Tech gifts pack punch at slim price
If you are not into tech, finding gifts for those who are can be hard. Below are some nice gifts that won’t leave a hole in your pocket and will help you start thinking past the big-ticket items. All of these products cost $120 or less (prices rounded to the dollar).
Board included: Tony Hawk skateboarding games have be around for a decade, but regardless of the system you play on, your moves and tricks were accomplished with a controller in your hand. With Tony Hawk: Ride, you control your virtual board with a skateboard controller that looks like the real thing, sans wheels. The board is equipped with high-tech sensors that even know if you are grabbing it with your hands. $120 for Xbox 360, Wii and PS3.
Use the force: Tyme Machines has a great gift for the “Star Wars” fans and computer users in your life: USB 2.0 flash drives in the shape of Yoda, Darth Vader, a storm trooper and Boba Fett. Ages 5 and up. 4GB is $30, 8GB is $40, 16GB is $60. www.tymemachines.com.
You in HD: Let yourself shine in HD on Messenger video calls or recording a YouTube video. The Lifecam Cinema HD is a USB 2.0 device that captures video in 720P resolution with auto focus, 4x digital zoom. The sound is recorded with a noise-canceling mic on top of the camera. Windows 7-compatible out of the box. $80.
First multitouch rodent: First the iPhone, now Apple brings multitouch technology to the mouse. The Magic Mouse connects wireless via Bluetooth to the Mac. The top is a white, seamless surface that tracks touch. Move the pointer in any direction with one finger, swipe through Web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click all. Works well for righties or lefties. $69.
iPhone gets HD: Now iPhone and iPod Touch owners can listen to FM and FM HD radio. The Gigaware Navigation Controller features controls very similar to those on the Apple Remote. Download the free software; plug it into iPhone/iTouch and then plug the headphones into the controller to start listening to those new free stations. Visit stations.hdradio.com/spokane to learn about all HD stations in the area. Available at RadioShack for $80.
Doesn’t sound tiny: One of the best tiny MP3 players out there is the Sansa Clip+. It has bright OLED screen for navigation and an FM tuner, either of which are found on the similar priced iPod Shuffle. It supports audio books from Audible and has a 15-hour battery life. There is even a microSDHC memory card, which supports slotRadio or slotMusic cards. The Sansa Clip+ MP3 comes in three versions: 8 GB for $70, 4 GB for $50 and 2 GB for $40,
Say cheese: The Canon Power Shot A480 is a simple-to-use pocket camera that produces sharp pictures with vivid colors. The A480 has 10-megapixel resolution and 3.3x optical zoom. It goes up to ISO 1600 for those low-light shots. The 2.5-inch LCD makes composing snaps a cinch. $110.
Always something good on: Roku players let you instantly stream movies and TV shows from the Internet to your TV. You can watch media from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and, for the baseball fan, MLB.TV. Next year, Roku will add audio and video content from popular Internet sites to the mix.
The Roku SD is aimed for use with standard definition TV. The Roku HD or HD-XR players are a better choice for HD sets because they support high definition and connect to a TV with a HDMI cable. The Roku HD supports B and G Wi-Fi, while HD-XR adds the latest Wi-Fi standard – 802.11n dual-band. All three Roku players are available at www.roku.com and www.amazon.com. The SD is $80, HD is $100 and HD-XR is $130.
Ear candy: Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket Earbuds are a great choice for music lovers and active people. They are built rock solid with aluminum-braided cord. The 11-millimeter speakers have outstanding frequency separation that produce crystal-clear sound and great bass. $65 to $80.