Last-Minute Holiday Gift Ideas!

Still working on your holiday shopping list? Here are a few last minute geeky gift ideas for those hard-to-buy-for friends!

Gamer Geek

The Guild Season 4 DVD
Got a gamer in the family? Make their wish come true with this very funny web series about a group of gamers who meet in real life. Season 4 is about the ups and downs of a geeky romantic relationship, if you can call it that. Very funny and full of extra clips. The DVD will be released Dec. 21, 2010.

Purchase: The Guild Season 4 DVD

Angry Birds Plushies
Got an Angry Birds fan on your shopping list? Why not get them their very own Angry Bird to throw around the house (or office)?! Just imagine them throwing the birds across the room and getting a kick out of it. ;) You’ll have to give them an IOU though. Due to popularity, shipping for items start in January.

Purchase: Angry Birds and Angry Pigs ($14.99 each)

Xbox 360 Console and Kinect Sensor Bundle

Why buy controllers when you can use your whole body as a controller? Get the gaming console with the newest and hottest technology yet! You may also want to pick up games like Dance Central ($39.99) or Kinect Sports ($44.54) as well.

Purchase: Xbox 360 Console and Kinect Sensor Bundle ($299.99)

Music Geek

Apple iPod touch 8 GB (4th Generation)

$210 with free $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. This is the best price anywhere for the iPod touch, $185 after the value of the gift certificate. Two cameras, FaceTime, 8GB of storage space, and an entire library of iPhone/iPod apps to choose from.

With the money you saved, you can pick up an iTunes Gift Certificate as well!

Book Geek

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6″ Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology ($139)

This is the perfect gift for the bookworm on your Holiday list! The new E-Ink Pearl technology display on this device is amazing. It’s almost like reading on a real book, except much lighter and more portable! Carry up to 3,500 books on one single device! The battery life can last up to one month. Best of all, it’s the lowest price it’s ever been. A 3G version is also available for $189 if you think they’ll want to download a ton of books on the go. :) And if they have a Kindle already, consider getting them a Amazon Gift Certificate so they can purchase more books!

Purchase:

• Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6″ Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology ($139)
• Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi + 3G ($189)
• Amazon Gift Certificate

Photo Geek

Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Wide Angle
Best Compact Camera. Perfect to fit inside a purse. I purchased this camera a few months ago and have been really happy with the quality of the photos, especially in low light.
Purchase: Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera ($429.00)

Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera – Good Compact camera for $108. This camera was originally over $170, so its an excellent deal at $107.99. Features 2.7 inch screen, 28-112mm 4x zoom lens, and image stabilization. Comparable to cameras in the $150-200 range.
Purchase: Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera ($109.00)

Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera
Best starter SLR camera with HD video. Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD screen. $799 with lens. This camera features true HD video recording in a SLR camera. 1080p recording at 30 frames per second. One unique feature for a camera this price is a microphone-input jack, which allows you to connect a professional microphone such as the Azden High-performance (SMX-10) Stereo Condenser Microphone. Purchase: Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP with Lens ($799.00)

SD Memory Cards
And don’t forget the memory cards for the cameras! Here are few budget SD cards:

• Kingston 4 GB Class 4 SDHC Flash Memory Card – $6.88
• Transcend 8 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6 – $14.
  This card is fast enough for HD video recording.

Entertainment Gifts

Etch-a-Sketch iPad Case – Relive your childhood with the new Etch A Sketch iPad Case by Headcase! Inspired by the original Etch A Sketch from Ohio Art, this favorite toy can be brought back to life by your iPad! This is a great iPad case if you want to make their iPad look even more awesome. It’s a great conversation starter, and a great reminder of a classic toy. Imagine the big smile on their face when they open the gift! This case is also available for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G/3Gs.
Purchase: Etch-a-Sketch iPad Case ($39.00)

Best speakers under $25 – On a tight budget? Tired of listening to music on laptop speakers? The Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer is a great choice! I’m using this on my desk and it works well for the money ($23). The bass won’t hit really low like the higher-end Logitechs, but is an improvement over standard 2 channel setups. Great for listening to podcasts and YouTube videos.
Purchase: Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System with Subwoofer ($23)

Roku XD Streaming Player 1080p
Watch over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus and more. Listen to music on Pandora, or listen to your own iTunes playlists. Watch major sports, news, or original Internet programming. It’s all available whenever you want it. This offers an affordable way to get HD internet content onto your HD TV. Purchase: Roku XD Streaming Player 1080p ($79.99)

Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard with Backlighting
Looking for the best corded keyboard? This is one of the best with its backlit keys, laptop keyboard style, and solid construction.

