The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

As technology editors and writers, we spend most of the year carefully testing, evaluating, and reporting on business hardware and software. But when December hits, we go as nuts as anybody else.
When we should be assessing the relative merits of the latest firewalls or following the vagaries of the chip market, we're actually using our tech savvy to choose the best-ever MP3 player, rockin' personal game machine, or kick-butt large-screen HDTV. After all, how else can our families and friends know exactly what to get us?
This year, we decided to let you in on our findings. The result is the story you're reading: the Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide. It's the one and only truly honest list of what guys and gals like us want for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and all twelve days of Christmas.
Here are just a few of the categories we offer gift recommendations for: digital cameras, smartphones, ultralight notebooks, noise-canceling headphones, personal GPS devices, digital camcorders, large-screen HDTVs, Media Center PCs, 21-inch LCDs, even robots — more than 30 recommendations in all. Somewhere on this list is the product for you — um, we mean, that you want to give as gift, of course.
You should know we settled on one or two ground rules. First, we made it a point that all our best-bet gift ideas must be fun the first day they're received, not in some vaporware-like haze of the future, when the software finally gets written or all the functionality is eventually turned on. Just say no to brand-new platforms. We're all about instant gratification.
Second, the Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide is highly selective. No me-too products. Nothing beige. The high-tech gadgets and high-end electronics that made our list did so because they're white-hot, wicked cool, sick, intense, and insert the totally far-out adjective of your choice here. So read on. And don't forget to add TechWeb to your holiday list. We need this stuff bad.

Editor's Note: Want to buy that special someone a desktop or notebook computer this year? Check out Desktop Pipeline's A Guide to Gift PCs.

Fun On The Run

Limiting your entertainment hours to your living room is just too yesterday for words. Today's audiophiles, video viewers, and serious gamers are totally unwired, unattached, and unrestricted. These great gifts will get you off the couch and into the flow.

Personal Audio Player:
Apple iPod nano 4GB
There are two ways we can go about this. Let's start with the right brain. The iPod nano is quite possibly the most elegant piece of hardware ever to grace a music-lover's palms. In a word, the nano is pure cool. The left-brained analysis boils down to one phrase: 0.27ths of an inch. That's the thickness of the iPod nano — just a hair over a quarter-inch.
Besides, the industrial design is flawless. This iPod shimmers, looking more like a piece of jewelry than an electronic device. It makes the previous generation iPod mini look like a clunky child's toy. Apple's design brilliance has never been more apparent than in the nano.

Even so, the nano may not represent iPod nirvana. Many buyers have complained about easily scratched screens. And a member of the Best Buy Geek Squad admitted to us that there have been a lot of returns because of reliability issues. She didn't recommend it for runners.
But as this year's hot holiday gift, the $249 iPod nano 4MB is absolutely sure to please. If J.D. Power did initial buyer satisfaction ratings on MP3 players, you can be sure the iPod nano would top its list. And it continues to have the user interface to beat among all MP3 players.   <more info>

Portable Audio/Video Player: Creative Zen Vision 30GB
If you're finding the hype around the new video-playing Apple iPod a bit hard to take, Creative's Zen Vision portable audio/video player will feel like a breath of fresh air on a smoggy Los Angeles freeway.

Look beyond the colorful 3.7-inch, 640 x 480-pixel screen, the easy-to-navigate interface, and the ability to store close to 15,000 songs, 120 hours of movies and videos, or tens of thousands of photos, and you'll find one heck of an advantage over Apple. Instead of closing off its digital borders and allowing only proprietary formats, the $399 Zen Vision allows you to transfer and play a host of different video formats, including AVI, DivX, MPEG, and WMV9 on the video side, and MP3 and WMA on the audio side.

This is a real alternative to the iPod — one that doesn't force any unwanted compromises.   <more info>

Portable Game System: Nintendo DS

Every now and then, gamers have to leave the warm glow of the PC or TV screen and venture out into the world — and we all know that lame cell phone games just won't cut it. The Nintendo DS offers an impressive list of highly rated games that make those family parties a little less painful. Don't be fooled by its touch screen and built-in Wi-Fi; this baby's strictly for gaming.
The system's dual screens, voice-recognition capabilities, and 3-D graphics (surpassing those of the Nintendo 64) are resulting in some innovative new games such as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Nintendogs as well as putting a new spin on classic games with Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land. Some titles, such as Mario Kart DS, let you play online as well.

