Memo to Santa: Keep taking the Tablets

GADGETS are the big gifts this year as usual, whether tablets, games consoles, TVs or cameras.
But there is one gizmo that can be all of these things at once – the new iPad Mini 2, which came out earlier this month.
Priced from $459 (£349 in the UK CDN$756 in Canada) for the 32GB wi-fi-only version or $619 with mobile connectivity, it is not cheap – but it does the job of so many gadgets it works out at unbeatable value.

Here, are just some of its many uses …

LAPTOP
ADD a keyboard and you can use it as a super-light notebook computer.
Best keyboard is the $75 Logitech Ultrathin, which clips on to the iPad automatically and is a joy to use.For another $75 it also acts as a cover for the Mini.(Buy it in the UK here.

TV

DOWNLOAD the iPlayer app, for instance, and you have access to loads of TV. If Mum and Dad have Sky, then the Sky Go app and their Sky ID will add a load more programming.

E-READER
YOU don’t need an e-reader such as a Kindle because the iPad has its own bookstore, iBooks. If you’ve already got a Kindle, access the books you’ve bought through the free Kindle app.

GAMES CONSOLE
DO you know how cheap — and good — games are on the iPad? Titles such as Plants Vs Zombies 2 are free and the priciest ones are way cheaper than on a full-blown console, with thousands of titles available.

CAMERA
IT’S not the best shape for a camera but in a pinch, it’s more than acceptable.
It shoots video, too, and image stabilisation means your party videos will be steady, even when you’re not.

SATNAV
NEED help finding your way around? If your iPad has a slot for a SIM card then it has GPS built in, too.