Holiday Gift Guide 2008

By Chip Chick

November 25, 2008 at 12:01 am

It’s that time of the year again – gift giving time! For this year’s gift guide, we promise not to recommend anything that is obvious. Duh – an iPod Touch? Check. Playstation 3? Check. You know – all those big ticket items which we’re pretty sure, that unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that they’d make great gifts. We’ve broken down our gift guide in to core categories – each of which includes items with price tags that are more affordable, and then some which aren’t quite as affordably priced – but we promise that they are worth every penny.

Affordable Stocking Stuffers:
	1. This gift is both personable and practical. For just $20, get them a 4GB Personalized Thumb Drive gift card from Pexagontech. They’ll get to choose from 14 colors and their choice of engraving on the thumb drive. Alternatively you can get a 3 pack of their Tattoo Collection of Holiday themed USB keys for $44.99.
	2. SanDisk’s new SlotMusic MP3 Player manages to pack in a fully working audio player and a 1GB microSD card with a DRM free album for just $34.99. The SlotMusic player is totally reusable with your own audio files, and so are the SlotMusic cards. The players also come preloaded with exclusive artist’s content. There is already an impressive line up of artists on board – including Lady Gaga, Keane, PussyCat Dolls, Rihanna, Metro Station, Kate Perry and much more.
	3. Here is another affordable MP3 player/ Shuffle competitor that we’re quite fond of. You can pick up the Samsung YP-S2 Pebble for as little as $32.45 . It might be screenless but it packs in an excellent audio experience and it’s got a unique design that also doubles as a fashion statement.
Splurge worthy:
	1. The Nikon D90 is the first DSLR to also be able to record video, in this case 720p 24fps HD video. Admittedly, the video won’t exactly replace your dedicated camcorder, but it’s a really convenient feature to have on a DSLR. The D90 also takes amazing still 12.3 megapixel shots that even amateurs can pull off. Did we mention that it has other great features like Active D-lighting and a live view mode? You can pick one up with a lens for as little as $1,152.99, and just a month ago it was going for $1299.
	2. If audio is important to you, then look no further then Monster’s Beats by Dr. Dre which manages to make even low bit rate files sound awesome. Aside from providing an incredible listening experience, the Beats also provide excellent noise cancellation (which you’re bound to need at some point during the holidays), and they also happen to be the most comfortable pair of headphones we’ve tried. And the cost for these killer beats? $349.95.
	3. The HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition is not the cheapest netbook, nor the fastest or most powerful either, but it’s just so lovely. It will be sporting a 10.2″ display and an Atom processor in a 2.25lbs 1″ thin chassis all for $699. This little bit of loveliness is currently available to reserve in time for the holidays, though it’s not available to purchase yet.
Cell Phones:
	T-Mobile: The T-mobile G1 is arguably T-Mobile’s best smartphone yet. The Android platform is really all its cracked up to be. Surfing the net on this 3G phone is super fast. Gmail integration, Google Maps with GPS support and the growing Market which lets you download additional apps directly to the device make the G1 one heck of a smart phone. T-mobile is also currently running a free companion fair promotion through December 31st for signing a new contract or renewing your old one.
	AT&T: Everyone knows that AT&T has two killer phones – the Blackberry Bold, and the iPhone. But not everyone wants to/needs to shell out that much for a smartphone. Retailing for $79.99, after rebate with a contract, the Samsung A767 Propel is an affordable alternative that still manages to pack in powerful functions like full web browsing and a full slide out QWERTY keyboard along with support for AIM, Yahoo and Windows Live instant messenger. The Propel is available in several colors including blue, green, red, and white with red. You can also pick up the Propel for just $0.01 with new contract at Amazon.
	Sprint: Our current fave phone from Sprint is the LG Lotus. It’s no competition for a proper smartphone, but it’s unique styling has gotten our attention. Between it’s purple floral textured pattern and it’s unique square shape that manages to pack in a full QWERTY, it certainly stands out from the crowd. You can pick one up for $149.99 on a new contract. Sprint’s all you can eat Simple Everything plan for $99.99 a month is worth checking out too, for one flat rate you can talk, text, surf and more for as much as you want.
	Verizon: We’re not crazy about Verizon’s current phone line-up. That said, the new Blackberry Storm is certainly making a lot of noise around town. Does a Blackberry come iPhone wanna be sound intriguing to you? Then you might end up with a thing for the Storm which is going for $199 with contract.
iPod and iPhone Accessories:
