Christmas-2015.jpgIt’s finally December, and you know what that means? Christmas eve is only 24 days away.

Every year on the first of December I feel a little like I’ve woken up in the middle of a dream, and in that dream there are no parking spots at the mall, I have a to-do list a mile long, and everything I wanted is sold out.

I feel pretty relieved when I realize it’s only partly true, because thankfully I’ve started shopping early enough that I don’t have to worry that the gifts I want aren’t available. There are a few gifts on my list that are brand new to Best Buy too, and maybe they’re on your list too.

Here’s a look at what’s new at Best Buy this month.

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I first laid eyes on the HP Star Wars Laptop via Brad’s preview and I knew this was something my husband would want as soon as he saw it. I tried to stop him from seeing it before Christmas because it would have been an amazing surprise, but not long after he stumbled upon Raj’s review and the cat was out of the bag.

I’ve managed to get him to hold off until Christmas, but when you put him together with my sons (also Star Wars fans), it’s hard to get them to calm down about it. After all, this is the laptop they’ve been looking for.

It might be wrapped up in vivid Star Wars graphics, but design isn’t the only amazing thing about this computer. It’s has a speedy 2.3GHz 6th generation Intel Core i5 dual-core processor under the hood, and with 12GB of RAM, you’ll be able to game, work, and stream all at once. With 1TB hard drive, HDMI ports to connect to your HDMI gadgets, and exclusive Star Wars content like Star Wars Command Center and the Star Wars Aurebesh font, this is one laptop the entire family will line up to use.

10389743_2.jpgKnow before you go with Ring Video Doorbell

Before I moved onto acreage I lived on a street for 11 years. It would drive me insane when people would ring my doorbell at night because it was so dark, I could never tell who it was out of the peephole. It got to the point where I actually disconnected my doorbell, just so no one could ring it and wake up my kids.

When I realized no one could just randomly ring my doorbell at my new house, it was a happy day indeed. But with property comes new challenges with security, and if someone does come to my door now, I know they’ve made their way past a gate and down a long driveway to do it. That’s why the Ring Video Doorbell, new to Best Buy, is so appealing.

Whether you’re on a street, in a condo, or on a property, if someone rings your doorbell you’ll get a live stream of HD video straight to your smartphone or tablet. That means you can see who is ringing your doorbell when you’re at home on the couch or when you’re anywhere in the world. Instead of wondering who was at your door, you can open the app, talk to whomever is there, and let them know you know they’ve visited, all without ever opening the door.

My favourite feature? The Ring Video Doorbell has motion sensors that detect someone up to 30 feet away.

 

Turn it up with the UE Boom2UE-boom.jpg

Tis the season for Christmas music, but those Christmas favourites aren’t going to sound so great if you’re pumping them out of your smartphone or tablet speakers. When you want to listen to music with a group of people and you’re not in your car or at home, how do you get great sound? With UE Boom2 of course.

Brand new to the shelves of Best Buy, the UE Boom2 is a portable Bluetooth wireless speaker with 100ft range and 15-hour battery life. You get full direction sound with its 360-degree design, and when you want to enjoy a surround sound experience, just connect more than one UE Boom 2 speaker and they’ll play in synch all around the room.

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Make more than smoothies with Vitamix

There’s nothing so frustrating as a blender that can’t blend. You can’t crush ice, crush nuts, or puree thick soup when you’ve got a blender that’s a dud, and if you find yourself looking longingly at the blenders at your favourite smoothie shop, it’s definitely time for an upgrade.

Maybe you’ve heard of Vitamix, the blender that can literally blend everything? Now available on Bestbuy.ca, the Vitamix has a powerful 2-peak horsepower motor and laser-cut stainless steel blades to blast through anything you put in the canister. It seems incredible, but those blades can actually propel up to 240 mph.

It’s safe to say when you have a Vitamix, you’ll never pull your blender out and worry it can’t power through a smoothie again.

 

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Your favourite holiday movies never looked this good

I love holiday movies, and because I look forward to them all year long, I don’t want to watch them on anything less than the best TV. If you feel the same way, you’re going to love how the LG 4K OLED TV makes everything look so real to life, you’ll swear you’re at the North Pole too.

When it comes to features on this TV, it’s hard to know where to start. With 3840 x 2160 native resolution, the picture is nothing short of spectacular. You can turn up the sound because ultra surround sound gives you amazing audio, and the TV itself has a curved thin design that looks gorgeous on your wall whether its turned on or off. It also gives everyone in the room the best seat in the house, because it eliminates the need to sit directly in front of the TV for the best picture.

I love a TV packed with HDMI ports, and the LG has 3 to hook up all of your devices. I can’t imagine a better TV to curl up with on a cold winter night, and after reading Tom’s review, you’ll want one for the holidays too.

There’s so much to be excited about in December, from the big lead up to Christmas, Boxing Day, and a brand new year ahead of us. I wish you a happy holiday and hope my list of what’s new at Best Buy will cross a few things off your list this month.

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Shelly Wutke
Editor TV & Home Theatre
I'm a Vancouver freelancer and tech enthusiast. When I'm not writing you'll find me on my farm with my alpacas, chickens, and honeybees. Visit my website Survivemag