Every year at Techgoondu, we wish for the world to be a better place. World peace and stuff.
More realistically, we just hope we’d strike 4D and win enough money to buy a gadget we can only dream of. Or perhaps hope that someone might gift it to us this Christmas.
What would geeks dream of tearing a wrapper apart and finding this year? Here’s our wishlist of gadgets and gear that would bring a big wide smile to our faces.
Razer Blade (from S$3,299.90)
Much has been said about this engineering wonder that packs powerful PC components into a razor-thin body. While some detractors may scorn at its resemblance to Apple Macbooks, the Razer Blade stands out from other boring silver slabs in the market with its black-and-green persona.
You don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate the aesthetics and computing juice oozing out of this gaming rig. With an Intel Core i7-4702HQ quad core chip, Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M graphics, a solid state drive, the Razer Blade will crunch anything you throw at it with ease.
Plus, its 15-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 display means you can expect plenty of eye candy from games, videos and photos alike. Except for its hefty price tag, it’s hard to fault this gaming rig made by a company started by Singapore’s Tan Min-Liang. -Aaron
Atomos Shogun 4K Recorder (US$1,995)
Restricted to professionals with deep pockets even up till last year, 4K video has now entered the hands of indie filmmakers, thanks to affordable cameras like the Panasonic GH4 and Sony A7s that tout 4K capabilities.
So what better way to further empower the filmmaking community, then an inexpensive 4K recorder that brings the capabilities of expensive filmmaking equipment to consumers.
The Atomos Shogun, the world’s first 4K HDMI recorder, promises to help indie filmmakers achieve big budget cinematic quality by recording 10-bit 4:2:2 4K video, and even uncompressed Raw 4K, from the camera sensor straight into single or raided HDDs or SSDs.
It even doubles up as a professional video monitor and audio recorder with its array of monitoring tools and XLR inputs respectively.
At US$1,995, the Shogun is a highly affordable game changer for budget filmmaking. And with the first device being made available on December 25th, it is the perfect Christmas gift for any filmmaker. – Jonathan
Sony 85-inch X-Series Bravia 4K LED TV (S$29,699.10)
I don’t go to the movie theater very often, so getting a good screen is important to me. Not that I can afford it, but if I could ask Santa for one thing, it’ll have to be Sony’s 85-inch X Series Bravia 4K LED 3D TV.
This is one TV that draws me to it, like a fly to a lamp. Its size and brilliance simply floors me. Even though there isn’t very much 4K content available right now, Sony’s X-Reality Pro processor makes HD movies look great. Of course, 4K mastered material on Blu-ray will look optimal on this screen.
Like many modern TVs, it’s a SmartTV with built-in Wi-Fi, so cord-cutters out there, this screen gives you more entertainment options. While many people don’t appreciate 3D TV, this one has it, and I appreciate its inclusion – I personally like this feature, uncomfortable as it is for movie marathons.
The price isn’t “too bad” either: S$32,999 (with GST). With the Sony Days offer (ends 4 January 2015), the price goes down to S$29,699.10 (with GST). -Alvin
Alienware Area 51 gaming desktop (from S$3,999)
PC doomsayers must have had a rough year, which saw device makers push out even more unique and innovative hardware designs – from thinner and sleeker 2 in 1 devices to out-of-this-world gaming desktop machines.
Of the latter, none other incited more gadget lust in geeks than Alienware’s newest Area 51 gaming desktop. Weighing close to 30kg, the monolith packs in some of the greatest consumer hardware currently in existence, including Intel’s Core i7 Extreme processors and Nvidia’s Titan Z graphics cards.
The PC’s so-called “triad” shape is a beautiful sight to behold, looking like a UFO that may slide open and reveal a Martian pilot at any moment. The unique shape fits up to three full sized GPUs and five hard drives while maintaining plenty of air flow – with most parts fully upgradeable and replaceable.
Handles built into each corner of the triad allows users to rock the chassis back and forth to more easily access various ports, or maybe pick it up for a bicep curl or two to keep the blood flowing in between intense death matches.
This behemoth isn’t for everyone, not least because of its starting price of S$3,999. It’s also really, really big – picture don’t quite do its size justice – so it’s possible you may need new furniture just to fit it into your current set-up. -Raymond
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (S$1,781 for desired configuration with Type Cover)
The third iteration of Surface is finally good enough to serve as a tablet as well as a laptop, at least in my books. The laptop-class Intel Core processor and Windows 8.1 support normal Windows x64-based software, unlike the Arm-Windows RT pairing available in previous iterations that will only run Windows Phone apps.
Its larger screen also makes it more versatile. With smartphone screen sizes on an unrelenting rise, a larger screen might just be what is necessary to differentiate its use case from the glut of phablets. All of the above are contained in a package that is barely over 1kg with a decent keyboard.
If only it has better battery life and runs iOS so there could be greater continuity between my iPhone and Macbook Air without me having to deal with the inconvenience of bringing the charger out. -Desmond
Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolution (about S$20,000)
More than S$20,000 is a lot of money to pay for anything, never mind a pair of speakers. And bookshelf speakers at that. Yet, the Guarneri Evolution is not rated as one of the best sounding pairs of speakers for nothing.
Expect the trademark Sonus Faber qualities like pinpoint portrayals of musicians on a virtual stage. Get ready for something new too – a more dynamic sound when you move from jazz vocals and fire up something punchy.
And the Italians don’t put out ugly speakers. With a high-gloss violin finish and sturdy stands that are just as impressive, the Guarneri Evolution easily becomes a conversation piece in the room. Is it value for money at S$20,000? No. Would I spend that kind of money if I had it in the bank? Probably not. But can I dream? Yes. -Alfred
So, there you have it. Our crazy wishlist isn’t that crazy, after all. Tell us what you wish for this Holiday 2014 season!
Why would you wish the 2013 4K TV from Sony? Just because you sorted all TVs by price and picked the most expensive? Well, that would justify misspelling your “dream” TV “Brava”.
Instead go for a hot 77 inch 4K OLED from LG. Ages ahead in picture quality.