The DS, which can be found from $130 to $220, even has a second cartridge slot that lets you play GameBoy Advance games from holidays past — which, by the way, would make excellent stocking stuffers. – Justin Launderville <more info>

Remote Video: Slingbox

The Slingbox from Sling Media is one of those one-of-a-kind gifts that will astound and dazzle the TV junkies in your life. The premise is simple: You attach the Slingbox to the back of your television, and it redirects the signal from your cable/satellite box or digital video recorder via the Internet to any computer you choose. The visual quality isn't perfect, but the stream is remarkably devoid of skipping, stuttering, or other flaws that plague streaming video.

The distinctive benefit of the Slingbox goes something like this. You're stuck visiting your in-laws, who insist on watching Dancing With the Stars while you want to watch the Fiesta Bowl. If said in-laws have a high-speed Internet connection, you just connect to your Slingbox ($249) from any computer, and voila! Problem solved. Got it?  <more info>

Road Ready

When you're in the air or on the highway, travel can be messy and uncomfortable if you're not prepared. These elegant gifts will keep you packed, organized, on the right road, and in the right frame of mind.

Smartphone: Palm Treo 650
Without a doubt, Palm's Treo 650 is the single most coveted tech gift for 2005. Why? It is a high mark (and the current standard-bearer) in the ongoing convergence between PDAs and mobile phones.
An instant classic the moment it was released, the Treo 650 ($149 or $199, depending on your mobile provider) packs massive, unprecedented power and functionality into a surprisingly small package.

A full QWERTY keyboard. Sixteen-bit color. A massive 320 x 320 transflective display. Easy dialing via the screen or keyboard. Bluetooth. A VGA camera. Infrared. SD expansion slots for storing MP3s and photographs.
And just below the surface lies the elegant, feature-filled Palm PDA, which comes with a host of applications and is quite capable of managing every facet of your life (or distracting you from them). Even confirmed technophobes find themselves falling in love with this smart cookie.  <more info>

Noise-Cancelling Headphones: Bose QuietComfort 2
The Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise-Cancelling Headphones do three things amazingly well: 1.) Cut out that background WOOSHHHHHH! noise on airplanes, 2.) Play music flawlessly, and 3.) Are so comfortable that you'll literally forget you have them on.

There's something about cutting out the air-stream and jet-engine sounds that takes a lot of the angst out of air travel. These headphones don't eliminate all sounds — you'll still be able to hear the attendants ask you what you'd like to drink — but you'll arrive a lot more refreshed. Match them up with an excellent MP3 player (see the iPod nano), and all you'll have to do is close your eyes to make 90 percent of the annoyances melt away.

The only significant downside to the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones is the $299 price tag. (Tip: You'll save on shipping and in most cases sales tax if you buy them from Crutchfield or one or two other vendors.) Another nit is the fact that if the battery dies, everything dies, including your ability to hear music.
Even so, this product oozes quality and perfection. You'll want to give yourself a pair too.  <more info>

Laptop Bag: The Crumpler Luncheon
Laptop bags prompted hearty discussion among the Gift Guide crew, with some editors going so far as to call the category boring. But that notion was promptly quashed when three of us spoke up for Crumpler's line of computer bags.
Our favorite? The Luncheon. There's much to love about this bag: nifty vertical styling; a choice of bright (but not too) colors; ample internal space with pockets enough for an MP3 player, a few files, and yes, a safely padded 15-inch laptop. At $95, there are lesser-priced bags. There are also lesser bags. – Rose Circeo  <more info>

Personal GPS Device: Garmin Quest 2

For the unadventurous travelers in your life who don't relish the joys and terrors of getting lost, consider Garmin's Quest 2 global positioning system (GPS) unit. This handy little navigation aide, which ranges in price from $520 to $750, comes preloaded with road maps of all of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
It's got lots of useful features, including the ability to save up to 50 routes, and an extra 140MB of memory for uploading points of interest like favorite truck stops and bookstores. The backlit LCD ensures that you don't have to squint at the screen after dark, and voice prompts mean you don't have to take your eyes off the road (making the local highway patrol a lot happier). And because it's so small, you can take it with you when you leave the car, and be reasonably sure you'll be able to find your way back.
Finally, the Quest 2 is waterproof, so it's safe if you accidentally take it out in the rain. We can't, however, guarantee that it's coffee-proof, so be careful on those long late-night drives. – Barbara Krasnoff  <more info>

Home Theater To The Max

You know those ads that begin, "You spend more time on your mattress than anywhere on earth..."? Well, so what? What matters is the quality time you spend plopped down in front of your home entertainment system.

