I've been on the lookout for tech gift ideas and have found quite a few for everyone from the budget shopper to the big spender. The good news is that, thanks to falling prices, you don't have to spend a lot of money to get some great gifts.
UP TO $50: Apple is offering its
For media lovers, you'll find Apple TV, which allows users to watch videos from iTunes, Netflix and YouTube on their televisions, and Roku's line of digital media players, which offer a wider variety of video content providers. You can also find some more powerful iPod speaker systems, including JBL's doughnut-shaped On Stage Micro, in this range.
On the game front, you'll find recently released or soon-to-be-released hits such as "Halo: Reach" for the Xbox 360, "Gran Turismo 5" for the
But digital cameras might provide the most bang for the buck in this price range. You'll find a variety of entry-level cameras from top brands such as Canon, Nikon, Casio and Kodak for $60 to $100. And entry level isn't what it used to be: These cameras have features formerly found on high-end models, such as 10-megapixel sensors, 3-times optical zoom lenses and even the ability, in some cases, to shoot high-definition videos.
$100 TO $250: This price range moves into the sweet spot for tech gadgets. For gamers, you'll find mainstream systems, including the Nintendo Wii ($200), Nintendo's line of DS handhelds ($130 to $170), Microsoft's 4-gigabyte Xbox 360 ($200) and Sony's Android.
Those in the market for a laptop will find a wide variety of desktop replacements, gaming machines and Apple's entire notebook lineup. The standout model among all these is Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air ($1,300 for the 128-gigabyte model and $1,600 for the 256-gigabyte model), which is superfast, ultralight, razor-thin and way cool.
For the living room, you'll find numerous 3-D-enabled, LED-backlit and Internet-connectible televisions. If you want and can afford the top of the line, Samsung's 9000 series televisions ($2,600 for the 46-inch model, $3,100 for the 55-inch one) are stunning with their thin profile - less than one-third of an inch - and burnished stainless bezel. And their picture's not bad, either.
If you get a 3-D television, you'll want to watch more on it than the handful of 3-D movies and programs now available. Panasonic's 3-D digital camcorder ($1,400), one of the first such camcorders targeted at consumers, can fill the need. The camcorder has the ability to shoot in 1080p and dual-image sensors to generate the stereoscopic effect.
