https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/ 12 Must Have Gadgets You Can Probably Live Without But Wouldn't Want To You certainly won't find every single streaming service available with this HDMI dongle/media hub for your TV. For those you can pay bigger bucks?but at $35, Google's new Chromecast is the portable media hub you didn't even know you wanted. Plug it into the HDMI port of any TV and it'll stream Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play videos (and there are certainly more services to come), as well as stream videos via your Chrome Web browser. Did we mention it only costs $35? https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332891 187332891 The Philips Hue connected bulb might seem a one-trick gadget once you've shown your friends its different colors. But with the tools Philips provides (and extra recipes you can cook up using If This, Then That), your bulb can become an extension for everything. You can control it using a smartphone, tablet, or PC. It'll turn off when you leave home by detecting your phone's location. It'll wake you in the morning. It'll flash warnings when important emails or packages arrive. The Hue can even warn you if it's raining?so you don't have to waste all that energy looking out the window. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332892 187332892 There may be portable Bluetooth speakers out there with slightly better audio, but the mix of price and features in Panasonic's SC-NT10 goes beyond great sound. It's rugged enough to withstand splashes of water and particles of dust, dropping it, or leaving it in the cold. You can even use it as a Bluetooth speakerphone. For its size?2.2 inches high by 4.7 inches wide?it pumps up the volume enough to outperform many competitors. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332893 187332893 There are many battery packs that will power your smartphone or tablet when its juice gets low, but few pack the powerhouse battery storage Anker does. The Astro E4 is its middle-of-the-road product and still has a fantastic 13000mAh lithium ion battery inside?enough to charge six smartphones. Plus it can charge two devices at once. It's about the same size as a smartphone and while the retail price looks high, it's under $45 at Amazon. The front LED doubles as a flashlight in a pinch. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332894 187332894 For a long time, consumer use of virtual reality technology seemed far-fetched. But now the Oculus Rift gaming headset puts you "in" a game like never before. The development kit is shipping for game makers; the real deal doesn't yet have a release date. When it finally comes out this VR headset, which tracks head movements to give you a full virtual world view in full 3D, will be a must-have for gamers. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332895 187332895 The Skullcandy PLYR 1 is about as close as you can get to true surround sound with a gaming headset. It's wireless (with a charging station/base that provides the connection) and has amazing sound quality, strong bass, and a flip-down boom microphone for chat. Perhaps most importantly, it's comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. While you can connect via USB, it also supports optical audio pass-through, providing the best sound you can possibly get from your PC. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332896 187332896 Home automation technology may just be warming up but the Nest Learning Thermostat is already hot. It has a modern design, is easy to use, and learns your comings and goings to keep the heat (and bills) down. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332897 187332897 While the original Nexus 7 set the bar for the right balance of features and price in a small-screen tablet, the 2013 model from Google and Asus ups the game. The latest Nexus 7 is slimmer, lighter, and more comfortable to hold, with an advanced, gorgeous 1,920-by-1,200-pixel IPS LCD touch screen?better than any iPad, yet it won't murder your battery life. The new Nexus 7 is also the first tablet with the latest Android 4.3 OS, with performance about double the original's. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332898 187332898 It may be smaller than some of its Android competitors, but right now the latest high-end iPhone packs more power than any other smartphone on the market. The iPhone 5s' fast processor, excellent camera, and new Touch ID sensor future-proof this phone; you may also like the array of colors (if you can get it in gold). The iOS 7 update found on all 5s phones is also fantastic and the array of apps remains unbeatable. The combo makes this the new phone to covet. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332899 187332899 The Editors' Choice Withings Pulse measures how much you walk, how many calories you burn, and even your sleep patterns. It has a slick design, a built-in pulse sensor, and a useful touch-sensitive monochrome OLED screen to display your vitals. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332900 187332900 The competition is coming, but for now Kickstarter darling the Pebble Smartwatch is still the best watch of its kind. It has a simple, understated design, works with Android and iOS, and does its job: using your wrist to notify you of things when your phone is tucked away.? To ?It has a simple, understated design; works with Android and iOS; and does its job of using your wrist to notify you of things when your phone is tucked away. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332901 187332901 Taking video clips with your phone is always fun, but if you want to truly glorify your life and all you encounter, you need something like the Looxcie HD Explore. This high-quality wearable camcorder is only 2.9 ounces, records 720p video at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 30 fps, and sends all the footage to your smartphone over Wi-Fi. Clip it to your hat, bike helmet, car windshield, or surfboard (in a $50 waterproof case) and it'll go everywhere and record everything. https://techadvise.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoID=187332902 187332902