By John DeFore

For some of us, it just isn’t Christmas unless plenty of stuff below the tree requires batteries or an electric outlet to work. Still, the onslaught of gadgetry available in stores is such that it’s possible to go years without knowing anything about a whole genre of tech-toy. (I, for example, have yet to touch one of those Borg-like Bluetooth headsets.)

In some cases, our loved ones’ wishlists are so specific there’s no need for outside guidance. (If your son wants a gaming console but you’re not sure which one, somebody has a communication problem.) In others — big screen TVs, home computers — the field is simply so wide open, and the cost so high, that only the most daring gift-giver would take the plunge. (Sure, lots of folks on your list would love to play with an iPhone, but do you really want your gift to tie them to a two-year AT&T commitment?) Here’s a primer on some things in the middle ground:

Taming All That Home-Theater Gear

Someone you love, right this minute, has six remote controls sitting on his coffee table. You want to help, right? Taming that tether-free beast is not a simple matter, but a number of Universal Remote Controls do their best. Home-theater buffs who like to keep their gear hidden — in cabinetry where the infrared beams used by standard-issue remotes can’t reach — will need a device like the MasterControl RF20 ($169.99, when bundled with base station) which not only learns the functions of 10 separate remotes but will channel them through a radio signal that works through walls. If the movie-fiend in question keeps her A/V components front and center, then focus on usability: I almost enjoyed going through the setup for Logitech’s Harmony 880 remote (for $249.99, you’d better enjoy it). This one plugs into your computer for training, connecting via USB to learn codes for devices from a jaw-dropping list of manufacturers, then walking you through programming special routines that combine five or 10 commands into a single button-punch.

For couch potatoes who won’t spring for a cable subscription, you can help get them the most out of the tube with a stylish line of antennas from Audiovox, many of which work just fine without being wired up on the roof. The HDTVa ($59.95), which looks like a prop from Buck Rogers, specializes in yanking high-def signals out of the air but will also help on the old UHF/VHS wavelengths. Audio-only assists come from items like the PIB ($39.99), which work better than the dinky radio antennas that come with stereo systems because they’re powered by a separate plug. (They also combine AM and FM into a single antenna.)

Digitizing Sights and Sounds

Enthusiasts who are trying to move away from the home theater into the digital world will make good use of the EyeTV 250 plus ($199.95), a palm-sized Macintosh-only device that both turns your computer into a TV receiver and helps you record programs for burning to disc. It can also be used to digitize VHS tapes, just as this extremely popular ION turntable ($199) is set up to make LP-to-MP3 transfers a piece of cake.

Folks wanting to make their own content instead of recording stuff they’ve bought probably already have a digital camera. But that doesn’t mean they have a good one. Until not long ago, those cute card-deck sized digicams did a lousy job compared to bulkier versions, but this year saw the release of great new models that fit easily into a pants pocket. Personally, I’ve loved the Coolpix S50 ($299.95) that I took on my last summer vacation. But I always wished the tiny in-camera lens was capable of more than 3X zoom. Enter the new
Optio Z10 ($249.95), which boasts an astounding 7X optical zoom (not digital, which isn’t the same thing). In a nice touch, the on/off switch is built into a little slide-cover that protects the lens.

Hitting the Road

As we’ve been told plenty of times this month, GPS devices are among the year’s “hottest” items. I took a spin recently with Magellan’s Maestro 3250 ($399.99) and found it pretty intuitive, at least after I accepted the magical way that it knew which direction the car was pointed, regardless of where I aimed the box when it was in my hand. My personal preference would be for a more easily modified map display (fewer “points of interest,” more street names), but these car-GPS systems are clearly designed for drivers who just want that little voice telling them where to turn. For that, it works great.

It may succumb, as almost all such devices do, to a cutesy Apple-mimicking name, but the portable iPod speaker system iMainGo stands above the pack (and justifies its $49.99 price tag, higher than some cheapo competitors) by providing serious sound. It straps your ‘Pod into a tough zip-up shell about the size (if memory serves) of a first-generation Walkman, and connects via the headphone jack. Its size doesn’t allow for a power cord, which unfortunately means it only runs on four AAAs and won’t charge the iPod, but the manufacturer boasts you can get 30 hours of service from one set of batteries.

Those who hit the road and don’t stop ’til the road turns dirt, will want a way to keep their gadgets juiced. A solar unit like the Solarport 4.4 ($139) is rugged enough to stand some backpack time and will charge phones, MP3 players and the like directly through a USB connection. (At home, you can set it in the yard with the included battery charger, re-juicing the AAs and AAAs needed to run your Universal Remote Control.)

Doing New Stuff With Your Computer

It may not look like much, but a simple headset like this one by Logitech ($49.95) could save your giftee a ton of dough, letting him run his phone calls through an Internet phone service like Skype. It could also facilitate all-night marathons of multi-user computer games, in which players around the world trash-talk via broadband.

For artsy tech lovers, graphic input tablets — which let you use a pen-like device to draw directly into a computer program, instead of using a clumsy mouse — are still one of the coolest things in the world after more than a decade of existence. The new Intuos3 brings a professional level of finesse to the home studio for between $229.95 and $749.95, depending on how large a tablet you want; Wacom also makes a more newbie-friendly line, called Bamboo, that runs $79-199.

Powered Up

What to do about charging up all these gizmos when you’re in too big a hurry for that eco-friendly but somewhat slow solar charger? Plug proliferation is a major pain for tech addicts, especially when it comes to those fist-sized adapters most small devices use. If you’ve ever cursed at a power strip that had six outlets but would only accommodate three oversized plugs, run, don’t walk, to buy your loved ones a PowerSquid! Basic models, which can be had for around $12, do an ingenious job of making outlets work around your needs rather than vice versa; fancier ones (up to $84.95) also protect from surges, route phone and cable lines, and light up that under-desk netherworld where your cords tend to scheme against you.

Alternatively, you can help your favorite gadgeteer do away with a lot of those bulky plugs by picking up the Chargepod ($49.95 plus optional adapters), a nifty hub that lets you use one wall outlet to recharge up to six handheld devices, without using the infinite variety of adapters they originally came with.

Only six devices? Considering the number of smartphones and iPods likely to be lurking under the tree this year, maybe you should pick up two or three Chargepods.

Photos from top: The Bamboo graphic input tablet, $79-$199; Audiovox HD television antenna that receives high-definition signals; Ion turntable to transfer LPs to MP3s, $199.

Copyright © 2007 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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