I can’t believe that it’s already the end of the year and that people are already going to Christmas craft fairs (e.g. my wife and daughter). There are so many choices that I will just recommend some items which can give ideas for what to look for. I won't go into details of why it's good or bad because that would make this article way too long (and probably boring for most non-techies). Here are my lists of suggestion for your favorite nerd:
Pocket point and shoot camera. Easiest to use and carry around:
- Canon PowerShot SX210 – $280: 14 Mega pixels, 14X optical zoom, 720p HD video, face recognition and smile shutter.
- Sony Cyber-shot W370 - $190: 14 Mega pixels, 7X optical zoom, 720p HD video, face recognition, blinkproof and smile shutter.
- Nikon Coolpix S6000 - $170: 14 Mega pixels, 7X optical zoom, VGA video, face recognition, blinkproof and smile shutter.
Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) have more controls and take better photos but are more difficult to use and carry around:
- Canon T1i - $800: 15.1 Mega pixel, two interchangeable zoom lens (18-55mm and 55-200mm), 720p HD video, 4GB memory and bag.
- Nikon D5000 - $850: 12.3 Mega pixel, two interchangeable zoom lens (18-55mm and 55-200mm), 720p HD video, 4GB memory and bag.
The X-Box 360 Kinect is the newest game console controller. There have been more elementary attempts by other games makers to make controllers such as this but this is the biggest effort to make video games more interactive:
- X- Box 360 with Kinect or the new Kinect controller added onto your existing X-Box 360 is a new device that is an optical recognition system which allows your body to become the controller. So move your arms, legs and body to control the new X-Box 360 games. This was just got launched and so it may be difficult to get at the moment.
Want your nerd to get a little exercise? The hottest new games are dance games. Here are two:
If you’re looking for new cell phone, the latest are phones with big touch screen displays and faster Internet connections. We all have heard about the iPhone 4 which you can get from AT&T. If you would like another carrier like Sprint, the HTC EVO or Samsung Epic are 4G broadband phones which have much faster Internet speeds, larger displays and uses Google Android operating system which is similar in many ways to Apples iPhone operating system.
If you looking for an E-Reader, the Amazon Kindle is really being pushed this winter. It is the most like reading a book but lacks a color display like the new Barnes and Noble Nook Color. Both can download thousands of books, magazines and newspapers wirelessly from WiFi or 3G. The latter requires a month subscription. The more capable Apple iPad and Samsung Tab have e-reader applications (programs) among thousands of other applications but cost substantially more than the Kindle and Nook. However, in the long run, I think that dedicated e-readers will be obsolete and everyone will use a more universal device like the iPad.
If none of these look like they will fit the bill for your love one, you might want to check out these stores that cater to the techie crowd:
Best Buy: www.bestbuy.com
Think Geek: www.thinkgeek.com
Of course for these on-line sites, you will need to purchase the item and it will be mailed you. Shipping to Hawaii is notoriously expensive so I like using Amazon because for most items of $25 or more shipping is free: www.amazon.com. You could also go to the local Best Buy stores to purchase some of the items that are on the website.
I hope this helps you all with your holiday shopping for your love-nerds.
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