So you’ve left it until the last minute to shop and now you’re ready to get out there and spend all your hard-earned cash. One problem we always run into when we’re under pressure for time is “Shoppers’ Block”. You get out to shop and you don’t know where to start. Don’t worry- Help is at hand!

With Christmas fast approaching the window for shopping is closing, especially for those shopping online. Thankfully there are still options for those ordering online*, and there doesn’t have to be a compromise when it comes to quality. All too often the delay in getting a gift is obviously represented by cheap, ill-suited or downright crummy gifts.

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Last minute shopping often produces some great gifts, but there’s always the guy who buys flowers at the petrol station. Don’t be that guy. Just because it’s the last minute, it doesn’t mean thought should go down the tubes along with your cash.

*Please, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re ordering online tick the express delivery box (if it’s an option). Look at the extra few quid as punishment for leaving it so late to shop and using a guide to find a present.

The Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 player speaker

The Altec Lansing Orbit speaker was a gadget we were a bit dubious about at first. The package was so light we thought it couldn’t be all that great for something so small. We expected something cheap and light or something heavy and alright.

But, (listen up, we don’t say this often) the little speaker has proven us wrong. The sound quality, considering its size, is actually remarkably good. It’s not your usual tinny sound that has sadly become the norm with portable speakers.

It operates on 3 AAA batteries, again, don’t forget to include these. Battery life is decent enough; it runs for around 24 hours. There’s no AC charger though so we’d recommend you get rechargable batteries. We loved the on/off switch too. Instead of a normal button or slide-switch, the speaker is turned on by turning the top half several degrees until it clicks into place. On top of that, the cord winds around a groove in the side of the speaker with a dent where the jack clicks into place. Unless this is unraveled you can’t turn on the speaker. Aside from being different, this reassures us the speaker won’t accidentally switch itself on in your bag. No one wants to hear MC Hammer at a considerable volume in the middle of a lecture only to realise it’s coming from their bag (Or do they?).

We only had two problems with the speaker; the chord was a little short, but we got over that fairly quickly, realising a longer cord would mean a less tidy package and the fact that there weren’t two speakers. We had a bit of a Spinal Tap moment in the office, “This is great, but what if it went to 11?!”

It’s got an integrated amplifier which means you’re looking at more volume than your average portable speaker but it also works just as well (sometimes better) standing upright on it’s side. We found that having it standing upright facing us while we were working away on the computer gave us more volume. Although, that does defeat the purpose of it’s 360 degree amplifier. . .whoops.

All in all we love it. It’s sturdy (again, surprising for its size and weight) and can handle quite a bit of, erm, abuse (we dropped it once or twice by accident). Good fun for picnics or hanging out in the park. We hesitate to say beach because of what sand does to tech products. . .

The Altec Lansing Orbit speaker retails at a decent enough (for the quality) £28 from pixmania (http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/671651/art/altec-lansing/orbit-speaker.html). They also, handily enough, can ship orders placed before the 20th in time for Christmas.