Tech the halls: before hitting the online shopping malls, check out these cutting-edge stocking stuffers.ILLUSTRATION BY CECIL G. RICE These days, technology is as much a fashion statement as it is a means of getting business done. If you don't believe this, consider a tool like the cell phone, which has evolved from resembling a weighty shoebox shoe·box n. 1. An oblong box, usually made of cardboard, for holding a pair of shoes. 2. Something resembling or suggestive of such a box, as a plain, rectangular building or a cramped room or dwelling. Noun 1. to a device that weighs mere ounces and fits in the palm of your hand. Sure, Michael Douglas was cool in Wall Street when he sported that brick of a cell phone while strolling on the beach. It was state of the art in 1987; but would you really be caught dead with it now? The question now for technology is not whether a product is a tool or toy (it can unapologetically be both), but whether it also ups your cool quotient. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , these gift guide products are not Gordon Gekko's toys. pentax optio S4 How does Pentax pack 4 megapixels into such a tiny form? Good question. The 3.5-ounce S4 actually fits inside an Altoids tin (go ahead, try it) and features a sliding lens system that allows the lens to move up and flush with the camera body--all at a reasonable price. (www.pentax.com; $399.99 at Amazon) siemens SL56 You'll be hard-pressed to find a reason not to like the Siemens SL56 cell phone. With its formed egg shape, platinum-pearl titanium case, and slider A block of material that holds the read/write head of a magnetic disk. See flying head. design, the mobile device answers the chicken/egg conundrum. It's definitely the egg. (www.my-siemens.com;$249.99) apple power mac G5 Have you been naughty or nice? When it comes to the Power Mac G5, it really doesn't matter. You deserve one. We could give you a laundry list laundry list A popular term for a long list of Sx, diseases, or etiologies that share something in common–eg, differential diagnosis of acute abdomen of the specs for the "world's fastest personal computer"--64-hit desktop processor, optimized Velocity Engine, but why bother? The G5 is fast and furious and runs on Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar. (www.apple .com; starting at $1,999) sony clie PEG-UX50 Sony calls its new CLIE PEG-UX50, but we like to think of it as something more than just a personal entertainment communicator. With built-in wireless capability (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), a built-in digital camera (for pictures and video), and an LCD screen with a flip and rotate design, the Palm-based device offers more than its bland moniker (1) A name, title or alias. See alias. (2) A COM object that is used to create instances of other objects. Monikers save programmers time when coding various types of COM-based functions such as linking one document to another (OLE). See COM and OLE. indicates. (www.sonystyle.com; $699.99) palm tungsten T3 Is the new Palm Tungsten this season's new Terminator? It just could be. Like its shape-shifting counterpart in the film, the handheld features a new stretch display that lets you switch from the standard portrait view to landscape--with 50% more viewing area in the 320x480 display. Now you can view Excel documents with ease. And with the increasingly popular Bluetooth built in, you can connect wirelessly. (www.palmOne.com; $399) canon optura 20 Your budding film director will appreciate the Canon 0ptura 20. Packed with sophisticated features that will let anyone feed their inner Spike Lee Noun 1. Spike Lee - United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957) Lee, Shelton Jackson Lee , the camcorder offers 16x optical and 320x digital zoom Simulating a longer focal length in a digital camera via software. The digital zoom is accomplished via image enhancement software within the camera itself rather than the inherent mechanics of the physical zoom lens. For more details, see optical zoom. , color viewfinder The preview window on a camera that is used to frame, focus and take the picture. On analog cameras, the viewfinder is an eye-sized window that must be pressed against the face. Point-and-shoot digital cameras use small LCD screens that are viewed several inches from the eyes. and 3.5-inch LCD screen, motion JPEG See MPEG and JPEG 2000. Motion JPEG - Moving JPEG movie, simultaneous photo recording, and FireWire capability. Don't forget to try those special effects for a truly cinematic experience. (www.canonusa.com;$1,299) archos AV120 Do you sense a theme here? It's a digital world now, and what better tool to prove that than the AV120? The MP4 video player and recorder also features a 20GB USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. 2.0 hard disk--no computer required. (www.archos.com;$439.95) panasonic SV-AV100 sd Want to really be the envy of your friends? Pull out this pocket-size video camera and start rolling. The device features 10x digital zoom and delivers images so sharp you'll have to see it to believe it. It also features a rotating LCD monitor (180 degrees) and rotating lens, so you can be in the picture, too. (www.panasonic.com/d-snap;$999.95) iomega super dvd-rw Want to send mom a DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. of junior's first Christmas? DVD or CD, however you slice it (or burn it), lomega's new king of all backup media, should be under your holiday tree. The all-format USB 2.0 lets you create DVD+RWs, DVD-RWs, DVD-RAMs, CD-RWs more quickly and easily, so you can save and share data or multimedia files.(www.iomega.com;$329.93) canon i9OOD See object-oriented design. OOD - object-oriented design You got the digital camera you wanted, but how do you make sure you get quality prints for your photo album? Canon's i900D lets you print high-resolution 4x6, 5x7, and 8.5xll images at up to 4800x1200 dpi from your PC or directly from your camera. (www.canonusa.com;$249.99) rim blackberry 7210 Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices have been the staple of business professionals for years. But they've never really wowed the consumer crowd--until now. Phone, e-mail, SMS (1) (Storage Management System) Software used to routinely back up and archive files. See HSM. (2) (Systems Management Server) Systems management software from Microsoft that runs on Windows NT Server. , and browser are just a few of the features rolled into the BlackBerry 7210 for GSM/GPRS (for the laymen, a global wireless voice and data network standard). The lightweight device is perfect for those who travel frequently. And if you're headed overseas, don't worry. GSM/GPRS means you won't have to leave your BlackBerry behind. (www.blackberry.net; $449.99 at AT&T Wireless) fujifilm finepix S5000 Sometimes, less is more. And with Fujifilm's Finepix S5000, this is definitely the case. The 3.1 megapixel digital camera features 10x optical/2.2x digital zoom, video and voice memo recording, and continuous shooting modes, proving you don't need 6 megapixels to snap away like the pros. (www.fujifilm.com;$499.95 at Buy.com) Acer travelmate C100 The Tablet PC is the new darling of the mobile world--and the Windows XP-based Acer TravelMate is just one of the numerous options for those making the switch from a desktop or bulky laptop to a slimmer, sleeker device (it weighs just 3.1 pounds). The best part: you don't have to sacrifice performance for desk appeal. (www.acer.com; $999 at PlasmaKings.com; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is an edition of Windows XP intended for specially-designed notebook/laptop computers called tablet PCs. Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is compatible with a pen-sensitive screen, supporting handwritten notes and portrait-oriented screens. , www.Microsoft.com) kds rad-7xp Early astronomers and cartographers Cartography is the study of map making and cartographers are map makers. Before 1400
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