Find the Best Christmas Gadget in Any Price Range

Great Electronics and Gadget Gifts Come in All Shapes and Prices

Overview: This list will help you find the right gifts for the technology buff in your life based on price range.

Who Says You Can’t Find Cool Gadget Gifts in Your Price Range?

Let’s face it, we’re all on some sort of budget. That still doesn’t mean that you can’t find great gifts. This list groups my favorite electronics and gadgets into the following price ranges:

• Under $50 (Good Things in Small Cheap Packages)
• Under $100 (Best Bang for the Buck)
• $100 – $300 (Breaking the Bank)
• Over $300 (The VIP Room)

Under $50 (Good Things in Small Cheap Packages)

Who says you can’t buy cool gadgets on a small budget? Here are a few awesome additions to any techie’s bag of tricks that will fit into any gift giving budget.

Pink Tranquility Laptop Bag Just because they’re carrying computers doesn’t mean that women want their laptop bag to look ugly. Pick up a stylish, feminine laptop bag for the lady geek.

Price: $25

Targus Netbook Case Wrap up that new netbook in style. Let a fancy new bag add some sheik to that geek.

Price: $25

CORSAIR Flash Voyager 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Carry all of your files around with you. Portable Flash Drives serve 101 different uses.

Price: $25

Remote Control Helicopter All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. A remote control helicopter will help relieve the stress of crunching all those boring old numbers

Price: $25

Kingston 8GB USB Flash Drive Carry all of your files around with you. Portable Flash Drives serve 101 different uses.

Price: $45

Griffin PowerMate/USB Multimedia Controller This USB device allows you to control aspects of just about any program by turning the know or pressing down on it. Aside from providing a unique user control capability, it just looks amazing on any desk.

Price: $45

CALL OF DUTY 4:MODERN WARFARE Sometime you just want to blow something up. Call of Duty will let you get your frustrations out in a safe and fun way.

Price: $45

Leatherman 830146 Core Pocket Multi-Tool The ultimate do-everything tool for any geek. A Leatherman tool will allow you to fix, build, or disassemble anything.

Price: $49

Under $100 (Best Bang for the Buck)

The $50 – $100 price range offers a lot of great gifts. Here are some cool tools to add on to any respectable gadget collection.

STM Bags Small Loft Laptop Bag (Chocolate/Orange) Just because we’re men doesn’t mean that we want to carry our computers around in ugly bags. Why not spruce the place up with a cool, stylish laptop bag.

Price: $55

Eye-Fi Share 2 GB Wi-Fi SD Memory Card This two-in-one miracle goes in your camera and stores all of the photos that you take. After that, it can wirelessly send them back to your computer or up to the web using wi-fi.

Price: $69

Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro Any computer can be improved by adding a solid keyboard and mouse. After all these are the two things that you touch all day long.

Price: $79

Memory Upgrade If you know someone with a computer, you know someone who wishes it were faster. Help them speed up their machine with a memory upgrade.

Price: $

Memory Upgrade

Digital Photo Frame After taking thousands and thousands of pictures, why not show them off? A digital photo frame allows the photographer in your life to proudly display a collection of their favorite images.

Price: $50 – $100

Roku HD Player Media Streamer The Netflix Media Streamer hooks up to the TV and allows you to click and watch streaming Netflix movies instantly. No more waiting around for your new disks to arrive.

Price: $100

Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player Hook the WD TV to your television and plug in a USB drive with music, photos and videos and you have a great home theater. The WD TV allows you to stream your media right onto that huge, beautiful TV and get out of the computer room.

Price: $99

Rock Band Game Let’s face it, all geeks and nerds want to be rock stars. Well this will let them, if only for a few hours. Jam out with groups of friends and family members.

Price: $99

$100 – $300 (Breaking the Bank)

If you have a little extra room in the budget (really?), you can hit a home run this Christmas. Put one of these gems under the tree and you’ll see some eyes light up.

Powermat Wireless Charging Device All of those gadgets in our life make quite a mess with their chargers. Well why not ditch them all? The Powermat Wireless Charger allows you to just drop your devices onto a pad and have them charge without hooking up any wires.

Price: $125

Apple iPod nano with Video Camera This super tiny iPod now has a really good video camera built into it. So now, not only can you take your music, pictures, and movies with you, you can capture new movies too.

Price: $135

Nintendo Wii Console Nintendo Wii is great for family members from 2 to 102. No other system will provide more hours of fun for everyone.

Price: $150

Roku SoundBridge Music Streaming System The Roku Sound Bridge will allow that special someone to stream the music from their computer, pandora, or internet radio stations wirelessly to the bathroom, basement, garage or back yard.

