8 Best Gadget for Christmas Gift 2011
Best Gadget for Christmas Gift 2011 – With the Christmas buying season under way, it’s time to think about the technology products that deserve to become treasured gifts. We pick 5 cool gadget/tech accessories for Christmas gift.
Huawei MiFi
It costs around $156 to add 3G to the specification of most tablet purchases, but you could just as well spend that amount on a 3G hotspot device that allows you to add 3G connectivity to a range of devices as and when required. For example, you’re unlikely to tout both a tablet and a laptop on the same journey, but you may well want to get online using whichever device you’ve brought along for the ride. The MiFi can also get your friends onffne (as long as you give them access rights), so it’s a good sharing option.
The deals can be confusing, but for $131 you get the device plus 3GB of data. after which you top up on a pay-as-you-go basis. Contract deals are also available. ($138.90)
Western Digital My Passport Essential
Who says backup drives need to be ugly bricks? Certainly not Western Digital. The My Passport Elite and Essential drives have been around for years, but remain among our favourite products for their styling and simplicity.
The 500GB My Passport Elite takes up barely any desk space, with its own neat dock into which it slots vertically. This dock attaches to a PC and draws its power from a single USB 3,0 port.
The software automatically keeps your files in syncr so when you reach the end of the working day you can simply stash the 108x34x12mm drive in your bag and piug It in when next you need to call up your files. The drive weighs just 144g, comes with protective software to control access to its contents, and is ideal for taking collections of photos, music and video with you. ($122)
Griffin A-Frame
One of our few complaints about tablets of every stripe is that they don’t stand up, making touchscreen keyboard entry awkward and viewing entertainment difficult, A stand can make all the difference, but far too many are iPad specific.
The Griffin A-Frame is marketed for the iPad, but it works just as well with Samsung, Acer, Asus and other brands of tablet. It’s simply a hefty metal easel with an open-ended rubber ledge that accommodates your choice of tablet.
The stand folds up within the A-Frame, so it doesnJt take up much space. Its tough-as boots construction has a down side, though: it weighs a whopping 510g. ($20)
Amazon Kindle
For all the clamour over tablets, many of us would prefer something less showy and feature-laden that doesn’t constantly need its battery topped up. The Kindle Fire tablet Will launch in the UK soon, but the fourth-generation Kindle e-book reader also has much to commend. Its battery runs out once a month rather than twice a day, for starters.
Wi-Fi connectivity means you don’t have to plug in the Kindle to a PC to load up books. The responsiveness of the device has also been improved, so you can turn pages faster or view images onscreen without waiting for them to load. And in its fourth generation, the Kindle’s slimmed down to 170g.
There’s no longer a keyboard (you use an onscreen one instead), reducing the overall size to 166x115mm, A dictionary, automatic bookmarking, a choice of 750,000 titles plus space onboard for 1,400 at once make this a compelling choice. ($99)
Honestech Film Scan & Save
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably got a drawer full of old photos and slides that never see the tight of day. And it probably contains some of your best shots, After all, in the pre-digitai photography days, film was expensive and rolls of it finite, which meant that each photo was composed with care.
Products such as the Film Scan&Save make light work of digitising images you’d love to see again. This Honestech device even has a lightbox on the top so you can see what those dusty negatives contain before pressing Scan.
The ScanSSave captures images at up to 1800dpi or the equivalent detail of a10MP digital photo. Auto image-correction is provided, and you can transfer scans to either SO Card or a PC via USB. The Film Scan&Save also works independently of a PC. ($129.99)
Apple iPhone 4S
The latest iPhone may look almost the same as its predecessor, but it’s still one of the hottest gadgets of the year Significantly more powerful graphics make it eminently suitable for gaming, while Apple’s also added a more powerful processor. There’s now an emphasis on voice control via a character known as Siri, plus an overhauled version of its iOS operatinq system. The iPhone’s performance has arguably caught up with the best Android phones; combined with the already refined touchscreen interface and unmatched apps library, this is the best iPhone – and smartphone – there is. ($630)
HTC Sensation XE
The large-screen Android smartphones market has been a close-fought battle between HTC and Samsung this year. Samsung’s Galaxy S II proved the bigger seller, but the trump card for close rival the HTC Sensation is two new editions, the XE and XLr which step up the phone’s entertainment features.
The HTC Watch portal offers music and film downloads, while DLNA and HDMI allow content to be streamed to a large screen. Dolby Mobile automatically recognises the larger screen and outputs the audio and video accordingly. For playback on the handset, it offers impressive bass. The superior audio and video on the unibody Sensation even qet a Dr Dre Beats Audio endorsement on the XE. ($549)
Blue Microphones Snowflake
Many of us unfortunately end up spending Christmas a long way from our nearest and dearest. Photos and messaqes posted on Facebook or via email are a good way to keep up with important events over the course of the year but, if you aren’t able to spend the day together, hearing their voice is the next best thing. A present of a dedicated microphone to ensure the conversation is as clear as possible is perfect if you’re qoing to be chatting long-distance via Skype and the wonders of web-based telephony. The Blue Mies Snowflake is easier to use than a headset and microphone. This USB condensing microphone can also be used for recording podcasts and sending personalised recorded messages to your loved ones. ($29)
Best Gadget for Christmas Gift 2011 – With the Christmas buying season under way, it’s time to think about the technology products that deserve to become treasured gifts. We pick 5 cool gadget/tech accessories for Christmas gift.
