Best Gift Ideas
Hundreds of gift ideas for the tech enthusiasts in your life (and everyone else, too).
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TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Victor Agreda, Jr.
It's the holiday shopping season and many of you are trying to find that perfect gift for the Apple owner in your life. Rather than a plain gift guide to help you navigate the sea of hardware, software and accessories, we decided to bring things down to a personal level and provide individual lists of TUAW's favorite gear. Each writer will share a list of the top items that we bought or used this year. Although I didn't review as many items as most of the TUAW crew, I managed to hit upon a few gems this year. Software 1Password (on sale for $7.99, more than 50% off) I simply wouldn't consider using a mobile device without 1Password. The best solution for keeping your passwords, account info and serial numbers in one place just got better this year with an update that means I no longer have to sit next to my Mac and use local WiFi to sync. After Dropbox, 1Password is the app I install on any new machine. PhotoSync ($1.99) I take an inordinate amount of screenshots, whether I'm complaining on Twitter or complaining here on TUAW. I used to email myself the photos, and Pastebot works well, but for moving pictures around in batches, PhotoSync has always impressed me with a good UI and rock-solid performance. If you need to send images from iDevice to Mac quickly and often (using WiFi iStopMotion (on sale now, $7.99-19.99) This year I decided to keep one of my old iPhones instead of selling it, just so I could set up iStopMotion on the iPhone as a remote, connecting wirelessly to my iPad or Mac. My son has already created a handful of stop motion animated short films, and he's hooked. This is the kind of thing I wish I'd had as a kid! iStopMotion is a magical sort of thing that makes stop motion easy and fun. Puppet Pals 2 (on sale, $4.99) I used to make animation using Director, and the "record" function was a lot of fun to get animation roughed out quickly. Puppet Pals 2 allows you to record the movement and audio using a set of puppets (you can add your own face to them) and settings. It's a lot of fun for kids, and I'm not afraid to say, too much fun for adults like myself. Slothcam (free-$.99) I've been using Slothcam for ages to peep webcams from around the world. For some reason seeing Times Square or Tokyo with an invocation of Dashboard made the world seem smaller. Slothcam is now available on Mac and iOS, and it's one of the better webcam apps out there. The browser app is a good bet if you like to add your own URLs. Naturespace (free, in-app purchase for more audio) Naturespace is a collection of soothing nature recordings set to loop for relaxtion and focus purposes. A recent update added support for the iPhone 5, but more importantly, added folders so you can easily organize your audio library. While Rondo is a cool 3D simulation for your iTunes songs, Naturespace recordings are actually recorded in 3D, with pristine quality, then carefully and seamlessly looped. There are dozens of the aural landscapes available via in-app purchases, and the quality is the best there is. Naturespace is one of my favorite apps ever, and I use it to meditate, go to sleep or just tune out distractions. Fantastical (currently on sale, $2.99-14.19) I've long needed the natural language input Google offers via its web calendar, and Fantastical adds this to all of my Apple products. Sure, Siri will add events to my calendar, but Fantastical's design and ubiquity across devices (even those not supported by Siri) makes it a winner for me. Get it on Mac for the menu bar, and iOS for your iPhone. Clear (currently 50% off, $.99) For long term planning and some LaunchPad-based quick actions, I use OmniFocus regularly. Its sync has always worked flawlessly, and it is a powerhouse of planning tools. But when I need a quick punchlist, I don't need to build an atom bomb. Clear makes creating quick lists kinda fun, and using it to scratch things off the list is just as fun. Good design always wins in my book (not that OmniFocus is ugly, just burdened by an enormous feature set), and of all the basic "to do" apps out there, Clear wins handily. Passbook (free in iOS 6) I was as skeptical as anyone about Passbook, but as I wrote after launch, Passbook won me over. It's still got some flaws, like the ridiculous waste of time animation when shredding cards, and how every time I drive by Walgreen's I'm reminded that I can use my value card there, but I like this far better than the half-measures needed to get NFC working properly. Hardware Plugable 12-port USB 2.0 hub ($25.95) I gave up on desktop computers with my first generation Mac mini (which came with a whopping 256 MB of RAM, thanks Apple!), so when I use my MacBook Air for daily use I require a lot more than 2 measly USB ports. The Plugable hub is powered, easy to access, has a nifty blue glow (whoopdeedoo, why do they all do this?) and offers pretty speedy transfer rates, all things considered. It's small enough to pack if I ever need to carry it, too. Ballistic