IT IS Valentine’s Day on Friday – but should gifts be roses, chocolates or a meal?
Maybe technology is the way to go. It doesn’t shed petals, and the price doesn’t shoot up on the day itself. Lasts longer, too. I’ve found gifts to suit all tastes, with options for every budget.
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LISTEN TOGETHER
Amazon Echo Studio speaker, £189.99.
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Amazon Echo Studio speaker £189.99, Amazon: An amazing speaker with outstanding playback, very versatile, and Dolby Atmos built in, so it makes a powerful TV speaker.
GPO Attache record player, £49.95.
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GPO Attache record player £49.95 from amazon.co.uk: Rediscover your vinyl with this cool turn- table, with speakers and a USB socket so you can digitise the collection, to listen to on your phone.
‘YOUR SONG’ ON THE GO
Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW headphones, £99.
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Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW headphones £99, eu.audio-technica.com: The cute true-wireless buds from Audio-Technica look great and play for six hours between charges, with another 14 hours’ battery in the charging case. Great audio quality.
AKG K72 Studio headphones, £24.99.
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AKG K72 Studio headphones £24.99 from amazon.co.uk: These AKG over-ears look and sound brilliant and are a complete steal just now (reduced from the regular £43 price).
GET FIT TOGETHER
Apple Watch Series 3, £199.
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Apple Watch Series 3, £199, John Lewis: This is a great smartwatch at an astonishing price. It’s a fantastic fitness tracker and highly enjoyable timepiece. It can warn you if it spots your heart beating too fast (although that’s all right if you’re talking to your true love).
Fitbit Charge 3, £99.99.
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Fitbit Charge 3, £99.99, Argos: Fitbit’s excellent activity tracker is £30 off – until Valentine’s Day. Monitors lots of exercises and has sleep tracking, too.
SMILE, DARLING
Kodak Smile Classic Digital Instant camera, £149.99.
Kodak Smile Classic Digital Instant camera, £149.99, from Amazon: Like an old-fashioned Polaroid – this camera, left, prints out images on sticky-backed photo paper. You can even print photos from your phone.
Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock, £139.99.
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Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock, £139.99, from belkin.com/uk: Do not get distracted plugging in your iPhone and Apple Watch when you might have other things on your mind. This dock, above, is neat and makes charging a doddle.
OUTDOOR FUN
Nokia 800 Tough phone, £109.
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Nokia 800 Tough phone £109, nokia.com: Nokia’s rugged phone is ideal for an activity holiday or maybe a romantic hike. It comes with a few key apps, such as Facebook, and has a fabulous battery life of more than 40 days (yes, days).
Mous protective case, £39.99.
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Mous protective case £39.99, from mous.co: If you want to stick with your expensive smartphone, then get a case that can protect it, even if dropped from a building.
COSY NIGHTS IN
Roku Streaming Stick+, £49.99.
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Roku Streaming Stick+ £49.99, Argos: Curl up with 4,500 TV channels, all streamable through this neat stick that sits in the back of your TV.
iPad, £349.
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iPad £349, Apple: Get even cosier watching movies on a tablet. The entry-level iPad with its 10.2in screen is outstanding value. And you can use it for lots of other stuff besides music and movies (like ebooks, games and loads of other apps.
