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Holiday Toys for Grown-Ups
By Dawn Gordon Luks
Every year I get dozens of e-mails asking for unique electronic gift ideas. Below are my favorites ranging in price from $30 to $279.
Apple iPhone 3GS ($199+) www.apple.com
What can you say about not only the coolest but also the best selling cell phone/uber gadget around? This year Apple added a much faster processor, connectivity for speedier downloads, a better camera, a digital compass, voice dialing and the ability to control the volume via compatible headphones. Even though I'm a devoted PC user, the iPhone is my absolute favorite piece of technology.
Klipsch Image S4i In-Ear Headset ($99.99) http://www.klipsch.com
After you buy your new 3GS why not take advantage of the new volume control? The Klipsch model S4i has it, and these phones really surprised me with their powerful bass, nice imaging and excellent sound reproduction. The S4i headphones are very comfortable, and because they incorporate an in-ear design, they provide great sound isolation. The phones come with an ultra-suede carrying case, multiple ear tips and a cleaning tool. Great value for under $100.
Garmin nüvi 1260T ($249.99) www.Garmin.com
Garmin's nüvi 1260T is an affordable GPS device with high-end features such as free real-time traffic, as well as Bluetooth connectivity to your cell phone. Other features include enhanced pedestrian navigation and a "Where Am I?" emergency locator that always knows your location. Simply tap the screen to get your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations. Of course, the 1260T provides complete maps for North America and a text-to-speech feature, so you get turn-by-turn spoken directions with the real street names. The unit also has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and includes useful travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter and calculator.
Digital Spectrum Solutions MF-8104 WiFi MemoryFrame ($199.99) http://www.dsicentral.com
Aside from displaying photo images, this 10.4" MemoryFrame can play WMA audio or WMV video. To make your slideshows more enjoyable, audio can be played in the background via built-in stereo speakers. The product is also RSS enabled, so you can access photo sharing sites, such as Webshots, Flickr and Live spaces. The MF-8104 has an easy-to-use on-screen menu system, with the ability to select different special effects for fading in and out. Operation is a breeze, and you don't even need the manual to get started. I really liked the ability to send the pictures on my PC directly to the frame via WiFi. The images produced by the MF-8104 are gorgeous and the transitions are silky smooth. There's very little off-axis dimming and the frame produces bright and detailed photos.
This frame has a built-in multiformat card reader that accepts CompactFlash, SD and MMC cards in addition to a USB port. It has 256 MB of internal memory and comes with a wireless remote control.
BreakMaster Digital Green Reader ($79.95) http://www.exelys.com
If you need a little help on the golf green, use the BreakMaster Digital Green Reader to improve your putting game the professional way. This electronic golf accessory measures the direction and the severity of the break on any putting green, giving you the exact degree of slope at any point. Fits in the palm of your hand and straps to your belt with the included carrying case.
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 and Mini 10v ($279+) www.Dell.com
Dell's netbooks feature seven color options and artist designs that allow you to customize your Mini 10 to fit your decor. They also use the Intel Atom processor -- at either 1.3 GHz or 1.6 GHz speeds. The Minis feature a bright, 720p, 10.1" display with a seamless surface and expansion capability in the form of an HDMI port. WiFi is handled easily via 802.11b/g WiFi connection. You can also get optional Bluetooth connectivity for those times when you want to use a wireless keyboard and mouse. At 92 percent the size of a traditional keyboard, the Mini 10 and Mini 10v's keyboards are easy to use. Memory is available up to 2 GB, and you'll have plenty of storage with hard drives up to 250 GB. Want to connect with family and friends on the road? That's easy with the Mini's 1.3 MP Webcam. A really cool feature is optional GPS, so you can use your Mini 10 to guide you to a destination. There's also an optional, external DVD drive available so you can load software easily. The Mini 10 weighs under 4 pounds, and its dimensions are 10.28 x 1.1 x 7.19 inches.
Brookstone Always Perfect Chef's Fork ($29.95) www.Brookstone.com
Take the guesswork out of cooking. Preprogrammed with settings for nine types of food, this thermometer lets you know when your meat is cooked the way you want it. Just turn it on, select the desired doneness, then insert the tines. In seconds, the temperature/doneness level is shown on the backlit display.
Dawn Gordon Luks is a veteran consumer electronics journalist. In addition to her writing schedule, Dawn also designs home audio, home theater, and home automation installations in South Florida. Send an email to Dawn Gordon Luks.
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