Huawei MiFi
It costs around $156 to add 3G to the specification of most tablet purchases, but you could just as well spend that amount on a 3G hotspot device that allows you to add 3G connectivity to a range of devices as and when required. For example, you’re unlikely to tout both a tablet and a laptop on the same journey, but you may well want to get online using whichever device you’ve brought along for the ride. The MiFi can also get your friends onffne (as long as you give them access rights), so it’s a good sharing option.
The deals can be confusing, but for $131 you get the device plus 3GB of data. after which you top up on a pay-as-you-go basis. Contract deals are also available. ($138.90)
Western Digital My Passport Essential
Who says backup drives need to be ugly bricks? Certainly not Western Digital. The My Passport Elite and Essential drives have been around for years, but remain among our favourite products for their styling and simplicity.
The 500GB My Passport Elite takes up barely any desk space, with its own neat dock into which it slots vertically. This dock attaches to a PC and draws its power from a single USB 3,0 port.
The software automatically keeps your files in syncr so when you reach the end of the working day you can simply stash the 108x34x12mm drive in your bag and piug It in when next you need to call up your files. The drive weighs just 144g, comes with protective software to control access to its contents, and is ideal for taking collections of photos, music and video with you. ($122)
Griffin A-Frame
One of our few complaints about tablets of every stripe is that they don’t stand up, making touchscreen keyboard entry awkward and viewing entertainment difficult, A stand can make all the difference, but far too many are iPad specific.
The Griffin A-Frame is marketed for the iPad, but it works just as well with Samsung, Acer, Asus and other brands of tablet. It’s simply a hefty metal easel with an open-ended rubber ledge that accommodates your choice of tablet.
The stand folds up within the A-Frame, so it doesnJt take up much space. Its tough-as boots construction has a down side, though: it weighs a whopping 510g. ($20)
Amazon Kindle
For all the clamour over tablets, many of us would prefer something less showy and feature-laden that doesn’t constantly need its battery topped up. The Kindle Fire tablet Will launch in the UK soon, but the fourth-generation Kindle e-book reader also has much to commend. Its battery runs out once a month rather than twice a day, for starters.
Wi-Fi connectivity means you don’t have to plug in the Kindle to a PC to load up books. The responsiveness of the device has also been improved, so you can turn pages faster or view images onscreen without waiting for them to load. And in its fourth generation, the Kindle’s slimmed down to 170g.
There’s no longer a keyboard (you use an onscreen one instead), reducing the overall size to 166x115mm, A dictionary, automatic bookmarking, a choice of 750,000 titles plus space onboard for 1,400 at once make this a compelling choice. ($99)
Honestech Film Scan & Save
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably got a drawer full of old photos and slides that never see the tight of day. And it probably contains some of your best shots, After all, in the pre-digitai photography days, film was expensive and rolls of it finite, which meant that each photo was composed with care.
Products such as the Film Scan&Save make light work of digitising images you’d love to see again. This Honestech device even has a lightbox on the top so you can see what those dusty negatives contain before pressing Scan.
The ScanSSave captures images at up to 1800dpi or the equivalent detail of a10MP digital photo. Auto image-correction is provided, and you can transfer scans to either SO Card or a PC via USB. The Film Scan&Save also works independently of a PC. ($129.99)
Apple iPhone 4S
The latest iPhone may look almost the same as its predecessor, but it’s still one of the hottest gadgets of the year Significantly more powerful graphics make it eminently suitable for gaming, while Apple’s also added a more powerful processor. There’s now an emphasis on voice control via a character known as Siri, plus an overhauled version of its iOS operatinq system. The iPhone’s performance has arguably caught up with the best Android phones; combined with the already refined touchscreen interface and unmatched apps library, this is the best iPhone – and smartphone – there is. ($630)
HTC Sensation XE
The large-screen Android smartphones market has been a close-fought battle between HTC and Samsung this year. Samsung’s Galaxy S II proved the bigger seller, but the trump card for close rival the HTC Sensation is two new editions, the XE and XLr which step up the phone’s entertainment features.
The HTC Watch portal offers music and film downloads, while DLNA and HDMI allow content to be streamed to a large screen. Dolby Mobile automatically recognises the larger screen and outputs the audio and video accordingly. For playback on the handset, it offers impressive bass. The superior audio and video on the unibody Sensation even qet a Dr Dre Beats Audio endorsement on the XE. ($549)
Blue Microphones Snowflake
Many of us unfortunately end up spending Christmas a long way from our nearest and dearest. Photos and messaqes posted on Facebook or via email are a good way to keep up with important events over the course of the year but, if you aren’t able to spend the day together, hearing their voice is the next best thing. A present of a dedicated microphone to ensure the conversation is as clear as possible is perfect if you’re qoing to be chatting long-distance via Skype and the wonders of web-based telephony. The Blue Mies Snowflake is easier to use than a headset and microphone. This USB condensing microphone can also be used for recording podcasts and sending personalised recorded messages to your loved ones. ($29)