Price: $165

Flip Ultra HD Camcorder The best way to capture videos is to have a camera with you. With the size of the Flip UltraHD Camcorder, you can carry it with you at all times. The video quality is very good and the user experience is so simple you won’t believe it.

Price: $175

Canon Powershot SD780 Do you know someone who needs an incredibly good and incredibly small point and shoot camera? Well look no further than the Canon Powershot SD780. This thing is like a chubby credit card that shoots great pictures and sharp video.

Price: $199

Xbox 360 Console Microsoft Xbox 360 provides hours of gaming and entertainment options.

Price: $199

Apple TV with 160GB Hard Drive This is probably the most simple way to get all of your music, photos, and movies onto your TV. If it’s in your iTunes Library, then you can have it on your TV in a snap.

Price: $229

Kindle EBook Reader Know someone who loves to read? Are they a commuter? Well the Amazon Kindle is the perfect gift. They can carry tons of books, magazines, and newspapers in their pocket.

Price: $250

Slingbox TV Streamer If your geek is on the road a lot, why not let them watch their favorite TV show and Sports teams from anywhere. The Slingbox will stream their home TV and DVR to them over the internet or 3G phone.

Price: $275

Logitech diNovo Keyboard and Mouse Combo Want to add killer form and function to your desk, get a high-end keyboard and mouse setup. Your fingers and eyes will thank you.

Price: $299

Super Portable Pico Projector Want to share your pictures and movies on the go? Then you need a Pico projector. These cell phone sized projectors can display images and videos from your computer, camera, iPod or other device anywhere.

Price: $299

PlayStation 3 Console Video games, streaming media, BlueRay DVD movies, what more could you want from a home entertainment console?

Price: $299

Over $300 (The VIP Room)

Who says money can’t buy love? If you spring for one of these gifts, you sure can test the theory out. Hopefully my wife will give it a shot ;)

Super Portable Netbook Computer Have a student or globetrotter in your life? Why not get them a tiny, but powerful computer that can go anywhere and do anything that they need?

Price: $300 – $400

Canon PowerShot G11 Maybe your nerd has outgrown their tiny point and shoot camera, but still wants something that they can take with them. The Canon G11 has most of the quality and features of a DSLR at a fraction of the size. It allows fully manual control and has a mount for a good flash attachment.

Price: $449

Canon Digital Rebel DSLR Do you have a serious photo buff on your gift list? Well they’re probably ready to move up to a Digital SLR. The Canon Rebel is the most affordable way to get into a DSLR. Great quality and usability all in one.

Price: $575

Canon VIXIA HG21 Camcorder If your Martin Scorsese needs a little more quality and control than a Flip camcorder, than you might want to look at one of the mid-range Canon camcorders. They have powerful zoom lenses and great quality without breaking the bank.

Price: $699

Other Resources for Saving Big on the Perfect Christmas Gift

Don’t See something you like here? Well here are some places that you can find really great deals on electronics and gadgets.

Save a Fortune at Amazon.com

Amazon has an product line that goes on forever. There is always something on super-terrific clearance sale. You can find giant discounts on products at Amazon.com. The links below list products that are at least 75% OFF in their respective categories.

75% Off Books

75% Off Cameras and Accessories

75% Off Computers and Accessories

75% Off Video Games

75% Off Electronics and Gadgets

Find the Best Selection of Computer Gear at NewEgg.com

My absolute favorite place to find the best prices on computer and electronics is Newegg.com. They have tons of great deals every day.

Get Great Deals on Macs and their Accessories

MacMall and ClubMac have a lot of deals on Macs, iPods, and other gear.

Get the Absolute Best Prices on Cables and Accessories

MonoPrice.com has the best prices on cables for everything. Seriously, I got a good HDMI cable and a mini-display port to DVI cable for $15 with tax and shipping included. NEVER buy your cables from Bestbuy!

If you are looking for other arrangements of electronics and gadgets Christmas gift suggestions take a look at one of these other lists.

Complete Electronics Gadget Christmas Gift Buying Guide

Best Chrismas Tech Gadgets for Women

Best Chrismas Tech Gadgets for Men

Find the Best Christmas Gadget in Any Price Range

Read More »

Bookmarklets – Add Magical Powers to Your Browser

Enhance your Browsing Experience Using Bookmarklets

OVERVIEW: Learn how to use bookmarklets to get every drop of power out of your favorite browser.

What are Bookmarklets?

