As CY24 draws to a close, it is good time to assess how major global indices fared. Of course, when compared to the around 170 per cent returns delivered by Argentina’s benchmark index – MERVAL, all other global indices pale in comparison. Nevertheless, it has been a good year for all benchmark indices of major economies in the world. Even China’s SSE composite, which has seen underwhelming performance in recent years, gave double-digit returns for the year. While Nifty 50’s close to 10 per cent returns in CY24 is half of the 20 per cent returns it delivered in CY23, investors do not have much to complain given on a five-year basis, Nifty 50 is second best-performing index after the Nasdaq Composite. Here are four charts comparing the global indices. The returns here are in local currency and excluding dividends. Driven by the AI frenzy and Magnificent 7 stocks, the Nasdaq Composite is the best performing index for the second year in a row. On a five-year basis too, Nasdaq Composite leads, with Nifty 50 bettering S&P 500 for the second spot. However overall, the quality of Nifty 50 returns can be termed superior, given its PE multiple has marginally contracted in the last five years. Thus its entire upside has been on the back of stellar earnings growth. Germany’s DAX and UK’s FTSE 100 are the other indices that have witnessed multiple contraction. As compared to this, Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 have witnessed significant multiple expansion in the last five years, reflecting the weight of AI expectations loaded in at current levels. Any miss vs expectations can result in multiples contracting. Comments
I don’t imagine many people would contradict me if I said that Halcro’s Eclipse power amplifier – in either its or stereo version – is the most immediately recognisable amplifier in the world. It is so recognisable that in a pitch-black room it can quickly and easily be identified by touch alone. The Halcro Eclipse is also – albeit this time arguably – the most beautiful amplifier in the world, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons it has featured on the front covers of so many hi-fi magazines around the world, including here in Australia. The story behind the amplifier’s design is also one of the most interesting and unusual in audio. The intellect behind Halcro’s creation, and indeed the brand’s name, was South African physicist and engineer Dr Bruce Halcro Candy (you can see why he used his middle name!), who after founding the company and becoming world-famous for the very first amplifier he built (the Halcro dm58) was then head-hunted by Minelab, famous for its hand-held metal detectors, after which the company languished as no more than a listing in the Australian government’s official register of company names. It languished on that list until one sunny Saturday morning, when Lance Hewitt, who had been Candy’s lead engineer, was adding to his collection of vinyl at a South Australian record store. The store’s owner, who knew that Hewitt had formerly worked for Halcro, introduced him to Mike Kirkham of Magenta Audio, an Australian audio equipment importer, retailer and distributor who also happened to be at the record store buying vinyl that very same morning. Hewitt told Kirkham not only that he had been personally responsible for building and testing Halcro amplifiers but also that he happened to know that all of the circuit diagrams, PCBs and tooling required to build them were gathering dust in a storage facility – indeed, one not far from where they were chatting. The result of this serendipitous Saturday morning meet was that Halcro became resurrected as a going entity. Kirkham contacted Dr Peter Foster, a friend of his who holds a PhD in physics from the University of Adelaide and was formerly a Senior Laser Physicist at Norseld Pty Ltd and a Guest Scientist at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. The result was the trio founding a new company, Longwood Audio, which in 2015 acquired all of Halcro’s assets, including the brand name, the company’s portfolio of patents and the all-essential machine tooling along with a batch of unsold mothballed stock. Foster is now Longwood Audio’s CEO; Kirkham is its Head of Sales and Marketing; and Hewitt is in charge of development and manufacturing. Build & technology The ‘look’ of the Eclipse Stereo is directly copied from the design of the original Halcro dm38, which was the work of Adelaide designers Tony Kearney and Max Dickison. Candy’s brief to them was that, to ensure the correct operation of the amplifier, the electronics had to be separated into four heavily shielded modules – an audio power module, an audio drive module, an inductor module and a power supply module – and that, in order to remove the heat passively without using fans, the heatsinks for the output devices had to be extraordinarily large. Those very design elements have been incorporated in the Eclipse Stereo. One important change, however, has been in the execution of the heatsink design. the original’s design was microphonic so that at certain frequencies it could vibrate so significantly that its resonances were audible in the listening room. The heatsinks on the Eclipse Stereo, however, are non-resonant by virtue of being completely redesigned. The new design sees each section fabricated from up to 10mm-thick folded aluminium, with the winged sections fully damped and the joins connecting the horizontal chambers to the wing sections. The non-wooden sections of the chassis now come in either a ‘Standard’ powder-coat finish or a premium hand-painted ‘Signature’ finish, too. If you are at all familiar with Halcro amplifiers, you will already have an inkling of how large the Eclipse Stereo’s chassis is; if you’re not, let me point out that a person of average height, when standing upright, will not need to lean down to touch one of the amplifier’s vertical wings. Checking out the amplifier’s proportions in the images accompanying this review should also give you an idea of how wide the amplifier is, but just to make it perfectly clear, the Halcro Eclipse Stereo power amplifier is not only 79cm tall but also as wide as it is deep (40cm). It’s not lightweight either, tipping the scales at 62kg. (And, when eyeing the images, don’t miss the fact that the shape of the chassis actually forms the capital letter ‘H’, which is pretty clever!) The internal circuitry of the Halcro Eclipse Stereo inherits DNA from the original Halcro dm38, as well as from the , but according to Hewitt, while some things have been lost (such as the current mode inputs), many other aspects of the circuitry have been improved – some are the natural result of improvements in technology, some are the result of improvements in circuit layouts, and some are the result of research and development by Longwood Audio itself, for which Hewitt says the company has been awarded four patents. Candy was always secretive about the circuitry of the Halcro dm38, and Longwood Audio is continuing this tradition. CEO Peter Foster told Paul Miller of : “We never release schematics [and] every circuit has the component designators engraved off and the boards are coated in an epoxy layer to further mask what’s going on”. he was nonetheless able to glean the following information about the Eclipse Stereo: “ ” Further details of how the circuit might work are revealed in US Patent 6,600,367, which was granted to Candy and is currently assigned to Longwood Audio: " " Also interesting are some of the patent’s citations, which reference an active bias circuit for operating push-pull amplifiers in Class A mode (granted to one Nelson Pass), a distortion-free complemented error feedback amplifier method (granted to James Strickland), and reducing amplifier distortion by comparison of input and feedback from output (granted to Barry Elliot Porter). The patent also directly cites one Douglas H. Self. (For readers who are unfamiliar with these names, any audio engineer asked to name the world’s top five audio amplifier designers of the last 50 years would include three of those names.) Input and output connections are made on the module at the top of the amplifier, at the rear. The Eclipse Stereo has both unbalanced (via gold-plated RCA) and balanced (via gold-plated XLR) inputs, plus a ‘low gain’ unbalanced input. The speaker cable terminals are absolutely huge, and while they’re supposed to be combination spade/banana types, the only way I could see to use banana plugs was to remove the rubberised cap on the knob – but I wasn’t prepared to risk damaging it trying to pry it off! Halcro has built several sophisticated automated protection systems into the Eclipse Stereo to prevent it from being damaged by a variety of issues that could impact its performance, covering everything from power supply stability to problems that could affect the output stages. Longwood