In years gone by I used to be a fan of Christmas shopping at the last minute, with one renegade assault on the aisles of a big supermarket in Trowbridge at 4am on Christmas Eve, but people got wise to my cavalier attitude, with even Dad commenting on how similar his gifts were each year. 

These days I typically let online retailers take the strain, thereby avoiding the massive queues in towns around the county as people get increasingly desperate for inspiration, saving my time and energy for the most personal and special of gifts from the legion of excellent independent retailers across Wiltshire.  

This year some online retailers like Amazon are even delivering parcels through couriers on a Sunday – so it’s easier than ever before to make the deliveries fit into your busy schedule. 

If there’s a gadget lover in your life, here are my top Christmas tips: 


 
EasyAcc Power Bank USB charger – from £20 
If somebody in your life is glued to their smartphone or tablet computer, the chance to boost up the battery on their device on the move without the need for mains electricity makes this a cheap, excellent and very useful device – which can charge anything with a standard USB connection. 

ITCSennheiser CX 300 II Headphones – from £22
Gadget lovers have a habit of losing their headphones, and this low-cost option is a fantastic buy.  If you’re a parent or grandparent of a teen who loves loud music, they also offer excellent noise isolation, which means you and others around them don’t need to hear the racket.  

Jawbone UP24 – from £85 
It looks like 2015 will be the year of wearable technology. The UP24 links to your phone or tablet and tracks your activity when you wear it – showing how many steps you’ve walked in a day and even how well you slept.  Great for keep-fit fanatics and those who might want to lose a few pounds in the new year. 
 
Tesco Hudl 2 Tablet – from £120 (Tesco only) 
This budget tablet runs on Google’s Android software, and unlike many other cheap devices has powerful innards and a very high quality screen that builds on the success of last year’s tablet. You can access over a million apps and games on the Play store.