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Christmas' gadget gifts ideas
12: Humax LGB-19DZT Computer monitor
/ TV £349
A home office can be a slightly depressing thing, acknowledging the steady
erosion of our work/life balance. Perhaps you can redress the issue slightly
by buying the workaholic in your life a computer monitor that is also a High
Definition television with a solid, punchy soundsystem. While the gadget
fanatic is working, he can enjoy the full majesty of Times Online’s podcasts
and when he takes a break he can recharge his batteries with a relaxing half
hour of You've Been Framed.
11: Funkix electronic soccer ball £9.99
The classic Hacky Sack football practice aid comes thundering into the 21st
Century with the addition of onboard lights and sounds and a hit counter to
document marathon 'keepy up' sessions so that you can't lose count of that
record breaking store. A superior stocking filler.
10: Submarine Waterproof Radio
£11.95
Listening to the radio in the bath is one of the great pleasures of modern
life. Some might say that Poetry Please should only be heard accompanied by
the gentle sloshing of soapy water. Even if you don’t agree, as a
not-too-expensive novelty gift with a degree of genuine utility it warrants
serious consideration for those hard-to-buy-for uncles and brothers-in-law.
9: MyVu personal video viewer
£229.95
If you have a loved one who likes to watch video on the move they will
probably have already shared with you the irritation at having someone
craning over their shoulder to watch last night’s Eastenders at the bus stop
or the shame at having been rumbled watching Justice League on the train.
The MyVu ends all that by providing an on-the-move cinema experience for
their eyes only. As an added bonus, it lends the wearer a modishly
futuristic air.
8: Audible Subscription £7.99
monthly
Not strictly a gadget, but Audible are currently bundling a free iPod Shuffle
for new subscribers to their audio book service, which you can give to the
lucky gift subscription recipient or keep for yourself as a souvenir of your
generosity. With a huge range of available titles (including a monthly audio
roundup of The Times) it’s a gift that can be whatever the owner wants it to
be.
7: Little Tikes Digital Camera
£49.99
A treat for the younger gadget maven. Now that they've become accustomed the
instant gratification of seeing the image on screen straight after having
taken a photo the shorter members of the family tend to clamour even more
loudly for a go on the camera. Of course no-one really wants jam-stained
fingers on their brand new digital SLR which is why this robust camera made
especially for smaller, stickier, fingers will be so welcome at family
occasions throughout the year.
6: Roberts Robi radio £50
An innovation whose time has truly come. Virtually every MP3 player nowadays
includes an FM radio, with the only exception being runaway market leader
Apple’s iPod. Adding Roberts’ handy little extra to an iPod leapfrogs all
the ‘other’ players by featuring a futureproof DAB radio that will carry on
long past the projected digital switchover and gives owners of newer iPods a
much-needed remote control too.
5: Eco
Media Player £149.99
If someone you know is torn between gadgetry and saving the planet this latest
wind-up innovation from Freeplay radio inventor Trevor Baylis plays video
and audio files, displays photos, includes an FM radio and even records
audio so that the lucky recipient can doze off in lectures without missing a
word. The inclusion of a bright LED torch makes it an indispensable gift for
anyone considering the intolerable torment of a music festival next Summer.
4: DataWind
PocketSurfer2 Amazon £179.99
If the punishingly expensive handset-and-contract price of an iPod seems a
little too much of a commitment, the PocketSurfer 2 offers a tempting low
budget alternative for the determined slacker who wants to browse Facebook
under the desk during important meetings or search eBay on the train during
the peak ‘unwanted gift’ season just after Christmas.
3: Fujifilm
FinePix Z10fd camera £129
The one present that you can be sure will get some use on the day, the newest
iteration of Fuji’s successful Finepix line combines a pretty respectable
7.1MP image size with a sleekly durable casing in a choice of pleasing
colours. Idiot-proof onboard utilities for uploading to eBay and FaceBook
mean it’s a camera you can safely give to a technophobic relative without
condemning yourself to a lifetime of unpaid tech support.
2: The Loc8or £59.99
A simple idea elegantly executed, the Loc8or system consists of a mobile
phone-sized tracker and a two tiny tags (with a further 22 supported if
required) that the lucky recipient can affix to their valuables to make sure
they never leave the party without all the cameras, children and so forth
that they started with. The tags can even help locate the tracker when they
inevitably make the obvious mistake.
1: Alienware Area-51 m9750
Laptop £1,099
You can pretend all you like that you’ve got a laptop so you can do the odd
bit of work from home, or finally make a start on that novel you’ve been
talking about writing since you were in the 6th form. If you’re being honest
though what you really want is a portable powerhouse that plays DVDs better
than the fanciest home system and runs games in deliciously immersive 3D.
What you really want is Alienware’s Area-51 m9750. Someone once said that
the greatest gift of all was the gift of love. They’re wrong, It’s this.