So pay attention, because we're going to fix you up with the best in entertainment electronics.

Large-Screen HDTV: Sony 50" Grand WEGA SXRD Rear-Projection HDTV
Plasma. LCD. DLP. Which large, flat-screen, high-definition TV technology is the best bet? How about none of the above?
On a recent tour of high-end televisions, we discovered the 50-inch Sony SXRD rear-projection HDTV (model KDS-R50XBR1). This baby is noticeably superior — especially for standard television programming. It's the best large-screen HDTV on the market.

Sony uses SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) technology -- its own proprietary variation of LCoS display technology, which is in turn a variation on DLP and LCD technology, to power this rear-projection television. The biggest tradeoff for LCoS and DLP is that, while much shallower than CRT TVs, they are not truly flat panels. They also have expensive (in the $250 range) lamps that eventually burn out and must be replaced.
But there can be no doubt that Sony's LCoS SXRD rear-projection technology is the best mix of quality and flexibility among large-screen HDTVs. Sony's SXRD is also a higher-resolution 1080p design, which should make the set more useful for a longer period of time as HDTV standards evolve. If we could afford the $3,000 to $4,000 price tag, we'd snap it up in a second.  <more info>

Media Center: Niveus Denali Edition HDTV

If you're considering a major home theater upgrade of your AV receiver, DVD player, and TiVo, stop and consider a Media Center PC for the holidays. Okay, stop snickering. With the release of Media Center Edition 2005 for Windows XP, Microsoft has finally crafted the powerful, easy-to-use, "10-foot" OS that is truly capable of managing all your living room entertainment needs.
Still need convincing? Gaze upon the Denali Edition High Definition Media Center ($4,800), which has a rack-mounted stereo look, is extremely quiet, and sports a DVD player, music and photo players, three different TV tuners (including one HD tuner), high definition 8-channel audio, and up to 2 terabytes of disk space. This means that with a single TV you can record hundreds of TV shows and movies. You can even record two shows on two of the tuners while you watch another on the third.  <more info>

Digital Projector: Optoma MovieTime DV10 DLP Projector

Call us romantics, but in our minds the acronyms DVD and DLP are meant to go together. So we're happy to see that Optoma has finally merged the two into a single home theater projector — just in time for the holidays.

The MovieTime DV10 Projector, which falls in the $1,300 to $1,500 price range, is the only home projector that features an integrated DVD player and speakers. It also has stereo and even optical audio out for a true cinematic Surround Sound experience. This makes it perfect for movie enthusiasts who covet the big-screen experience but have been shy of abandoning their TVs.
If you've never witnessed a DLP projector in action, be warned: Once you experience the rich colors and impressive scale of viewing your favorite movies on a 12-foot screen, you won't want to go back. One final tip: Make sure you buy a projector screen for maximum visual quality.  <more info>

Universal Remote: Logitech Harmony 880

To tie the home-theater viewing experience together, Logitech's indispensable Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote offers a reliable, elegant, and welcome remedy to the unwieldy mass of remote controls that plagues most living rooms. And unlike so many other universal remotes, the Harmony actually works as advertised.
The key feature that sets this universal remote apart from all the also-rans is the way you program it. Instead of "discovering" infrared codes for all your devices, you simply plug the 880 into your PC via USB, navigate to the remote's Web site, and select the devices you own.
The remote, which ranges between $175 and $250, features a bright color screen that allows anyone — including the AV-impaired — to quickly and easily switch between all the different devices. If you want to watch a movie, for example, simply press the "Watch a Movie" button, which will automatically switch your TV/projector and receiver to the appropriate modes and settings. You can also access more advanced settings, such as aspect ratio and color calibration.  <more info>

High-Class Home Office

Most of us don't want to even think about work during the holiday season. But consider: These upscale and high-quality devices will not only make you (or your giftees) smile, but will make your day a whole lot easier when it's time to return to the office.

LCD Monitor:
Samsung Syncmaster 214T 21"

Samsung released its snazzy 214T 21-inch LCD display just in time for the holiday season. The earlier 213T model was a value-leading cult classic among LCD aficionados, but with the 214T ($700 to $750), Samsung has upped the ante significantly by increasing brightness (now 300 cd/m²), contrast ratio (now 900:1), and response time (now 8ms).

