Fun Gadget Gifts

Posts Tagged ‘$100 – $500’

Optoma has been making great mini projectors, but Optoma EP-PK-101 PICO Pocket Projector is taking it farther. It connects to your mobile phone and – voala! – you can show off your pictures and videos. Record audio with audio in.

The projector weighs 4oz and is quite bright and powerful. It can produce an image with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. It has a battery but will charge through AC power or USB. Works with mobile devices and laptops.

Price: $219

CNET editors came up with a list of most innovative consumer electronics products of the decade. You can probably guess most of the items on the list, it is still humbling to reflect on how far ahead of 2008 we are just in one year. Most of the technologies existed in the previous years, but were significantly improved this year. There is a clear trend that all electronics share – yes, sharing. And, of course, image quality. We are definitely in HD territory.

Go to source: The 20 most innovative consumer electronics products of the decade

Some grandparents have embraced the fascinating world of technology and electronics. They can find their way around a computer. They can even send email and have viewed pictures online once or twice. They have heard of Facebook and, possibly, Flickr.

If your grandparents do not own a computer, check out our posting “Grandparents Gifts: Gadgets That Require No Setup.” If your grandparents are capable of finding internet and send email, read on. Here are some gadget gifts for your computer-familiar grandparents.

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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

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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This new 10-megapixel camera with High Sensitivity System is a very impressive little point-and-shoot gadget. The new model is slimmer and lighter. A spacious image sensor is packed in a small point-and-shoot camera body. It is perfect for people who are serious about photography and would like a worthy pocket substitute for a professional camera. Despite its size, the camera feels solid in your hand.

PowerShot S90IS has new High Sensitivity System and higher ISO speeds to ensure great image quality. It has Canon’s famous DIGIC 4 Image Processor paired with a bright f/2.0 lens and produces superior quality images even in low-light conditions (noise is not really visible until ISO 800). The S90 lens is very fast and you do not have to rely on ISO so much. Blur and camera shake are notably reduced for the ultimate in sharpness and clarity.

At the base of the lens barrel, there is a new control ring allowing for a manual control. By turning the ring, you adjust the main setting in each mode, for example, shutter speed in shutter priority. The ring function button at the top of the camera will allow you to adjust almost any parameter. Adjusting itself takes some time to get used to because of the small size of the camera, but the ability to control so many parameters is remarkable.

PowerShot S90 has 25 Shooting Modes. It features Canon’s precision 28mm Wide-Angle Lens that allows you to shoot any scene from wide-angle to telephoto. The camera has 3.8x optical zoom with Canon Optical Image Stabilizer. S90 sports an f/2.0 aperture, perfect for creating enticing portraits, by drawing attention to the face and blurring the background with its impressively shallow depth-of-field. For close-up photography use Macro setting.

PowerShot S90 has no viewfinder, but the 3 inch LCD screen makes up for it. You can shoot in JPEG or RAW modes – simultaneously. Small battery allows you to take over 200 shots on a single charge.

The camera price is $430. It is a little more expensive than most cameras in its category. However, it is worth it for the compact size packed with features and the picture quality you are getting. PowerShot S90IS is available now. Order from Amazon.

Breville makes high end appliances. This tea kettle is no exception. The Variable Temperature kettle looks modern and stylish. It is made of brushed aluminum and feels sturdy. There is no plastic in the boiling area.

The kettle has 5 temperature pre-sets for serious tea lovers. Heat your water to 175F for Green Tea; 185F for White Tea; 195F for Oolong Tea; 200F for French Press and 212F for boiling and black tea. It takes 5 minutes to bring a full pot to a boil. When the water reaches the desirable temperature, the kettle beeps and will keep the water at that temperature for 20 minutes.

Price: $148.90

Bose is known for excellent quality headphones. QuietComfort 15 are absolutely fantastic for noise-canceling qualities and sound. Frequent flyers – listen up!

Bose QuietComfort 15 will make you forget you are on an airplane. These over-the-ear headphones have microphones inside and outside the ear cup to sense and eliminate noise and sounds. This model is a drastic improvement over previous models. Shut off the distractions and noise around you and enjoy your music. All outside sounds disappear. No joke – all of them: road construction, crying children, telephone conversations, etc.

The sound quality is exceptional. Compared to previous models, it has better response in deep bass and less resonance in 80-150 HZ range. QC-15 have great battery life and detachable cable. If you do not want to listen to the music, just get rid of the noise around you, it is a great option.

