Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Gifts for the Road Warrior

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Ultimate Home Theater Gifts

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Budget Gifts

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Best Cameras for Every Budget

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Guide to Desktops and Notebooks

Daily Gift Idea: Griffin iTrip with App Support

Daily Gift Idea: Epson Artisan 810 All-in-One Photo Printer

Daily Gift Idea: Motorola Droid

Last Minute Gift Ideas

It's not too late to give a gift certificate or gift card, and if we could pick one last-minute gift to give someone, this would be it. Websites like Amazon.com, Newegg, and Apple offer e-certificates as well, so there's no need to worry about shipping.

Where the DROID really shines over the iPhone is in using the Verizon Wireless network. With the biggest 3G-coverage area in the United States, odds are that you will have coverage in your area. While the biggest complain about the iPhone is that it is not on Verizon, the DROID provides a real next generation Smartphone on Verizon.

~ Ken Addison, ConnectReviews' Motorola Droid review

The printer is also compatible with many memory card types, which you can access from any computer that it's connected to, thanks to the built-in WiFi and Ethernet connections. How do you manage to control all this, you ask? With the gorgeous 7.8-inch touch screen. All this for $299.99 (or less). Lower-end models such as the Artisan 800 and 710 which sell for $129 and $179 respectively.

The iTrip unit itself also has a LCD for controlling if you're using it with an older iPod model without a touch screen. If you're worried about battery life, the unit also has a pass-thru microUSB connector for charging with a cable sold separately. Sound quality was decent overall, but remember, your mileage may vary depending on your area and the saturation of radio stations.

The iTrip with App Support is available today for $49.99 from Griffin Technology's website.

Whether you're looking for the greatest gaming PC for your loved one this holiday season, or a simple notebook for web browsing and email, we've got the rundown of the best notebooks and desktops for the holidays, no matter what your budget.

Desktops

Gateway SX2800-01
This Gateway desktop is probably the most impressive small form-factor PC we've seen to date. With the power to play HD video and the right ports to hook it up to your HDTV, it's also perfect for a home theater PC. An impressive Intel Core 2 Quad processor up to 2.5GHz is powerful enough to tackle the toughest tasks. The SX2800-01 is definitely a better value than Apple's Mac mini with more expansion options and up to 6GB of memory. The Gateway SX2800-01 starts at $499.

Dell Inspiron 546
If you're looking for a budget desktop with the best bang for your buck, look no further than the Dell Inspiron 546. With your choice of eight colors, an AMD Phenom X4 processor, and up to 8GB of memory and 1TB of storage, it's perfect for anyone on your list. The base model comes with an AMD Sempron 2.3GHz processor, 2GB of memory, and a 320GB hard drive for just $249. Pay about $200 more and get a better processor along with a 20" monitor.

Apple iMac (October 2009)
Apple's iMac has continued to be a hit with consumers looking for a powerful all-in-one computer. The latest iteration packs in a 21.5- or 27-inch LED-backlit display in a widescreen 16:9 format with a resolution up to a whopping 2560 x 1440 (almost the same resolution as a 30-inch display). Plus, with the option of up to a Core i7 processor, this may be the fastest consumer Mac available. While it doesn't have a fancy Blu-Ray drive or multi-touch screen, it does come standard with a wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse. The iMac starts at $1199.

Notebooks

Acer Aspire 8940G
Media lovers, rejoice. The Acer Aspire 8940G notebook has a stunning 18.4" screen (1080p resolution), a Blu-Ray drive, and Dolby Home Theater for the best sounding audio while playing movies and music. Gamers are not left out either with the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M with up to 2GB of video memory (1GB dedicated). It also has a roomy touchpad and backlit keyboard for those late-night frag parties. This desktop replacement won't break the bank at around $1349.

HP Envy 13 (and 15)
In an almost duplicate design of the latest MacBook Pro from Apple, HP has a just-as-good Windows equivalent with power and portability. The 13-inch model is 0.8 inches thin and you can get up to 10 hours of battery life with the six-cell battery (6 hours more than the four-cell). HP was able to make the Envy so thin because it lacks an internal optical drive, but who needs that in this day of online streaming TV shows and movies? The HP Envy line starts at $1699, but if you're looking for the best Windows notebook on the market, it's well worth it.

Sony VAIO CW Series
Those on a budget can still get a pretty good laptop, and our pick from the budget arena is the Sony VAIO CW series. It comes in five colors with a 14-inch screen and up to a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. An interesting note is that the default browser on the VAIO is Google Chrome, fast and secure browsing right out-of-the-box. The VAIO CW series starts at $719.99.

