Slushie Maker
We all remember the brain-freeze days when we were very little, but at some point we had to grow up and start drinking tea… well, mostly tea. Now those magical frozen drinks, which you even drank in the middle of winter, are back! All you need is some ice and a sweet drink/juice to make your own personalised slushies. It looks, sounds and makes Slushies like it’s 1955, and considering the original machines were the size of a wardrobe – check out the Kwik-E-Mart’s Squishee machine in The Simpsons – it’s impressive that you can now get one that fits on a worktop.
£49.99
www.firebox.com
Rubik’s Cube USB Speaker
Over 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold worldwide since their invention in 1974 and last year marked the official 30th anniversary. Their popularity has given way to themed desk tidies, fancy dress, coasters and jewellery… but our favourite has to be the Spinning Hat designed speakers. This speaker has a headphone jack that’s compatible with any MP3, so you can show off your retro-cool wherever you end up, as long as you have a USB power source. It’s small and lightweight enough to carry around and show off, and comes already solved, skipping hours of twisting frustration.
£19.99
www.truffleshuffle.co.uk
Retro iPhone Cases
Your iPhone can now look like anything from chocolate bars to cassette tapes because awesome retro site Truffle Shuffle is stocking retro cases for Superman, The Rolling Stones and Gummy Bears fans. Whether you want to recreate the yuppy look of the 80s or just want to celebrate your love of The Beatles, they have the case for you. We love these wicked retro iPhone cases, which fit both the 3, 3G and 4 models, and bring the iconic ‘Brick’ and trusty cassette tape back to life! Make sure you pick up a case that fits your phone and do a quick search on the Urban Outfitters site for more ideas of different models.
from £6.99
www.truffleshuffle.co.uk
Ion LP2CD Vinyl to CD / USB Record Player
If you’re looking for a special gift this Christmas and you’re willing to spend a bit on the person who has everything, then splash out on a vinyl burner. It plays records on your computer and burns the tracks to MP3 format – ideal for all new vinyl lovers, plus parents who haven’t converted their collection, DJs who deal exclusively in grooved-based recordings and people who love picking up classics in charity shops. You may love the background noises of vinyl, it’s pretty definitive of the music, but you can use the sound recording and editing software to reduce noise, clicks, pops from your tracks. It’s PC and Mac compatible and has a built-in audio CD-burner.
£349
www.play.com
Kisai Escape C
Want a phone, watch and MP3 player you can wear around your neck? The Escape C is a revolutionary new Bluetooth® fashion accessory that makes being cutting edge as easy as picking out which strap you want – they come in everything from micro chain to black braided. Our desire to walk around sporting retro sci-fi style pendants that make calls, play music and tell us the time is overwhelming. In fact, the only other thing we want this gadget to do is speak ‘Starship Enterprise’ style. A little bit nerdy… who cares when you can use Skype and it’s compatible with all mobile brands. We want three.
£57.33
www.tokyoflash.com
On your bike
Sinstar Fixed Gear Bike
For a present you’ll want to keep for yourself, take a look at Sinstar’s new range of lightweight bikes. They are strictly limited edition and come in four amazing stylish colours – silver/black, orange/white, black/red and navy/white. The navy and white models have been so popular that they’ve already had to restock. The flip-flop hub means you can use it as a fixed-gear or a more traditional bike, useful for dealing with the traffic-filled streets of London. There’s a lot of techie stuff on the website. It’s a great pick for serious city riders as well as the average trip down the road.
£349.99
www.sinstarclothing.com
Written by Laura King