In addition to the DVI and analog VGA ports this monitor line has always offered, the 214T adds composite and S-Video connectors. There's also a new picture-in-a-picture (PIP) feature. The on-screen menu configuration displays have been revamped and now offer easily accessible presets as well as custom configuration. Even the base, a weakness of the previous generation, has been improved so that it holds its height setting.
The 21-inch, 1600 x 1200 resolution LCD is the perfect intersection of screen size and resolution, offering a lot more productivity than any 19-inch, 1280 x 1024 monitor. Unparalleled for business, serious Web browsing, and playing 4:3 (standard screen-width) DVDs, the Samsung 214T stands at the sweet spot among its competitors, the perfect cross between high quality and reasonable cost.  <more info>

Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X41 Tablet PC
IBM's ThinkPads are legendary among business roadies, so we were gravely concerned when Lenovo took charge of the business. After experiencing the luxurious and affordable glory of the ThinkPad X41 Tablet PC, we are no longer worried.

With a 1.5GHz Pentium M 758 CPU, 512MB RAM, and a 40GB hard drive, the X41 matches the power of other tablet PCs. But two features elevate this $1,900 notebook above the competition and into the highest gift-giving echelon.
First, the wide-viewing angle 12.1-inch screen presents an incredibly realistic pen-on-paper feel; it's a true miracle of engineering. Second, the X41 Tablet weighs a smidge under 3.5 pounds, placing it into the ultra-portable category. Fingerprint-based security is the icing on this ThinkPad cake.
Nice going, Lenovo.  <more info>

High-Speed Internet Service: Verizon FiOS 15Mbps Fiber-Optic BroadbandWhat if you could nearly quadruple the downstream performance and significantly multiply the upstream performance of your home broadband connection for free? That's the promise that Verizon's FiOS fiber-to-the-premises fiber-optic broadband service offers to a select number of communities in 15 U.S. states, including California, New York, and Texas. In Massachusetts, for example, more than 60 towns already have FiOS broadband, and many more are about to.

Verizon FiOS offers three levels of service: 5Mbps down/2Mbps up for $35-$40 per month; 15Mbps down/2Mbps up for $45-$50 per month; and 30Mbps down/5Mbps up for $180-$200 per month. By comparison, Comcast, the largest U.S. provider of cable Internet broadband, offers 4Mbps downstream in most markets for about $47 per month (data-transfer rates and pricing vary by region).
People who have FiOS say that the most dramatic performance improvement is apparent when downloading large files — software, video, music, and the like. Web surfing isn't always faster because that performance is dependent on how busy the server is at the moment you hit it.
But fiber optics are cool, and for the price, there's no better home broadband service on the market. The only catch is whether it's available to the people on your list. Assuming it is, the installation is free, and you can buy the service with or without a one-year contract. Even a three-month trial of the 15Mbps service (the sweet spot for FiOS) would be a creative gift. The 30Mbps service could well be a perfect small-business solution too.  <more info>

Digital Cams 1: Stellar Stills

Digital cameras are red-hot this year, so we pulled out all the stops. First we looked at three levels of devices for still photography: Digital SLRs, Digital Point-and-Shoot Cameras, and Ultra-Compact Digital Cameras. You need to print those digital stills, right? We tracked down the best photo printer too.

Digital SLR Camera: Canon EOS 20D
If you're a serious camera buff — especially if you're wedded to your SLR (single lens reflex) — this is the camera for you. You can pay less. But in the end, you'll wish you had bought the excellent Canon EOS 20D digital SLR camera (model 9442A002).

The EOS represents the very best of digital photography without getting into professional equipment for twice the cost. Despite its sophistication, it's incredibly easy to use and has a full-automatic mode that makes it nearly a point-and-shoot.

This camera ain't cheap: It costs $1,200 to $1,500 without a lens. And you're not going to want the standard EF-S 18-55mm "kit lens" that the EOS 20D is routinely bundled with. Instead, steel yourself and buy the longer, vastly superior EF-S 17-85mm IS (image stabilization) lens. You just have to know the magic part number: 9442A036. Plug that baby into PriceGrabber, and you're talking just over $1700 for camera and lens. (You can also buy the EF-S lens separately for $500 to $600). It's absolutely worth it.

