Gift ideas for the
techie on your list, from affordable stocking stuffers to fantasy wish
list
by
Alan Zisman (c) 2005 First published in Business
in VancouverDecember 13-19, 2005: Issue 842- GiftGuide
column
Don't
drink the Kool-Aid
Leander Kahney's The Cult
of iPod (No Starch Press, $35) is as much a treat for
the reader's eyes as Apple's best-selling music player is for the ears
of its 30 million users. It takes a loving look at the hardware, the
users and their new behaviours, and the industry that's grown up around
the iPod. With hundreds of photos, it's as attractive as it is fun to
read.
Is that software in
your pocket?
Tiny
thumb-sized USB portable drives make practical stocking-stuffers,
holding as much as a blank CD but fitting on a keychain. While any
thumb-drive will let you fit your saved documents in your pocket,
standing out from the pack are SanDisk's Cruzer Micro smart
drives ($65 for the 512 MB model, $120 for 1 GB) featuring U3
technology, allowing the user to carry a private and secure computing
experience with them. CruzerSync software shipping on the drives lets
users carry along Outlook e-mail, calendar, contacts and work with them
on any Windows-based computer. A growing range of U3-compatible
software, from anti-virus to games, is available for download.
Instant Messaging
wherever you go
Virtually every child from 8 to 80
seems to rely on instant messaging software to keep in touch with their
buddies; Microsoft's MSN Messenger is the Canadian IM software
of choice. Bell Mobility is first to offer MSN Messenger on
some of their range of cell phones, including the Samsung
a680 ($80 with plan). And unlike some of its competitors, Samsung makes
wireless data access available at rates that your instant
message-loving teen may be able to afford out of his or her allowance.
A PDA on your wrist
Fossil's
Wrist PDA offers a complete Palm-powered organizer that doubles as a
somewhat bulky wristwatch, complete with mini-stylus tucked into the
watchband ($95). Available in either brown or black, the watch lasts
about 3 days between charges, can be synched with a PC and sports a
customizable face. Tapping with the tiny stylus or reading your contact
or calendar information on the one-inch screen can be a challenge, but
those with good eyesight may welcome the opportunity to move their data
from overcrowded pockets to their wrists.
Music, hockey and news
go digital
This
holiday season, Canadians finally get to join our neighbours to the
south with digital radio. XM, one of two licensed services, offers some
80 commercial-free channels, broadcasting more than 1,000 NHL games,
stock prices, 60 music channels, talk, comedy and more, for a $13 a
month subscription. Unlike traditional radio, satellite radio lets
subscribers access their favourites coast to coast (and even in the
U.S.). You'll need to buy a new digital radio; there are XM-compatible
models from Delphi, Pioneer and Panasonic for
home, car and pocket priced from $100 to $400.
Broadcast your iPod
While satellite radio subscribers can
access their favourite music continent-wide, Belkin's
TuneStage ($270) is less ambitious. With TuneStage you can tote your
iPod around, broadcasting your music anywhere within a 10-to-12 metre
range. You get a tiny Bluetooth radio module that plugs into most iPod
models and a base station to plug into your home stereo. With both RCA
and mini-jacks, it's easy to connect the base station into a wide range
of audio gear. The sound quality is pretty good, and the silver and
white base station has an attractive high-tech look, making your iPod a
private radio station that fits in your pocket.
The ultimate connected
Palm PDA
Palm's
new TX handheld ($400) is the most-connected Palm PDA ever. You can use
it for Web browsing, e-mail and more, with built-in support both for
WiFi hot spots and for dialing out on a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone.
Included Documents to Go software lets you view and edit Microsoft
Office documents, while you can also use its 128 MB of memory to store
photos, video clips and MP3 music files, using an SD memory card for
additional storage as needed. It's got a big (320x480 pixel), bright,
65,000-colour screen that can be viewed vertically or horizontally, can
sync with Microsoft Outlook and plays nice with Windows and Macs.
A camera for rainy
Vancouver
In a crowded digital camera market, Olympus's
compact eight megapixel Stylus 800 ($500) has a number of features that
stand out. You'll appreciate its large (2.5 inch), bright Hypercrystal
LCD screen, viewable from an exceptionally wide range of angles.
Nineteen easily accessed scene modes make it easy to get good shots of
fireworks, candle-lit dinners, text-filled documents, and more, while a
"guide" button gives instant-access to on-screen help to improve
difficult shots. Aperture and shutter priority modes are available for
more advanced users, and video clips (with sound) can be taken at a
relatively high-quality 640x480 resolution. And a weather-resistant
sealed metal finish will let you use it outdoors in light rain.
If
you're looking to make your own 4-by-six-inch prints, Olympus's
toaster-sized P-11 photo printer ($200, with a $50 rebate if purchased
in December or January) pops out two borderless prints a minute using
dye-sublimation technology for better-than-inkjet quality, at a cost of
about $0.70 each.
Going the iPod one
better
Apple got a lot of press recently for
giving its top-of-the-line iPod the ability to play video. Creative
Labs
had already been there; its Zen Vision ($500) is the company's
second-generation handheld music and video jukebox and in a number of
ways it outperforms the iPod. Its 30 GB hard drive can be used to store
and play your choice of video, music (in both MP3 and Windows Media
formats), and photos. It packs a much larger, higher-resolution screen
for a better experience watching video clips. And unlike Apple's
player, it's got FM radio and voice recording capabilities built into
its sleek black design.
Converting
video to play on the Zen Vision is a time-consuming chore, and
Creative's software limits the resolution of converted clips, failing
to show the Zen Vision at its full potential. Still, if you're a
Windows user who can resist the iPod's siren call, the Zen Vision is a
compelling package.
Blackberry: not just
for business anymore
Canadian high-tech success Research
In Motion's
Blackberry PDA has addicted many business users with go-anywhere access
to e-mail. The company's latest 8700r ($500 with a 3-year Rogers
plan) continues the product line's best-of-breed mini-keyboard, PDA
functionality, and quad-band cell phone. It adds the ability to connect
to fast EDGE networks and a big, brighter-than-ever screen; unlike its
predecessors, it does a decent job of displaying photos and (gasp!)
playing games. But it still excels at the business functions, synching
with calendar and contact info from a wide range of sources, and
collecting e-mail from up to 10 separate accounts. Users can filter
messages to deal with less important ones later.
Moviemate: from the board room to the
rec-room
Epson’s
MovieMate 25 ($1700) could be used to project those PowerPoint
presentations, but its built-in DVD/CD drive, JVC stereo speakers and
subwoofer makes it equally at home projecting DVD movies, CD-R recorded
videos and digital photos and even playing music CDs. With its set of
audio and video inputs, it can be connected to a wide range of home
entertainment devices, including iPods or Creative’s Zen Vision,
for a portable big screen viewing experience.
Alan
Zisman is a Vancouver educator,
writer, and computer specialist. He
can be reached at E-mail
Alan