There are so many cool iPod accessories out there, we could be here for days talking about iPod speakers alone. But here are a few ones that stand out for us
	1. Say goodbye to FM Transmitters. If you’ve got an auxiliary input in your car, then scrap that FM transmitter with it’s inconsistent audio quality and embrace a world of static free audio. Kensington’s LiquidAUX Deluxe for iPhone and iPod works with most iPods and the iPhone, and it comes with a convenient remote that attaches to your car’s steering wheel. But the best part is that you’ll never have to worry about interference again. Kensington’s LiquidAUX Deluxe Auxiliary Car Kit can be found online for $73.24.
	2. Whether you’re looking for a classy iPhone like Speck’s Fitted Soft Fabric Shell for $29.99 or something practical – like Speck’s SeeThru hard shell case which also doubles a stand ($14.97), Speck has a versatile assortment of quality iPhone cases as well as iPod and Nano cases. The Pixel Skins for the iPod Nano come in a selection of 10 fun colors ($19.97) and they’re lightweight yet durable. They also make great stocking stuffers.
	3. In the world of iPod Speakers – there are MANY. From zany to grandiose, you can find just about anything that doubles as an iPod speaker. But sometimes there is a lot of value in simplicity. Griffin’s Amplifi 2.1 Tabletop Sound System isn’t blinged out with features but it’s got a beautifully simplistic design that just works along with a great audio experience. The retail is $149 but you can pick one up for $100.55 .
Laptop Accessories:
Protect your loved one’s laptop! That is an order!
	1. Does your friend’s laptop heat up way too much? Belkin’s Laptop Cooling Lounge for $49 will ease some of the heat off of your laptop, and it’s likely to lengthen the life of your hard drive as well by keeping things cooler.
	2. The V470 Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks is an excellent traveling companion for your laptop in terms of performance and ergonomics. It’s also a bluetooth mouse, so that means you’ll be able to free up one more USB port. That also makes the V470 Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks a great solution for Macbook Air users who only have one measly USB port. The Logitech V470 mouse retails for as low as $40.
	3. Add some flair to your laptop – and protect it at the same time. Gelaskins are quality skins with a unique selection of designs from a wide variety of skilled artists. Laptop Skins retail for $29.99.
	4. A laptop bag is usually not enough. Which is what I learned when I discovered the fresh scrape on my Macbook after jet setting across the Atlantic. Never again!! Isis Dei is just one of the companies that makes stylish but affordable laptop sleeves. Most of their cases retail from $25 to $40.
Video Games:
	1. Rock Band II (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) – Ok, so maybe you’ve had enough hearing about how much fun Rock Band II is. But how can we not recommend a game that has successfully sucked away hours of your life – and with no regrets. The actual game will run you $59.99, but the whole band kit will cost you $189.
	2. Tomb Raider Underworld (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) – Lara is back, and this time she’s got more polygons then ever. Really though, we’re suckers for adventure games with strong female lead characters. The PC version costs $39.99 while the console versions are $56.99.
	3. Boom Blox(Wii) – Are you looking for a Wii game that thinks out of the box? Or in this case, out of the blox. Check out Boom Blox for the Wii which is the sort of unique game that both kids and adults can play together. We can’t help but think of this one as Jenga on steroids – let’s just say it’s a great stress reliever with a creative side to it. Boom Blox retails for $37.99
Computer Peripherals:
	1. Just in time for the holidays, SeaGate has announced that its ultraportable FreeAgent Go Hard drives are now available in 10 colors. That is definitely something for everyone. Pricing begins at $119 for the 250GB model to $199.99 for the 500GB model. Beginning November 28th, whoever registers their new FreeAgent hard drive will get 50 free songs from eMusic, a free movie rental and 50% off the first-year’s subscription to SmugMug.
	2. The USB Key-pressed X’mas Tree isn’t just a miniature Chrismas tree that lights up when you plug it into your USB port. The LED lights on this tree are controlled by how fast you type – so that the faster you type, the more of the 25 LEDs on the tree will light up. After all, what would the holidays be without a useless but entertaining gift? The USB Key-pressed X’mas Tree retails for $19.00.
	3. The ATI Radeon HD 4670 Graphics Card costs $79 yet manages to pack in enough gaming performance for most of today’s games. It’s the perfect gift for a budding PC gamer when you don’t have the cash to buy them a full out gaming rig. According to Computer Shopper mag, you can play even the newest games (DirectX 10 included) at medium resolution in high detail with the 4670.