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Holiday Gift Guide Home / Stuff to Buy / Bullz-Eye Home

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The Holiday season is the best time to fulfill your gadget needs. Now is the time to get your loved one that special gift...or better yet, ask for one for yourself! Why now? Well, with all the big box stores competing with one another, as well as the online retailers, great deals can be found just about anywhere. While bargains are easy to find, the real problem shoppers have is not knowing what to buy. The sheer number of gadgets on the market right now is staggering. With more and more companies in the mix introducing more and more gadgets with different features and specs, finding the right gadget can be a daunting task. The list below can help you sort through the clutter so you can give, or get, only the best gifts this holiday season.

Holiday Gift Guide Sections
arrow Digital Music Players
 

Apple iPod

 

iPod FamilyThe Apple iPod family of digital music players is still #1 in the world. Haven’t gotten on the bandwagon yet or looking to upgrade? Apple has a diverse lineup that will satisfy just about anyone’s need. Starting with the Shuffle, this 1GB (240 songs, $79) “world’s smallest MP3 player” is great for people on the go. If you prefer to see the album art and perhaps want to choose the songs you’re listening to, step up to the Nano. It comes in three sizes and many colors but is still tiny enough to take anywhere. Make him or her happy with either the 2GB (500 songs, $149), 4GB (1,000 songs, $199), or the 8GB (2,000 songs, $249). Finally, if 2,000 songs isn’t enough or you want to watch TV shows, movies, and play games on your new music player, the 30GB (7,500 songs, $249) or the 80GB (20,000 songs, $349) is the gift for you.

 

Microsoft Zune

 

Microsoft ZuneWill the real “iPod Killer” please stand up? Well, no one has stood up yet and the question this holiday season is: will the Microsoft Zune finally give Apple some legitimate competition? Let’s take a look at the Zune so you can decide before you make a purchase. Microsoft’s new MP3 player is a 30GB (7,500 songs, $249.99) digital music player that has something the iPod doesn’t: the Zune can connect wirelessly to other Zunes so that you can share songs with your friends. You can listen to shared full-length tracks up to three times and even mark them for later in case you want to purchase it. The Zune also comes with an FM tuner, something the iPod has always lacked.

Also Consider Creative Zen Vision: M
arrow Personal Video Players (PVP)
 

Archos 604

 

Archos 604Music not your thing? Or, more likely, not your most important thing? Try gifting -- or asking for -- the Archos 604. This 30GB (130 hours of video, $349.99) PVP sports a 4.3” LCD screen that can play back DVD quality movies or television shows. Speaking of television, plug the 604 into an optional DVR station ($99) and your PVP becomes a DVR. Yep, you can record cable, satellite, DVD, or even those old VHS tapes straight to the 604. Get this, with the DVR travel adapter ($69) you can even plug the 604 into your digital camera or camcorder and record straight from the source to the player. Archos also includes a solid music player and can store and displays photos. So if you have a movie or television buff on your list, try taking care of all their portable music and video needs with the Archos 604.

Also Consider Toshiba Gigabeat S, Creative Zen Vision: W
arrow Digital Cameras: Ultracompact
 

Canon Powershot SD800 IS

 

Canon Powershot SD800 ISIf there’s someone on your list who is missing most of life’s greatest moments because they a) don’t have a digital camera, b) have a digital camera that is too large to lug around everywhere, or c) have an outdated digital camera that takes poor quality pictures, you will make their holiday season by giving them a Canon Powershot SD800 IS ($399). What makes this camera stand apart from the rest is the wide-angle lens with 3.8x optical zoom and image stabilization. Oh, and there’s also the new DIGIC III processor (can you say FAST) with face detection technology. Even with a 2.5” LCD display, you can throw it in your pocket and you’re ready to go. Tip: buy an extra-secure digital card, 512MB or larger.

Also Consider Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50, Canon Powershot SD630
arrow Digital Cameras: SLR
 

Nikon D80

 

Nikon D80For the best in high-end digital SLR without completely breaking the bank, purchase a Nikon D80 ($999) for yourself or your loved one. This 10.2 megapixel digital SLR starts up in 0.18 seconds and can take pictures at up to three frames per second for up to 100 images. The 2.5” LCD monitor has a 170 degree viewing angle along with more settings than we can name. So if you have someone on your list that loves taking extremely high quality, professional looking pictures, consider the Nikon D80. Tip: lens not included at $999 so be sure to add one if you don’t have one already.