Audio says that the Halcro Eclipse Stereo amplifier “ ”. Even the standby switch is air-pressure activated rather than a traditional electrical switch, to minimise interference. It’s good that there’s such a high level of overkill on the protection front, because the company’s secrecy about its circuits, including the values of the components used in those circuits, would mean that any fault could only be addressed by a technician with insider knowledge. Otherwise, the amplifier would need to be returned to South Australia – and given its size and weight, that would be rather an expensive exercise! Listening sessions My first audio experience of the Halcro Eclipse Stereo during testing was by way of an initial warm-up using music from a band with which I have a love/hate relationship: GoGo Penguin. Delivering amazing sound for what is essentially just a trio (percussion, bass and keys), the band’s music has been described as a form of jazz for the modern age – but then again, is it? I love the sound but hate not being able to define exactly why it’s so mesmerisingly great, and find the group hard to recommend to others because their music is so polarising. What I can say with certainty is that it really helps if you are listening to their music through an amplifier with the high performance of the Eclipse Stereo. For example, the double-bass on (from the album ‘A Humdrum Star’) is not only beautifully captured in terms of sounding just like a double-bass should, but it’s also just a lovely bass line – so inventive that you really can’t foretell the next note, as you can with performances by many lesser bassists. In delivering this line so well, Nick Blacka provides a unique counterpoint to Chris Illingworth’s gloriously grand pianism, even though you can sometimes foretell what note Illingworth is going to play next because he plays so many that are the same! The complexity of the sound is jaw-dropping, and the scattergun drumming of Rob Turner (who’s since been replaced by Jon Scott) is epic, and beautifully delivered by the Halcro. On , the following track, you’ll hear Blacka’s double-bass sounding like nothing you’ve ever heard before, as he delivers miraculous high-frequency overtones that make a mockery of the instrument’s normally accepted frequency range. The Eclipse Stereo delivers the entire gamut perfectly – the delivery is sonically contiguous, despite the rarity of the nature of the sound. When the drum kit comes in, at about 1:30, the accuracy with which the amplifier delivers the kick drum sound in exact syncopation with the high-hat strikes, all while keeping each in its own sonic envelope, and with no unwanted overhang, is an object lesson in the importance of state-of-the-art amplification in an audio reproduction chain. The Halcro Eclipse also maintained the ‘airiness’ of the acoustic as a constant throughout – a subtlety that eludes lesser amplifiers. The buzzy, insect-like opening to highlighted for me the complete lack of background noise from the Eclipse Stereo’s circuitry – the amplifier makes no noise at all other than what is actually in the audio signal delivered to it. There is no low-frequency hum, no high-frequency hiss, and absolutely no modulation of the lowest-level background sounds on a track. Such sounds issue from an inky-black silence that is so silent it’s almost mesmerising in and of itself. The simplicity of the percussion and piano on this track is a musical antidote to what has gone before, and the crystalline clarity of the sound I heard from the Eclipse Stereo was simply amazing, a testament to the complete lack of audible distortion. I do need to warn you that I think GoGo Penguin has gone somewhat off-piste with their latest album, ‘Everything Is Going To Be OK’ – both sonically and musically – so if you want to hear what I heard, I recommend sticking with the four albums the band recorded with Blue Note, which include ‘Man Made Object’ and the aforementioned ‘A Humdrum Star’. If you’d rather test out the Halcro Eclipse Stereo’s enormous power reserves and bass delivery with music that’s not so ‘out there’, I recommend revisiting – or listening to for the first time! – Talking Heads’ 1983 classic album ‘Speaking In Tongues.’ The funky bass sound is deep and tight, and Chris Frantz’s drum, beautifully captured on this recording, sounds as real as can be. Obviously, you’d listen to opener at a high volume, but you should also crank up the dial while listening to in order to hear how well the Eclipse Stereo can deliver the eclectic and varied synthesizer sounds on this track at any volume level you care to listen at. Listen, too, to how well the left and right channels are separated. Indeed channel separation is so complete that I could easily have been convinced that I was auditioning a pair of Eclipse Monos instead! You can hear not only the channel separation but also the beautiful stereo imaging of the Eclipse Stereo on where the vocals are trademark Talking Heads timbre and the purity of the percussion sound is exemplary, particularly the ‘found instrument’ sounds delivered by David Van Tieghem. I had lots of fun working out the various ‘found instruments’ he was playing. I have often written in the pages of magazine that the piano is the best instrument with which to evaluate audio components due to its enormous pitch compass, supreme dynamics and the fact that it’s a stringed percussive instrument, and you could have no better music to hear all of this than that on French pianist Alexandre Tharaud’s 2009 recording of more than 70 works by Erik Satie. This, of course, includes the famous Gnossiennes, but here they are strangely interwoven with other lesser-known works, in such a way that it’s as if you’re hearing them for the first time. Indeed some of these works you may actually be hearing for the first time, because it was Satie, not John Cage, who invented the ‘prepared piano’, and unlike many pianists, Tharaud follows Satie’s instructions to the letter in by placing sheets of paper on the upper octave strings. I can’t say I liked the result, but the Eclipse Stereo certainly reproduced it faithfully. Elsewhere on this recording, Tharaud’s playful execution of Satie’s more conventional scores is certainly more entertaining than the performances delivered by more sedate pianists. Verdict The Halcro Eclipse Stereo is not only the most recognisable amplifier in the world, along with being one of the most beautiful, but it is also the quietest and has the lowest distortion of all. If you think that is part and parcel of what makes it one of the best-sounding amplifiers in the world, I’m not about to disagree. You may, however, be surprised to learn that the Eclipse Stereo is not one of the most expensive hi-fi amplifiers in the world. In fact, it’s not even close – dozens of its competitors have price tags in excess of $150,000! In light of this information, you should realise that the Halcro Eclipse Stereo could be considered good value even at twice its price. Laboratory Test Report Steve Holding, Newport Test Labs. Halcro rates the per-channel power output of the Eclipse Stereo as 180 watts into eight ohms and 350 watts into four ohms. With the Eclipse Stereo on its test bench, measured the 1kHz power output at 202 and 386 watts per channel into eight and four ohms respectively, so the power amplifier bettered its specification for both test loads. As you can see from the tabulated results, power output dropped to 196 watts into eight ohms when the test frequency was dropped down to 20Hz (when driving two channels), and to 365 watts when both channels were driven into four ohms at this same 20Hz frequency. While these are lower than the 1kHz power output results, they’re still comfortably higher than Halcro’s specification. measured the frequency response of the Eclipse Stereo as being 3dB down at 3.5Hz and 280kHz, so this is a very wide-band amplifier design. It’s also a superbly linear one, as evidenced by the 1dB down-points of 6.5Hz and 90kHz, meaning the normalised frequency response is 6.5Hz – 90kHz ±0.5dB. As you would expect, the frequency response was even flatter across the audio band. This response (Graph 1 above) shows that it’s around 0.1dB down at 20Hz and 20kHz, for a normalised response of 20Hz – 20kHz ±0.05dB. This frequency response was, as per industry standards, measured when the Eclipse Stereo was driving an eight-ohm test resistor. On this graph you would normally expect to find a second trace showing the amplifier’s response when driving a more complex load, one that simulates the load that a loudspeaker would present. In fact, that trace is there – you just can’t see it because it perfectly overlays the response into a resistor. This is the first time has ever measured this theoretically ‘perfect’ result! Separation between the two stereo channels was outstandingly good, as you can see from the