It’s time to start thinking about your holiday shopping! The major shopping sales days are right around the corner, and you can get ahead and save yourself from stressed impulse buys by getting your shopping list together early.
While you’re putting together your shopping plans, make sure you hit up our local shops. When you shop local, not only are you supporting our community’s economy, but you’ll also get more personalized support and skip the hassle and worry of shipping delays.
Make sure to use our Geneseo Communications Online Local Directory to discover new places for your holiday bargain hunting! You can pick one up at our office, 111 E First St, Geneseo, IL. (https://elation.geneseo.com/ebill/Directory)
Geneseo Communications Has You Covered
Looking for ideas for the tech lovers on your list? Geneseo Communications has you covered with a list of the latest (and some unique) gadgets for your smart home savants, gamers and streamers, and kids and their grandparents.
Smart Home Gift Ideas:
Of course, you can never go wrong with smart light bulbs or plugs. However, you can really up the “wow” factor by thinking outside of the box for smart home gifts for your true automation enthusiasts. (Or, gift yourself something from this list early to really brighten your holiday party!)
- WiFi Guest Hub (aka WiFi Porter): Whether they own an Airbnb or host house parties, a WiFi Guest Hub makes it easy to share the WiFi password. Equipped with a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip, visitors simply bring their phone close to the hub, and their phone will connect to the network with the password already entered.
- Smart Cooking Thermometer: These thermometers are one of the best kitchen tech gifts for the cook in your life (even if that’s yourself!). Forget constantly checking your food. A smart thermometer allows you to set an alarm on your phone when the food hits the perfect temperature, saving you the hassle and guesswork of constantly checking on it. Not only are they timely for all of the upcoming holiday cooking, but they’re also great for summer BBQs and everything in between.
- Smart Composter: The gardener in your life will love a smart composter. Small and compact, these tiny-but-mighty devices sit right on the kitchen counter. Simply dump food scraps into the composter, and it creates rich compost with minimal smell in a matter of hours.
Gaming and Streaming Gifts
Connected entertainment isn’t slowing down any time soon, making these streaming gadgets and gaming tech gifts perfect for the binge-watchers and button-mashers in your life:
- Portable Projector: These devices aren’t the heavy, ceiling mounted projectors of old. With many of them nearly as small as a soda can, they are compact enough to throw in a backpack for on-the-go big screen streaming and gaming. A projection screen isn’t required as any flat surface could work, but you could always complete the gift with a small, lightweight projection screen for the ultimate go-anywhere streaming experience.
- Bluetooth Audio Glasses: The music and podcast lovers in your life will appreciate a pair of Bluetooth audio glasses or sunglasses. Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses are perhaps the most high-tech offering on the market with other connected services like Meta AI, but you can find much simpler and more affordable offerings on the market that simply offer Bluetooth headphones along the arms. Just make sure to pay attention to the weight as some of the cheapest pairs can be quite bulky and heavy.
- Retro Gaming Console: The young gamers in your life should know and love the classic games of the 1980s and 1990s. While you could go vintage with a classic Atari, there are tons of plug-and-play HDMI sticks on the market that come loaded with hundreds of classic arcade games.
- Rog Xbox Ally: The more advanced gamers in your life will love opening the newly-released Rog Xbox Ally, the highly anticipated portable gaming console from Microsoft. These portable gaming systems just hit the market in October 2025, so they really are fresh off the press. Xbox has released two versions – the ROG Xbox Ally, ideal for the more casual gamer, and the ROG Xbox Ally X, built for performance for a serious gaming experience.
Tech for Kids
These days, nearly anything can be connected to the internet, especially tech for kids. The following ideas are meant to educate, entertain, and engage their creativity!
- Digital Camera: Believe it or not, digital cameras are still very popular in the age of smart phones. That makes them the perfect gift idea for kids who are may be a little young for a device that advanced. You can find all kinds of digital cameras for kids on the market, including some that are waterproof and drop-proof, some that have games built in, and some that even print photos like the classic Polaroids.
- Connected Rubik’s Cube: What’s more fun that watching kids figure out they can peel the stickers off of the Rubik’s cube? Well, this connected version skips that cheat code and teaches kids the strategy behind solving the puzzle. Built with smart magnetic technology, the Rubik’s Connected X takes it to the next level with step-by-step guides to go from beginner to pro. Plus, the app offers online battles to really up the ante!
- Smart Electric Toothbrush: Look, this isn’t the most exciting gift idea on this list, especially for a kid. However, parents know that it can be a struggle to get kids to brush their teeth. But, a Smart Electric Toothbrush gamifies the experience and adds a little fun to the chore! Many options have apps that help your child learn proper brushing habits, hit every nook and cranny, and track progress. They’ll be building healthy habits in no time, all without the daily fight to brush their teeth.
Tech for Seniors
The seniors in your life may be just as connected as the kids and teens! Surprise them with a gift that’s both useful and simple to enjoy:
- Smart Digital Picture Frame: These frames are a thoughtful way to make sure the grandparents in your life are able to see all of the latest photos from family. Most come with an app that allows anyone you give access to upload photos, meaning all of the kids can add their photos into one frame from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Bird Watching Feeder: While birdwatching isn’t a senior-specific hobby, these connected feeders bring a new high-tech feature to the pastime. The small cameras mounted on the feeders often capture imagery in up to 4K quality, meaning the watcher will have crystal-clear picture right up close to the feathery visitors. Some even have AI tools that help identify the different species automatically.
- Smart Sleep Mask: According to some sources, insomnia can increase with age, often due to medications, psychiatric changes, and sleep-disordered breathing. A smart sleep mask could help alleviate insomnia through features like sound, light therapy, vibration, or gentle massage. Some masks, including the Therabody SmartGoggles, offer technology that tailors the experience to individual needs through a connected mobile app.
Pro Tip: Prep Before You Wrap
Before you wrap up your gifts, Geneseo Communications recommends charging, updating, and registering all devices (especially for kids) so they’re ready to go on day one. This also gives you the opportunity to set any parental or security settings for kids’ devices.
It’s also the perfect time to make sure your home internet connection is ready for the extra traffic! Before the hustle and bustle, make sure your internet speed will support your new devices, and to ensure your WiFi signal is strong in every corner of your home before your guests arrive.
Call Geneseo Communications today to make sure your home network is ready for all the new tech under your tree!