No doubt about it, digital camera sales are always popular this time of year for capturing those moments that we strive to remember. Whether the person you're getting this for is ready to step up to an entry-level digital SLR or just want to start with a simple point-and-shoot, these are the cameras to buy this holiday season.

Point-and-Shoots

Starter Point-and-Shoot
Canon PowerShot SX120 IS

The easiest to use point-and-shoot digital camera with an easy to handle price is the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS. The SX120 IS has a large 3-inch screen, a 10-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization (hence the IS in the model name), and motion detection to snap those perfect shots of the little ones. The camera also has special modes for getting the best shots without overly complicating it for the end user.

The Canon PowerShot SX120 IS is available at Amazon.com for $200 with free shipping.

Mid-range Point-and-Shoot
Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

If you're looking for a mid-range point-and-shot camera that's packed with functionality, check out the SD980 IS from Canon. It has an ultra wide-angle 5x zoom with optical image stabilization and a 3-inch touchscreen LCD. While I was skeptical about the touchscreen interface at first, it's surprisingly good and responsive. You can also go through photos by tilting the camera and speed increases according to the angle of the camera. If that isn't enough to convince you, the SD980 IS also shoots 720p video with image stablization and can output that video via miniHDMI to your HDTV.

Find the Canon PowerShot SD980 IS at Amazon.com for around $300 with free shipping.

Thin-and-light Point-and-Shoot
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1

Thin cameras are becoming popular especially for parties and events, with the ability to easily fit the camera inside your shirt pocket or purse. The Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 from Sony is especially good for parties, since it has exceptionally well low-light performance and a super-fast 10fps burst mode (at full resolution!). It's also super thin at less than an inch thick. This camera is also capable of 720p video and has a 3-inch touchscreen, which seems to be the sweet spot for screen size these days.

Find the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 at Amazon.com for $329.99 with free shipping.

Digital SLRs

Entry-level Digital SLR
Nikon D3000

Digital SLRs are becoming more and more popular because of their fast shutter speeds (depending on the lens), ultimate control over every single setting such as aperture, shutter speed, and exposure, and of course, interchangeable lenses. Our favorite entry-level digital SLR is the Nikon D3000. It won't break the bank for around $500 and it comes with a great starter lens (18-55mm). It has a built-in tutorial guide that guides you through taking macro shots with extreme depth-of-field and high shutter-speed nighttime shots.

Find the Nikon D3000 with an 18-55mm lens at Amazon.com for $469.99.

Mid-range Digital SLR
Canon EOS Rebel T1i

The next step up from the baby Nikon D3000 is the Canon EOS Rebel T1i, it shoots amazing 1080p (full high-def) video that is simply stunning and jaw-dropping and has a whopping 15-megapixel sensor. It has a large 3-inch LCD and easy-to-use scene modes that can help with last-minute shots where you don't have time to set up each setting.

The Canon EOS Rebel T1i can be found for around $700 with free shipping at Amazon.com.

High-end Digital SLR
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

The pièce de résistance of digital SLRs is the best one to date, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. I don't want to sound like a Canon fanboy (I own a now-outdated Nikon D50) but Canon is where it's at. The 5D Mark II takes stunning full-frame (not cropped) shots as well as full 1080p video. Combine the 5D Mark II with an L-series lens and you've got yourself the greatest digital SLR. With a 21.1-megapixel sensor, you'll be able to crop photographs without grain or blurriness. See amazing sample video from the EOS 5D Mark II here.

It is expensive, but for the next Annie Leibovitz or Pete Souza in your life, this is the camera for them. Find the Canon EOS 5D Mark II at Amazon.com (body only) for around $2700 bucks.

Not everyone can spend thousands of dollars of gifts every season, so we’ve compiled a list of gifts retailing for $150 or less that anyone will enjoy this holiday season including the cheapest (and possibly best) MP3 players and gadgets.

Whether your loved one is the next George Lucas or the next Ansel Adams, Adobe’s Photoshop and Premiere Elements 8 is the perfect choice for them if they’re not already using professional-grade tools. The package offers the basics of Adobe’s more complex software and the tools are just enough to get the job done for $105 on Amazon.com. Plus, the new Photoshop Elements automatically identifies people in your photos, just like iPhoto’s Faces feature.

You can now wrap digital cameras, camcorders, and even gadgets around just about anything with the Joby Gorillapod. The Gorillapod has flexible legs which you can wrap around a tree to get that amazing Kodak moment or getting that unique perspective. Joby is offering special bundles this season which makes it even more worth the money.

