10 Great Tech Gifts For Under $100

It's that time of year again when you're expected to buy things for others. Even if you had the sense to ignore the craziness of Black Friday completely, you're expected to do your part, if only to keep the economy humming.

And you may actually want to drop a few dollars, to let friends and family know that you're thinking about them. There are a great many ways to spend a great deal of money. Shopping is easy when price is no object, though storage will become an issue sooner or later. But if you're trying to exercise some fiscal discipline, it can be a challenge.

So here are a few suggestions in the $100 and under range for unique tech gifts.

But there is another lower-tech option that has geek appeal: If you're a fan of xkcd creator Randall Munroe -- and if you're not, you should be -- consider picking up a copy of his new book Thing Explainer.

Thing Explainer relies on technologies proven over centuries: ink and paper. It's likely to remain useful and functional far longer than you or anyone else will, barring incineration or other trauma. It's legible indoors and outdoors, even in bright sun, and its reflective display can be expected to function for hundreds of years or more, provided there's a light source present. It never needs recharging and its modest price point ($15) means thieves probably won't bother trying to seize it.

Thing Explainer can operate in extreme conditions, limited only by what its reader can tolerate. Its temperature range hasn't been rated precisely, but it's far more robust than Apple's iPhone, which is designed to operate under ambient temperatures between 32° and 95° Fahrenheit and to be stored between -4º to 113º Fahrenheit.

Better still, Thing Explainer is completely unconnected to the cloud (unless you buy the Kindle version), so it can be purchased and used without reporting back to the mothership. Buying it online of course isn't private, but you should be able to walk into any of the Barnes & Noble bookstores still standing and pay cash.

As its name suggests, Thing Explainer explains the way things work. But it does so using simple, jargon-free language. For example, a section on the Mars Rover describes it as the "Red World Space Car." Another section on human organs is titled "Bags Of Stuff Inside You." How can you not love that?

[Read CES 2016 Sneak Peek: 9 Cool Gadgets.]

It's possible, I suppose. If you're more interested in this year's technology, you might prefer the new Airborne Cargo drone from Parrot. At $99, it's affordable enough to be an impulse buy and to crash without too much regret. Better still, it's small and light enough to fly indoors, where you won't have to worry about FAA regulations or neighbors with shotguns. It carries a 0.3 megapixel SmartVGA still camera to document its travels. 

Unsurprisingly, the Cargo drone can carry a tiny payload, no more than an ounce or two. It looks promising as a delivery platform for chocolates and other bit-size snacks. And it's easy to fly with the FreeFlight 3 app, available for Android and iOS.

For other gift options, click onward. Then let us know your suggestions for sub-$100 high-tech presents in the comments section below.

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The 3Doodler Pen 2.0 ($99) is the second iteration of a product that came from a phenomenally successful Kickstarter campaign. It's described as the world's first 3D printing pen, which is a bit weird since it's not a printer but a pen. I suppose you could call a pen a manual printer, but printing implies a mechanical process. Whatever you call it, the 3Doodler is just a fun way to create 3D objects.

"No one should be woken up by a low-battery chirp at 2 a.m." This line alone sold me on the Nest Protect Smoke Detector ($99). More than once, I have been woken up, at 2 a.m. more or less, by the low-battery chirp of a smoke alarm. It amazes me that the user experience offered by smoke detectors can be so poor. Nest is on the right path.

Kano is a computer that kids as young as six can snap together and program themselves. Using Kano Blocks, kids (or curious adults) can experiment with Python as they learn to make games like Pong and to create Minecraft rooms. Or they can explore Linux through a Terminal Quest or by making Snake. The Kano Kit lists for $99.

While you're saving to drop $132,000 on a Tesla X, consider a Tesla Watch. It's not made by Tesla Motors. Rather it's a ThinkGeek product, a $70 steampunk-themed chronometer. It has features you won't find in more modern-looking wearables, like vacuum tubes and a winding key. It's a bit absurd, but then that's the point.

It's important when you travel to have the proper plugs to recharge portable devices. The Digision 3315794 Dual USB Universal AC Power Plug Adapter works in more than 180 countries -- probably more than most of us can name. And while there's something to be said for a collection of discrete adapters, all-in-one devices save space and are more portable. The Digision adapter also doesn't cost much -- $10 from Amazon.com.

I feel the same way about VR that I feel about 3D movies -- the technology in its current form interferes with the experience more than it enhances it. But for $99, Samsung's Gear VR piques my interest. If and when I find a truly compelling game that uses VR well, I'll probably give VR another chance.

I find wearable activity trackers baffling. I have no desire to keep track of my activities. But apparently some people find this appealing and useful. In the event you find yourself seeking a gift for such a person, the Jawbone UP2 comes in just under $100. Able to track your activity awake or asleep through iOS or Android apps, it resists water, fits most people, and can last for up to 10 days on a single battery charge.

When you don't know what to get an iPhone owner, you might try an iPhone case. They're generally inexpensive and they're really useful because sooner or later mobile phones fall to the ground. A case won't always save the phone, but it often helps. For fashion-conscious friends, Kate Spade's Camera iPhone 6 Case ($35) is clever and visually appealing. For quirkier comrades, you might try Rocketcase's Cassette Tape Case ($20).

Lil' Mib stands for "Little Message in a Box." Though unassuming, this quirky-looking $66 box can replace Post-it notes: Press a button to record a message and others in the household can hear the message by pressing the playback button. It's simply and eminently usable. What more can you ask of a gadget?

Lil' Mib stands for "Little Message in a Box." Though unassuming, this quirky-looking $66 box can replace Post-it notes: Press a button to record a message and others in the household can hear the message by pressing the playback button. It's simply and eminently usable. What more can you ask of a gadget?