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2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Amazon Kindle Fire
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $250, Under $500,
We continue our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide with the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. This is the Amazon tablet we've been waiting on for months, and it's has finally shipping. Amazon's looking to disrupt the tablet landscape with the Fire, and is pricing it aggressively at $199. The Kindle Fire weighs 14.6 ounces and packs a 7-inch IPS display, dual-core processor, 512 MB RAM, and 8 GB of on-board storage. It runs a forked version of Android that Amazon has prettied up in a major way. You also get Wi-Fi built-in as well.
Purchasers of the Kindle Fire also get a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, which'll let you get a nice sampling of what the company's Video on Demand service offers. Other services you can access from the Fire include Amazon's Android Appstore, Kindle books, a host of magazines, Cloud Drive, Cloud Player, and the Amazon MP3 service.
You can pick up a Kindle Fire now for $199 on Amazon.
Read More 
| Amazon Kindle Fire
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2011 Holiday Gift Guide: iPod touch 4th generation
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Techies, Teens, Under $250, Under $500,
Apple's focused on the iPod touch as being the "funnest iPod ever" for a while now, but the introduction of the fourth generation model put it over the top. You've got the Retina display, FaceTime video chat, high definition video capture, and built-in gyroscope all packed into the thinnest iPod touch ever--and now it's available in white. Of course, you need great software running on hardware like this, and the App Store fits the bill with over 200,000 apps available. A great gift for teens who don't need an iPhone, or anyone who wants a mobile iOS device that isn't a phone. Prices start at $199 (or $189 on Amazon, a 5% savings):
Be sure to check out the rest of the stuff in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, we're adding new suggestions every day!
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Kinect for Xbox 360
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Microsoft, Video Games, Family, Kids, Teens, Under $250,
Microsoft's been hyping up Kinect for over a year now, and we've been enjoying the motion sensing Xbox peripheral for just as long. Our verdict? We love it, and it feels like the future. This is why we're adding it to our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. If you know anyone with an Xbox 360 console who doesn't have Kinect, then we'd recommend putting this one on your gift list. The Kinect sensor costs $149.99, and includes Kinect Adventures, a disc full of mini-games that let you try out a bunch of Kinect's features.It also includes download token codes for Fruit Ninja Kinect and Gunstringer, two Xbox Live Arcade Kinect titles. You can also do video chat with other Kinect users and Windows Live users as well, and you get voice control over your Xbox 360. Seriously, this is the video game accessory to have this holiday season--especially during your holiday parties with friends and family around.
Aside from the sensor itself, here are a few Kinect games that we think are worth picking up as well:
- Dance Central 2
- Kinect Sports Season 2
- Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster
- Forza Motorsport 4
- Your Shape Fitness Evolved
Of course, in order to take advantage of Kinect, you'll need an Xbox 360 console. If you don't already have one, Microsoft is selling consoles bundled with Kinect.
Read More | Kinect
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2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm Bluetooth smartphone leash
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Features, Wireless / WiFi, Family, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,
We've spent some time with the Zomm "wireless leash" and have come away impressed by the simplicity of the device, as it's one of those things that make you wonder why a product like it hasn't been available until now. With that, we thought it would be a good inclusion in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. The Zomm can be attached to your keychain, and connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Once paired, it becomes your wireless alarm system for your phone. For example, if you walk away from your phone, Zomm will sound a notification alarm and start vibrating, letting you know that you've left your device more than 30 feet away. This way, you don't leave a restaurant without your phone, or spend forever looking for it because you left it in the car (or, that you are in your car driving and left your phone at home!) Cool enough, but it does more.
Zomm also has an integrated speaker and microphone, so it also acts as a hands-free calling device. If your phone rings, Zomm will ring as well, and you just press the Z button to take the call without having to fish around for your phone while driving. Zomm also has a built-in panic alarm. Hold down the Z button and the alarm will go off. Continue holding it, and the Zomm will use the Bluetooth connection to your phone to dial 911, and it will let you speak with the authorities right from the Zomm device. This is seriously a cool piece of technology that is a must-have for those people who constantly leave their smartphones behind in cabs and restaurants, or just anyone who wants an extra layer of security with them at all times. You can get a Zomm from Amazon for $76.
Click to continue reading 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm Bluetooth smartphone leash
Read More | Zomm Bluetooth Smartphone Leash
2010 Holidy Gift Guide: Freehands touchscreen-compatible gloves
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Features, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,
If you're looking for some inexpensive-yet-functional items from our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, today we've got some gloves that any owner of a smartphone with a touchscreen might appreciate. Freehands makes gloves that allow the wearer to use their touch-enabled device, which keeping their hands warm. They have some models where the gloves have fingertips that can be pulled back for the thumb and forefinger, and others where the gloves have material in the fingertips so that you can tap away while keeping all your digits nice and toasty. Prices start at just under $20.