accompanying result table – 86dB at 20Hz, 101dB at 1kHz, and 78dB at 20kHz. Also outstandingly good was the level matching of the two channels, with measuring a difference of just 0.01dB. Inter-channel phase accuracy was also exceptionally good, with errors of only 0.02° at 20Hz, 0.08° at 1kHz and 1.17° at 20kHz. The result at 20kHz may seem to be an outlier, but you should bear in mind that a result of 1.0° at this frequency would be a world-beating achievement. Measuring the level of distortion on an audio signal that is introduced by a Halcro amplifier is a near-impossible task because it is so low that it is supremely difficult to measure. You not only need a test instrument capable of making the measurement but also a signal generator that has lower distortion than both the amplifier and the test instrument. To illustrate the difficulty, look at Graph 2 above, which shows the distortion components inherent in the output of ’ best signal generator. You can see that there’s a second harmonic distortion component at –117dB (0.00014%), a third HD component at –122dB (0.00007%) and a fifth at –128dB (0.00003%). So if we used this generator to provide the signal to measure the Eclipse Stereo’s distortion and saw a result that exhibited these same distortion components, at around the same levels, we would know only that the Halcro was not adding unwanted distortion. Indeed this is exactly what we see in Graph 3, which shows the output spectrum of the Eclipse Stereo when it’s delivering this same 1kHz signal but amplified to a level of one watt into eight ohms. Essentially, the only difference is that the amplifier has added just a little distortion at 3kHz, so that it is at –120dB instead of –122dB. (The result was exactly the same when the Eclipse Stereo was driving a four-ohm load.) The other thing to note with Graph 3 (because it will be significant later) is that there is some noise visible at the bottom of the graph, however as you can see from the scale at the left, the noise is 140dB below the one-watt reference level, which is so low that it would be totally and completely inaudible under any conditions. Graph 4 shows distortion (and noise!) levels measured by when the Halcro Eclipse Stereo was delivering 1kHz into eight ohms at a power level of 20 watts. Again, you can see that the distortion ‘signature’ is essentially that of the test signal generator, so the Eclipse Stereo is not adding any distortion to the test signal itself. Note, too, that there is now no audio band noise visible on the graph, so the Halcro’s audio band noise is now well below 140dB. There is some noise visible (the single narrow peak at the extreme left of the graph), which is from the amplifier’s power supply, but it’s more than 120dB down. Again, the result when the Eclipse Stereo was tested into a four-ohm load at this frequency and power output was exactly the same as it was into the eight-ohm load. Graph 5 shows an extreme test case for distortion, which here is shown when the Eclipse Stereo is delivering 1kHz into an eight-ohm load at its full rated power (180 watts). The result is mind-bogglingly (and I mean that in its truest sense) good. As you would expect, there is absolutely zero noise in the output other than that tiny leakage from the power supply, and the distortion levels are almost unchanged from that shown in the one-watt and 20-watt graphs. The level of the third harmonic has risen slightly so that distortion component is now sitting at –117dB, which is 0.00014%. The fifth-order component has also risen by 1dB to –127dB (0.00004%). The result of ’ testing aligns with Halcro’s claims that the Eclipse Stereo’s THD levels are “better than –120dB”, a lever that it points out is “lower than 1000 parts per billion”. The distortion result shown in the accompanying test result table tells the THD story in an easily understandable numeric form: 0.00006%. The level of intermodulation distortion (CCIF-IMD) measured by is shown in Graph 6 above, when the Eclipse Stereo was delivering twin 19kHz and 20kHz test signals at a level of 20 watts into eight ohms. There are only two high-frequency sidebands, at 18kHz and 21kHz, that are each 110dB down and so would contribute 0.0003% to the output – insignificantly small. There is a tiny regenerated signal down at 1kHz too, but it is also insignificantly small – 117dB down, contributing only 0.00014%. All other signals are more than 120dB down, which is the level specified by Halcro for this particular test. The overall wide-band signal-to-noise ratios measured by were, as we’re sure you’ve already guessed from the noise floors shown in the graphs, spectacularly low. Noise relative to an output level of one watt was measured at –101dB unweighted, and –107dB A-weighted. We can’t think of a single amplifier the lab has measured that has ever come within cooee of returning a noise figure better than 100dB when referenced to this power level. The noise figures were better again for the measurement at rated output, with the Halcro returning results of –124dB unweighted, and –130dB A-weighted. As one who is ‘experienced in the art’ would expect from Graph 1, the output impedance of the Eclipse Stereo was incredibly low, with measuring it as 0.002 ohms at 1kHz, which is an order of magnitude better than almost all other amplifiers and means a damping factor of 4,000! Square wave testing reflected the results returned when measuring the Eclipse Stereo’s frequency response, with the tilt on the 100Hz square wave reflecting the –3dB point of 3.5Hz (Halcro specs it at 3Hz). There’s no bending so there’s no low-frequency phase shift. The waveform at 1kHz is so squared-off and clean that it may as well have been issued directly from the lab’s function generator, and is therefore a perfect result. At a 10kHz test frequency there is some rounding evident on the leading edge of the waveform, reflecting the high-frequency 3dB down-point of 280kHz, but the overall rise time shows a very, very fast slew rate. The Eclipse Stereo’s ability to drive extremely demanding loudspeakers, as well as electrostatic designs, is shown by its performance when delivering a 1kHz square wave into an eight-ohm resistor paralleled with a 2μF capacitor. That performance was outstandingly good, with the initial overshoot being less than one-quarter wave height, and the small amount of resultant ringing being damped within five cycles. This amplifier will be completely stable into any loudspeaker. We rather hope that this test report gives the average non-technical reader an appreciation of just how well this amplifier performed on test bench, but we suspect that ultimately it will be only those readers with a degree in electrical engineering who will truly appreciate the outstandingly high levels of performance delivered by Halcro’s Eclipse Stereo. It is a truly mind-bogglingly good amplifier!NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 30, 2024
Article content The rising cost of living has been taking a greater bite out of Canadians’ wallets since the pandemic, with the average price of all goods and services up by about 18 per cent cumulatively over the past four years. But as general inflation has pinched pocketbooks, it has also focused attention on a more insidious problem: hidden, sometimes excessive “ junk fees ,” that have become bane of consumers everywhere. “There are just so many ways that prices are being played with, and it’s a kind of competition to see who can most sneakily get more money out of you,” says Ken Whitehurst, executive director of the non-profit Consumers Council of Canada. “I think people are very justifiably angry. We are evolving into a transaction economy where nobody is making money off of the great product or service they’re delivering, they’re just making money off of how many times they can manipulate the transaction.” It isn’t hard to find examples. Charges labelled as processing fees, administrative fees, service fees or booking fees abound across a variety of major industries. And because many sectors — including airlines, banks, telecom companies and grocery store chains — are controlled by a few big players , experts say Canadians often have limited options for exercising choice and taking their business elsewhere. That combination has attracted the attention of the federal government and various regulatory agencies, which are starting to target pricing agreements that either disguise the real price of an item or potentially trap consumers into paying additional fees for a product or service they already use. Tackling junk fees and drip pricing In the 2023 federal budget , the government vowed to strengthen the Competition Act and target “higher telecom roaming charges, event and concert fees, excessive baggage fees, and unjustified shipping and freight fees.” Earlier this year, Ottawa said it will introduce regulations that require banks