Also Consider Canon Digital Rebel XTi, Sony Alpha DSLR-A100K
arrow Camcorders
 

Canon HV10

 

Canon HV10If you have a high-definition television or plan to upgrade at some point, why not take all your home movies in high-def as well? The Canon HV10 ($1199) is the “world’s smallest HDV camcorder.” It’s amazing to think that something that fits in the palm of your hand and weighs less than a pound can take high quality high-def video as well as digital pictures. In addition to the 10x zoom and image stabilization, Canon’s “Instant AF (Auto Focus)” feature will have you shooting like a pro. With plenty of other features to play with, there’s someone on your list who will love to open up a Canon HV10 this holiday season.

Also Consider Sony Handycam HDR-HC3
arrow Cell Phones
 

Sony Ericsson W810i

 

Sony Ericsson W810iWith so many mobile phones to choose from, you might as well give one that can do it all. The Sony Ericsson W810i ($349 and down to $0 when bundled with a service plan) can make such a claim. The W810i is almost a music player first, and a cell phone second. The 512MB memory stick included can hold about 175 songs that can play while the phone portion of this device is off. Yes, you can use this phone as a MP3 player on an airplane in flight. It also includes a 2 megapixel camera with flash, Bluetooth and a speakerphone. The menu and keypads are unique and easy to navigate. Finally, the call quality is not going to be the best you’ve ever experienced, but with all those other features, it’s good enough to be on your holiday list this year.

Also Consider Nokia N80, Sony Ericsson W600i, LG Chocolate
arrow Smart Phones
 

Palm Treo 700p

 

Are you someone, or do you have someone on you list, that cannot get away from the PC? Why not give them -- or ask someone to give you -- a PC to go? The Palm Treo 700p ($649 and down to $299 when bundled with a service plan) has everything you need to keep your business -- and your life -- running. It’s a phone, email, web, messaging, camera, music player, organizer, and document editor all in one. With your Bluetooth, you can connect to GPS, headsets and car kits. The phone also includes a QWERTY keyboard for quick and familiar email, document and text editing. Simple-to-use buttons and features, along with the legendary PalmOS, make this smart phone the pick of the litter this holiday season.

Also Consider RIM BlackBerry Pearl, Motorola Q, T-Mobile Sidekick 3
arrow Just Plain Cool
 

Slingbox Pro

 

Slingbox ProThe Slingbox is still the ultimate device for watching and controlling your live TV from anywhere in the world. This year, the Slingbox Pro ($249) steps it up a notch. With the ability to connect up to four A/V sources, you can now connect each component of your home theater into one device. Whether it be cable, satellite, DVD or DVR, the Slingbox Pro can not only connect and stream content to you, but you have remote-control over the programming. The Slingbox Pro is also HD-ready. Use the Slingbox HD Connect Cable ($49) and get video quality up to 1080i. As long as you have a Windows-based PC, a high-speed internet connection and a home network router, you are ready to stream all your TV’s programming live to any device that has a broadband connection. And of course, best of all, there are no monthly fees.

 

Hearmuff & Sonic Dome

 

We’d love tell you this is the name of a new TV show about a pair of down-on-their-luck private detectives – we’re thinking one would probably be an ex-con, the other a computer expert – but, sadly, that’s not the case. On the up side, though, they are the names of two new products that seem like such simple ideas that you can’t believe no one’s come up with them before. And maybe they have…but if they did, they damned sure didn’t have as clever a name as “Hearmuff.” The Hearmuff is basically a fleece headband, while the also-fleece Sonic Dome looks like a toque (you know, those hats Bob and Doug McKenzie wear), but the gimmick is that both models come equipped with internal stereo speakers and a headphone jack that fits into any iPod or CD player. Almost as important as the fact that they keep your ears warm while you’re listening to your favorite tunes is that you don’t look like a complete dink when you’re wearing them. They come in 10 different colors and, hey, they’re even being hawked on QVC! If that’s not the sign of a must-own item, we don’t know what is.