Bookmarklets are special bookmarks that add one-click functionality to a browser or web page. They look like normal links, but are written in Javascript and can perform different tasks depending on what page you’re visiting, what text you have highlighted, etc. When clicked, a bookmarklet can apply filters to the page you’re viewing, open prompts for searches, or a host of other helpful features. Bookmarklets are added to your browser as a bookmark and usually work in all browser.

What Can Bookmarklets Do for You?

There is no limit to the type of things that you can do with some clever bookmarklets, but here are just a few of the things that I use them for on a regular basis:

• Open your email app (Gmail, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) with the title of the current page and a link to it; poised for you to enter a recipient. (In one click.)
• Subscribe to a new blog in Google Reader without all of the annoying clicking.
• Strip out all of a pages junk (ads, header, footer, sidebar, etc.) and send just what you want to your printer.
• Look up Definitions, Translations, Currency Conversions and other useful information with one click.

How to Use Bookmarklets

Acquiring and using bookmarklets is both incredibly powerful and simple. Follow the steps below.

1. First you need to make sure that the Bookmarks toolbar is visible in your browser. View> Toolbars> Bookmarks Toolbar (Links in Internet Explorer)
2. Find a web page that has bookmarklets that you can "grab" (See list below under the Additional Resources heading.)
3. Click and drag a bookmarklet to the Bookmarks/Links toolbar on your browser.
4. Click on the bookmarklet when you want to use its functionality.
5. The Javascript will run and perform the specified action.

The following video shows you how add bookmarklets to your browser and use them to improve your web surfing.

Take your Bookmarklets on the Road

Bookmarklets are not just useful in your desktop browser, they also provide extra functionality and convenience to your mobile browser. In fact, they’re even move helpful on a mobile browser, because they make up for the lack of flexibility that a full size screen and keyboard provide. I use Xmarks to sync my favorites across all of my browsers and iTunes to sync them to Safari on my iPhone. If you use another smartphone (Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, or Symbian), you can sync your bookmarklets too.

Here is a list of great bookmarks for your mobile browser.

Additional Resources

Now that you know how awesome bookmarklets are, you probably want to know where to get them. Here’s a list of places where you can find bookmarklets to do just about anything you need.

Digital Inspiration’s Guide to Most Useful Bookmarklets for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.

Your HTML Source’s Bookmarklets Explainedx

Marklet.com’s Bookmarklets Directory

LifeHack.com’s 20 Useful Bookmarklets

LifeHacker.com’s 10 Must Have Bookmarklets

ToThePC.com’s 30 Useful Bookmarklets for KickAss Web Browsing

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See How to Convert Any Web Application into Destkop Software

Site Specific Browsers Put Web Apps on Your Desktop

OVERVIEW: You will learn how to turn your favorite web applications into standalone desktop applications using site specific browser tools.

What Is a Site Specific Browser?

A Site Specific Browser (SSB) is is an application with an embedded browser designed to work exclusively with a single web application. It doesn’t have the menus, toolbars and accoutrements of a normal web browser.

Benefits of Site Specific Browsers

OK, I know I "can" break web based apps into standalone desktop apps, but why "should" I? Well, there are a number of benefits to SSBs.

• Use just what you need. Crop the window down to just the usable part of the application. (Pandora)
• Control each application separately.
• When one application crashes (and they always do), you all of your other tabs don’t go down in flames too.
• Have One Application visible all the time.

 

What Sites have I Applicationized

Pandora  – I like to be able to control this just like I would iTunes when it is palying. It just works well as a really tiny, really awesome little music player off in its own littl corner of my screen.

RememberTheMilk  – When I want to manage or add to-do’s to my task list, it is very handy to have RTM sitting in its own little window.

Google Voice  – Truth be told, I don’t use GV that much, but when I am using it, I just keep it off to the side.

Worth Considering?

Email – If you can’t make the jump from Outlook to full webmail, this may help ease you along. (Kind of like the patch for dektop junkies.)

Meebo Instant Messenger

Twitter App – There are a bunch of nice desktop Twitter apps (TweetDeck, Seesmic, Twhirl, etc.), but there are also some cool web based ones too (TwitHive, Seesmic Web App, GTwit, HootSuite, etc.). If these float your boat, you can turn them into a full desktop applicaiton.

Google Reader – Some people use Google Reader as a power tool for the web. These users may enjoy splitting it off as a standalone applicaiton.

How to Make Site Specific Browser Apps for Your Desktop

There are a few tools that make creating these standalone applications simple. You just install one of the tools listed below. These tools create a framework on your machine that allows the web sites to function as independent applicaitons. Then, you create your applications from a simple wizard.

Each tool has its own secific steps, so pick the one that is appropriate to your operating systems and get started.

