STAYING CONNECTED IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE TECH-MAS.

Byline: Redmond Carolipio Staff Writer

It's not the holidays without trying to find something cool for the button-pushers in your life.

Per the request of more than a few readers, I've bulked up the gaming aspect of this year's holiday list. In case you haven't noticed, video games are at the top of a lot of lists this year. I've also included a bunch of nongaming items that I wouldn't mind seeing under a tree.

So, on to the gifts:

Sony PSP: Known mostly as a gamer gadget, this thing can also play music and movies -- so it's an all-purpose entertainment device.

It's also been in circulation long enough to have more than a handful of excellent games in its library, such as ``Daxter'' or ``Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.''

If you like portable games with good looks, the PSP will provide more than enough eye candy. ($199)

Nintendo DS Lite: It's the portable gaming system of choice for kids and anyone else young at heart. While it lacks the flair and pop of the PSP, it features a touch screen and stylus that provides a different playing experience that won't toughen your thumbs.

You also can link up and play against other DS owners via a Wi-Fi connection, so don't get too confident in your ``Elite Beat Agents'' skills. ($129.99)

PlayStation 3: A smaller version of ``The Terminator's''Skynet when it comes to pure power, if you can find and afford one, this might be the game console that satisfies the early adopter in your life. Aside from its freakishly strong processor, it's also a Blu-ray movie disc player -- so if you want to shoot aliens and be able to count the pores on Angelina's face, here is one way to do it. ($500-$600)

Wii: The bringer of pain for out-of-shape gamers worldwide, Nintendo's newest console has been an early treat for holiday shoppers lucky enough to find one.

We know about the two motion-sensing controllers that have people swinging their arms in delight. But you also can't forget the Wii's ability to download older games off the Internet, so there's a ton of retro value as well.

Just a reminder: You can still play ``Wii Sports'' without having to worry about being put on the disabled list. Oh, and fasten the wrist strap -- there have been instances of flying Wii-motes since the system came out. ($249)

Xbox 360: Both easy to use and loaded with a litany of solid-to-excellent games, the 360 is probably the most complete gaming console experience out right now. It's got Xbox Live, which lets you play others online as well as download everything from games to movies (if you can wait that long).

Generally, its library seems more tailored to people who know their way around a controller, but there are also a ton of casual games on Live that non-gamers can enjoy. ($299- $399)

Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive: Microsoft is getting into the high-def movie playground with this item, which plugs into the 360 through a USB cable and allows users to enjoy an enhanced movie-watching experience (provided they get a movie that's in HD-DVD format).

For 360 owners, it's a much cheaper option than getting an HD-DVD player. For non-360 owners, it's still not that bad. (Drive: $199)

PS2 Nerf controller: Yep, that's right. A Nerf controller. Some gamers like to toss/spike/

hurl their equipment while playing, so this squishy peripheral will make sure nothing else gets damaged in the process -- including the controller itself. Good for over-competitive people who get owned in ``Madden.'' ($29.99)

That's it for the gaming stuff. There's plenty of other stuff out there, and here are some of the items I found interesting ...

Casio Exilim EX-Z70: Cameras are a popular tech gift. Not only is this one small and stylish, it also features 7.2 megapixels of resolution, so you're going to get some quality shots.

The Exilim series has been seen as more popular with the ladies, but there's no shame in having a nice-looking camera. ($250)

Canon Powershot G7: Of course, if you want more to play with when taking pictures, it's hard to beat stuff from Canon. The 10-megapixel Powershot G7 features 25 shooting modes -- so you have options -- but there are also lots of manual settings for more meticulous shooters. ($500 and less)

T-Mobile Dash: Smartphones are a safe bet if you're shopping for budding techies, and this one from T-Mobile is a good place to start. It's thin and has a large screen, two big pluses for any smartphone. It's also got Wi-Fi as well as Windows Mobile as its operating system. ($199)

Palm Treo 680: Sure, the name ``BlackBerry'' is still a familiar term with a lot of people, but don't rule out the Treo -- especially this one. It's got a complete keyboard, color screen and works with practically any program you would need. ($450)

SanDisk Sansa e200 series: Contrary to what a lot of people may think, the iPod is not the only portable digital media player in existence. The series is loaded with a ton of features, such as FM tuners/recorders, photo and video playback and 8GB of space. And, like the iPod, they've got a navigation wheel. (roughly $150-$300, depending on model)

Microsoft Zune: The long-awaited ``answer'' to the iPod features a built-in FM radio, 30-gigabyte hard drive (7,500 songs), and a 3-inch LCD screen. You can also share songs and other kinds of media, such as photos and video. To top it all off, it's got wireless connectivity.

Sony Vaio TX: If you have the dough, you might want to look into light laptops. This one comes in a ``James Bond'' spy gear bundle on the Sony Web site, and you can see why this would work for 007. It's light at just a shade under 3 pounds, but it also has 7.5-hour battery life, 80-gigabyte hard drive and 2 gigs of RAM. ($2,299)

Panasonic TH-42PX60U: I had to put a TV here. This 42-inch plasma is one of many affordable high-def TV options out there. It's got a pair of HDMI outputs, processes video well and provides good all-around value. ($1,150-$1,800)

If this list helps your shopping in any way, then my holidays are complete. Good luck.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

(1) Nintendo DS Lite

(2) Wii

(3) Casio Exilim EX-Z70

(4) T-Mobile Dash

(5) Sony Vaio TX

(6) Panasonic TH-42PX60U