to cap non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees at $10 — a fraction of the $45 to $48 currently charged by the Big Five banks. And in October, the CRTC ordered cellphone companies to take “concrete steps” toward making roaming fees more affordable. One specific practice that is under the microscope target has been the use of “drip pricing,” where consumers are lured in by a low advertised price that doesn’t include additional hidden fixed charges for a product or service, a tact that is illegal under the Competition Act. Over the past few years, several headline-making fines have been doled out to companies for misleading pricing. In 2019, Ticketmaster paid a $4.5 million penalty for “allegedly misleading pricing claims in online ticket sales,” where fees piled on an extra 20 per cent to 65 per cent onto advertised prices. Ticket resale website TicketNetwork paid a $825,000 fine for similar misleading advertising in 2023. In September, the Competition Tribunal issued Cineplex a record $38.9-million fine, ruling that the theatre chain committed drip pricing through an $1.50 online booking fee. Cineplex has filed an appeal. In the book The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians, co-authors Vass Bednar and Denise Hearn call unjustified junk fees “a kind of lazy man’s innovation.” In an interview with the Financial Post, Bednar noted that some fees charged by private businesses and public institutions are legitimately related to the cost of doing business. For example, because credit card processing fees are costly to merchants in Canada, they’re allowed to add an optional surcharge on credit card purchases of up to 2.4 per cent per transaction — it just has to be clearly disclosed to the cardholder before the transaction, and cardholders must also have the option to pay using debit or cash instead. “Sometimes these fees are real, genuine, supplementary and necessary fees,” Bednar says. “Other times, when (fees) are junk, they are just tacked on and inflate the price because a firm can, and that’s where we see firms trying to take advantage of us.” Searching for a solution Within Canada, Whitehurst says Ontario and Quebec have stronger consumer protection laws compared with other provinces. “Quebec consumer protection law is more assertive,” he says. “The Quebec government, directly and indirectly provides some funding to their consumer organizations, and they’re organized a bit differently. There’s kind of a blending, more like what you would see in the U.K., where the consumer organizations are involved in service delivery as well as policy development representation.” Bednar says the United States is “more voracious and a bit more ambitious” on competition-related issues compared with Canada, but she sees an opportunity for Canada to take inspiration and shift its approach. “There’s a U.S.-led campaign around ending junk fees at the state level. But here, probably partially a function of our historically weak consumer protection, it’s not catching on. I think it’s just not as resonant as it should be. Tackling junk fees and banking is actually huge and very provocative, especially since we have a pretty cozy banking sector,” she says. One study, from Alberta based consultancy North Economics Ltd., found that Canada’s Big Five banks are costing Canadians $7.7 billion in extra fees each year, with Canadians paying higher fees for “inferior service and slow innovation” compared with consumers in Australia and the United Kingdom. The study explores fees ranging from chequing account service fees, insufficient funds fees, overdraft fees, bank machine fees. While more competition and choice are often touted as a solution to Canada’s woes, Whitehurst says it’s a multifaceted issue that requires transparency, meaningful consumer representation, collaboration between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and “sufficient courageousness” among the people tasked with enforcing laws to take action. To help reduce or avoid paying extra fees, non-profit advocacy organization Consumer Reports recommends tactics like negotiating, questioning or complaining about fees. But Whitehurst says it’s not fair to treat the issue as a consumer responsibility — there might not be anyone to ask upfront about additional charges, they might not give an honest answer, or consumers might not be offered an agreement to consider in advance, such as an unexpected charge added to a restaurant or hotel bill “Our best suggestion for consumers is to call their members of legislatures and tell them they want more legal protections and more proactive oversight and enforcement of consumer protection law, regulation and standards,” he says. “Don’t vote for those who won’t commit to reform and then demonstrate they will take action.” Bednar also says that it shouldn’t be up to individuals to solve structural issues, but does see value in the power of calling out junk fees on social media, directly asking companies to provide justification for fees, and reporting deceptive marketing tactics to consumer protection authorities like the Competition Bureau . “Citizens need to be a part of reporting or inquiring and starting to build that awareness around what’s a junk fee and what’s not,” she says. “And I don’t see people being engaged in that way yet, so that’s definitely an area of opportunity.” Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the business news you need to know — add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.1. 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It's a gentle yet deep massage, so it's great for days when you've been standing for hours or walking on your feet a lot. I would recommend to anyone looking for a nice foot massager." — Gardener Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in two colors). 3. A Philips compact pasta maker for anyone who is a pasta snob and prefers it freshly made but is simply sick and tired of going out for dinner. Toss your ingredients into the machine and let it prep Sunday dinner for ya. 🍝 It comes with shaping discs for spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, pappardelle, tagliatelle, angel hair, and lasagna. Plus, there's an included recipe book for meal inspiration. Promising review: "I was just as skeptical as you are. I, too, have been doing the old school — make the dough, roll it out, run it through a pasta machine, etc. — method. It's a production, all for AMAZING pasta. With this, you put the ingredients in, push a button, and watch for AMAZING pasta to be extruded. I had hoped I'd be able to multitask a bit more, but it extrudes so fast there isn't much time for other tasks between cutting it. But I think that seems reasonable. The other thing to consider is that you have to be VERY exact with the measurements of the ingredients. I've found weighing them works best. The recipes in the included book work great. " — Conversio Get it from Amazon for $99+ (available in black or white). 4. A Furbo camera that's an absolute must-have for pet parents — they'll be able to check on Fido at any time and even receive push notifications when their pup is barking so they can talk to them through the app to calm them and even toss them a treat! It features realtime two-way audio, color night vision, and a 360-degree rotating 1080p camera. Promising review : "Having cameras inside the house are nice for checking on the dogs. Having a feeder where you can watch your dogs eat is better. Having a camera that can swivel to check where your dogs went and feed them? Perfect. Setup was easy and I was up and running in no time. I have no regrets making this purchase and I’ve gotten my dogs used to the new camera and they definitely enjoy all the treats being dispensed. It’s also nice to be able to talk to the pups and stop them from doing stuff through the mic. Highly recommend for people who aren’t at home a lot and worry about their pets and just want to give them some loving while you’re busy." — Eugene Get it from Amazon for $210 . 5. A bird feeder with a built-in AI-powered camera that'll show you a live video of your new feathered friends as they snack away and promptly tell you what kind of species they are! Your productivity is about to go waaaaay down — but you'll learn so much about birds (which is more important than getting your laundry done, right?) Promising review: "The bird feeder is easy to assemble and very easy to set up. The motion detection is just the right amount and reliable. I enjoy getting notifications of birds at my feeder. The product is durable and not cheap feeling. This feeder brings a lot of joy to my day. It's easy to share your videos with friends, so many of my friends get to enjoy it as well." — Robert Foster Get it from Amazon for $149 (available in two colors). 