Forget the screen-less iPod shuffle this holiday season, and save a couple bucks without sacrificing storage with the SanDisk Sansa Clip+. The latest incarnation from SanDisk is just about the same size as the previous iPod shuffle and manages to pack in a screen as well. And if that isn’t enough to convince you, the Clip+ is expandable using a microSD card, capable of listening to FM radio and also has voice recording functionality. The Sansa Clip+ starts around $40 bucks.

If you’re looking to give an MP3 player that plays video, the 5th-generation Apple iPod nano is the best one on the market without breaking the bank. The device comes in nine different colors and in 8 or 16GB capacities which store up to 2,000 and 4,000 songs. And for capturing those special moments this holiday season, the iPod nano comes with a built-in video camera at no extra cost, all this is a package thinner than a quarter of an inch. The iPod nano starts at $149.

Listening to all that music has to sound good, that’s why we’re featuring the Klipsch Image S4i earbuds, which sound great and can control the latest iPods and iPhones. The S4i are relatively inexpensive compared to other earbuds at $80.

If you know an Apple fanboy in your life, then it’s obvious you need to get them the Magic Mouse if they don’t already have one. The latest mouse from Apple integrates multi-touch technology for flicking through webpages and swiping through photos. It also uses Bluetooth technology, so no more wires to clutter up the desk. Read our full review here and buy it for $69.99.

If you know someone in your life who is always listening to the latest pop album, watching the latest blockbuster, or watching the latest episode of "Curb of Enthusiasm", we've got the gifts for them. From the best in home theater systems to the biggest DVR available, these are the ultimate gifts for anyone's home theater, big or small.

Best Home Theater System
Samsung HT-BD1250
The HT-BD1250 from Samsung is probably the best home theater system we've seen in a while, and in addition to playing Blu-Ray discs and upconverting standard-def DVDs, it also conects to Netflix and Pandora via an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. The system has 1000W of output power, 5.1 channel surround sound and is compatible with an iPod or iPhone. The Samsung HT-BD1250 sells for $399.99 with free shipping at Amazon.com.

Standalone Internet Set-Top Box
Roku Digital Video Player
The best standalone internet set-top box to date is the Roku Digital Video Player. With the recent "Channel Store" update, the Roku player has plenty of content for you to enjoy. You can play Netflix Instant Play movies, Amazon Video On Demand, and even IPTV content like Revision3 and TWiT (This Week in Tech). The Roku player starts at $79.99 for the SD model, but we recommend the middle-of-the-road HD model which sells for $99.99.

Best Multi-Room Music System
Sonos
Music lovers, rejoice, the Sonos multi-room music system allows you to play music in multiple rooms throughout your home. It offers one of the best user experiences we've ever seen, especially with the new Sonos Controller 200. The Controller 200 has an interface similar to the iPod touch and works wirelessly throughout any room in your house. It is fairly expensive, with the BU250 bundle coming in at $999, so as a cheaper alternative, we recommend the Logitech Squeezebox Boom.

Best Universal Remote
Logitech Harmony 1100
Universal remotes come in handy when you start building up your home theater, with remotes for Blu-Ray players, DVRs, and set-top boxes. The Logitech Harmony 1100 is our current favorite, offering a 3.5" touch screen and RF compatibility. RF technology means you can control your remote control blinds, lighting, and even fireplaces. The Harmony 1100 sells for around $499 but you can find it at Amazon.com for just $330 as we're writing this. Our second alternative is the Logitech Harmony One which is more like a regular remote (and prices like one at $149), but obviously not as cool looking.

Best DVR (Digital Video Recorder)
TiVo HD XL
TiVo made recording TV shows popular and essentially created the class of DVRs. The TiVo HD XL can store a whopping 150 hours of HD programming and has two tuners for recording two shows at once. The HD XL is also THX certified for those who want the maximum in sound quality. If you don't have cable, this particular model is compatible with ATSC tuning, which comes in handy. One of my favorite features is that the TiVo automatically records shows I might like, based on which shows I press "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on. The TiVo HD XL is available for $392 on Amazon.com. If you don't need to record 150 hours of programming, a cheaper HD version is available.

Traveling for business is a burden among many, with the need to always stay connected and updated with co-workers and clients as well as being productive without technology roadblocks and delays. If you need to find a gift for the person in your life who’s always on the go and traveling cross-country or across the globe, we’ve got a few products that are perfect for them.