Get your Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones for $299.95

CNET editors unveiled a list of top 5 MP3 players. Here it is in all its glory.

5. Sony X-Series Walkman

   This MP3 player supports MP3, WMA, ACC and L-PCM audio formats; AVC(H.264/AVC), MPEG-4, and WMV DRM video formats; JPEG image files. The sound is very good. You can operate the Walkman using both “touch panel” and buttons. The button design makes it easy to navigate without even looking at your player. The user interface is easy and intuitive. It works with Rhapsody To Go subscription or Napster. It sports a wi-fi connection, integration with YouTube, etc.

   Sony X-Series Walkman is an excellent choice for audio files, 3 inch OLED touch screen and loads of features. It comes in 32GB and 16GB versions.

4. SanDisk Sansa Clip Plus

   SanDisk Sansa Cip Plus has five colors to choose from. It is lightweight with good sound. And with its smart design, you can clip your Sansa Clip player to your bag, pants or sleeves. It has built-in microphone for spontaneous recording. Transfer your files to your PC later through a USB connection. The Sansa Clip player plays MP3, WMA, secure WMA and Audible file formats.

   Overall, this small capacity durable take-it-everywhere music player is a good choice for a mobile user. And, unlike others in its category, it has good sound quality and a screen.

3. Zune HD

   We have reviewed Zune HD on this blog. Our verdict: the best music player out there. The bottom line, Zune HD design is beautiful. The player has an OLED display, HD raido and outputs HD video to your TV. It lacks apps and games, but it is one of the best music and video experiences you can buy.
   

2. Apple iPod Nano

   iPod Nano is a portable player with a larger screen. Nano is packed with features. It includes an FM radio player, a video camera, and a pedometer. Video camera is more of a toy, however. There are two new features – iTunes Tagging and Live Pause. The new Genius Mixes feature acts as your personal DJ.

1. Apple iPod Touch

   Apple iPod Touch is the 3rd generation of its kind. 3.5-inch widescreen Multi-Touch display with 480 x 320 pixel resolution makes watching videos a great experience. It has integrated bluetooth, shake-to shuffle, Genius playlists, wi-fi, voice control, and is easy to use. One absolutely unique feature that no other mp3 player has – iTunes app store.

Flip video is shipping 2nd generation, upgraded, “premium” version of its MinoHD pocket camcorder. It has a sleeker design with rounded corners and brushed-metal front – does not attract fingerprints. The new form factor makes the camcorder feel solid in your hand. Like the first generation model, it has solid 720p video (@30fps, 120 min) recorded as MP4 files, slim design and rechargeable battery. Battery life is slightly improved. The video quality is amazing. It is also super easy to use.

Unlike the previous model, the LCD screen is larger (2 inch), the internal memory is doubled (8GB vs. 4GB) and the upgraded FlipShare software now allows you to directly upload your video to Facebook, YouTube, etc. You can also share privately with your family and friends. Keep in mind though, that the uploaded video will not be in high definition, just HQ quality. You can still do it, but will have to upload the file from your computer, not directly from MinoHD camcorder.

The camcorder has a new Movie Magic mode that arranges your clips into a movie. Add your own music to provide a more personal touch. Freeze-frame capabilities allow you to grab snapshots. MinoHD 2nd Generation has HDMI output. It is compatible with both Macs and Windows. Connect to your computer through a flip-out USB arm.

The new MinoHD is fairly pricey. Unfortunately, there is no SD/MMC card expansion slot. And if you want to play your video on your TV, you will need to provide your own cable. Power adapter is not included, but the camcoder will charge from your computer if it is connected.

The botoom line, this new generation MinoHD is one of the nicest models available. For the same price as the original model, you get better design, double the memory and an HDMI output. It might not be worth upgrading, but if you are looking for a portable HD camcorder, this new model might fit the bill.

Buy it for $229.99

Squeezebox is a new wi-fi radio from Logitech. It is a step down from Squeezebox Boom but has more to offer than your standard wi-fi radio. Just so we all on the same page, it plays internet radio and music without being connected to a computer. And it will play music stored on your computer too. All you need to have is a wi-fi connection at home. You turn the Squeezebox Radio on and it finds and connects to the network.

The radio is global and gives you access to stations from all over the world. And that, my friends, include all sports channels too. Let me tell ya – you will be addicted.