Read More | Freehands gloves
2010 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Zune HD
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Handhelds, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Techies, Teens, Under $250, Under $500,
The Zune HD may have made its debut last year, but it's still a damn good PMP that doesn't get all the love that it deserves--seriously, just check out our Zune HD review. With the recent launch of Windows Phone 7, and Zune on Xbox 360, the brand has gotten a lot of play recently, and we think the Zune HD is more than worthy of a spot on our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. Microsoft came through with a superb device with a fantastic service behind it to match. In fact, we’ve said it many time that, in our opinion, for someone that truly loves music, Zune is the best deal around. Coupled with the $15 per month Zune Pass (which isn’t a requirement,) you get a top-notch portable media player with an OLED screen, HD Radio, and web browser with the advantage of being able to listen to pretty much any song you can think of at a moments notice. There's also an app marketplace that lets you download games, Twitter and Facebook integration, and more.
The Zune HD retails for $349 for the 64GB, $269 for the 32GB, and $199 for the 16GB model - however, Amazon’s got a great sale on the Zune HD that’ll put the 32GB model into your hands for $203 ($63 off,) the 16GB model will run you $149 ($50 off,) and the 64GB model for $314 ($30 off.)
Oh, and did we mention something about giving it away? Heck yeah! We will be running the 32GB Zune HD giveaway for a week. The winner will receive a 32GB Zune HD and a 1-month Zune Pass!
Here’s how to enter:
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account
- On Twitter, post this tweet about our contest: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with that @Zune HD! http://gear.lv/zunehd-holiday” (Click here to tweet this now)
That’s it! Remember, you’ve gotta have a Twitter account (they're free), and you’ve gotta be following the Gear Live Twitter account so that we can send you a DM if you’re the winner. This one is only open to residents of the US. We will be announcing a winner on December 10, so you’ve got a week to qualify.
Read More | Zune on Amazon
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm wireless smartphone leash
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Features, Wireless / WiFi, Family, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,
We've spent some time with the Zomm "wireless leash" and have come away impressed by the simplicity of the device, as it's one of those things that make you wonder why a product like it hasn't been available until now. With that, we thought it would be a good inclusion in our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. The Zomm can be attached to your keychain, and connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth. Once paired, it becomes your wireless alarm system for your phone. For example, if you walk away from your phone, Zomm will sound a notification alarm and start vibrating, letting you know that you've left your device more than 30 feet away. This way, you don't leave a restaurant without your phone, or spend forever looking for it because you left it in the car (or, that you are in your car driving and left your phone at home!) Cool enough, but it does more.
Zomm also has an integrated speaker and microphone, so it also acts as a hands-free calling device. If your phone rings, Zomm will ring as well, and you just press the Z button to take the call without having to fish around for your phone while driving. Zomm also has a built-in panic alarm. Hold down the Z button and the alarm will go off. Continue holding it, and the Zomm will use the Bluetooth connection to your phone to dial 911, and it will let you speak with the authorities right from the Zomm device. This is seriously a cool piece of technology that is a must-have for those people who constantly leave their smartphones behind in cabs and restaurants, or just anyone who wants an extra layer of security with them at all times. You can get a Zomm from Newegg for $79.99.
Click to continue reading 2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Zomm wireless smartphone leash
Read More | Zomm Bluetooth Smartphone Leash
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Parrot AR.Drone Quadricopter
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Toys, Techies, Teens, Under $500,
The Parrot AR.Drone is one of the coolest holiday gifts this season, and as such, it's a natural fit for our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. It's basically like a flying real-life video game that you can play indoors or out. With its on-board Wi-Fi system, you can even control the copter from an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. On-board cameras let you pilot the AR.Drone through complex flight maneuvers and destroy enemy targets. The iOS piloting app is a free download from the iTunes App Store. The copter also has a built in accelerometer, gyros, ultrasonic sensors, two video cameras, and more. It's constructed of carbon fiber and high-resistance plastic, and it's available in three colors. You can get it now for $299 from Amazon.
Read More | Parrot AR.Drone Quadricopter
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Justin Bieber Singing Dolls
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Music, Toys, Kids, Teens, Under $50,
As much as we hate to admit it, Justin Bieber is all the rage right now, and the new Bieber singing dolls are going to be one of the hottest sellers this holiday season, so we've gotta include it in our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. Currently available for pre-order, if you check Amazon, you'll find ridiculously high resale prices, which we'd recommend you stay away from. Instead, go with Target. They've got the whole collection of the Bieber dolls for $25.99 each. They'll ship on December 12, which gives plenty of time to arrive--just make sure you purchase soon, because they'll sell out for sure.
Read More | Justin Bieber singing dolls
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Beatbox from Beats by Dr. Dre
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Music, Techies, Teens, Under $500,
We're still working on our full review of the Beatbox, the first loudspeaker dock from the Beats by Dr. Dre line of products, but we figured there was no more reason to wait to award it a spot in our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. This thing is solid. The Beatbox is a speaker dock for your iPod touch or iPhone. You dock it the device, and your music comes to life. This is one of those speakers that can fill a large room with sound, bass and all, with no distortion even when cranked up to the max. The Beatbox sports 5.25-inch bass drivers and 2-inch high frequency drivers, and it retails for $399. It's the best iOS speaker dock that you can find right now, and you can get yours from Apple online.
Read More | Beatbox
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