iPad case ($69.99) I reviewed this case and gave it two thumbs up. After trying a bunch of other cases, this is my favorite. For one thing, you can simply use the rubber part as a sort of cheap case, or for around the house protection. But when you want full protection the full case is really stout. I managed to break off the kickstand, but was able to snap it back in with some effort. If you use your iPad in public or it gets handled frequently, the Ballistic case is a great protection policy. Verizon iPad ($459-$659) In two years I've been with three Internet providers. Whenever Knology, AT&T or (now) Comcast fail me, trusty Verizon is there with a data plan that allows me to use the iPad as a hotspot. All this and I still have unlimited data with AT&T, so I can actually make FaceTime calls by using the iPad... Honestly the Verizon iPad is such a great piece of tech I hope, aside from battery and CPU updates, it never changes. The Verizon iPad mini also does in a pinch. Renew SleepClock ($129.95) My review on this is coming soon, but if you are interested in getting a better night's rest, the Renew SleepClock is for you. It monitors your sleep, tracking the time you spend in "deep" sleep (the good, restorative time). Over time it will recommend the optimal times to go to bed in order to wake up at the time you need. It's quite brilliant, and is another great example of consumer tech that improves our health and lives. Joule II ($109.99) While there are plenty of iPad stands out there, if you are serious about design you'll love the Joule II from Element Case. This sort of stand is expensive, but if you're adorning a boardroom, executive desk or just a trade show display, the Joule is precision engineered to be awesome. Other Simple While not technically an accessory, Simple's app is designed to be a functional component of your banking experience. Instead of designing the app as an afterthought, Simple aimed to build the app as a direct line to your account. I have been thoroughly impressed with Simple's service, not to mention the app. I even use the free "wallet" I was sent after starting an account. Sadly, Simple accounts are still invite-only, but when the service opens for everyone I think new customers will be pleasantly surprised by what an Apple-like banking experience can be. The venerable 1/8" audio port Yep, sometimes the analog ways are the best ways. I still love my analog ports, and I won't lie -- there are sometimes nefarious reasons for using them. Reasons like, I need a cable to be 20 feet long and not cost over $100 and not be a complete piece of garbage unless you order from just the right place on just the right day... Well, look, I'm talking about how much I hate HDMI as well, obviously. I appreciate the need for copy protection controls, but I will forever cherish the venerable "mini jack" audio port, which is one tech I actually grew up with still in use today. Think about that! If you're looking for an easy gift, get one of those cheap bullet speakers (also called pop-up speakers in some cases). No, they are not for the audiophile. Yes, they will be louder than the built-ins, so that's all they are for. Pop-up speakers are great for travelers, kids, or anyone who might need a slight bit of amplification around the house.
Victor Agreda Jr12.20.2012
Engadget's 2012 holiday giveaway: win one of 14 phones from AT&T
We're on the cusp of holiday retail madness, and if you know what's good for you, you'll make use of our comprehensive gift guides. Shopping for friends and family may be top priority, but we know you have a gadget wish list of your own. With that in mind, we've teamed up with AT&T to give away one of the carrier's hottest phones for each guide that goes up -- that's 14 devices total. To enter the contest, leave a comment on each of our guides. We're accepting entries until December 31st, at 11:59 ET, so make sure you get your "pick me!" in for your chance to win a sweet new handset to ring in the new year. Update: To clarify, if you want to enter the contests you need to leave the comment on the actual gift guides. Comments here will sadly win you nothing, except perhaps our sympathy for your well-crafted and witty, but ultimately wasted, demand that we "pick" you.
Sarah Silbert11.15.2012
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: laptops
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Let's get this out of the way: a laptop is an intimate gift. Even if you were to get away with paying just $400, it's a lot to spend on even your spouse (ten years is the netbook anniversary, right?). Not to mention, your lucky giftee will be spending more time with it, perhaps, than they do their friends, families and pets. At the same time, the selection is nothing if not overwhelming, and if you were to make a spreadsheet tallying prices and specs, you'd notice an uncomfortable similarity across different brands. So, we rounded up some of the best we've seen -- everything from all-purpose notebooks to Ultrabooks to high-end dream machines. If you're thinking of pulling the trigger, hop past the break for a few ideas and the (very brief) low-down on the trade-offs you'll be making.