Purchase: Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard with Backlighting ($59.99)

Wacom Intuos4 Medium Pen Tablet

Got an artist, photographer, or graphics enthusiast in the family? The Wacom Intuos4 tablets are excellent for Photoshop, Illustrator, or other artwork. The medium size tablet works well on a 24″ monitor setup.

Purchase: Wacom Intuos4 Medium Pen Tablet ($331.47)

Toys for the Young Geeksters

Germ Toys

Who ever thought that getting germs could be so much fun! Plushie germ toys that is. These unique stuffed animal toys are great gifts for the science fans. Get one, get them all! They’re adorable.

Purchase: Germ Toys ($7.95 – $11.95)

V Tech Movie Magic Digicam

Simple video camera for a child to operate. Takes 2 megapixel photos and 640×480 videos. 1.8″ screen. Great for kids to capture those funny moments. They might even become our future podcasters!

Purchase: V Tech Movie Magic Digicam ($29.99)

Barbie Video Girl Doll

It’s like two toys in one! Take Barbie out to parties and capture moments right right on her video camera! Perfect gift for young girls.

Barbie Video Girl Doll available in blonde, brunette, and African-American. Prices range from $64.99 – $74.99.

Canon or Nikon? ;)

So, which do you choose? Canon or Nikon? I was just happy to have them both in my hands. haha

Canon Powershot SD790is

A lot of people have been asking me for small point-and-shoot camera recommendations lately. I guess Christmas is around the corner huh? ;)

The best deal that I know of right now is probably the Canon Powershot SD790IS. This camera made it’s debut earlier this year, so it’s defintely not old technology (yet). heh I bought this camera about 2 weeks ago. Costco currently has it on sale for $179.99 (with coupon). Not bad at all!

The big 3″ LCD screen is quite lovely. The built-in mic is so clear! That’s great because I know my voice isn’t that loud. There’s face detection software to focus on people’s faces.

The buttons on the camera are a bit odd. They’re really thin, but they work well. It took me about 2-3 days to get use to the buttons. And if you’re familiar with Canon Powershots, it won’t take you long to figure where everything is. The scrolling button is my favorite. It’s like a classic ipod button that you can scroll to view all your photos.

I’m not too fond of the retro boxy look, but it’s growing on me!

Here are some more notable features:

• Advanced 10.0 Megapixel Digital ELPH camera with 3x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer.
• View your crisp clear images on a large 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen for bright, accurate color with great viewing from a wide range of angles.
• Improved Face Detection Technology sets the focus, exposure, flash and white balance automatically.
• Motion Detection Technology automatically detects subject movement and optimizes exposure control and ISO settings to reduce image blur.
• III Image Processor ensures sharp images and better functionality; enhanced Canon Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB

If you get this camera, I hope you enjoy it! And feel free to ask me questions about it.

Read more about the Canon Powershot 790IS.

Canon EOS 40D

This just came in the mail today! My newest gadget is now the Canon EOS 40D. I absolutely love it. The battery was still being charged, so I haven’t done any test shots with it yet. But I’m very excited to use it for the next wedding that I’m attending!

Read more

Mini Tripod

I took a Rubber stamping class this weekend (yes, I’m also a crafty person!) and thought it’d be kind of funny if I could videotape what I did and show people what I made in class. So I took my Canon Powershot SD 7000 IS and this nifty small Aryca D-Pod I bought in Akihabara, Japan last year.

So this was my little set up. Isn’t it the cutest? I kind of wish I bought a few more to give out as gifts!

I’m not a video editor at all, so we’ll see what I come up with. I’m currently learning how to use Adobe Premier Elements. Wish me luck!