Gift Guide

2025 Gift Guide

Tis the season for holiday feasts and holiday shopping! ITS is happy to share our top gift recommendations for everyone on your list this year. If you have any questions about our gift picks, let us know! Click here for ITS contact information.

Tempest Weather Station, Joe Kalinowski

Here in New England, summer is fleeting, so we need to make the most of every sunny day! The Tempest weather station is my go-to for hyper-local forecasts, real-time data on rain, wind, and lightning, and a handy log for weather trends. No annual subscription required, and it’s perfect for planning outdoor fun or saving chores for rainy days. Plus, who doesn’t love more environmental data! Wait for the 20% off sales!

Click here to see the Tempest Weather Station.

APEKX Bluetooth Receiver, Michael Krikonis

Do you have a friend or loved one that is hanging onto an old phone so that they can keep using their favorite earphones that use a headphone jack (or maybe you are!) If so the APEKX Bluetooth Audio Adapter is a winner. This receiver lets you keep using your favorite wired headphones, charges quickly via USB-C, lasts about 6 hours per charge, and has simple button controls for music and calls. Reliable, affordable, and perfect as a stocking stuffer or holiday party gift.

Click here to view the APEKX Bluetooth Wireless Receiver.

Lego Wildflower Bouquet, Joanne Dolan

Remember those days spent digging through a pile of LEGO bricks, trying to find that one perfect piece? The LEGO Wildflower Bouquet brings back all that nostalgia, but with a twist. It’s so much fun to build with just the right mix of relaxing and satisfying, and when you’re done, you’ve got a colorful bouquet that looks awesome on your desk or kitchen table. If you want a gift that’s playful, creative, and totally display-worthy, this set is it.

Click here to view the Wildflower Bouquet.

iPad Mini, Jason Trinklein

While it might seem obvious, the iPad mini packs a ton of utility into a small tablet – the smallest mainstream tablet out there! Wait for a sale and you can snag one for $400 or less. It’s a fantastic e-reader with a sharp, vibrant screen, and it’s easy to browse for books from Kindle or the library via Libby. Not too big for bedtime reading, not too small for watching movies on the go. Pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard for productivity anywhere, making it a lightweight laptop alternative.

Click here to view the iPad Mini.

WINIX9800 Air Purifier, Jarrod Evans

A good air purifier can make a huge difference in reducing allergens like dust and pollen. The WINIX 9800 is easy to use and maintain, and you can connect it to Alexa or Google Home via the Winix Smart app. It’s a simple way to improve air quality at home and keep the sniffles away. Give your friends and loved ones the gift they didn’t know they needed!

Click here to view the WINIX 9800

M2 NVME Drives, Brian Julin

For serious gamers or anyone working with AI models, large capacity M2 NVME drives are always a welcome upgrade. Games and AI projects keep demanding more (and faster) storage. While RAM can be tricky to gift, it’s easy to check if someone’s device supports an M2 drive. Fast, reliable, and perfect for anyone who needs extra space.

Govee Outdoor Lights, Andy Voelker

Govee’s outdoor colored string lights are perfect for porches, patios, decks, and pool areas. Use the app to set colors, scenes, brightness, and patterns, including holiday themes for Christmas and Halloween. The lights can even sync to music and be scheduled to turn on and off. After two winters, my set is still going strong—reliable and weather-tested, they really bring outdoor spaces to life.

Click here to see the Govee Outdoor Lights.

JBL Wireless Headphones, Becky Tamm-Shettler

I can’t recommend my JBL wireless headphones enough—they’re a daily essential on and off campus. The battery lasts for days, the fit is super comfortable (I sometimes even forget I’m wearing them), and the cord-free design means you can move freely. Whether you’re tuning into meetings, listening to music, or catching up on podcasts, these headphones make everything easier and more enjoyable.

Click here to shop JBL Wireless Headphones.

 

ITS Gift Guide 2024!

Tis the season for holiday feasts and holiday shopping! ITS is happy to share our top gift recommendations for everyone on your list this year. If you have any questions about our gift picks, let us know! Click here for ITS contact information.