Dana Wollman12.01.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: docks
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. 'Tis the season to go shopping and slightly broke! Unless you're living off the grid, you can't escape the marketing merriment amping up the arrival of that most wonderful time of the year. You know, the one where loved ones run themselves ragged skipping from store to store in an attempt to find the perfect gift that just screams, "I care," and costs a pretty penny, too. Well, we know things can get hectic and the options overwhelming, but for the music aficionado in your family, you can't really go wrong with a speaker dock. Let's face it, even Great Aunt Eddie's rockin' a portable media player these days. So, why not help her get up off the couch, out of her mind and into a living room hoedown with a wall of MP3 sound? Lucky for you, we've whittled down the dizzying array of digital audio offerings into a handy guide fit for the frugal and lavish alike. Need a little inspiration? Then head on past the break to peruse the goods and get psyched for that onslaught of holiday cheer.
Joseph Volpe11.29.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: bags and cases
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Santa may be able to toss a few thousand laptops in his bright red sack with nary a scratch to be seen -- but you sure can't. You'll want to keep those goods sparkly and new for as long as possible, and that's what today's gift selections are all about - getting your tech from A to B in the safest, most stylish way possible. There's plenty of choice for transporting your goodies, ranging from the bland to the bizarre, from rucksacks to courier bags, silicone to silk -- there is literally something for everyone. Finding a one-size-fits-all solution is going to be nigh-on impossible, but we're hopeful that what we've got here will be just the ticket to re-wrap what you just unboxed.
James Trew11.24.2011
'Tis the season for the Distro Gift Guide -- 125 geeky giving ideas
We've been doling out or holiday gift giving advice in installments, but instead of making you wait, we're speeding things up a bit, and offering the full 14 categories just in time for Black Friday. Before you go into a turkey-induced coma, download our very latest special edition, the Distro 2011 Gift Guide, to find out what we've got on our wish list, and what you should have under your tree. From TVS to tablets, from smartphones to Lego sets, we've compiled a list of our favorite gadgets, gizmos and gear for every price range. Consider this your manual for fighting turkey-induced giving indecision. Now, go forth and spend! (Just don't go crazy.)
Christopher Trout11.23.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: e-readers
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. The e-reader space is really -- if you'll pardon the expression -- heating up just in time for the holiday season. Industry leader Amazon dropped the gauntlet yet again, with the introduction of three new devices, including the entry-level fourth generation Kindle (which starts at an enticing $79 for the ad-supported version) and the Kindle Fire, which is helping to further blur the lines between the e-reader and tablet worlds. Not to be outdone, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Sony are also offering up impressive new devices for the holiday season. All in all, there's never been a more exciting time to give the gift of reading.
Brian Heater11.22.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: fun stuff!
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. For some, it's easy to forget about having fun -- fretting over buying the "right" tablet, e-reader or DSLR can strip the joy of unbridled silliness that Christmas allows you. This is your handy guide to stuff you can kick back and enjoy some crazy fun with. There's no ecosystem wars here, no desire to have the loudest or fastest plug-in gadget; just things you'd prefer to give and receive instead of a Sharper Image motorized tie rack... or back-hair shaver. So join us past the break, if you will, for a look at this year's collection of fun stuff!
Daniel Cooper11.18.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011: headphones
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We're well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we're here to help you sort out this year's tech treasures. Below is today's bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. We imagine many a PMP or smartphone will be changing hands this holiday season -- iPhone 4S or Galaxy Nexus, anyone? And what better way to accessorize your brand new mobile gadget than with a set of headphones? Fret not audio lovers -- we've rounded up nine of our top picks that we think you'll really enjoy while on the move. We're talking headphones that'll let you control your playlists and chat with friends, all without exposing those precious new gizmos to the harsh winter elements. It's all just past the break, so what are you still doing here? Click on through to the other side!