One of our editors bought this thing. He's still smiling. You will be too. Get a lot more detail about the Canon 20D from the big review on his personal Web site.  <more info>

Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera: Canon PowerShot A620

If you're not camera-savvy, but just want to take some really good pix, the PowerShot A620 is a good place to start. Its built-in 4x zoom lens is easy to operate, and the auto-focus works much like a basic SLR camera. It has programming modes that are similar to ones found on more expensive Canon SLRs, but it's totally point-and-shoot easy to operate. Power and ease of use don't usually come together this well.

Canon makes great image sensors, and this model has a large 7.1-megapixel sensor. The A620 also has a continuous shooting mode of 1.9 frames per second that is unexpected in a camera of this type. An especially nifty feature is the way the 2-inch LCD flips out like a DV cam screen but then rotates around to face outward on the back of the camera. Whether you're shooting with the viewfinder or using the LCD, you'll find a comfortable position that works for you.
Finally, although its body is slightly bigger than the competition, the A620 takes four AA batteries instead of two, so battery life is much better — a sound trade-off in this class.
The PowerShot A620 ($325 - $350) is perfect for anyone who's serious about taking digital pictures and short videos, but who wants to skip the hassle and expense of an SLR.   <more info>

Ultra-Compact Digital Camera: Canon PowerShot SD450 Digital Elph

Despite tough competition from Sony's DSC-T series and Nikon's Coolpix S series, Canon's 5.0-megapixel SD450 Digital Elph offers the right mix of small size and utility. The Sony model in particular is very svelte, but the only marginally larger Elph has a viewfinder, an absolutely stellar 2.5-inch LCD screen, and controls that will feel good in your hands.

It comes down to this: You can go so small in this category that the camera looks great, but the pix and video probably won't. We figure you're just a tad more concerned about quality than a few extra ounces. If so, the SD450 Elph (about $300) is the gift you should give.   <more info>

Photo Printer: Canon Pixma iP8500

There's a full range of inkjet photo printers on the shelves this year, but if you're looking for one of the best, you'll want to check out the Canon Pixma iP8500 photo printer.
The iP8500 (around $300 street) uses Canon's much-advertised 8-color ChromaPlus ink system, along with a high-performance print head, to produce outstanding-quality photos at a nice speed. That's the most important thing; but the printer also includes some handy features such as duplex (two-sided) printing and Mac compatibility.
There are a few popular items it's missing, such as media-card slots, an LCD for photo editing, and network compatibility. Of the three, only the last is a real problem — nobody using a printer of this caliber will want to print an image straight off a media card without previewing it first, and certainly won't want to edit off a 2-inch LCD. This is a photo printer for grownups — a true tool for producing vivid, impressive photographs. – Barbara Krasnoff <more info>

Digital Cams 2:
Poetry In Motion

Home movies have gone way beyond scratchy black-and-white films — and even beyond the early digital recordings of the last couple of decades. Today's DVs offer superior videos for holiday memories; or, if you're really an enthusiast (and can afford it), professional-quality recording.

High-Definition Camcorder: Sony HDR-HC1 HDV 1080i Handycam
If price is no object, and there's already an HDTV in your gift recipient's environment, this is the mini-DV cam to give this year. Sony's HDR-HC1 has all the bells and whistles you could want, and then some. On a 1 to 10 scale, it registers Wow!
You'll probably want to double-check that you're in one of the higher tax brackets, though. At a price range of $1,425 to $2,000, this is a lot of money for a digital camcorder.

The HDR-HC1 was designed around a widescreen 2.0-megapixel effective size (3.0-megapixel gross) CMOS sensor and a 10x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 120x digital zoom. It has a 2.7-inch 16:9 touch-screen LCD with secondary zoom controls, and, of course, 1080i high-definition video recording and playback. It would be nice if this camera offered 720p and 1080p modes, and you could also quibble about the shortness of the optics (although that's effectively made up for by the size and quality of the image sensor).
In all other regards, this DV cam kicks butt. It's the only practical high-def mini-DV cam on the market.  <more info>

Mini-DV Cam: Panasonic PV-GS35 30x Optical

The mid-range for mini-DV cams is hotly contested, and there's no perfect pick in the category. Sony and Canon both offer similarly priced mini-DV cams with significant advantages. But the Panasonic PV-GS35 has several things going for it.
For one thing, it's an excellent value at $400 to $450 on the street — around $75 less than most of its competition. Panasonic's $50 rebate (PDF), good through January 28, 2006, could save you even more.