6. A Renpho percussion massager — a must-have if they’re forever complaining about the knots in their back and wishing they could take a daily trip to the spa. Check out a TikTok of the massager in action. Promising review: " I have tried EVERYTHING for my feet, nothing works and I am always in pain. It came, I tried it out, and I thought wow, that feels AWESOME. But the true test is how you feel the next day, right? You cannot always walk around with a massage gun in your hand. The next day, I felt AMAZING. AMAZING. I used it on my hubby's back, too, and he said he felt so much better today as well! In addition, this one is way QUIETER than my original massage gun. It's just really a quality piece. You won't be disappointed in this one. It really is what it says. I know it is hard to choose from all the models on the internet, but this one is the real deal. It's worth the money if you have pain." — L Johnson Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in four colors). 7. A Nanit monitor and wall mount to help you keep a watchful eye on your babe while they sleep — you can also easily see stats on how long they've been asleep or if they're standing and not-so-patiently waiting for you to come scoop 'em up. I switched to the Nanit monitoring system when my daughter was born because the app has an incredible split-screen option that lets me watch both kiddos at once — it's been a game changer . It's super easy to set up, and once you've done so, there's nothing more to do but the occasional software update. The app itself is simple: it shows you a view of your kiddo's crib, notes how long they've been asleep, if they're crying, or if they're standing. The audio and picture are so clear (including the night mode), and the camera itself is unobtrusive to my kids' rooms' decor. I also love that even if I'm out (rarely) I can check in on my sleeping babies for some peace of mind. Promising review: "This baby monitor is an absolute parenting game-changer — a solid 10/10 in every possible way! The seamless synchronization with your phone, even when you're away from home, is revolutionary. The real-time alerts for sound and motion keep you informed about every move your little one makes. The standout feature is the ability to meticulously track your baby's sleep patterns, capturing every waking moment, putting down, and sweet falling asleep. Revisiting memories of your baby sleeping is an emotional treasure, and the expert advice on optimizing sleep for your child is a priceless addition. If you seek a baby monitor that seamlessly integrates advanced technology with practical parenting insights, look no further. This monitor has elevated my parenting journey, offering unparalleled peace of mind and heartwarming memories. A resounding 10/10!" — Savannah Wooden Get it from Amazon for $193.68 (originally $299.99) 8. A stuffed waffle maker you can count on to make all of their breakfast dreams come true — fill 'em with cream cheese, strawberries, chicken, or anything else your heart desires! Promising review: "Oh my goodness. This was way better than expected. Definitely only need one waffle per person, they are huge. They are beyond delicious and the stuffing options are endless. It does take about seven minutes to make one waffle, but it is totally worth it. Comes out perfect every single time. No issues at all. Buy it now!" — armywife Get it from Amazon for $69.99 . 9. A rotating Beachwaver curling iron featuring the ability to basically curl their hair for them while they stand around watching YouTube videos. Technology these days, man. BuzzFeed editor Elizabeth Lilly loves hers! She said: "I've used about every kind of hair styling tool on the planet and had given up on curling irons with clamps. I was fully a curling wand girlie because I'm adept at heat styling and it gave me covetable mermaid waves I wanted. Then I tried a Beachwaver and haven't looked back since. I have them in two barrel sizes and now can zone out while I do my hair. The directional buttons for the tool are easy to use and if I accidentally press the button for the opposite way of which I'd like the barrel to spin, it's a quick and easy correction. I try all sorts of products for my job but this has quickly become one that I talk about all the time." Promising review: "As a first time Beachwaver user I was so impressed! I have never been able to use a regular curling iron or a wand so I had high hopes that the Beachwaver would be my hair curling solution, and it was! The Beachwaver is so easy to use and it makes perfect curls every time. At first I had trouble understanding which way I was supposed to curl the hair, but after a tiny bit of practice and a tutorial video I became a Beachwaver pro. It is truly so easy to use and I recommend that everyone gets themselves a Beachwaver even if you already know how to curl hair because it definitely speeds up the hair curling process! " — Raleigh K. Get a pink rose glitter B1 from Beachwaver for $69 or from Amazon for $99 . 10. A heated eye massager complete with five different massage modes and Bluetooth music so they can fully indulge and relax while relieving pain from eye strain and headaches. Promising review : "I saw this product on one of Amazon’s must-have TikTok videos and I knew I had to get it. It was so worth it — even though price may seem higher compared to other sellers, this is for sure a good investment piece. The quality is top notch, the strap that goes around your head is comfortable, and most importantly, the duration of each mode is long enough that it doesn’t interrupt your rest. I work a 12-hour night shift as a nurse and this technology has helped me get through the night easily.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $69.99 (available in two colors). 11. An AirFly Pro wireless transmitter that'll let them use their Bluetooth headphones to watch whatever ~*movie of the month*~ is playing during their flight. It also comes with a USB-C charging cable, travel pouch, keychain holder, quick-start guide, and a manual. Twelve South is a small business that has been creating innovative tech accessories since 2009. Promising review: " If you have a wireless earpiece and fly frequently, this is a must-have. Most newer planes have a monitor on the seat backs that enables you to watch movies, etc. This unit enables you to do it using your wireless earpiece. Connection is simple and automatic once you have initially paired your device or devices. It's convenient. I'm happy with the purchase." — JCE Get it from Amazon for $54.99+ (available in three models). 12. A sunrise alarm clock to wake them up so pleasantly they'll forget that they're supposed to be cranky about heading off to work. This lovely lil' gadget has seven different light settings, calming "wake up" noises, and can be set to gradually get brighter at 30, 20, or 10 minutes. Promising review: "I got this recommendation from TikTok and it really has helped especially with Oregon winters where the sun is not out by the time the alarm rings. It has several peaceful alarm settings and even has night music to put you to sleep. The sunrise with the alarm piano is what I play to wake me up every morning and it is a way better way than to wake up to an annoying phone alarm." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $38.99 . 13. A thin bar light to brighten their gaming area so they can happily continue to play hours and hours (AND HOURS) of World of Warcraft without their partner asking "are you still sitting in the dark?" Promising review: "It's a good option for a streamer that has an overhead camera that shows-off their custom keyboard, gaming mouse, or artisan desk mat. Highly recommended and for the price, it's worth every dollar you spend." — MarkusTechCorner Get it from Amazon for $109.10+ (available in three styles). 14. Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones you might want to say "screw it" and buy for yourself while you’re already filling your cart with gifts for everyone else. Promising review: "Sounds quality is so good, sometimes it made my head hurt and ears because of the fit, but it’s kinda comfortable, it’s very loud, and the bass is good. Noise-canceling is so good, I be thinking the earth is quiet, but it’s just the headphones that make it sound like that." — Lolo Get them from Amazon for $249.99 (available in eight colors) 15. Or customizable new Dyson OnTrac wireless headphones that is *very* much a splurge but likely worth it for fans of the brand — they boast up to 55 hours of battery, noise-canceling features, transparency mode, and the ability to swap out the actual colors of the ear cushions and outer caps whenever you get the itch for a *new* pair. Promising review: "I just love these headphones! The Dyson headphones are the first 'high-tech' headphones I have ever owned, and they are so awesome. They are lightweight and comfortable to wear. One of my favorite features is the noise canceling, which makes it easy to pay attention to what I am listening to. Another nice feature is when I pull them off the music automatically stops. I love all my Dyson products, and these are top-notch!" — Mikenna Get them from Dyson for $499.99 (available in four styles) or Amazon for $449.99 (available in two styles). And check out the seven ear cushions and seven outer caps that are sold separately for $49.99 each. 16. A PhoneSoap UV sanitizer they can toss their phone into for a quick 10 minutes after they get home to get rid of the grime that's surely lurking everywhere they go. I have one of these bad boys and can validate that it is SO easy to use. I pop my phone into it when I get in the shower and click the lil' button on the front to start the cleaning process. You can also charge your phone while it's inside the machine. Fellow germaphobes — you can thank me later. Additionally, PhoneSoap is a small business! Promising review: "Bought this along with a set of agar plates to test it for ourselves. We swabbed my daughter's and husband's phones before and after use. It does work. We are very happy with the product." — Ginger Get it from Amazon for $59.95 (available in six colors). 17. A Kindle for any lit lover whose main goal at all times is to plow through a *ton* of books on their TBR list — this will ensure they can have *tons* of books at their fingertips at all times. I have a Kindle and surprisingly have become a big fan of it — especially when traveling. While I absolutely prefer a hardcover book, it's nearly impossible to put more than two (which is a stretch in itself) in my suitcase along with my clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. I read most of my books these days through the Libby app (all you need is a library card for access) which can be used via your phone or Kindle. No need to spend tons of money on novels when I simply am not someone who rereads them! This latest version sports a 7-inch glare-free screen and a battery that'll last WEEKS! Get it from Amazon for $159 (available in three colors and with/without lock screen ads). 18. A Bluetooth speaker with an adorable '90s feel to it they can program with fun pixelated messages, a clock, and animations galore! This lil' gadget has RGB-backlit buttons and, of course, has the ability to play music and podcasts. Check out an unboxing TikTok from @thatkawaiigrl ! BuzzFeed editor Jenae Sitzes loves hers! You can read more on why it's one of her favorite pieces of desk decor here . Promising reviews : "I actually impulsively purchased this because I saw it on TikTok. I have had it for a little over a month now, and it is actually the best item I have purchased in a while. I admit, there is a slight learning curve when setting it up because there is not a clear-cut instructions guide for all of the features, but once you figure it out, it’s so worth it. It is really multifunctional, and you can customize it to your liking. I really love the mini-games featured here, like Tetris and Snake , because they all bring back childhood memories for me. My favorite part is the fact that it works as a speaker and when I play music, I can have little videos sync to the music. Who knew a tiny little speaker could bring me so much joy. It is a bit pricy, though, but it is just so cute. If you’re looking for a sign to buy this, here’s your sign." — Khuyen Nguyen Get it from Amazon for $79.92 (available in six colors). 19. A Samsung TV that'll disguise itself as an elegant picture frame when it's not in use. A magical marvel in home decor and technology if you ask me. I own this TV and absolutely adore it — it's really helped tie my living room together and I love swapping out the "picture" we display on it for each season. BuzzFeed writer Mallory Mower has and loves her frame TV as well. She said: "This is honest and truly the best splurge I have ever made. It has massively upgraded the look in my living room. My husband loves the photography options and I love all the classical paintings – as someone who loves changing up my decor, being able to update the display images has been so fun. The quality is fantastic while watching movies and TV...but I'm pretty sure I love it as a piece of art in my home even more." BuzzFeed Home Editor Sally Elshorafa is a fan: "This TV was such a splurge for me, but I got it on sale last Cyber Monday so I at least got a really good deal. I love, love, love that when it's not on it looks like a realistic piece of art. There's so many different pieces of art to choose from — from contemporary photography to classic works from the greats like Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. You can pick the style and color of the mat, too. When it comes to watching TV, it's crystal clear. I should note that I got a custom brown bezel because I'm extremely extra when it comes to interior design. " Get it from Amazon for $499.99+ (available in six sizes, six styles, and with or without expert installation). 20. A 3D printing pen that kids, teens, and adults alike will be in awe of after they see how freakin' cool it is to make their own drawings come to life. 3Doodler is a small business! Promising review: "This pen is great. My kids love it because it is easy to use and easy to maneuver. The pen is easy to control and allows them to make adjustments in order to make their ideas come to life. It fits their hands nicely and produces quality designs." — Megan Sexton Get it from Amazon for $59.99. 21. A Moccamaster drip coffee machine that'll become any coffee snob's most bragged about gadget thanks to how beautifully it'll match their kitchen decor — it comes in over 23 colors! The brewing basket will stop the flow of coffee the moment they remove the carafe and the carafe itself has a hot plate to keep coffee hot as long as necessary. It's perfect for anyone who either A. drinks coffee at all hours of the day and needs a pot at-the-ready or B. is constantly playing host and will need to serve a bunch of people as needed. My husband, a coffee connoisseur, has assured me in the "coffee community" this machine is regarded as one (if not THE) best drip coffee machines on the market. I mean, it does boast the ability to brew between a half or full carafe, a brew basket that automatically stops the flow of coffee when removing the carafe (no mess!), and a hotplate with an independent heating element to keep coffee at the *perfect* temperature. But for me? It's the color options. There are SO many to choose from — there's no doubt in my mind anyone would be able to find an option that would look great in their home. I actually *do* own one in my home (it's fabulous) and it does all that it says it will. It's certainly lived up to our expectations — and we drink a lot of coffee as parents of a one-year-old. Get it from Amazon for $359 (available in 23 colors). 22. A Nespresso Vertuo coffee and espresso maker that'll have their favorite drink ready in minutes — anyone who is caffeinated is scientifically going to be happier, right? OK, I made that up but it *feels* like a true statement. Promising review: "This is a Breville Nespresso coffee maker. Unlike many Nespresso coffee makers, this has no knob or lever that needs to be tightly secured. Our son has one of those and we find it often hard to open or close the lever. This machine has touch open and close, making it super easy to insert pods. The product works flawlessly, is easy to fill with water and makes great hot coffee." — Phil A Goodman Get it from Amazon for $110.47+ (available in two styles). 23. And a Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother in case they prefer to sip on something a bit more decadent after rolling out of bed. They'll easily impress anyone who cares to join them for breakfast by taking their morning coffee to the next level with some frothy goodness. Promising review: "Bravo Nespresso! I can't rave enough about this item. The simplest and best milk frother I have aver seen. Our lattes and cappuccinos are simply fantastic now with the heated, frothed milk from this machine. I have an expensive Jura coffee maker and it does hot, frothed milk well but not as easy to use or as well frothed as this thing. I can make only the amount of milk I need with this, where I would have a big bulky stainless-steel canister on the counter all day for the Jura with milk I would never get to use so would throw away. Well worth the price if you like perfectly frothed milk. Simple to use too! One of the best items I have ever purchased!" — Customer Get it from Amazon for $73.95+ (available in two colors). 