Looking for Diwali gifts? Here are some thoughtful tech gifts for COVID-19 times

It's the time of the year again when you pamper yourself and your loved ones with festive gifts. But with COVID-19 pandemic far from being over, and most of us working from home, and continuing with social distancing norms, you could cheer your family and friends (and even yourself) with some of these well thought of gadgets.

Philips UV-C Disinfection system

Price: Rs 7,990 onwards

Designed to effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, Signify Innovations Philips UV-C disinfection system is ideal for disinfecting frequently touched objects and personal items. With the microwave oven-like design, the Philips UV-C Disinfection system can quickly and effectively disinfect objects such as fruits and vegetables, packaged food, keys, mobile phones, stationery, laptops, and baby products. The company claims that the UV-C exposure on fruits and vegetables also extends their shelf-life, keeping them fresh for longer periods.

As ultraviolet technology provides a non-chemical approach to disinfection, the UV-C light at a wavelength of 253.7nm is said to have a very powerful germicidal effect. It deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply and cause infections. With concerns about the UV-C radiation causing damage to the skin and eyes of both humans and animals, Philips UV-C Disinfection system has a special glass door that blocks and contains all UV-C radiation within the UV-C disinfection system, allowing only visible light to pass through it. And if the door is accidentally open when in use, the safety feature auto cuts-off the UV-C lamp. You can choose between three variants -- 10 litres, 15 litres and 30-litre capacity, priced at Rs 7,990, Rs 9,990, and Rs 11,990, respectively.

While Signify partnered with NEIDL at Boston University to come up with the world's first research to conclusively validate that UV-C light inactivates the virus that causes COVID-19, it is tested successfully by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

GOQii Smart Vital

Price: Rs 5,999

This new smartwatch from GOQii assists in early detection and management of COVID-19. Given the nature of the virus and its rapid spread, the key in controlling its numbers is early detection and confinement of the suspected cases. With this smartwatch, you can immediately get a sense of changes in their vitals and co-relate to a bigger health problem. It also measures pulse oximeter and body temperature.

As lower oxygen rate has been identified as a common concern amongst COVID-19 patients, it quickly measures the rate of oxygen in the blood and gives real-time updates of variation in blood oxygen levels. It can also track body temperature, along with heart rate and blood pressure.  Not to forget it will help you in staying active -- can detect sleep, steps, calories and heart rate. The smart-watch can be even connected to a centralised dashboard that enables remote monitoring of a large user group.

Dyson Lightcycle desk light

Price: Rs 39,900

Confined to homes due to the pandemic, our screen-time has increased many times. We are mostly spending our time either in front of the PC for work and TV and smartphone for entertainment. While some fancy eye massagers using airbag pressure relaxes eyes, we would not recommend you to buy one without checking with an eye specialist. Instead, the best you could do is have proper lighting while sitting at your desk. Dyson's Lightcycle lamp has been engineered to support the body clock. This smart lamp tracks the colour temperature and brightness of the daylight and can even adjust the light for basis age, task and sleep times. The light with over 1000 lux, has glare protection and low optical flicker, and the ambient light sensor reacts to changes in background light, and maintains constant brightness. The 3 Axis Glide motion can be used to move it vertically, horizontally and through 360 degree - precisely where needed. Designed to last 60 years (Dyson claims) it has got heat pipe technology that keeps six high-power LEDs cool enough to protect light quality. While the lamp has physical controls, it can also be controlled using the Dyson Link app.

Panasonic Home Office Solution

Price: Rs 99,990 onwards

With work from home becoming the new reality and many companies considering adopting this permanently, facilitating high-quality virtual interactions have become more necessary than ever. Facilitating executives to effortlessly connect and communicate with clients and employees for a more personalised and interactive experience, Panasonic's Home Office Solution is worth considering. Powered by Lumix, this new solution extends 4K video quality, is easy to connect. The kit comprises a Lumix camera along with an HDMI capture card that plugs into the USB port of the laptop. This is all plug-and-play as one doesn't need to install any additional software. 

The only thing one might have to do is to switch the in-built webcam to USB based webcam in various video conferencing solutions. This solution minimises time lags when interacting with multiple people at once and allows free movement during long hour meetings with its wide-angle view, both at home and office spaces. It also lets users record live streaming sessions for later use. The solution, priced starting Rs 99,990, includes a Lumix G9/G95 -- a great DSLR camera that one can easily use for photography as well.

Apple iPad Air 2020 with Magic Keyboard

Price: Rs 54,900 + Rs 27,900

Be it checking emails, making presentations, taking notes, attending video calls, streaming videos or even playing games, the iPad Air 2020 fits all. The super-bright 10.9 inch LED-backlit multi-touch display with IPS technology has great touch-response and everything looks sharp. The A14 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture with the neural engine is capable of handling presentations and multiple apps with ease. Pair it with Apple's Magic Keyboard with the trackpad, and you won't miss your laptop ever again. Microsoft Office Suite is available for iPad Air too. In addition to work, the 12MP wide angle camera can be used for scanning docs and even capturing images. It is compatible with Apple Pencil that can be used for sketching and taking notes. Perfect work and travel companion.

HP SmartTank

Price: Rs 14,999

Given the nature of the job, working from home could require one to print documents too. While in a normal scenario one would go to the nearby printer, today many are considering buying a low-maintenance printer. HP's Think Smart 515 is low-cost, high volume WiFi-enabled and can be used to print and scan even from the mobile print app. With integrated ink tanks and an automatic ink sensor, this is a spill-free refill system makes it easy to manage ink. It has a print speed of 11 pages per minute (black) and five colour pages per minute and can print up to 8,000 colour pages or up to 6,000 black pages.

Lifelong LLTM36 treadmill

Price: Rs 29,999

Even though the government has eased the lockdown norms, and allowed gyms to reopen with precautions, one is still at risk. If fitness is on the mind, consider getting or gifting the Lifelong Fit Pro Motorised Treadmill. With just the right features including a 3.0Hp motor and supporting the maximum speed of up to 14km/hour, this is ideal for home use. While you can switch between the speed and elevation levels, the 12 pre-set workout programmes enable to set variable modes for exercise and endurance training. Designed for walking, jogging, running and cardio, the treadmill has an anti-slip lawn texture belt. Offering super silent operation, you can connect your phone with the 3.5mm jack and the treadmill will also measure heart rate while you sweat those extra calories.

Dyson Corrale

Price: Rs 36,900

Having Dyson's Corrale hair straightener is like having a salon at home. This cordless hair straightener that comes with rechargeable battery is super easy and comfortable to use. Suitable for all hair types, it has three precise heat settings (165 degree C, 185 degree C and 210 degree C). The OLED screen on the straightener displays battery level, temperature control and charging status during use. Reducing hair damage by 50 per cent less breakage, and less frizz, Dyson has used flexing plates that by gathering hair, enables shiny, straight results with less heat. It also has an integrated sensor system regulates the temperature of the plates 100 times a second, ensuring constant power so heat is maintained at the desired temperature. It houses 4-cell lithium-ion battery that takes around 70 minutes for full charge and gives 30 minutes of hassle-free cord-less operation, enough time to straighten mid-length hair. Unlike most hair straighteners that offer straight smooth hair, the Corrale can be used to create textured waves for a tousled look, smooth, flowing waves and even voluminous, bouncy curls. Dyson has put up styling videos to achieve these styles. Accompanied with a heat resistant pouch, the straightener switches off after 10 minutes of inactivity. There is even a safety lock for immediate storage after use.

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