It offers more than just a good price, though. The PV-GS35 features a whopping 30x optical zoom (and optics are the heart of all cameras). And while it doesn't quite keep pace with the image quality of Panasonic's more expensive 3CCD mini-DV cams (such as the PV-GS65), its image quality bests that of the Sony and Canon competition. Its low-light performance is also a notch better. If you're looking for the best mid-range mini-DV cam value this year, grab the PV-GS35 and wrap it for someone special.  <more info>

Offbeat & Off-The-Wall

Practicality is overrated. Sometimes gifts should just be fun -- like the relaxing, rockin', and robotic gifts here.

USB Glowing Aquarium
This USB device doesn't enhance your network, store your data, or even play your favorite tunes. In fact, the USB Glowing Aquarium from Addlogix does nothing at all but sit on your desk, give off a soft blue light, and show off two plastic (one red and one blue) fish that gently swim around the tank, propelled by a motor-generated current. That's it.
Every once in a while you can look away from your display and watch the fish leisurely paddle back and forth or up and down, depending on where the current takes them.

Of course, if you want to be totally low-tech, you can run the aquarium (available from $10 to $15) off batteries. But that's missing the point — this is a computer peripheral that is totally peripheral to anything practical or important. If your supervisor has you tearing your hair out, or your last support client had the IQ of a slug, don't let it bother you. Just sit back, take a deep breath, and watch the pretty fish. – Barbara Krasnoff  <more info>

Guitar Hero
RedOctane's Guitar Hero ($70) for Sony PlayStation 2 is a revelation, the kind of visceral, fever-inducing experience that stays in your blood for days — even if you're a grownup. Especially if you're a grownup.

The premise is pure genius. You play guitar lead — literally — through a thunderous progression of classic rock. We're talking "Iron Man," "Ziggy Stardust," "Thunder Kiss 65," "I Wanna Be Sedated," and the list goes on.
The best part is the game's custom controller: A three-foot-long plastic guitar featuring five fret chords, a strum bar that simulates strings, and a whammy distortion bar lets you fully experience the thrill of playing the most famous rock songs of all time.
Go on, put Guitar Hero at the top of your holiday wish list and prepare to unleash your inner Hendrix. The moment you launch into "Smoke On the Water," you'll be thanking us. Suddenly, air guitar seems so…1999. <more info>

Nuvo

Nuvo, the brightly colored humanoid robot from ZMP, has 15 sophisticated motors, responds to voice commands, and can help secure your home...but can it dance? Yes, it can.
Okay, so Nuvo can't match the moves of the prototype Sony QRIO robots that strut their stuff in Beck's new "Hell Yes" video. Those QRIOs won't be available to the public for three or four more years — which should give Nuvo time to work on its routine.

Not only does Nuvo dance, it can sit, right itself and stand up, follow you around the house, and shake hands with your friends. Using a remote control, PC, cell phone, or simply your voice, you can get Nuvo to play music, take pictures, tell you the time, or keep an eye on your stuff when you're away. It communicates using motion and sound designed to mimic human characteristics.
Designed by Ken Okuyama, who has also designed sports cars for Ferrari, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo, this little robot oozes style. Available in the U.S. from Dynamism.com for $6,995, Nuvo makes a perfect — if expensive — addition to any gadget freak's collection. – Justin Launderville  <more info>

Product Details
Fun On The Run:
Portable Music, Games, And Video

iPod nano 4GB
Apple Computer, Inc.: www.apple.com
Price: $249 | Tech Specs

Phone: 1-800-MY-APPLE (692-7753)
Summary: If J.D. Power did initial buyer satisfaction on MP3 players, you can be sure the iPod nano would top the list -- and it continues to have the user interface to beat among all MP3 players.

Zen Vision 30GB
Creative Technology Ltd.: www.creative.com
Price: $385 - $400 | Tech Specs

Summary: This portable media player's slick interface, huge vibrant screen, and ability to play multiple audio and video formats is sure to please.

Nintendo DS
Nintendo Inc.: www.nintendo.com
Price: $130 - $200 | Store Locator

Summary: This portable game system offers dual screens, great games, and built-in Wi-Fi -- at a price that won't crush your holiday spirit.

Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable)
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.: www.us.playstation.com
Price: $240 - $300 | Tech Specs
Summary: For a visually stunning portable game experience along with personal media player capabilities (but at the moment, not the best games) try the PSP.

Slingbox
Sling Media: www.slingmedia.com
Price: $200 - $250 | Store Locator

Summary: The Slingbox is appealing for one simple reason: It allows you to watch your TV or TiVo anywhere around the globe via an Internet stream.

Road Ready: Smart Products For Smart Travelers

Palm Treo 650
Palm, Inc.: www.palm.com/us/
Price: $149 or $199, depending on mobile provider | Tech Specs

Sprint Store Locator | Cingular Store Locator | Verizon Store Locator
Summary: The finest PDA phone on the market today combines ease-of-use, excellent voice clarity, Palm functionality, long battery life, and more into one tidy package.

Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Bose Corporation: www.bose.com

Price: $299 | Tech Specs
Summary: These noise-cancelling headphones ooze quality, and while they can't quite turn off the sound of the first officer barking out the flight plan, they will significantly improve your overall flight experience.

NoiseBuster Audio Headphones
Pro Tech Communications: www.noisebuster.net

Price: $50 from noisebuster.net until 12/31/05, $69 after that
Tech Specs | Phone: 800-468-8371
Summary: Nearly equal to the Bose headphones in noise-cancelling and audio quality, at one-sixth the price. Not as comfortable or as obviously well-built, but a worthy alternative.

The Luncheon Laptop Bag
Crumpler Bags: www.crumplerbags.com
Price: $95 | Store Locator
Summary: Nifty styling, a choice of bright (but not too) colors, and ample internal pockets set Crumpler computer bags apart from the competition.

Delapod Bags
Delacrew Designs: www.delapod.com
Price: $39 - $92 | Store Locator
Summary: These handy pocketbooks keep your MP3 player accessible but secure with a see-through window facing your body.

Quest 2 Personal GPS
Garmin Ltd.: www.garmin.com
Price: $520 - $750 | Store Locator | Online Store Locator

Summary: The Quest 2 portable GPS unit, which includes voice prompts and a complete map of the U.S., is a handy way to find your way around the roadways or the walkways.

Quest Personal GPS
Garmin Ltd.: www.garmin.com
Price: $340 - $500 | Store Locator | Online Store Locator

Summary: Garmin's original Quest GPS unit has less memory than the Quest 2 and requires you to upload the maps you want to use, but you'll save a couple hundred bucks.

Home Theater To The Max

Sony 50" Grand WEGA SXRD Rear-Projection HDTV (KDS-R50XBR1)
Sony Electronics, Inc.: www.sonystyle.com
Price: $3,000 - $4,000 | Tech Specs | Phone: 877-865-SONY (7669)
Summary: This rear-projection HDTV uses cutting-edge LCoS technology to project crystal-clear images on a glorious 50-inch flat screen. The technology excels at HDTV, but also does a good job with standard TV.

Samsung 50" Widescreen HDTV with Digital Cable Tuner (HL-R5078W)
Samsung: www.samsung.com
Price: $3,000 - $3,500 | Tech Specs | Phone: 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864)

Summary: Many people feel that DLP is the current sweet spot for HDTV displays, and the Samsung 50" DLP rear-projection HDTV is the best value in the DLP category.

Denali Edition High-Definition Media Center PC
NiveusMedia: www.niveus.com
Price: $4,799 | Tech Specs

Summary: The Denali is quiet, powerful, and combines a DVD player, large-storage digital video recorder, and HD tuner in one. What's not to love?

HP z558 Media Center PC
Hewlett-Packard: www.hp.com
Price: $2,200 | Tech Specs

Summary: For those with a modest budget, the HP z558 media center offers substantial power, features, and storage for two grand less than the Denali.

Optoma MovieTime DV10 DLP Projector
OptomaUSA: www.optomausa.com
Price: $1,300 - $1,500 | Tech Specs | Store Locator

Summary: This is the only home projector that comes with an integrated DVD player, which makes it perfect for movie night.

Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote
Logitech: www.logitech.com
Price: $175 - $250 | Store Locator
Summary: The Harmony remote is amazingly easy to program and operate, and unlike so many other universal remotes, it actually works as advertised.