As most everyone will witness this holiday season, getting through airport security will be a mess and Timbuk2 is here to help. The new Commute 2.0 and Blogger 2.0 bags are the greatest laptop bags for a quick whisk through the TSA lines. They both offer a laptop compartment that unzips so you don’t have to go through the hassle of taking your laptop out. If that isn’t enough to convince you, both also have a waterproof front flap to keep your valuables dry in stormy weather. The Commute 2.0 and Blogger 2.0 bags from Timbuk2 sell for $100 each.

Laptops are getting smaller and smaller these days and 2009 could probably be declared as the year of the netbook. Weighing between 2-3 pounds, they’re perfect for sending emails and web browsing while traveling (they're fairly cheap too). Our favorite is the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA, which packs in a 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 10.1” screen. While it may seem that 1.6GHz of processing power isn't a whole lot, it can easily handle music and video playback as well. Buy it from Amazon today for $339.95 with free shipping.

If your road warrior happens to be a music lover, netbook speakers probably aren’t the best to rock out to, and Altec Lansing has created a perfect companion product called the Orbit USB. The Orbit USB is simply a single speaker that connects via USB. The speaker has decent sound for such a small speaker and conveniently folds up inside a carrying case to throw in your bag. You can find the Orbit USB speaker today for $49.95.

Of course, why get them a netbook if they don’t have a constant internet connection? That’s where the Sprint MiFi comes in. The MiFi is essentially a high-speed cell connection linked to a small wireless router. Finding yourself somewhere without a free wireless hotspot can be a pain, but they can simply turn on the MiFi and connect to it just like they would at their favorite coffee shop. In fact, they can connect up to five devices to it, including their iPhone or BlackBerry with WiFi. The EVDO Rev. A connection is just as fast as a typical DSL line you would find at home and like all cell phones, the MiFi does need a two-year contract and monthly service, but it’s well worth it.

Keeping these portable devices charged is a tough task when you’re always on the go, and that’s why we recommend the Energizer Energi To Go XP4000. The XP4000 is a portable rechargeable power pack which can charge anything with a USB connection, whether it be an iPod, iPhone, or a digital camera. The power pack comes with various tips including mini-USB, micro-USB, iPod dock connector, and others used for a slew of smartphone manufacturers such as Motorola and Nokia. The Energi To Go XP4000 can be purchased from Amazon.com for around $60 with free shipping.

Business travelers also tend to have a ton of documents, from PowerPoint presentations to Excel spreadsheets, and keeping those documents in a central storage spot can be overwhelming. One of my favorite devices this year is a series of products from Seagate. The FreeAgent Go is a portable USB hard drive with up to 1TB of storage, but without the next product, it’s just a storage device. However, pair the FreeAgent Go with the DockStar network adapter, and it becomes an internet sharing device. Using the Pogoplug technology, the DockStar allows anyone to access and share files over the internet. Revised files are updated almost instantly and you can even connect more than one USB hard drive to the DockStar for even more storage.

Whether you buy one or many of these gifts, the road warrior in your life will be connected this holiday season.

Budget gifts will be a huge success this holiday season with the recent economic and financial troubles. Here are a few choices to get you started.

• Gift cards - Give an Amazon.com gift card this holiday season, available in amounts from $5 to $5,000, they're perfect for anyone. With the number of products that Amazon sells, there's got to be something for everyone.

• Apple iPod shuffle - The cheapest and smallest MP3 player available to date, is even cheaper than last year. Now available in 1GB ($49) and 2GB ($69) models, it's perfect for adults, teenagers, and children alike.

• Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 - The best webcam is a perfect gift this holiday season. Now you can see your loved ones in stunning quality as they unwrap their gifts and join in with the holiday spirit. Grab one today for less than $70 bucks at Amazon.com and get free shipping with gift wrap while your at it.

• Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth Headset - The top selling Bluetooth headset on Amazon is our pick this holiday season. It's the most comfortable, and it won't break the bank. Grab it for under $50 at Amazon.com with free shipping.

• Joby Gorillapod - Get the perfect shot this holiday season and mount your camera to almost anywhere for that Kodak moment. The Gorillapod is one of the best gadgets of all time, and it's available in a variety of different version.