Joe Pollicino11.15.2011
Engadget's holiday gift guide 2011
<div style="text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/holidaygiftguide2011/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/2011-hgg-2011.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></div> Welcome to Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide hub! Sure, there's nothing more exciting than tearing off crisp winter-themed paper to reveal the packaging of a shiny new gadget, but from the 4AM department store Black Friday queues to the stress of last-minute shopping online, figuring out what to buy your loved ones (and how to pay for it) can take all the fun out of this beloved wintertime tradition. We've rounded up some of this year's hottest tech toys, from TVs to tablets, bringing you a curated collection to help simplify the purchasing process. You've stumbled upon our main hub page, and we're glad you're here. Each week in November we'll be adding three new product guides to our home page, and we'll collect them all below as well. In the meantime, you can click on over to our available category pages, and stay tuned for those to come -- identified by a faded graphic for now.<br /> <br /> <center> <table border="0" style="width:630px;height:281px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/24/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-accessories/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/p-x2anglepro-rgb.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-bags-and-cases/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/thule-backpack-2-200x200.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-desktops/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/apple-imac-hero-leftside.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-digital-cameras/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/nikon-j1-01.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/24/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-accessories/">Accessories</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-bags-and-cases/">Bags and Cases</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-desktops/">Desktops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-digital-cameras/">Cameras</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-docks/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/jbl-on-air-airplay-speaker-dock.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-e-readers/ "><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/272770-amazon-kindle-2011.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-fun-stuff/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/motorola-motoactv.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-gaming/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/nindsimages.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/28/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-docks/">Docks</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-e-readers/ ">E-readers</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/17/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-fun-stuff/">Fun Stuff!</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-gaming/">Gaming</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-headphones/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/headphone-3.s600x600.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-laptops/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/asus-zenbook-ux21e-dh71.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/18/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-printers/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/epson-workforce-610-wifi-enabled-all-in-one-printer.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-smartphones/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/samsung-galaxy-note.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-headphones/">Headphones</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-laptops/">Laptops</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/18/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-printers/">Printers</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/22/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-smartphones/">Smartphones</a></h5> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> <td> <font color="white">.</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-tablets/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/ipad-1-landscape.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-hdtv-and-home-theater/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/samsung9000.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> </h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/02/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-tablets/">Tablets</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/engadgets-holiday-gift-guide-2011-hdtv-and-home-theater/">TVs / Displays</a></h5> </td> <td style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;"> <h5> </h5> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </center>
Zach Honig11.03.2011
Engadget's Holiday Anti-Gift Guide: Stuff you don't want
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, which is why we've prepared a whole Gift Guide hub of product guides for this holiday season. Today, however, we're indulging in an exploration of the gadget world's worst offenders of the year. We're only a couple of days away from Christmas, you've taken care of every one of your loved ones' gadget needs with military precision, and now you can rightly put your feet up and relax. But while you're unwinding, why not spare a thought for those you keep even closer than your friends: your enemies? What if they need some last-minute advice on outfitting their tech boudoir? You'll want to be prepared with the year's worst possible gadgets, so as to inflict maximum damage with your "friendly" tips. Follow the break to be enlightened, you Machiavellian schemer, you.
Vlad Savov12.23.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Docks and Alarm Clocks
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Portable media players: from grandma to the nieces and nephews, it seems like everybody's got one. But if they're only using it on the road, they're not getting their money's worth. That's why we've assembled this selection of alarm clocks and docks for every locale and every budget, with the features your loved one will need to get the most out of their device.
Joseph L. Flatley12.14.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: PMPs
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. You tech savvy lot may think PMPs are a dying breed, but funnily enough, the market's still going strong with a handful of products. There are certainly some benefits from using a dedicated media device alongside your phone: more battery juice, greater range of supported file formats, better audio quality, more form factors to choose from, etc. Perhaps our list of gift recommendations will be more convincing -- check it out after the break.
Richard Lai12.07.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Toys and Neat Stuff
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Technically, you can toy with just about anything, so the items that follow aren't necessarily the ones you'll find on the shelves of your average toy store, though there's certainly a few of those too -- mostly, they're items that we thought were simply too awesome to escape your notice this year, but didn't make it into our standard categories. Read on!
Sean Hollister12.03.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Gaming
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Sit back, relax, grab a controller, and enjoy some obsessive-compulsive button mashing while you work in that body-sized groove into the couch... that's not the M.O. for the console makers this year. You don't have to embrace the jumping, hand-waving, and other methods of physical exertion, but it's definitely the "it" gaming hardware of this holiday season. Be sure to triple-check just what box your loved ones play on, and click on through for our gaming gift suggestions.