24. A Nintendo Switch OLED with a 7-inch screen, a wide adjustable stand, enhanced audio, and an overall pleasant gaming experience they'll be thrilled to play. They can kickstart their "cozy gamer" lifestyle by purchasing soothing games like Disney Dreamlight Valley or take a more ambitious approach with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . I have the Nintendo Switch OLED and am a big fan! My husband has the original Switch and I have the Switch Lite, but this newest version has definitely made a good impression on me. I wasn't always enthused with the original version (my hands are small!) but, despite this one being similar in size, the OLED feels a lot lighter and easy to hold. The colors are the screen are beautiful and *so* clear. It connects very easily to the TV, so you can play multiplayer games at any time! Promising review: "Starting off The OLED switch takes things to the next level. I used to play a lot of Mario games many years before, and I didn’t think I’d ever go back to playing Mario again. Nintendo has made it easy to play a lot of my favorite Mario games from back in the day through the online store. Amazon helped ensure that I had confidence with the delivery of my package, they sent me an OTP password through email to help ensure my package was delivered to the right person. I am very grateful to Amazon for helping provide me with a wonderful experience." — Jose A. Hernandez Get it from Amazon for $349 (available in two styles). 25. Or a PlayStation 5 console if they're looking to expand their gaming library overall — it's slimmer than ever so it won't take up any of their already overcrowded space, has 1 terabyte (that's BIG) of storage and loads games at lightning speed. My husband and I (he more than myself) would consider ourselves to be rather avid gamers. Growing up, PlayStation was always my console of choice, so I was super excited to get my hands on a newer model as an adult. It's honestly all it's hyped up to be! There are *so* many games to play now it's overwhelming to even try to choose. That being said, our first foray into the PS5 was through Baldur's Gate 3 (which was 2023's Game of the Year winner). The experience was out of this world, honestly. The picture was so clear and the gameplay was seamless — even while playing alongside one of our friends. We'll definitely get a lot more use of it as the weather gets colder (and, ideally, our kids sleep all night). Promising review: "I haven’t had a PlayStation in years. I have been wanting to play some of the games they have out. All I can say is it is worth every penny." — Jmc Get it from Target for $424.99 . 26. Or an Xbox Series S console — because they might as well complete the gaming console trifecta and get 'em all, right? The Xbox is a staple item for any gamer who wants to be able to play alongside their buddies from the comfort of their own home *and* have access to countless games and other forms of entertainment. I have an Xbox Series S and am forever impressed by all the things it can do in addition to being used for playing video games. You can download a slew of apps on it (Discord, Spotify, Disney+, the list goes on) and essentially use it as a smart TV. It's the smallest Xbox they've come out with so far (I was literally shocked at how tiny and sleek it is when I took it out of the box), but is still packed with great sound and visual specs. My husband set it up in our room so we can hang out and play games before going to sleep — it's great! If you're intimidated by the thought of trying to help your teen set up the console, you can actually book a one-on-one appointment with a Microsoft Expert to set the entire thing up for you! Get it from Microsoft or Best Buy for $249.99. 27. An AeroGarden for their countertop so they can grow their own herbs to take their recipes to the next level — whether they have a green thumb or not. Promising review: "I purchased this as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend's sister-in-law who lamented not having a green thumb. In the two months that the sis-in-law has had the AeroGarden, the growth has been tremendous. I'm constantly in awe when she sends me pics of the new growth." — Mary A. Walls Get it from Amazon for $105.99+ (available in two styles). 28. A splurge-worthy Dyson Airstrait that'll change the way they straighten their hair forever — it uses directional air flow (no metal plates!) to both dry and straighten hair in minutes. Seriously, it only took me 10 minutes to do my hair directly from the shower! I've had the pleasure of testing out the Dyson Airstrait and, OMG, what an incredible piece of technology. Yes, I called this "tech" instead of a beauty tool. While it is both of these things, I was amazed by the gadget-ness of it right off the bat. I literally had to select on an LCD screen what language MY STRAIGHTENER should be set to...wild. Anyways! The Airstrait has the ability to straighten both wet or dry hair — and does without the use of damaging hot plates. It uses directional airflow to smooth and straighten hair and, honestly, it is a pretty magical experience. The biggest learning curve for me was realizing the copper pieces (where the fan lives) need to face outward so you're not blowing your hair all over the place. The fan increases when you clamp the Airstrait around your hair (HOW DOES IT KNOW!?) and pauses entirely when you set it down (seen in the GIF to the left). Additionally, I have a toddler and am very limited on time. With this gadget I was able to take my hair from directly-from-the-shower wet to natural-looking straight hair in only TEN MINUTES . This is going to be such a game changer for my life!!! It's definitely worth the splurge. Add this to your holiday wish list or, you know, get it now. Get it from Sephora for $499 . 29. A chic Aura picture frame with the ability to display an abundance of photos, perfect for grandparents who love nothing more than showing off their grandkids — you can even pre-load it with pictures ahead of time! You can also invite other people to upload their photos/videos to the Aura app — and there is unlimited storage on each frame. Additionally, Aura is a small business! Promising review: "I had been looking for years for something just like this! Not only is this a very clear picture frame, the app it uses is exactly what I wanted for my parents. Somewhere that the whole family could leave pictures and notes to each other privately. It’s like a personal Instagram for only my family. The initial set up was rather difficult but not a single issue after that. We have been using this frame and app for nearly one year and it has worked flawlessly . I was worried about spending so much money on a digital frame and it not being what I wanted. But this is a true piece of quality and worth every penny." — Nicole Get it it from Amazon for $139+ (available in five colors). 30. An outdoor pizza oven the entire family can enjoy — from rolling out the dough and adding toppings to watching it cook over the flame, this is one purchase you'll get praised for. Promising review: "Want to feed a crowd? Once it's heated, a pizza is ready to go every six minutes. Want to smoke enough BBQ for a small group? Easily handles enough for four people with a chicken or a couple of racks of ribs with the right accessories. Great for searing sous vide steaks or just cooking them from scratch. Portable enough to take on trips, versatile enough to find a use at any gathering." — Nathan Get it from Amazon for $299.99 . 31. A mini beauty fridge to keep their skincare products (think: serums, rollers, the works) chilled so they'll feel super refreshing on their face before bed. Cooluli is a small business! Reviewers also use it to store medications and breast pump parts! Promising review: "Very quiet, keeps everything very cool, and fits in my bathroom perfectly. I keep my facial products in there: I love that my face masks can fit in the door." — Lex Get it from Amazon for $37.10+ (available in eight styles). 32. An iPhone and AirPod charger that'll also act as a stand so they can continue to FaceTime with their mom even if their phone is on its last few drops of battery. I have this charger and absolutely love it. I currently keep it on my desk so when my baby is napping I can keep the monitor app open without having to keep glancing down at my phone. The magnet is super strong, charges my devices quickly, and it doesn't take up much space at all! I'm going to need another one for my nightstand, TBH. Promising review: "Perfect upgrade for hub's nightstand. Looks nice and he says it’s much easier than fussing with plugging a cord in each time. Love that it’s designed to charge phone and AirPods at the same time. Convenient. He loves it! I want one for myself now." — Aubrie S. Get it from Courant for $120 (available in six colors). 33. A triple dock charging station that'll keep *all* of their Apple devices juiced up and ready to go — it also features a stylish oak or walnut base that'll blend beautifully in with their bedroom or office decor. I have the single MagSafe iPhone stand version of this in walnut on my nightstand and I absolutely love it. My husband is jealous of it, TBH. I'm considering getting this version for myself and letting him have the other one, as I use an Apple Watch and he doesn't. Promising review: "Love the aesthetic of this. Beautiful piece sets the tone." — Cherie Get it from Oakywood or Amazon for $80 (available in two styles). 