Editor’s Choice ACER – AH101-D8EY Windows Mixed Reality Headset and 2 Wireless Controllers
We believe that this officially licensed Windows Mixed Reality device is spot-on for price and quality! We are positive it will offer some great experiences in the professional, personal, and familiar sense.
9: EPSON – Moverio BT-300 (AR/Developer Edition)
One of the original Augmented Reality devices, this will work with so many applications in the Android platform and it will bring a pure AR experience! We could say it’s a little bit pricey (especially while considering it’s not as new as other AR devices), however if we compare it with other devices that offer similar experiences – it’s well below in terms of cost. If you want a focused AR experience, this is the device you should get.
10: Visual Computing for Medicine: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics) 2nd Edition
If you like to study the recent uses of visual technologies in medicine (this of course includes AR), this is a great book for reference. This book is ideal in the sense that it will also bring medical algorithms on how and when these techniques should be used, making it ideal if you are a med student, a practicing physician or if you are a developer that wants to focus on AR.
Are any of these on your holiday shopping list? Please let us know in the comments section! We will be publishing another list with the best apps available for Augmented Reality very, very soon!
* All photos are courtesy of Amazon
