Philips Digital Picture Frame
-
$250 Display images from USB / Flash memory
Bridging the gap between digital and
35mm, several companies are offering digital picture frames.
This one from Philips is definitely one of the nicer ones.
What is a digital picture frame, you ask? Simply put, it’s
an LCD which displays your photos. This one in particular
has a 6.5” screen, accepts flash/USB storage media and also
includes a rechargeable lithium ion for cordless operation
(if you choose to do so). This allows you to take shots
straight from your camera and display them on the frame
wherever you’d like. As an added bonus, it also makes slide
shows. Just imagine pre-loading this with photos for mom…
she’ll love it.
Sonos Digital
Music System -
$1200+ WiFi music around your home
The Sonos
Digital Music System is the answer to your childhood fantasy
of having music everywhere, but it does it WiFi-style.
Basically, this setup will broadcast your music wirelessly
through the house. This unit can be considered “top of the
line” in most respects and the price tag reflects that, but
you get more than any other option out there. The DMS
features a color screen remote, 50-watt per channel amps
that sound great out of the box, up to 32 rooms, supports
iTunes protected music, and last but certainly not least
it’s stylish. Also unique to the Sonos is the ability to
stream audio from other sources, not just digital. Of
course, you pay for all these features. The Sonos “intro”
kit will set you back about $1200, which includes two zone
players and a zone controller. I certainly wouldn’t mind
having one under my tree!
Slimdevices
Squeezebox 2 -
$250-300 More WiFi music
The Squeezebox does the same thing as
Sonos’ Digital Music System, but with less finesse. As you
could probably guess though, the price is right, falling
somewhere around $250-$300. What you get is the ability to
play a wide variety of music formats over WiFi. What you
don’t get is iTunes support or 50-watt amps like the Sonos.
There are plenty of favorable reviews for the Squeezebox,
and it is certainly a great gift for someone looking for a
solid audio steaming solution.
Apple iPod Video and iPod Nano MP3 players -
$200 (Nano)
|
$300 (Video) Flagship MP3 player for the music enthusiast
Apple's
iPod was probably the sleekest MP3 player around last
Christmas, and that still holds today thanks to a revamped
line of players that includes the thriving iPod Nano
(replaced the Mini), offering 2GB and 4GB capacities in a
conveniently small casing, and starting at $199. More
recently Apple also introduced the 5th generation iPod,
slightly wider but thinner in aspect, the impressive gadget
now plays videos and comes in 30 and 60 GB flavors.
Logitech/Harmony remote -
$100-400 Simplify control over your electronics
“One remote to rule them all”, should be
the marketing motto for this thumb-guided techno-wonder.
Ranging from $99 all the way up to about $400, these remote
controls aim to tie your electronic devices together and
simplify their use with setup wizards, help menus and
intelligent features. While they all support over 80,000
products, some of the upscale models feature a full color
LCD and a recharging base. The cradle is a nice idea because
with a little luck, it might actually end up staying there
most of the time. There are lots of flavors to choose from,
you can get a feel for the Harmony remotes
here.
Motorola Razr and Rokr Hot
phones for Cingular
Any frequent cellular phone users are
bound to love either of these phones. First, the Razr is an
impressively thin phone (About 0.5”) with a real sexy look.
The phone also offers advanced features like Bluetooth,
MPEG4 playback, a built-in camera and more… and it is built
surprisingly well for being so thin. The Rokr is another
highly anticipated phone from Motorola. You might liken it
to an iPod you can make calls on, but whatever you call it,
it is sure to make a great gift. Check them out
here.
Hopefully by now you will have come up with a few ideas on
the perfect gift for your loved ones.
After many years, this is the first time we are doing a
specific buying guide for the holidays, any feedback or
comments on this article will be more than appreciated.
Also, feel free to stop
by the forums to discuss your own
picks with the rest of the community.
The Sonos
Digital Music System is the answer to your childhood fantasy
of having music everywhere, but it does it WiFi-style.
Basically, this setup will broadcast your music wirelessly
through the house. This unit can be considered “top of the
line” in most respects and the price tag reflects that, but
you get more than any other option out there. The DMS
features a color screen remote, 50-watt per channel amps
that sound great out of the box, up to 32 rooms, supports
iTunes protected music, and last but certainly not least
it’s stylish. Also unique to the Sonos is the ability to
stream audio from other sources, not just digital. Of
course, you pay for all these features. The Sonos “intro”
kit will set you back about $1200, which includes two zone
players and a zone controller. I certainly wouldn’t mind
having one under my tree!
Apple's
iPod was probably the sleekest MP3 player around last
Christmas, and that still holds today thanks to a revamped
line of players that includes the thriving iPod Nano
(replaced the Mini), offering 2GB and 4GB capacities in a
conveniently small casing, and starting at $199. More
recently Apple also introduced the 5th generation iPod,
slightly wider but thinner in aspect, the impressive gadget
now plays videos and comes in 30 and 60 GB flavors.
