Good news for those looking to pick up high-tech toys for yourself or a loved one: there's no need to break the bank.
Yahoo!'s Digital Crave shared 10 great gadgets available for under $50 -- but if you're still itching for more affordable gadgets, and just in time for the holiday gift-giving season, the following are ten more to consider.
Jam Wireless Portable Speaker
Despite the fact it's small enough to fit in your palm, HMDX's Jam Wireless Portable Speaker ($39.99) delivers very loud and clear music when wirelessly paired with a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tablet, laptop or iPod touch.
Available in multiple colors, this battery-powered speaker also includes a mini (3.5mm) headphone jack and cable for non-Bluetooth devices.
iHome iB50 Headphones
Who said you need to spend hundreds of dollars on noise-cancelling headphones? The iHome iB50 ($45.99) are a pair of comfortable over-the-ear headphones with active noise-cancellation; simply flick the switch and it'll cut down on more than 95 per cent of ambient noise, such as an airplane's engine roar while flying over the holidays.
Also include: a detachable cloth cable (with in-line volume control), travel pouch and two adaptors.
Otterbox Defender Cases
Whether you're a klutz or work in harsh environments, a rugged smartphone case is a good way to protect your investment. OtterBox's Defender Series ($49.95) safeguards the phone in three ways: a clear membrane that covers the screen, a hard polycarbonate skeleton that surrounds the smartphone and a wrap-around silicone skin that absorbs bumps.
Available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, these cases also include a swivel belt clip that doubles as a small stand for viewing video.
MOGA Controller for Android
Want more control out of your Android games? PowerA's MOGA ($49.99), which stands for "mobile gaming," is a comfortable controller that holds your smartphone securely while you use the buttons and analog sticks to control the action. Because MOGA works via Bluetooth, you can also use it with your Android tablet.
A number of popular games are supported, including Pac-Man, N.O.V.A. 3, Six-Guns, Sonic The Hedgehog 4, Dungeon Hunter 3 and Duke Nukem 3D.
Sculpt Touch Mouse
Are you still getting hand cramps by using your laptop's touchpad for hours at a time? Instead, consider Microsoft's Sculpt Touch Mouse ($39.95), which pairs with a laptop via Bluetooth, therefore not requiring a dongle to be inserted into a valuable USB port. Along with three customizable buttons, a touch strip on top makes scrolling through long and wide documents quick and easy. And you can use this mouse on virtually any surface.
MP3 DJ Doorbell
If a more quirky gift is your thing, the Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell ($49.99) is the first product that lets you customize the sound of your doorbell. First, create a song clip from your music collection, such as the chorus to "Ring My Bell," and copy it to the large speaker via USB (cable and software included). Then, mount the other piece — a small, wireless doorbell -- outside your door; when pressed, the speaker will play your music tracks inside.
TP-Link Portable Wireless N Router
Shopping for a tech geek who travels? As the name suggests, the TP-Link Portable Wireless N Router ($39.99) is a compact Wi-Fi router you can take with you — perhaps to a hotel or cottage — and once you snap in a USB cellular modem (sometimes called a "Turbo Stick" or "Rocket Stick"), multiple devices around you can get online at the same time — with wireless speeds up to 150Mbps in certain areas.
Verbatim Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard
Great for students and business travelers alike, this Verbatim wireless keyboard ($44.99) is ideal for long-form typing on virtually any Bluetooth-enabled touchscreen smartphone or tablet. When you're on the go, this full-size QWERTY keyboard folds up to half its size and slips into a matching black case, but when you want to type take notes, write a long email or type an essay or sales report, simply open it up, turn it on and prop up your device with an optional stand.
Slide 'Em Smart Gloves
Chances are your smartphone doesn't have buttons, so how do you plan on using it when Old Man Winter arrives? Slide 'Em (from $19.95) is the first pair of "smart gloves" with silver-plated material in all 10 fingertips, allowing smartphone and tablet users to effortlessly use their devices without needing to take the gloves off — especially in -10 degree weather. Whether it's for work or play, these lined winter gloves — available for kids and adults -- are built with a two-way stretch microfleece for flexibility and padding for extra warmth and durability.
PNY 32GB micro SDHC memory card
Memory cards can be used in a number of devices — from your laptop, video game system and camera to a smartphone, tablet and media player — and now you can pick up a whopping 32GB of flash for under $50. The PNY 32GB micro SDHC memory card ($34.99), for example, ships with an adaptor so it can also fit in standard SD slots, and boasts transfer speeds up to 20 megabits per second. Just to put it into perspective, a 32GB card can hold more than 10,000 MP3 songs — on something the size of your fingernail, no less.