Christmas and the holiday season is here once again! We’ve collected some of the hottest electronics products available this year right on this one page. These are the things everyone’s talking about, buying or have their eyes on.
Worse case, you can always buy someone a gift card!
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Tablets
Tablets are particularly hot this year, what with the release of the Apple iPad.
Apple iPad – Apple’s marketing machine has made this the must-have tablet. It comes in different versions depending on whether you want 3G access or not and how much memory you want. Story.
iPad: Buy now!
Archos 101 Internet Tablet – For those wanting full media functionality, Archos has always been a market leader. Excellent choice for HD movies and music.
Archos 101: Buy now!
Dell Streak – The prefect compromise between phone and tablet. Has all the functionality of a tablet, can make phone calls, send texts and fit in your pocket! Story.
Dell Streak: Buy now!
Samsung Galaxy Tab – This tablet has been giving the iPad – gorgeous looks on this tablet-cum-smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Tab: Buy now!
eReaders
The eReader (eBook readers) exploded last year as dozens of models came to market or were announced. However, there really are only a handful sitting at the top of the heap right now.
Amazon.com’s Kindle – The first on the market and with an impressive array of books to choose from the Kindle is the must have eReader for those who aren’t willing to commit to a full-sized tablet, chiefly due to the amount of books available for it. Remember there’s also the larger Kindle DX model. Story.
Kindle 3: Buy now!
Barnes & Noble nook – They obviously had to get into the eReader game as well. The nook is a worthy competitor that also comes with a color screen.
B&N nook: Buy now!
Sony eReaders – The first eReader I ever saw that blew me away for its clarity and similarity to paper was from Sony. They have just gone from strength to strength since. Story.
Sony eReader: Buy now!
Productivity and Education
Livescribe Echo – Do you know someone who takes a lot of notes, perhaps a student? The Livescribe Echo (or Pulse) is the ultimate productivity tool – a pen that records both the audio as you write and syncs it up with what you write? Story.
Livescribe Echo: Buy now!
Internet TV
Internet TV is growing at a rapid pace, as more people try to unplug from their cable or satellite TV. The hot boxes currently:
Boxee Box – A hardware version of Boxee’s popular software made in by D-Link. Story.
Boxee Box: Buy now!
Logitech Revue – The first piece of hardware to run GoogleTV’s software. Also comes with a keyboard controller for ease of use. Story.
Logitech Revue: Buy now!
Apple TV – Initially considered a flop when it was introduced, it’s now revamped, re-priced and back in the game, especially if you already have a lot of Apple products.
Apple TV: Buy now!
Phones
Who doesn’t want a new cell smartphone? The new cool kid on the block is Android (lots of models), although the iPhone is still pretty damn hot.
HTC EVO – The 4G EVO has made it to the top of many a smartphone list this year. Story.
HTC EVO: Buy now!
Droid X – Motorola has been slowly making a comeback to the market and done it in style. A good quality phone for those who want maximum ease of use.
Droid X: Buy now!
Samsung Galaxy S – The generic name for the phone that’s known by different names on different networks (ex: Epic 4G, Continuum, Fascinate, etc.)
Samsung Galaxy S: Buy now!
iPhone 4 – The latest in the line includes a front-facing camera. Story.
iPhone 4: Buy now!
Video Game Consoles & Games
Like last year, the three top consoles are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3. But the hot new video game product is the XBox Kinect, a controller-less Xbox controller – just use your arms, legs and body. Story.
XBox Kinect: Buy now!
The hot video games to go along with those consoles or PC are:
Call of Duty Black Ops (for Xbox 360/Wii/PS3)
Call of Duty Black Ops: Buy now!
Starcraft II (for Windows/Mac)
Starcraft II: Buy now!
Toys
Parrot AR.Drone – Tops in geek toys is 4-propeller RC machine that can be controlled with your iOS device and even includes 2 video cameras. Story.
Parrot AR.Drone: Buy now!
Digital Cameras & Camcorders
Always a must-have. We like 2 Sony models.
Sony Alpha A55– the one to buy if you’re after a DLSR. Sony never lets you down and their new offering is no exception. Expect to pay over the odds but the value is there for high quality. Story.
Sony Alpha A55: Buy now!
Sony Bloggie Touch – the key rival to the Flip series this Christmas. Does everything a Flip can do but with that added Sony sophistication. More of a grown up’s camcorder. Story.
Sony Bloggie Touch: Buy now!
Software
We’ve got a couple of great recommendations that you should get whether it’s the holidays or not!
Dropbox – a tidy way of backing up all your files online and syncing them across different machines and devices, not to mention with other people.
Dropbox: Buy now!
1Password – Securely store all of those Web passwords and automatically enter them when you visit websites. For MacOS, Windows, iPhone and iPad.
Buy now!
Music
iTunes Gift Cards – are a great stocking stuffer or gift for the music lover.
iTunes Vouchers: Buy now!
Not Sure?
Finally, if you’re really stuck, then just get a mainstay – gift cards.
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Instead of 1password, you should check out LastPass.com. It works on ALL platforms, Windows, Mac and Linux. It ALSO works on all phones! Iphone, Android, Windows, Blackberry. Finally, it works with all BROWSERS, not just chrome!
Free for the main product, or $1 per month for the EVERYWHERE version.
Thanks for the tip Scott. LastPass looks pretty cool. I do wish they had a flat one-time price though.
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Considering they actually host your encrypted data for syncing, I am really fine with $1 per month. Oh, and they work with Symbian as well!
I have to admit that having someone host my passwords doesn't sit well with me unless I know either how it was encrypted (ex: I used GPG to encrypt with my public key) or that software was audited by a highly-recognized independent infosec outfit.
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