The design is fantastic. Many radios try to combine navigation and volume in one knob which can get confusing. Not this radio. There is a big wheel for navigation and a separate knob for volume. All buttons on the front are intelligently placed.

The front LCD display is full of information goodness. You get info about radio stations, music tracks and even album art on the display. Like any wi-fi radio, Squeezebox can access thousands freely available internet radio stations. It supports online music streaming services, like Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm, Slacker and SIRIUS Internet Radio. Of course, it will play the music stored on your computer. Squeeze Center software comes with the radio and works with Mac, PC, and Linux. And if that is not enough – plug your iPod in it and enjoy.

Made of plastic, Sqeezebox has a glossy black finish, which will attract fingerprints. There is a little handle in the back which makes it easy to carry it around. On the bottom of the radio there is a battery pack compartment. The remote and battery pack are sold separately.

Squeezebox Radio has an app gallery (new feature). You can download different apps – Flickr, Facebook, etc. You can recommend music to your Facebook friends instantly from your Squeezebox. If you are still not impressed, I see your point. Maybe, it is not too useful just yet, but having apps on Squeezebox opens the door for Logitech to expand these features in the future.

All gadgets come complete with their own website these days. Logitech Squeezebox Radio is no exception. Navigate to mysqueezebox.com online service, sign up for free, and select your favorite stations and artists. Your tastes will become the tastes of your Squeezebox in the matter of seconds.

As an alarm clock, it is really customizable. You can set which days you want the alarms to go off. There is support for multiple alarms. If you get bored with all the standard waking sirens, Squeezebox has a huge bank of sounds you can select from as your alarm ringer. In addition, you can queue up a song or pick a radio station you want to get turned on in the morning. If you cannot keep the days of the week straight, choose a different station for every day of the week as a reminder.

For an ultra-compact radio, the sound is very good. You will not get distortion when you turn it all the way up, like you might find on a lot of other wi-fi radios.

This is one of the best wi-fi radios on the market right now and the most fun to play with.

Pre-order it on Amazon for $199.99.

If you do not have patience for slow electronics, you might want to check out the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 camera. It is one of the fastest point-and-shoot cameras on the market. The camera is very compact, has 10.2 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor and takes great photos in low light conditions. When using its Twilight mode, the camera fires off 6 shots and then compiles them together to make one photo. Result – impressive photo quality. And yes, Sony f/2.4 G Lens might have something to do with that quality too. Don’t expect it to take pictures in “no light” conditions howerver. In good lighting conditions, the camera is good, but not spectacular.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 has several shooting options including burst mode (10 frames per second). The feature works as advertised, but the impatient among us should know that after the burst, you will wait for 2 to 3 seconds for every picture to be saved on your memory stick. Better put this camera down and do something else, like taking wide angle panorama shots next time or admiring the camera’s anti-motion blur mode. You can see the results of your handy work on a 2.7-inch LCD Plus screen which is plenty clear.

Parents are always struggling to capture their kids (especially babies) in the process of smiling. No such frustrations using this Cyber-shot DSC-WX1. It will take a picture only during the “smiling moment” if you press the Smile Shutter button. You can select adult and child priority and indicate the degree of Smile Detection Sensitivity. Freaky! If only this camera had an ability to read children’s minds, it would have been completely perfect. This camera even has a Pet Mode. Overall, there are several “intelligent modes” available on the camera and they can be used together or separately.

5x optical zoom will work when you take pictures or capture HD quality video. I am not sure how useful video capturing is on a point-and-shoot camera, but if it matters to you, you’ve got it. 720p high definition MPEG4 format video will look pretty good on large-screen television. Your 2GB card will fit about 29 minutes of video.

DSC-WX1 has in-camera retouching tools to enhance your photos, trim them, correct red eyes, etc. In just seconds you can add music to your pictures and produce slide shows with standard visual effects. Why do you need a computer? Maybe, to share your pictures and video online? Sony has Picture Motion Browser that will keep you entertained for hours sorting your creations, organizing them by face, place, etc.

Despite all the intelligent features and impressive technology, some customers are not impressed with movie quality in low light conditions. There is no compression control on the camera. You get a proprietary USB/Composite cable with your camera – no surprise with Sony products. There is no USB charging and no HDMI.

All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is a great, fast-performing snapshot camera that falters in picture quality. It is better than most cameras in its category. Get yours on Amazon for $320.25.