34. A super cool gadget called Tidbyt you can customize with apps of your choosing (think train times, weather, calendar, etc) to display all you need to know at any given time. Tidbyt (which was created by a small business of the same name) is sort of a clock display but does so much more than that. There's a ton of applications users can plug into the gadget to customize it to their liking. Current practical app options include weather, clock, stocks, news, and sports scores. However, the fun *really* starts when they start to dive into the "just for fun" applications like "Burger of the Day," "Who's That Pokémon?" "Nyan Cat," and "Super Mario Kart." They can even pre-schedule the apps to appear at specific times. You're going to blow any techie away with this one-of-a-kind gift. Promising review: "I enjoy having this even more than I thought I would. I have currently: three clocks, live day/night time zone map, Doppler radara, Spotify now playing, most recent MegaMillions numbers, live near Earth objects, and some photos. Love it!" — Jade O. Get it from Tidbyt for $199 (available in two colors). 35. And a seriously impressive xBloom coffee machine bundle that'll transform anyone into a barista seemingly overnight — this spectacular machine will let them use their favorite whole beans in a pod-like system to craft cafe-quality pour-over drinks from their home. It's a seriously next-level machine that is meticulously calibrated (but does so all on its own). This special bundle includes the original machine, a holiday blend duo, a reusable dripper, an Orea sense glass, an instant dry stone coaster set, and a tote bag! You can use whatever beans you like with the machine's grinder feature to make your drinks daily. Look out, Starbies. You've got some serious competition! Promising review: "It had been the best coffee maker I’ve used it’s a whole experience, I showed it to friends and family and everyone it’s impress by its aesthetics and coffee making process. Also the taste it’s just wow!" — Louis A Get it from xBloom Coffee for $699 . Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.Students And Their Democratic Right
President-elect Trump says he should be the one to make the decision on whether TikTok can continue operating in the United States due to the unique national security and First Amendment issues raised by this case, he said in an amicus brief Friday. Trump’s argument comes in an amicus brief "supporting neither party," filed Friday, weeks before the Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10, 2025 on the law that requires a divestment of TikTok from foreign adversary control. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing and connected to the Chinese Communist Party. "Today, President Donald J. Trump has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok’s imminent shutdown, and allow President Trump the opportunity to resolve the issue in a way that saves TikTok and preserves American national security once he resumes office as President of the United States on January 20, 2025," Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. "President Donald J. Trump ("President Trump") is the 45th and soon to be the 47th President of the United States of America," the brief states. "On January 20, 2025, President Trump will assume responsibility for the United States’ national security, foreign policy, and other vital executive functions." Trump argues that "this case presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side, and foreign policy and national-security concerns on the other." "As the incoming Chief Executive, President Trump has a particularly powerful interest in and responsibility for those national-security and foreign-policy questions, and he is the right constitutional actor to resolve the dispute through political means. President Trump also has a unique interest in the First Amendment issues raised in this case," the brief states. "Through his historic victory on November 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans—including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok." "President Trump is uniquely situated to vindicate these interests, because ‘the President and the Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all the voters in the Nation,’" the brief continues. Trump argues that due to his "overarching responsibility for the United States’ national security and foreign policy— President Trump opposes banning TikTok in the United States at this juncture, and seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." "On September 4, 2024, President Trump posted on Truth Social, ‘FOR ALL THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!’" the brief states. Trump argues that he "alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government—concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged." "Indeed, President Trump’s first Term was highlighted by a series of policy triumphs achieved through historic deals, and he has a great prospect of success in this latest national security and foreign policy endeavor," the brief states. Trump notes that the 270-day deadline imposed by the new TikTok law "expires on January 19, 2025—one day before President Trump will assume office as the 47th President of the United States." That legislation, which was signed into law in the spring, requires a sale of TikTok from ByteDance by Jan. 19. If ByteDance does not divest by the deadline, Google and Apple are no longer able to feature TikTok in their app stores in the U.S. "This unfortunate timing interferes with President Trump’s ability to manage the United States’ foreign policy and to pursue a resolution to both protect national security and save a social-media platform that provides a popular vehicle for 170 million Americans to exercise their core First Amendment rights," the brief states. "The Act imposes the timing constraint, moreover, without specifying any compelling government interest in that particular deadline." Trump points to the law, which "contemplates a 90-day extension to the deadline under certain specified circumstances." Supreme Court Justices said they will hold a special session on Jan. 10 to hear oral arguments in the case -- an expedited timeline that will allow them to consider the case just nine days before the Jan. 19 ban is slated to take effect. The law allows the president to extend the deadline by up to 90 days if ByteDance is in the process of divesting. "President Trump, therefore, has a compelling interest as the incoming embodiment of the Executive Branch in seeing the statutory deadline stayed to allow his incoming Administration the opportunity to seek a negotiated resolution of these questions," the brief states. "If successful, such a resolution would obviate the need for this Court to decide the historically challenging First Amendment question presented here on the current, highly expedited basis." TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency application to the high court earlier this month asking justices to temporarily block the law from being enforced while it appealed a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Lawyers for TikTok have argued that the law passed earlier this year is a First Amendment violation, noting in their Supreme Court request that "Congress's unprecedented attempt to single out applicants and bar them from operating one of the most significant speech platforms in this nation" and "presents grave constitutional problems that this court likely will not allow to stand." TikTok, last year, created its "Project Texas" initiative, which is dedicated to addressing concerns about U.S. national security. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew says "Project Texas" creates a stand-alone version of the TikTok platform for the U.S. isolated on servers in Oracle’s U.S. cloud environment. It was developed by CFIUS and cost the company approximately $1.5 billion to implement. Chew has argued that TikTok is not beholden to any one country, though executives in the past have admitted that Chinese officials had access to Americans' data even when U.S.-based TikTok officials did not. TikTok claims that the new initiative keeps U.S. user data safe, and told Fox News Digital that data is managed "by Americans, in America." Trump has signaled support for TikTok. Earlier this month, he met with Chew at Mar-a-Lago, telling reporters during a press conference ahead of the meeting that his incoming administration will "take a look at TikTok" and the looming U.S. ban. "I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok," Trump told reporters.