Gadget Guide to Holiday Shopping
By Diana Nye
To help with your holiday shopping our resident gadget gurus have put together a shopping list of the best gift ideas out there. From Music to coffee, we've got something for everyone on your list.
Apple iPod - 30GB - [with video playback]
 |
The newest generation of iPod - it
has all the ergonomic coolness of its predecessors and video to boot and
is only fractionally more expensive than its non-video equivalent. If
you or anyone on your gift list still doesn't have an
iPod - this is the gift to get. Buy it at the Apple Store - not that you
can't get them in other places - it's just that the Apple Store is a lot
of fun and you'll see loads of accessories you'll want. Apple Store Regent
Street - 235 Regent Street, London W1B 2ET
Cuisinart Grind & Brew Automatic Filter
Coffee Machine
Got
a coffee lover on your list? This is the ultimate convergence (and convenience!)
device. Coffee grinder, coffee maker, insulated thermos carafe, and if
your bed is close enough to the machine… an alarm clock as well! It comes
with a permanent filter so no more trying to fabricate makeshift filters
out of kitchen towels on that morning when you've run out of filters and
you need that first cup to function. Sleek design, small footprint, we
love it. We bought ours at Amazon. It doesn't come up when you search
on coffee makers - use the term "grind & brew." www.amazon.co.uk
Intamac Home Monitoring System
Home monitoring has never been so much fun. After years of struggling
with pin codes and convoluted arming and disarming procedures, Intamac
lets you alarm your house just as you would your car, a dinky little remote
is all it takes and you are ready to go. Better still for those of you
who sometimes wonder "did I set the alarm, turn off the iron, leave the
window open", etc. you can log on via the web and check the status of
your alarm as well as any of the other devices you can hook up to the
system including, flood, fire, and cameras. The system will also SMS you
if anything's happening in your house, and it can also alert your neighbours,
or you can engage a third party key holder security company to deal with
any anomalies. The Linksys camera hooked up to the master system captures
movement and will send a photo back to central, even if the burglar walks
of with the camera. Of course, you can also log in and watch the camera
in real-time and see what the cats are really getting up to while you're
at the office. www.intamac.com
Sony
BRAVIA 40" LCD TV HD Ready (HDMI)
This is the TV this season. So beautiful, so stylish and such an amazing
picture. A great his and hers gift as the viewing experience makes watching
sport and films truly spectacular. The definition between player and pitch
makes even Macclesfield v. Leighton Orient come alive, animation is stunning,
and watching big budget Hollywood block busters delivers a true cinematic
experience. We're sorry we only got to review this one, not keep it. www.amazon.co.uk
PC
Digital TV
Speaking of TV's... spending too much time in the office? The PC Digital
TV lets you convert your PC into a TV and radio receiver. Easy to install
and configure, requires a TV license - nuff said. Find it at www.iwantoneofthose.com
Sky Gnome
Extending the Sky experience throughout your home and garden has just
gotten easier. The Sky Gnome is a wireless device that allows you to listen
to your favourite TV and radio shows as long as you are within 30 
Metres
of your Sky Box. We've only tested it to 20 metres, but that was through
very thick walls! There are no additional subscription charges and it
works on rechargeable batteries or mains. The sound quality is pretty
good, and there are digital radio stations on Sky that we can't get on
our kitchen digital radio. You can also change stations with the Gnome,
so no running back and forth to change programmes. We haven't tested the
Gnome on pre-recorded programs or set up any favourite channels, but give
us time. We also recommend you buy it in orange. Buy this direct from
Sky, www.skytv.com.
Epson PictureMate 500
Epson
calls this a personal photo lab, and it is! This summer Amy took a dodgy
picture on her mobile phone of the England Cricket Team as their bus inched
through the City. When I printed it out on the PictureMate, you never
would have guessed it came off a camera phone. This printer is super easy
to set up and use. Changing ink cartridges is simple, and the right first
time approach means you don't waste a lot of expensive photo paper when
you forget about things like landscape and portrait settings and sizing.
You don't need a computer - all the memory cards we tried worked - and
it runs on batteries, too if you need a portable photo printer. Buy it
at PC World. The staff was great at finding all the right accessories.
www.pcworld.co.uk
TomTom G0 700 Satellite Navigation System
with BlueTooth
We're not sure about the name, but everything else checks out on this
top of the range aftermarket GPS navigation system. This one comes complete
with door-to-door routing for Western Europe. So we haven't 
tried
it off piste yet, but it was great at getting us from central London to
an obscure shipping depot in North Acton (an area where you may not want
to stop and ask questions). It also has a built in handsfree kit for your
mobile (love it!) and was easy to configure. It has a handy remote or
you can use the touch screen to set your journey. The ETA feature (estimated
time of arrival) is very helpful, especially if you're running late. Download
Firmware and Operating System updates from TomTom's website to keep up
with changing traffic issues. Buy it at Dixon's, www.dixons.co.uk