What Do Geeks Want for Gifts?
This is Thomas Ward’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit - your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:
(1) Aiptek Action High Definition Camcorder
Aiptek joins the HD revolution with their line of high-quality, low-priced digital camcorders. This camcorder records to ultra-portable SD cards, eliminating the need to carry bulky tapes and/or DVDs to operate. On a single 8GB card, you could record up to 5 hours of 1080i high definition content. If video isn’t your thing, then you can also take up to over 32,000 photos! This camcorder comes with an AC adapter, rechargeable battery, USB cable, component cable, A/V cables, case, and remote control.
(2) Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player
If you want to take your movie-viewing experience to the next level, then I highly recommend this affordable Blu-ray player. As you may know, Blu-ray is becoming increasingly popular these days, and some of the bigger brands have been selling players in upwards of $400 or more. Magnavox has decided to take an alternate route for the holidays, making Blu-ray more accessible to those on the consumer market. Not only can this machine play your favorite Blu-ray discs, but it can also play regular DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs, and even CD-RWs (a lot more than most players these days).
(3) Vizio 32″ HDTV with Digital Tuner
I can speak from personal experience that Sony has always made excellent equipment, so I don’t hesitate for even a moment to recommend their new Vizio line of high definition televisions. This one features a 32-inch widescreen LCD (which is excellent for those of you who prefer the “cinema” experience). It also features “virtual surround”, which emulates the feeling of surround sound through its two included speakers. If you really want to complete that “cinema” experience you’re looking for, this television can also be mounted to your wall. To top it all off, each Vizio purchased through Wal-Mart comes with a free one-year warranty with in-home service.
(4) Creative Zen 8GB MP3 Player
I always loved the SoundBlaster line of video cards. So, when I heard that Creative was also releasing its own line of digital MP3 players, I knew that I would want to recommend one. This version comes with a 2.5″ digital screen, and can hold up to 2,000 songs. You also get a built-in FM radio, voice recorder, alarm clock function. This handy little gadget can also eliminate the need for all of those bulky external storage devices since the Zen, itself, can also be used for external storage! The best part is that it can be expanded upon, using the included SD card slot.
(5) Halo 3 Covenant Laser Tag Set
Upon first viewing, I expected less of this item - since it is, indeed, a children’s toy. After playing with it, however, I was quite surprised at how true to the video game series these plasma pistols held! The lights and sounds make you feel as though you are Master Chief, leading the Spartans in the fight against the Covenant Armada! If you, or your child, are a fan of laser tag (or the Halo games), then this item definitely belongs on your wish list!
GoDaddy Web hosting plans are now more powerful than ever. Best of all, their plans start at just $3.95/month! No matter what plan you choose, your site receives 24/7 maintenance and protection in a world-class data center. Plus, as a listener of The Chris Pirillo Show, enter code CHRIS1 when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy!









5 Comments
Fyre Vortex
December 6th, 2008
at 2:24am
Where is the iPod?! The Macs?
Ron Knights
December 6th, 2008
at 7:57pm
That’s a great list.. I’d love any one of those items.
Greg
December 7th, 2008
at 12:10pm
Blu-Ray player? Creative Zen?
Is this a list of D.O.A. geek gadgets???
Might as well add Kindle, Gizmondo and Zip drives to the list.
Caro
December 9th, 2008
at 12:20pm
Hi, really like the list, but thought I should let you know that Vizio is not a part of Sony. They are an American based manufacturer of HDTVs (www.vizio.com). I do in fact have one of their 32″ TVs and it is great quality and you can’t beat the price, but figured you might want to know.
Caro
December 9th, 2008
at 1:38pm
Just a quick follow-up: I looked around online a little and it looks like Vizio TVs are made in the same factories as Sonys so maybe that was where the confusion lay. Either way, a great choice.