1. Adobe Creative Suite 3
Chances are a graphics professional already has some version of Adobe's graphics suite. If they're still on an older version, treat them with a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 3. Of course, the heart of the suite is Photoshop. The latest version brings some great features including Smart Filters, which allows you to composite various filters on to your images, and rearrange them to produce a different effect. (www.adobe.com, starts at $1599)

2. Lynda.com Tutorials
Now along with Adobe Creative Suite 3, you might want to throw in a little extra for learning all those great new features inside of Photoshop or Dreamweaver. Not to worry, Lynda.com is here to help. Lynda Weinman co-founded the company along with her husband, and offer training DVDs by trained professionals that allow you to get the most out of a certain application. (www.lynda.com)

3. Wacom Intuos3 Graphics Pen Tablet
In addition to using a mouse with Photoshop or any other graphics application, you can also use a tablet for more precise editing. We recommend the Wacom Intuos3 which comes in a range of sizes from 4x6" to the huge 12x19" model. They're super easy to use, and can also be used for other handwriting-enabled applications, not just Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter. (www.wacom.com, starts at $199)

HP purchased Voodoo, a popular gaming PC manufacturer in 2006. Since that time they have worked together on a PC called the Blackbird 002 (001 was a prototype). The Blackbird 002 isn't for the casual gamer, but would make the best gift for the hardcore gamer this holiday season.

The Blackbird 002 isn't just any old PC stuffed into a nice case; it was built from the ground up with the gamer in mind. The 002 literally floats above the ground with the sleek aluminum stand which supports a whopping 600 pounds. Inside is a whole different story. The 002 comes either air-cooled or with a water-cooled GPU, CPU, or both. Our model, the Blackbird 002 LCi came with both components water-cooled which was extremely quiet.

The components inside of the 002 PC aren't proprietary either, they're industry standard from the ASUS Striker Extreme 680i motherboard to the graphics cards. HP offers both a Intel and AMD version. The Blackbird 002 also supports not only dual ATI graphics cards in CrossFire, but also supports dual NVIDIA graphics cards in SLI mode.

HP also made it easy to change or install hard drives by making it completely tool-less. Just take out one of the bays, pop the drive in, and you're good to go. The rest of the case is also easy to take apart, including removal of doors and expansion slots. The cables are also fairly organized and aren't crammed in one spot reducing airflow.

The specs of our model included:
- Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core 3.0GHz Processor
- Dual ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT Graphics Cards
- 4 GB 1066MHz CORSAIR PC2-8500 DDR2 SDRAM
- 1.1 kilowatt power supply
- Windows Vista Ultimate Edition

After just a few hours of using the PC, it was a speed demon compared to my own Core 2 Duo PC and ran Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3 at high settings with no problem. In our benchmarking tests, the Blackbird 002 scored the highest out of any of the systems we've tested thus far in PCMark Vantage with 5389 PCMarks. In CINEBENCH, the PC received a score of 3410 using a single core, and a huge 11693 using all four cores. Unlike most HP systems, we didn't find a speck of bloatware on our review unit, and that's exactly how we like it.

Treat your gamer right this holiday season with the HP Blackbird 002 PC, which starts at $2700 USD. There is a New Year's Special however, which will get you one of these bad boys for $2399 with a liquid-cooled Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of PC2-6400 CORSAIR DDR2 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of graphics memory.

Pros

• Extreme gaming performance.
• Uniquely designed case.
• Non-proprietary components.
• Large power supply for expansion.
• Easy to change and install hard drives.

Cons

• Heavy.

Final Verdict
5 out of 5 stars.

Is there a college-bound student in your life? We've compiled a list of the best gifts for students this holiday season.

1. Apple MacBook
The 13.3-inch notebook from Apple is packed with both power and portability, and doesn't sacrifice anything in between. With the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and up to 250GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, the MacBook can do anything from scientific computations to social networking. (www.apple.com, starts at $1099)

2. T-Mobile Sidekick LX
In this day and age of social networking and instant messaging, the Sidekick LX from T-Mobile is perfect for today's students, with a full QWERTY keyboard, a large 400 x 240 pixel screen, and a robust email client. Its price may drive some away at $299 with a two year contract. (www.t-mobile.com, $299 after rebate)

3. Spire Viro Messenger Bag
With that new MacBook you'll be buying (hint, hint), you'll need a bag to hold it all. The Spire Viro messenger bag does it all, with a padded notebook compartment, and plenty of pockets for storing pens, pencils, a MP3 player, and cell phone. It comes in a green, blue, or black Ballistic nylon exterior at only $80. Larger versions are available for larger notebooks and storage space. (www.spireusa.com, $80)

4. Logitech VX Nano
The VX Nano notebook mouse from Logitech is probably the smallest yet, and packs in a ton of neat features including the world's smallest receiver, and a long 6 month battery life off of two AAA batteries. (www.logitech.com, $70)