Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, all of the above, or none, one thing’s for certain: the holidays mean giving and receiving gifts. But acrylic scarves, holiday ties, itchy wool socks, and cheap cologne won’t cut it (those are so 1988!). For techies, at least, geek has gone chic. Here’s a look at which gadgets are making everyone drool.
Games and gizmos are cool, but sometimes you need to get down to business. The Moto Q9m is all business up front, but an all-out party on the back end. The razor-thin device runs on Windows Mobile 6.0 and offers dual stereo-quality speakers, supports eight audio formats as well as image (JPEG, GIF87a, GIF89a) and video formats, and PIM functionality with Picture Caller ID. (www.store.motorola.com; $199.99)
The ultimate geek gift, the Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush uses ultrasound (the same technology found in dentists’ offices), which creates microbubbles that vibrate more than 20,000 times per second to scrub away plaque. (www.ultreo.com; $169.99)
The Palm Treo 755p smartphone, packed with business tools, screams smart. But its sophisticated, streamlined design and color touch screen say cool. If you must work, the 755p features wireless e-mail, a built-in Web browser, and rich media capabilities; it also offers built-in support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF documents. (www. palm.com; $199 with contract)
High-end features that once placed quality digital cameras out of reach for many are now standard, but Canon manages to push the envelope even further with the PowerShot SX100 IS. The sophisticated digital camera features an 8-megapixel image sensor, enhanced face-detecting technology, and the Face Selector and track function, which lets you assign priority to an individual face from up to 35 detected in the frame. (www.us.canon.com; $299.99)
If you thought acquiring those Mission: Impossible gadgets were, well, impossible, think again. The Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Watch (the MBW-150 Executive Edition) delivers on
the geek factor but in a super-stylish way, of course. The sleek silver watch lets you control your music and phone calls, connecting wirelessly to your handset; it also alerts you to text and picture messages and displays caller ID. (www.sonyericsson.com; $399)The GE E850, an intermediate point-and-shoot, offers the best features of higher-end cameras at a price that won’t break the bank. The 8-megapixel shooter features face-detection technology, panorama stitching (which creates panoramic shots by stitching three images into one), 5x optical and 4.5x digital zoom, and a super-sized 3-inch LCD screen. (www.general-imaging.com; $200)
Compatible with both Macs and PCs, the sleek black Epson MovieMate 50 all-in-one projector/DVD/CD player offers movie theater features in a compact, easy-to-use package. You can project images from 80 inches to 12 feet on any white wall, making it perfect for movies and 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS super-sized gaming. And the projector’s grab-and-go handle means you can take the theater with you. (www.Epson Store.com; $799)
If you’ve had your eye on the Nokia N95 since its European release, you’re in luck. The cool sophisticate will soon make its way to our shores. But the question with the N95 isn’t what does it do, but rather, what doesn’t it do (laundry comes to mind): It features a dual-slide function, GPS navigation, a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, and support for several audio formats. Bluetooth support, HSDPA and WAN connectivity, and the ability to play video make this a must-have. (www.nseries.com; $739.99)
The 46-inch Sharp Aquos LC-46D64U hi-def LCD TV has all the angles covered. The Aquos wide-screen model boasts 176-degree viewing angles, offering prime viewing for Super Bowl, movie, or gaming nights. It also includes built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners and side terminals for wall-mounting convenience. (www.sharpusa.com; $2,699)
Now you can have all the perks of the much-heralded iPhone without the headache of a phone bill. The Apple iPod Touch lets you view photos and enjoy music, videos, and movies with Wi-Fi capabilities and the same touch technology as the iPhone. Self-adjusting ambient lighting, a 3.5-inch wide screen, and a weight of just 4.2 ounces make the iPod Touch the gadget to get this season. (www.apple.com; $299 8GB, $399 16GB)
Sony’s HES V1000 home entertainment server features a massive 500GB hard disc drive, built-in Blu-ray burner, and a 200 BD/DVD/CD changer. What does this mean to you? About 137 hours of video, 40,000 songs, or 20,000 digital images, plus the ability to create multimedia content (like slide shows), MP3, and JPEG Playback from DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW. The server is light years ahead of Robby the Robot and his ilk; and though you won’t necessarily want to curl up next to the sleek black unit, we’re pretty sure you’ll have some pleasant dreams (www.sonystyle.com; $3,499.99)