While Clarkies have access to The New York Times and its many recipes through Goddard Library, not everyone is so lucky. That’s why Dorothy Erickson, academic technologist, is planning to gift a NYT Cooking subscription to the aspiring culinary connoisseurs in her life. NYT Cooking helpfully provides a digital recipe box and even makes a grocery list based on your selected recipes. Dorothy’s favorite recipes from NYT Cooking include gochujang caramel cookies, Japanese soufflé pancakes, and slow cooker chipotle-honey chicken tacos. 

Click here to gift a NYT Cooking subscription!

Self-proclaimed “enthusiastic driver and campus card coordinator Sean Ryder suggests buying a Viofo A119 dash cam for anyone concerned about safety and accountability on the road. This device records in 1440p at up to 60 frames per second, ensuring clear and detailed footage. It also features excellent night vision, HDR capabilities, and a 140-degree field of view, making it one of the best in the industry. With the Viofo A119, you can capture important details such as license plate numbers, providing peace of mind and valuable evidence in case of any incidents on the road. 

Click here to check out the Viofo A119 dashcam on Amazon!

A reliable thermometer might be the secret ingredient your Thanksgiving meal is missing. Cooking by temperature is recommended by the USDA for food safety and relied on by chefs for consistent (and delicious results). With a range of up to 550° F, Joe’s pick can be used for grilling, baking, frying, and candy or sugar molding. It automatically turns on when picked up and rotates its temperature display for easy use no matter where you’re cooking.  

Click here to view the Chief Information Officer’s favorite thermometer!

Thais, ITS’s junior endpoint administrator, bought an Aura digital picture frame for her mom last year. According to her, it has been the gift that keeps on giving, as Thais and the rest of her family can quickly and easily surprise Mom with new memories by sending photos directly to the picture frame. As the frame cycles through different photos, it often sparks conversation about favorite trips, meals, and new adventures. Aura is one the best-reviewed digital picture frames on the market, including an interactive touch bar, a speaker for videos, and automatic night mode. 

Click here to take a look at the internet’s favorite digital picture frame!

This year, Help Desk technician Jarrod has his eye on the new BOOX Palma, a sleek and portable ePaper/eReader device. Not quite a Kindle, not quite a phone, the Palma is somewhere in the middle: it’s the size and shape of a phone and allows for app installation via the Google Play store, but the unique and responsive eInk display makes it ideal for reading on the go. The Palma also integrates with the Libby app, features a camera for digitizing documents, and automatically adjusts its lighting to your surroundings for an optimal reading experience. 

Click here to learn more about this unique device!

If you or your loved one’s green thumb has the winter blues, check out the AeroGarden. Sharon Griffin-Edson, Help Desk coordinator, has this mini herb garden on her kitchen counter and loves it. Known around the Help Desk for her cooking and baking, Sharon claims fresh herbs make all the difference in her dishes. Plus, the AeroGarden comes with everything you need to get started, including plant food, seeds, and a growth light. Other AeroGarden kits can help you grow flowers, cherry tomatoes, peppers, salad greens, and more! 

Click here to check out Sharon’s secret culinary weapon!

If you’re tired of ringing ears after a concert or asking your friends to repeat themselves in a crowded restaurant, these versatile ear plugs are for you; Tess Walsh, our tech training specialist, never goes anywhere without them! These unique ear plugs feature a small switch in them to customize noise level. The lowest setting filters out background noise, while the highest setting reduces much more noise for quiet commutes, focus time, or sleep. They also come in cool colors, including gold and silver, for an earring-like look.  

Click here to learn more about some incredible ear plugs!

Curious about drones? Michael Krikonis, Manager for Client Support, recommends the SC5 Elite as a perfect choice for beginners.  

The SC5 Elite comes as a kit with two batteries, a controller, extra blades, and a carrying case. Michael particularly likes that the controller on this model includes a button for take-off and landing assist to avoid rough landings. The controller also includes a phone mount to pair with your smartphone and the Snaptain flight app to navigate the drone and capture video and images from above. This is a fun, easy-to-fly drone, but be careful in windy weather as it is on the smaller side.  

Click here to check out this lightweight drone!