High-Class Home Office

Syncmaster 214T 21" LCD Computer Display
Samsung: www.samsung.com
Price: $700 - $750 | Tech Specs | Phone: 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864)

Summary: The 21-inch 1600 x 1200 LCD is the perfect size for business productivity, and the Samsung 214T is the perfect cross between high quality and reasonable cost.

ThinkPad X41 Tablet PC
Lenovo: www.lenovo.com
Price: $1,800 - $2,000 | Store Locator

Summary: Lenovo's Thinkpad X41 Tablet PC is fast and light, includes a fingerprint security system, and most importantly, sports a screen that feels like paper when you write on it.

FiOS 15Mbps Fiber-Optic Broadband
Verizon: www.verizon.com
Price: $45 - $50 per month | FAQ | Availability By State | Order FiOS

Summary: At 15Mbps for $50 or less per month, there's no better home broadband service on the market. The only catch is whether it's available where you are.

Digital Cameras 1: Stellar Stills

Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR Camera (9442A002) and 17-85mm IS lens (9517A002)
Canon USA: www.canon.com/cusa

Price: about $1,725 for camera and lens | Tech Specs
Store Locator | Phone: 1-800-828-4040
Summary: Canon's 20D is the best digital SLR for advanced amateur photographers, and even some professional uses, yet it's incredibly easy to use and has a full-automatic mode that makes it nearly a point-and-shoot.

Nikon D70s Digital SLR Camera with 18-70mm DX Lens
Nikon Inc.: www.nikonusa.com
Price: $1,000 - $1,200 (camera and lens) | Tech Specs | Store Locator

Summary: This top-notch digital SLR from Nikon competes with the best prosumer digital SLRs at a less outrageous price.

Canon PowerShot A620 Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera
Canon USA: www.canon.com/cusa
Price: $325 - $350 | Tech Specs | Store Locator | Phone: 1-800-828-4040

Summary: The PowerShot A620 is perfect for anyone who's serious about taking digital pictures and short videos, but who wants to skip the hassle and expense of an SLR.

Canon PowerShot SD450 Digital Elph Ultra-Compact Digital Camera
Canon USA: www.canon.com/cusa
Price: about $300 | Tech Specs | Store Locator | Phone: 1-800-828-4040

Summary: The PowerShot SD450 Digital Elph is very small and light, without sacrificing too much of what people really need from their cameras.

Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer
Canon USA: www.canon.com/cusa
Price: $300 - $380 | Tech Specs | Store Locator | Phone: 1-800-828-4040

Summary: If you're a serious photophile who wants to print out the highest-quality images, Canon's Pixma iP8500 photo printer is a top choice.

Digital Cameras 2: Poetry In Motion

Sony HDR-HC1 HDV 1080i Handycam
Sony Electronics Inc.: www.sonystyle.com
Price: $1,425 - $1,999 | Tech Specs | Phone: 877-865-SONY (7669)
Summary: Attention HD fans! This is the mini-DV cam for you...so long as you've got the disposable income for it.

Panasonic PV-GS35 30x Optical Mini-DV Cam
Panasonic: www.panasonic.com
Price: $400 - $450 | Tech Specs | Phone: 800-405-0652

Summary: If you're looking for the best mid-range mini-DV cam value this year, grab Panasonic's PV-GS35 and wrap it for someone special.

Sony DCR-HC42 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder
Sony Electronics Inc.: www.sonystyle.com
Price: $450 - $550 | Tech Specs | Phone: 877-865-SONY (7669)

Summary: Sony's DCR-HC42 is the mini-DV cam for dummies, or for anyone who values ergonomics over optics and image quality.

Offbeat & Off-The-Wall

USB Glowing Aquarium
Addlogix, Inc.: www.addlogix.com
Price: $10 - $15 | Store Locator

Summary: If the daily grind is getting to you, this glowing USB-powered aquarium can bring your blood pressure down as you watch two plastic fish swim back and forth, back and forth...

Guitar Hero Game And Guitar Bundle
RedOctane: www.redoctane.com
Platform: PlayStation 2
Price: $70 | Phone: 408-481-9121

Summary: This game's custom controller — a three-foot-long plastic guitar featuring five fret chords, a strum bar that simulates strings, and a whammy distortion bar — lets you unleash your inner Hendrix.

Nuvo Personal Robot
ZMP: http://nuvo.jp/
Price: $6,995 | Tech Specs
Summary: This cute little robot follows you around, plays music, dances, and keeps watch over your other gadgets while you're away.