Tech the halls: these must-have gadgets should be on every holiday gift list.1 IPOD LOOK AND LISTEN This latest version of the ubiquitous iPod solidifies Apple's dominance in the MP3 player A digital music player that supports the MP3 format, which was the audio format that started a revolution in online music downloads and distribution. All portable music players, the iPod being the most popular, support MP3 along with one or more other audio formats. kingdom. The lighter, thinner iPod makes the most of your music experience by letting you watch music videos and TV shows on the move The 60GB model features a 2.5-inch color display. supports up to 150 hours of video, holds 15,000 songs, and stores up to 25,000 photos. ($299 for 30GB; $399 for BOGS www.apple.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 IMAC Apple's primary desktop computer. The iMac is an "all-in-one" that houses the computer and drives within the flat panel monitor case. Since their debut in 1998, the iMacs have been very popular. Like all Macintosh models in that time frame, the first iMacs used PowerPC chips. G5 WHERE'S THE COMPUTER? The self-contained iMac G5 has more than map just an innovative design. Suspended from, an anodized aluminum stand, the G5 combines the CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. , motherboard, and drives inside its 2-inch-thick wide-screen, monitor. Thanks to its faster processor, consumers can retouch photos, talk with friends, and surf the Internet at the same time. (Startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. at $1,299; www.apple.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 VAIO (Video Audio Integrated Operation) Sony's trade name for its desktop and laptop PCs. In mid-1998, Sony introduced its 505G series of subnotebooks that were the first in ultra-thin Pentium portables. BX540 TAILORED FOR SMALL BUSINESS As part of Sony's BX Professional Series, the VAIO BX540 is designed to meet the needs of the mobile business professional. The portable laptop's integrated SmartWi Technology allows Internet access across the office or across the country. An integrated biometric fingerprint sensor ensures controlled access to your computer and protects critical data. (Starting at $1,299; www.sony.com/vaiobx) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 4 TREO TREO The Receiving End of Sirens (band) 650 SMARTPHONE PLAYING IT SMART This smart phone from Palm continues to lead the pack as one of the best all-in-one communicators. It is sure to simplify the life of any business professional by combining a compact mobile phone with e-mail, an organizer, messaging, and Web access. This model offers a high-resolution display, a faster processor, Bluetooth wireless technology, Palm OS 5.4, and a removable battery. Don't just talk the talk. Treo 650 lets you transfer MP3s from your desktop or use the built-in digital camera to snap pictures and capture video. (Starting at $399; www.palm.com/us) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 5 SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER 242MP WORK OR PLAY? What doesn't this product do is the real question. The HDTV-ready Samsung SyncMaster 242MP allows users to watch their favorite television show while simultaneously completing a database for work. It serves as a large-screen LCD computer monitor and a full-featured television. (Starting at $1,700; www.samsung.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 6 MOTOROLA RAZR V3 SPECIAL EDITION BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL Do you want to make an impression? This ultra-thin flip phone is sure to turn a few heads. The Motorola Razr V3 includes a camera with 4x digital zoom, MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). 4 video playback, and Bluetooth wireless technology. Currently, only available through Cingular Wireless. ($199.99; www.motorola.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 7 PIONEER AVIC-N2 GOING PLACES Enhance your driving experience with Pioneer's In-Dash 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. Multimedia AV Navigation Receiver. It's much more than a GPS system. This all-in-one navigation unit has playback capabilities for CDs, DVDs, and MP3 files. It also features an optional XM satellite radio tuner. You can listen to detailed traffic information in major cities with the XM NavTraffic service. ($2,200; www.pioneerelectronics.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 8 DISKGO! 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 FLASH DRIVE PLUS INK PEN WRITES A LOT MORE An ink pen at first glance, the dual usage EDGE DiskGo! is also a USB Flash drive See USB drive. . The data storage capacity, which ranges from 32MB to 1GB, can hold PowerPoint presentations, important spreadsheets, MP3 files, and images. This unique writing tool is perfect for the traveling business executive who wants to make the presentation and sign the contract without missing a beat. (Starting at $29.95 for 32MB; www.edgetechcorp.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 9 XBOX 360 NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS This next-generation video game console A specialized desktop computer used to play video games. The three most popular game consoles are Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. Game software is available on CDs or DVDs, although earlier game machines used cartridges containing read only memory is much more than child's play, Microsoft juiced See Joost. See also juice. up this extreme machine with enough processing power to deliver high-definition graphics for lifelike game play, But it didn't stop there, The Xbox 360 doubles as a media center and a CD/DVD player. It lets users stream media from portable music devices, digital cameras, and Windows XP-based PCs. (Xbox 360, $399.99; Xbox 360 Core system with a controller and AV cable, $299.99; www.xbox.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 10 PLAYSTATION PORTABLE (PSP (PlayStation Portable) See PlayStation. ) STARTING A REVOLUTION This was one of the most highly anticipated portable gaming devices to hit stores this year. The all-in-one handheld system from Sony delivers a PlayStation 2-like gaming experience with an impressive screen display, built-in wireless capabilities, MP3 and video playback, and image viewer. Upcoming features and downloads are sure to make the PSP a hot item for some time. ($249.99; www.us.playstation.com) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion