Affordable, popular gizmos on shopping lists

By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 1, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T700

One Laptop Per Child XO

Logitech Squeezebox Boom

iBreath Breathalyzer

Magellan RoadMate 1430

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Sure, electronic gadgets are expected to be hot items again this holiday season.

But economy-wary consumers are expected to buy more practical items, and perhaps forgo the top of the line. With more affordable prices in mind, the Rocky scoured a number of sites to come up with a list of well-reviewed and popular gizmos for the tech-savvy on your list this year.

Camcorders/ Compact Digital Cameras

* Kodak Zi6 Pocket Camcorder, $159.99.

Records 720p resolution high-definition video (not quite the Holy Grail of 1080p high-def). But, says Gizmodo, "ready to unseat Pure Digital's original Flip Ultra."

* Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T700, $315-400.

"Crispness rarely found in compact cameras," says Wired. The camera can hold up to 950 high-resolution photos and has a 3.5-inch touchscreen.

Cell phones

Apple iPhone 3G is new and improved, running on AT&T's faster 3G network, featuring a built-in global positioning system, and coming in with lower sticker shock.

But the multimedia phone has new competition this year, from the likes of the T-Mobile G1 phone with Google, the BlackBerry Storm and Samsung Omnia (Verizon), and the HTC Touch Diamond (Sprint).

The favorite, though, remains: * Apple iPhone: $299 for a 16-gigabyte model.

* Sony Ericsson w350i: For those looking for options in the budget category, AT&T is offering the ultra-thin music player for $39.99.

For e-mail only

* Peek: $79.95 plus a $19.95 a month service plan. Runs on T-Mobile's nationwide network.

"This mobile device only does e-mail - perfectly," says Wired.

Find it at Getpeek.com and Target.

Boombox/music player

* Logitech Squeezebox Boom: $269.99 to $308.99.

Plays a variety of digital music such as Internet radio stations and Pandora's personalized music across an 802.11 wireless connection. "Best all-in-one tabletop Wi-Fi radio we've seen to date, " CNET says.

Find it at Logitech.com.

Game player

* Nintendo Wii: $249.99 to $359.95

"It lacks the graphical prowess and rich media features of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 (Play Station 3), but the Nintendo Wii's combination of unique motion-sensitive controllers and emphasis on fun gameplay make the ultra-affordable console hard to resist," according to CNET.

Online movies

* Roku Nexflix Player: $99.99, also needs Netflix subscription.

Can stream the more than 12,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix online to your TV.

Find it at Roku.com.

Laptops

* HP Pavilion dv2660SE: $949.

"Designer notebook with excellent battery life will appeal to both multimedia fans and frequent travelers." - PC World.

* Gateway M-7305u: $499.99 to $699.99. For the more budget-conscious, 3 gigabytes of memory, DVD burner, built-in wireless Internet. 15.4-inch screen.

* One Laptop Per Child XO: $399. For the altruistic shopper, you keep one and donate one (Amazon.com).

7.5 inch screen, 433 Mhz processor, 256 megabytes of RAM with 1 gigabyte of flash memory, 802.11 wireless.

Navigation

* Magellan RoadMate 1430: $183.75 to $400. 4.3-inch screen.

Combo Different

* iBreath Breathalyzer and FM transmitter for iPod: $79.

Checks your breath, while at the same time playing your iPod songs on unused FM frequencies in your car.

Find it at DavidSteele.com (also sells baby monitors and mini-spy cameras).

Geek-romantic

* i.Sound Twin Charging Dock: $50. You and your partner can charge your Apple iPods and iPhones side by side.

Find it at isound.net or store.apple.com.

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