Rakhi Gift Ideas for the Tech Savvy Sister

It’s the day when sisters and brothers get together to celebrate the bond they’ve always shared, but miss expressing them fully in today’s age. The one person you hate disappointing is this individual who either looks up to you or has looked after you in some way or the other. So for those brothers who are looking for gifts for their tech savvy sisters, here are a few ideas you might want to consider.

Micromax X450 aka Van Gogh Mobile Phone – Rs. 3,500
The Van Gogh might not be an apt name for this handset, but that really has nothing to do with it making for a great gift. The fact that it’s a well designed device, which offers a couple of colour options for style and a bundled handsfree (mono) Bluetooth headset enhances its value. It’s great for the sisters who are always busy with work, but never too busy to give you some time on the phone. The X450 will allow them to work and talk on the phone simultaneously, while also keeping their purses free from additional clutter thanks to the headsets built-in cradle for storage.

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A chic phone and Bluetooth accessory, all-in-one

Canon PowerShot A1200 Digital Camera – Rs.5,815
What better way to capture this special moment than with a digital camera, and you won’t even have to break the bank for a camera of good quality. Canon’s PowerShot A1200 fits the bill perfectly - it’s small, so it easily fits into a purse, it’s cost effective and loaded with features. Despite its miniature frame, it still manages to pack in 12.1MP sensor and a large 2.7-inch LCD screen. Capturing distant objects is a non-issue thanks to the 4x wide Angle optical zoom lens. The A1200 also records in 720p HD format at 24fps, which is a very handy feature to have. To sweeten the deal, Canon also bundles a 4GB memory card and a carry pouch.

To capture those special moments together

Mate Hybrid Mix and Match Smartphone Cases – Rs. 1,400
There is no protection like a brother’s watchful eye over his sister. A tech-savvy brother would also inadvertently keep a look out for her smartphone. In this context, an ideal gift for a sister would be the Case-Mate Hybrid Mix and Match Case for smartphones. This case comes with dual layers of protection – a silicon cover inside and an ABS plastic shell on the exterior. The form-fit feature helps keep the handset as snug as a bug in a rug and totally safe from the hazards of day-to-day usage. Case-Mate has also thrown in a screen protector for the display. With its trendy design, your sister can drop her smartphone, as much as she likes and can always be assured that it’s safe from damage. The Case-Mate Hybrid Mix and Match Cases are available for BlackBerry, iPhone and HTC smartphones.

Keep her and her phone safe

Samsung HX-MUO50DC External Hard Drive – Rs. 5,000
What’s better than gifting your sister a portable Hard disk to keep all her data safe? Whether it’s the 2,00,000+ (okay, that’s a minor overstatement) pictures she keeps clicking or the dozens of seasons of various sitcoms that are currently using up all the memory on her laptop, these portable HDDs from Samsung will certainly suffice. It comes with 500GB of memory capacity and weighs just 146 grams (perfect for carrying around with her, everywhere). And hey, it’ll satiate her need for the oh-i-want-that-in-a-bling-design too. Retailing at Rs. 5,000 it’s a rare combination of affordable pricing and a happy sister!

Stylish enough for her to carry all her precious data everywhere

Apple iPod Nano with Multi-Touch  – 8GB - Rs. 10, 700 and 16GB - Rs. 12, 700
To begin with, its super cute nano appearance is sure to capture your sister’s heart and since it’s available in an array of colours like blue, yellow, pink, grey, rest assured, she’ll be able to flaunt it in her favorite hue,. Available in 8GB and 16GB capacities, your song list could just go on and on. The touchscreen that it comes loaded with spares the monotony of buttons. It lets you swipe through your playlist with comfort. It features Apple’s innovative clip-on design allowing you to simply ‘clip’ your nano onto your garment, or bag while on the go. It looks stylish and with a strap accessory, it could double up as a cool wrist watch. Another great feature is that this nano comes with functionalities like a pedometer that keeps a count of the physical activity, and the calories burnt. The Nano is very much unlike the regular PMP. A perfect companion for the sister who lover her music and staying fit.

So she can take her music with her wherever she goes

If your sister loves listening to music and if she’s been using those cheap Rs. 500 headphones, it’s time to get a seriously needed upgrade. The Sennheiser HD518 offers a much better music and movie experience. These are a comfortable pair of headphones with great audio quality and you can use them for hours without fatigue. Build quality is also top-notch, as well, so there’s no chance of it getting damaged. It might sound expensive at roughly Rs. 6,490, but it’s a worthy buy. What’s better, you can also buy it online and have it shipped using an online service such as Flipkart. She can use it to simply sit back and tune out the outside world, which might include you from time to time.

So she can tune you out if she wants to

Console Games –
LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3 – Rs. 2,499)
LittleBigPlanet 2 is the perfect co-operative game where upto four players can control adorable looking sack people and navigate them around the game world solving puzzles. Certain levels and puzzles have been designed keeping co-op play in mind, which means you won’t be able to play through them unless you have a partner with you. And that’s just what sublings are for, havig eachother’s back. If you do happen to own a Move controller, the game offers Move specific levels as well, where one player controls Sackboy while the other interacts with the environment using the Move controller making way for him.
Burnout Revenge (Xbox360 PS2 – Rs. 699)
No matter what the occasion, Burnout Revenge is the perfect versus game to play. Both the PlayStation 2 and the remastered Xbox360 version offer split-screen versus play where players can not only race against each other but try and decimate the competition in stylish ways. If playing against each other is not your thing, you can always take turns playing Crash junction where your goal is to literally fling your car onto oncoming traffic to cause the most amount of destruction. How does that not sound like fun**.** It’s a great way to vent a little frustration when you’re mad at each other.

For the gaming gal

_ Move Sports Champions (PS3 – Rs. 1499)
_One of the first games to come out for the PlayStation Move (and in some cases even be bundled with the Move), Sports Champions is the perfect motion controlled game to indulge in a bit of friendly sibling rivalry. Choosing from a bunch of real world sports like volleyball, archery, table tennis and umm… sword fighting (that’s a sport in some countries you know), you can compete against one other to see who the better sportsperson in the family really is. Just make sure you have enough place in your living room. If you don’t already own a Move controller, you could pick up the Starter pack for Rs. 3,650. This includes the controller as well as a demo disc of a few Move games, Sports Champions included. 

Garmin Nuvi 215 GPS Device – Rs. 8,800
For someone who likes to take frequent road trips, a GPS system is absolutely necessary to navigate these signless Indian roads. The Garmin Nuvi is a simple device with turn by turn directions, handsfree Bluetooth calling (partnered with your mobile phone of course), and customized points of interest. It also has photo navigation where you can choose and save location tagged images of sights near your area and the little device will take you there. The display measures 8.9 cm diagonally and has a 320x240 resolution. The battery is rechargeable and lasts 4 hours on a single charge. You can choose what kind of route you want to take (avoiding tolls, fastest route etc) and it auto re-routes if you’ve made the wrong turn. Leaving comments of female drivers behind, this is just a handy device for the girl who likes to travel.

So she can always find her way back home

Tech2 would like to wish all the lovely ladies and their brothers out there a Happy Raksha Bandhan and we hope you’ll always find time for your siblings, with or without tehcnology.