Fun Gadget Gifts

Archive for November, 2009

Just came across a fascinating write-up from Gizmodo on Black Friday Anti-deals.

Black Friday may be when prices drop, but if you’ve carefully read the list of deals, you can tell it’s also a BS marketing gimmick.

So many online shops offer much better deals on products than you get in the store. Interestingly enough, some of the online prices are lower than you can get for the same product in the store. And most of the online shops offer free shipping.

Read this write-up before you are ready for the Black Friday.

Source: Gizmodo “What Not to Buy on Black Friday“

Just recently, Sprint and Palm teamed up and released Palm Pixi for $99.99 with a two-year contract. $100 for a smartphone is an incredible deal but the features it has (lack of them, mostly) do not really support the price. You can buy devices with wi-fi, for example, for less.

Well, what do you know? Amazon (and Wal-Mart) lowered the price of Palm Pixi to $25. Well, now we are talking! Of course, you still need to commit to a 2 year contract but it is definitely a good option for those who are looking for an entry-level smartphone for less.
Interestingly enough, Palm Pre also got a price cut. It is available from Amazon for $79.99 – $70 savings if you compare it to Sprint’s price.

Go to source: Palm Pixi Phone (Sprint) is $25.00 on Amazon!

Cell phones might not make the greatest gift. It is hard to know all the variables – how the person likes to use the phone, what plans they prefer, what carrier they are using, etc. If you are comfortable with a wild guess, check out this guide from CrunchGear. No doubt, it will help you make the right decision which phone to buy. The list is broken down by most popular offerings and combined with your budget restrictions. Check it out! You can even buy a gift for yourself – there is no law against it!
Source: Gift Guide 2009: Smartphones

15-inch laptop with 3D technology built in. It is pricey, but totally cool. You have to wear glasses. Check out the review!

Are you related to that person who never asks for directions and is always late? Or maybe your best friend gets lost all the time. Or, maybe, someone you know often finds themselves in unfamiliar places with no idea how to get home. There are great options for those people in need. And you – the gift giver – will be a lifesaver. Those options are GPS devices. They range from stocking-stuffers to feature-packed super gadgets.

Garmin nüvi 260W is preloaded with North America maps and POIs. Updating maps is easy – buy them from Garmin’s website or on Amazon. Garmin nüvi 260W has 4.3-inch touchscreen display. Switch between 2D and 3D mapping perspective and enjoy the road just the way you like it. No need to get distracted – voice guidance and text to speech will get you to your destination providing turn-by-turn directions. Take your Garmin 260W on a walk or a hike. Built-in battery will last you for hours. It is a steal on Amazon: buy it for $139.99
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When picking a digital camcorder for a teenager, think compact, easy to use, easy to share. Digital camcorders fit these requirements perfectly. Your teenager can shoot the video, edit it right on the camcorder and instantly share with his friends. Of course, editing on a computer is an option too, but ease of use and short time from production to release is important. Another option worth considering, is a waterproof digital camcorder. If your teen is into snowboarding or swimming – you definitely want a camcorder that can handle moisture.

What makes camcorders a great gift is that they combine video recording and shooting still images. Video is everywhere now – just look at how much time your teenager spends on YouTube. Give them some tools to express themselves an try producing videos on their own.

Surprisingly, giving a camcorder as a gift is not going to break your budget. There are several fantastic options on the market. Let’s go down Amazon’s bestselling list.
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Teenage boys are not into looks of the cameras. They are not much into cameras, frankly. However, if your teenager is into photography, you are in luck. There are several excellent choices in point-and-shoot cameras that would help your teen boy be creative and produce excellent quality photos at the same time.

When picking a digital camera for a teenage boy, it is all about camera features. The camera needs to be easy to use, obviously, but also allow the teen to express himself by taking exceptional pictures. The camera should be durable. It should have good low light picture quality, sports mode, and video.

Here are good point-and-shoot cameras that will not make a huge dent in your pocket and make your gift useful and memorable. All of them have resolution of 10 megapixels or higher; some of them have video capabilities (including HD video). All cameras perform well in low light conditions. All of the cameras are point-and-shoot; they favor automatic modes, not manual.

Canon PowerShot D10
Specs: 12.1 megapixels of resolution; 3x optical stabilized zoom
Pros: waterproof, cold resistant, shockproof; optical image stabilizer; great picture quality
Cons: no lens cap; microphone is sensitive; camera is a little bulky; no setting for action shots
List Price: $329.99
Price: $281.75
You Save: $48.24 (15%)
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Picking a digital camera as a gift for a teenager is not too complicated. All the camera needs to do is to fit the lifestyle of your favorite teen. For girls, it is all about ease of use, cuteness, and ability to share. All the videos and pictures will be appearing on Facebook, no doubt. The camera has to be small and fit in a girl’s purse or pocket. And it has to be cute. That’s why the cameras we suggest are in red and pink.

Below is the at-a-glance breakdown to help you decide what camera to buy. The models we suggest have good image quality and shoot decent video. Each link will take you to the Amazon page with reviews and more detailed information.

Nikon Coolpix L20
Pros: 10 mpx resolution; large LCD screen; red-eye fix;
Cons: images are good, not great; no auto-off feature; slow in low light conditions
Price: $99.88
More Information
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G13 Gameboard is quite comfortable to use. A non-slip surface on the bottom of the board keps the device in place. The pad is large – anybody with large hands will have no problem using it. Keys are easy to locate by touch.

The LCD is very bright with adjustable lighting. In dim conditions, you can use built-in backlight: you can see the buttons easily. Customizable LCD display will show game stats (if supported) as well as system info and communications from fellow players.

Customize your experience and save up to 5 ready-to-play profiles. The G13 gameboard offers pre-configured settings for many popular games, including World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and many others. G13 comes with its own software. Scan your computer for compatible games and enjoy a pre-configured gaming profile. Of course, you can create your own profile from scratch. After you create your profile, you can customize your keys: assign key combinations, macros or scripts easily. There are 25 programmable keys available. G13 has LUA scripting language available for hard core gamers.

Buy it for $75.88