Here are some of the ones that I have tried on the three major operating systems.

 

Windows:

Mozilla Prism -  This is built by Mozilla, so it uses the Gecko (Firefox) rendering engine to run your web apps on the desktop. Bonus – you get to use Firefox extensions and Greasemonkey scripts to customize your desktop applications.

Bubbles – This Windows only tool gives you a very simple wizard to turn your favorite site into an applicaiton. It also has a small but powerful set of extensions.

Google Chrome (Browser, not OS) – To put a Chrome Application Shortcut to Gmail, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, or any other webapp you like to keep open in a separate window, open the site in Chrome. From the Page menu, choose "Create application shortcuts." From there decide to put your shortcut on the desktop, quick launch bar, and/or Start Menu.

Mac:

Fluid – This Mac only tool is built on the webkit (Safari and Chrome) rendering engine. It is very simple to use and creates stable web applications. You can also use most Greasemonkey scripts to customize your new creations.

Mozilla Prism -  See Windows section above.

Linux:

Mozilla Prism -  See Windows section above.

Video Walkthrough

The following video shows how to turn a Web Service into a Desktop Application using Site Specific Browser technology.

Cool Hack

Put links to the application launcher in your Bookmarks. Then, you can launch it straight out to a standalone from your browser.

What Sites Would You Put on the Desktop?

What applications do you think are best suited as standalone desktop applications?

I would love to hear what you think. Let me know what sites you have converted to a SSB in the comments below.

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Motorola Droid for Verizon Wireless – Product Review

Another "iPhone Killer" is Not Ready for Prime Time

It seems that the biggest kiss of death that could ever hit a mobile phone is "iPhone Killer". My wife is a Verizon die hard and refuses to switch to AT&T to get an iPhone. With the much ballywhooed release of the Motorola Droid, we were both excited for her to actually get an awesome phone for herself. I told her on Saturday morning that I was taking her to the Verizon store to buy her a Motorola Droid. I know, I’m kind of an awesome husband.

Hardware

Let’s make this short and sweet. When we got to the store, and tried the phone out, we were soooooo disappointed. Everything about it was just such a let down. The device had more jagged poking edges to scar a hand for life. It feels kind of flimsy and cheap in your hands.

Software Interface

The interace and user experience on this phone are horrendous. Everything you try to do is flakey and jumpy. Menus (if you can find them) are unintuitive and confusing. Stuff seems to mysteriously open and close as if controlled by some spastic prankster. Yikes!

The applications were even more confusing. I’m a huge user and fan of most of Google’s applications and thougth that this would really be cool. Well, I was wrong. The calendar is just a confusing affront to the senses. Ugly, confusing, and bad. Adding an appointment or contact was very frustrating. The maps application that I heard so much about was dreadful. You can’t figure out how to do anything in there. I can just see my mom and dad in the car trying to find a restaurant and just screaming at one another. Not good.

Video Review of the Motorola Droid

I took a few minutes to put my thoughts on video to express my disappointment in this product.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an iPhone killer, keep looking. This thing is a Verizon/Motorolla Killer. The iPhone is supposed to be coming to Verizon in 2010, do yourself a favor and wait until then.

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Contest – Google Voice Invite Giveaway

One Number to Rule them All

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you must have heard about Google Voice. Google Voice (formerly GrandCentral) is a cool new phone service that gives you the power of a sophisticated corporate phone service for free. Here are some of the great things that you can do with a Google Voice account:

• Google voicemail: voicemail like email
• Voicemail transcription: read what your voicemail says
• Custom greetings: vary voicemail greetings by caller
• International calling: low cost calls to the world
• Notifications: read voicemail messages via email or SMS
• Share voicemails: forward, embed, or download voicemails

Those features are available if you want to keep your existing cellphone number. Take a look at some of them in action.

If you don’t mind using a new number supplied by Google, you can also get these awesome features:

• One number: a single phone number that rings all your phones
• Free SMS: send, receive & store text messages online
• Block calls: send unwanted callers straight to voicemail
• Record calls: record phone calls and store them online
• Conference calls: join several people into a single call
• Screen callers: hear who is calling before you pick up

See what you can do with these features:

Google Voice Giveaway Rules

I have been using Google Voice since it was Grand Central and I love all of the cool things that you can do with it. I have some invites to give away to three lucky VitaminCM.com readers.

Let’s keep it real simple: Leave a comment below about what you would use Google Voice to do. (Be creative.) On Friday, November 13th I will pick three completely random commenters and make Friday the 13th their lucky day.

Good Luck!

P.S. I’m working on getting a few Google Wave invites. I’ll do the same when the come in.

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