Posts from the Holiday Gift Guide Category at Switched

Top 7 Holiday E-Cards

by Colin McDonald, posted Dec 24th 2007 at 11:12AM

'Tis the season to spread holiday cheer by inserting photos into ridiculous cartoons (after you've finished shopping, of course)! Here are the top 7 options that you can use to keep things fresh, because friends, family, coworkers, and all of your targets deserve a uniquely festive brand of e-spoofing.

What are these crazy foreigners doing? Dive in and find out...

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Holiday Deals: Free Vudu, Books, and Other Gadget-Buy Extras

by Will Safer, posted Dec 24th 2007 at 10:35AM

Vudu

You're buying so many tech gifts this year, so wouldn't it be nice of those companies actually gave you a present in addition to their products? Yes, we thought so, too.

We saw an interesting deal between Sharp and new video-on-demand service Vudu, where the purchase of a new Aquos LCD display gets you a free Vudu set-top box and $50 in download credit. You'll put that to good use, for sure.

But instead of melting your brain on all that video, wouldn't it be nice if you actually read a book now and then? Click your way to Sony's site, where you'll find a deal that will put 100 classic books in your hands when you buy one of its Readers, a competitor to the Amazon Kindle. The books offered include such classics as Mark Twain's 'Huckleberry Finn' and H.G. Wells' 'The Time Machine.'

Finally, if you're looking for an audio experience, buying the Microsoft Zune will garner you a $20 gift card from Best Buy or $15 in downloads from Amazon.com.

Let's see, that's video, words, music... looks like we've covered our bases.

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Our Computer Monitor Pick: Samsung Syncmaster 245T

by Switched Staff, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 10:35PM

It's crisp. It's colorful. It's widescreen and it swivels. Plus, the Samsung Syncmaster 245T has HDMI inputs in addition to standard DVI and analog inputs. A 24", better-than-1080p TV, computer monitor and swivel head all for $800? Looks sweet to us.

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Top Tech Toys for Tots

by Tobey Grumet Segal, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 4:22PM

Parenting is hard enough without having to come up with the best gift ideas. You're bombarded by TV ads, which don't really tell you enough, and your child deserves a present that's cool, that's tech, and that maybe ISN'T EXACTLY THE SAME gift that all his or her little classmates will be getting this year.

Here at Switched, we asked our inner child -- and an actual tech-lovin' Mom -- to help us compile a list of the best tech toys for tots. Here's what we found...

Smart Cycle

The Smart Cycle (Mattel, $99.99) is a physical arcade game that connects easily to your TV. Just pop in a supported game cartridge and your child will happily pedal away, burning up all types of energy and leaving you free to pay some bills or start dinner. Cartridges focus on areas such as learning, discoveries, games and races -- and, of course, there are multiple levels that wee ones can can move up as they get better. Smart Cycle also teaches upper and lowercase letters, numbers and counting, spelling, problem-solving, shapes, matching and spatial reasoning.

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For the Traveler: Samsung P2, a Real iPod Killer

by Tom Samiljan, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 4:01PM

Samsung P2
$250, samsungusa.com

Most so-called iPod-killers hardly live up to the name, much less Apple's digital audio player, but Samsung's P2 is pretty darn close. The size of a pack of Dentyne, and yet boasting a three-inch, 16:9 touchscreen, the P2 is a perfect alternative for iTunes haters, or just somebody who's got a lot of WMA or cell-phone-music-store-purchased tunes on their PCs. The elegant and kinetic onscreen interface is playful and surprisingly responsive, which makes browsing for everything from pictures and non-iTunes songs (Napster, Rhapsody, and the like) to TV shows purchased from Amazon Unbox and Wal-Mart a pleasurable cinch. Oh, and volume goes up to 11.

For the Music Hound: Sony HD Radio

by Tom Samiljan, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 3:46PM

Sony HD Radio
$200

Sick of the same-old, same-old chart-based tunes and endless ads you hear on the radio? You're missing the party, or the talk-orgy, that's happening on HD radio, which is the technology that allows more than one programming feed to broadcast on the same FM frequency. Provided you have an HD radio such as this minimalist cherry wood and black mesh speaker tabletop model from Sony, you can essentially quadruple the amount of broadcasts – and the variety of music genres or talk-radio programs – that are normally available to you on a standard FM radio.

From SonyStyle.

For the Video Hound: Vudu

by Tom Samiljan, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 3:31PM

Vudu
$399, vudu.com

About as big as a Mac Mini, the Vudu box gives you access to over 5,000 movies for rent or purchase. Vudu uses the same peer-to-peer technology that pirates use to illegally swap movies online, but for good purposes like letting you watch a movie instantly even though it's not done downloading. The service just started offering HD movies you'd actually want to watch – like the 'Bourne Ultimatum' – but the mostly standard definition (SD) movies on offer still look stunning since the box upscales video to quasi-HD quality, while the ergonomic remote is the most responsive to come along since Tivo.

Gift Guide: Boynq Abibi

by Evan Shamoon, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 2:58PM

Boynq Alibi (Style maven, $100 and under)

Want to get your college-bound, studying-abroad, jet-setting son or daughter to actually video-chat with you? Try getting them a webcam -- particularly one that looks as fresh as Boynq's Alibi. Though its primary function is video, the unit doubles as a speaker as well: While it's only able to crank out five watts, it sounds better than your laptop's internal speakers. The camera is able to angle itself 25 degrees left and right, and and it even rotates 300 degrees, allowing you to record video of most of a room without having to move the body of the webcam itself. Aside from its look, the design is full of nice touches: Rather than a volume knob, the Alibi has a tall ring around its body, which you slide to adjust volume. Oh, and coolest of all? The camera head pops up when in use, and hibernates into its plastic body when idle. Comes in four purdy colors.

Price: $59.99

From Boynq

Is YouTube Beating the Networks in the Ratings?

by Switched Staff, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 1:10PM

It's the worst nightmare for the networks: YouTube beating broadcast television in the ratings. Recent polls suggest it's that's already happening, but our most recent Switched Show (listen here; direct link to mp3) suggests we're not so sure -- and that we've got some strong opinions on the subject of how you'll watch television in the not so distant future. PLUS: We read our personal tech wishlists for the holidays. Don't forget to subscribe to the Switched Show for FREE.

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Attn Procrastinators: Same-day Tech Delivery Through Dec. 24 in NYC

by Will Safer, posted Dec 23rd 2007 at 12:17PM

Brooklyn-based Etronics knows you didn't plan ahead. It knows you wrote a reminder to yourself but misplaced it. It knows you meant well. Really. It did. That's why, if you're lucky enough to live in or near the five boroughs of New York City, you can purchase a cool toy from them by 3 p.m. on December 24 and still get it delivered that very day. Yes, it's true.

We don't mean to encourage bad planning on your part but with enablers like this what's any self-respecting true procrastinator to do? We say wait until the last minute and give it a whirl.

A flat fee of $25 covers the delivery charge -- and that includes delivery of heavy items, like TVs, or really huge gaming accessories (example only -- they don't really sell these).

Of course you could always go for a gift card -- or even an online gift certificate -- but all that does is reveal how little effort you put into getting a present. So we say get something with real heft. And don't worry -- your secret is safe with us.

One last note: In a quick look at what they have available, we saw a lot of "Out Of Stock" items, so your procrastination may still have gotten the best of you.

Related links:

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