loading...
Zarafina Tea Suite. (Image from www.zarafina.com)
By Mark Stone
Each year, the MP3 player is always one of the hottest gifts. This season is no different and as always the options are numerous. Anyone with $200 to spend will want to spring for the iPod touch. Not only is this a solid mp3 player, it comes with access to the entire line of Apple’s 100,000+ apps in the App Store. There is something for everyone there and the capability for this device to do so much makes it the best choice.
The iPod is not the only choice though; there are a good number of great models that do a great job playing mp3s and video. As much as I love the iPod, it’s not exactly the best player in terms of sound. The Sony Walkman line of mp3 sounds better and probably has the best sound of any mp3 player I’ve listened to. The only thing preventing me from buying the Sony is the lack of Mac support – the included software works on Windows only. If you’re a Windows person and this doesn’t bother you, the Sony would be my first choice. The Sandisk Sansa Clip line of mp3 players are also great if you want something small.
One thing you must know about buying an mp3 player: the headphones that come with them are never good. Over the last few years I’ve purchased far too many pairs than I care to admit. If you don’t mind dropping about $100 for a good pair, your ears will thank you. Feel free to email me at mark@kelowna.com if you have any questions about the headphones (or anything else here for that matter).
Time for some cool tech gifts…First things first – if you’ve been watching American television lately, it’s likely you’ve come across commercials for a new phone called Droid. The smartphone is made by Motorola, but won’t be available in Canada in time for Christmas. It will make its debut on the Telus network and should be on the shelves in early 2010 and will likely be marketed as the Motorola Milestone. It came out in the US last month and has been selling very well. It won’t be an iPhone killer (I don’t think anything will) but anyone looking for an iPhone alternative should be happy.
Looking for something a little different? How about an automatic tea maker? Tea is the new coffee, and more and more coffee shop patrons are choosing it over the black gold. You’ve got to check out the demo for this new tea maker from a company called Zarafina. Your tea loving loved one will love you for it (how’s that for spreading the Christmas love in one sentence?)
A hot-selling item this Christmas is the GPS. You can buy a standalone model, or, wouldn’t it be cooler to have a fully functioning application on your iPhone? Out of the box, the iPhone comes with Google Maps that track your positioning on a map and will even give you directions on how to get from point A to B. Unfortunately you can’t get voice prompts giving turn by turn directions. This is where the Navigon app comes in. For $89.99 (I know, steep price for an app) you can turn your iPhone into a GPS that rivals most of the standalone models at many times the price.
We recently took the Navigon GPS application with us on a trip to the United States and it performed as well or better than similar Garmin, TomTom and Magellan models that we’ve tested out on previous US visits renting a car. The greatest thing about the app is that it does not require an internet connection and doesn’t use any roaming charges. This is one of the best apps for the iPhone and makes for a great gift.
In Part One I talked about televisions and the coolness of high definition. If you love television, an absolute must-buy is the HD PVR. Shaw, Telus and Bell all have their own and can be rented monthly. In the long run though, it’s probably more affordable to buy it outright. Can’t recommend one enough.
Most important gift this year: the Bluetooth headset. Why? On Jan. 1, new legislation comes into effect that bans the use of cellphones in cars, unless you can answer or dial your phones with just one touch. Anything more requires drivers to pull over, so if you use your phone in the car a handsfree headset is practically a no-brainer. I don’t have much for you in terms of which brands to buy – as long as you have something. The highest rated product seems to be the Jawbone; it will cost you a bit but they’re supposed to be very good. I have a cheap Motorola and it does the job just fine.
My choice for the best tech gift this holiday season has got to be the Playstation 3. Now that the price has dropped to $299, the Sony PS3 is one heck of a bargain. Not only does this machine play all the latest hot videogames, it comes with one of the industry’s best Blu-ray players and can stream all your movies, pictures and music to your home theatre. Have a high def compatible television but haven’t seen a movie in Blu-ray? Nothing beats seeing a film in high definition. The picture and sound are unbeatable and the amount of extras that are incorporated in the Blu-ray discs make the viewing experience unlike anything we’ve seen before. Do yourself a favor and go to the electronics store and ask for a demo.
I’ve tried to touch upon as many items as I can here. With so many tech gifts to choose from, highlighting them all would be an impossible task. Hopefully this guide can serve as a great starting point and it leads to many smiling faces. It may even warm up the cold heart of the hardcore techie in every family.
One Response to “Holiday Tech Gift Guide Part II”
Tags: apple ipod, mp3 player, sandisk
loading...
This article could really use more images. Read a book on usability.
Please continue discussion on the forum: link