Ross Miller11.30.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: E-readers
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. E-readers have really started to come into their own in the past few years, and there are now a bevy of options ranging from the utilitarian to the multi-tasking. If you're thinking about getting a reader for a friend or loved one, look no further: we've got our best picks below.
Laura June Dziuban11.27.2010Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Accessories
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Accessories. One word, two Cs, three Ss, endless possibilities. Thankfully, we're here to bring order to the chaos, and recommend a few products that are best when paired with something other than themselves -- be it your computer, your car, your phone, or yourself. Head on past the break for our complete guide.
Donald Melanson11.25.2010
Apple Stores have no gift registries. Bummer.
Lauren and I were chatting with Megan over on iChat today and trying to figure out how to set up her gift registry for her upcoming nuptials with her hawt Astrophysicist boyfriend. Of course, Megan is dying for one of those awesome iPhone remote dodads but we thought that we'd just go for more of a general Apple Store registry thing. I gave my local Apple Store a call to ask how we could get it established. The gentleman at the other end of the phone was polite. Perplexed but polite. "Um...A gift registry? I don't think we've ever been asked THAT before," he said. "We don't have one. We're kind of a specialized store, you know." Yes, we do know. And it's the kind of specialization that we like. But even Home Depot has a gift registry service, so what's the hold-up Apple? Don't you realize that geeks get married and have babies too? Sadly, it looks like Megan must rely on word of mouth instead. Don't forget, Apple does have a limit on how many gift certificates you can redeem at any one time online. I think it's something like 4 cards for online purchases but unlimited for in-store ones. Check with an Apple representative for details.
Erica Sadun01.05.2010
Five no-ship gifts for the last minute geek shopper
At this point, midday on Christmas Eve, basically all shipping deadlines have passed. If you're lucky you can find a store that has items for people on your gift list, but let's get real: You're choosing between gas station beer cozies, dancing reindeer and clearance VHS tapes. If you want to find something that will please your peeps now, I have a few ideas for you below. * Paid upgrades. A lot of people of varying levels of geekitude are users of "freemium" services like Flickr and Evernote. They'd probably appreciate an upgrade to a paid account (or an extension of their existing paid account). This is nice because it's practically instant, and it isn't like the size or the color will be wrong. Print the email out and put it in a card, or get super creative with the presentation, and you're done. * Online smarts. You can get a gift account for something like Lynda.com or Safari and help your nerd friend achieve +5 Intelligence in the subject of their choosing. There are a wide range of topics here, so your recipient will likely find something they enjoy. * Software licenses. Know someone who uses the previous version of a particular application because they never got around to getting that new license? You can get a lot of software licenses online now, so buy someone you love a license for that program they love. Or encourage someone to dive into software you already love: Something like Scrivener (if they are writer-types) or TextMate (if they have been really good). * Geek Time. If you are a consultant by trade, or just the alpha geek in your particular circle, get a card for someone and offer them a block of time with unlimited access to your brain. Or give them a certificate for a specific task: help setting up that iPod, upgrading to Snow Leopard, or implementing a backup solution. (Tip: This can be a team gift, if you know someone else got them some tech.) There are a lot of ways you can go with this one. * Photo albums online. It always seems like someone is missing at Christmas time, so what better way to include them? Get some nice shots of all the gift opening and toss them on the photo sharing service of your choice. Get a short URL from someplace like bit.ly and customize it, then send it off in an email or give the person a call. Get extra points for having a group photo holding up a "Merry Christmas Uncle Albert!" sign. If you have any additional ideas for last minute gifts, let's see them in the comments. Update #1: ryemac3 has a great suggestion: vanity domain names. Get your parents the site they've always wanted at 'thewilkersons.net' and watch the fun!
Kelly Guimont12.25.2009
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Smartphones
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. If your BFF's HTC has a code name like Blue Angel, Harrier, or Canary, trust us: the time has come to intervene and forcefully bring that particular chapter of their technological life to a close. It's 2009, after all, and with devices like the Pre, iPhone 3GS, and Droid all coming to market in the past few months, there's never been a better time to be a smartphone lover, buyer, or -- in this case -- giver. Of course, in the States, giving a phone as a gift isn't the easiest thing in the world since you've got contracts to worry about, but it can be done -- even if you've got to drag the lucky recipient kicking and screaming into the store and hold their hand to the dotted line. So let's get to it, shall we?%Gallery-79790%
Chris Ziegler12.03.2009