Tech - the gift that keeps giving

WITH THE RECESSION curbing consumer spending, gifts are going to be chosen a lot more carefully this December. Technology makes a great gift - it`s fun, practical and can be used for years to come.

iWeek`s choice for the top tech toys to give this holiday season are netbooks and storage devices, both of which have dropped in price in recent months, and both of which will come in very handy for at least a couple of years.

Netbooks are now available from R2 500, and are a fantastic option for those who have had enough of lugging cumbersome laptops and cables around.

And storage, of which one can never have enough, has also dropped significantly in price. Flash sticks are now available in capacities of 16GB for around R1 000, with 8GB versions priced as low as R200. External hard drives with 1TB capacity can now be had for just under R1 000 if you shop around. Micro SD cards - great for the music-loving cellphone-addicted teenager in your life - start at around R80 for a 2GB card.

Incredible Connection CEO Dave Miller says while people may have less money to spend this year, they will be getting more "bang for their buck".

"Digital cameras, for example, have jumped from offering a 3x zoom to a 20x zoom at a lower price point than the 3x zoom was initially. Picture quality is also an order of magnitude better, without prices having gone up to make that possible. Your entry-level digital camera now provides 8 to 10 megapixel quality.

Miller says he expects good sales of gaming consoles, audiovisual devices such as MP3 and MP4 devices and netbooks this holiday season. "Consumers can get full 3G capability in a small, light form factor for less than R4 000," he says.

Meanwhile, Gartner expects electronic readers to be a good seller this holiday season. The Amazon Kindle, now available in SA, retails for around R3 000.

BIG GAME

When a TV screen just isn`t enough anymore, Epson`s EH-TW450 gaming projector delivers high-quality, giant screen entertainment, for gaming, watching sports or enjoying home cinema.

The projector offers a cinema-style display six times bigger than that on a 52" flat screen television. A wide range of connections include an HDMI input, ensuring the projector works with all high-definition games consoles, while a built-in speaker completes the full entertainment experience.

It is also compact and portable.

Recommended retail price: roughly  R14 000.

TOUGH  TIME

The Jeep JP126 is both analogue and digital, featuring an alarm, chronograph, calendar and two time zones. In stainless steel with a white, black or blue dial.

Recommended retail price:  R995.

WII GETS SLEEK BLACK EDITION

A LIMITED EDITION black Nintendo Wii console is now on sale in SA, bundled with the Wii Remote, Wii MotionPlus and Nunchuk - all black - and the Sports Resort package. Sports Resort includes 15 sports, such as table tennis, wakeboarding, archery and basketball. Just about the best fun a family can have on a rainy day.

Recommended retail price: R2 899 for the bundle.

REMIX YOUR PARTIES

ESQUIRE TECHNOLOGIES` range of Hercules DJ Consoles will have you mixing up a Christmas party to remember. With four channel output and dual-deck metal DJ controller, the Rmx comes with everything you need to pull together your parties. Wanna-be DJs can also get mobile mini MP3 mixing consoles for taking the party on the road.

Recommended retail price:  R4 400.

GET IT WITH MUSIC

NOKIA COMES WITH MUSIC is now available in SA. Comes with Music devices allow the consumer to download and keep an unlimited number of digital tracks from the South African Nokia Music Store for a one year period. Comes with Music is available with the Nokia X6, the Nokia 5530 Xpressmusic and the Nokia 5630 Xpressmusic.

Recommended retail prices: 5530 XpressMusic - R3800; 5630 XpressMusic - R3600.00; X6 - R3 299.

GAMING EVERYWHERE

PLAYSTATION PORTABLE (PSP) Go, the latest model of PSP, sports a lightweight chassis and 16GB of storage space. It`s backed by an ever increasing range of services, from Skype to the soon to launch PlayStation Network Video Store and Digital Comics, plus remote access to PlayStation 3 content.

Recommended retail price: R2 550.

MINI MULTIMEDIA

THE SANSA FUZE video MP3 player with FM radio has a built-in memory card slot for microSD/microSDHC cards. The Fuze MP3 player comes in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, and is available in five colours.

Recommended retail price: from R1 149 - R1 749.

GESTURE GAMING

SONY ERICSSON`S Yari handset is designed for multimedia action and mobile gaming fun. It debuts Gesture gaming, where you move your body in front of the screen to control the game. Yari introduces a games carousel that allows you to access all your games from your desktop and to browse downloadable content on the PlayNow arena, coming to SA soon. It also has a 5MP camera and music player and stereo speakers for easy listening.

Recommended retail price: R3 999.

VIDEO ON THE GO

SONY ERICSSON`S Satio handset focuses on multimedia performance, with a 3.5" screen and 16:9 widescreen format. It has an intuitive full touch menu and music player. It also boasts a 12.1MP camera. Sony Ericsson`s W995 Walkman, with a 2.6" screen, is designed for multimedia entertainment. Watch news, TV shows or movies in premium video quality or watch videos online using Turbo 3G or WiFi. Complete with an 8.1MP camera and Walkman player.

Recommended retail prices: W995 - R5699; Satio - not available at time of going to print.

SAFE STORAGE

LOWEPRO`S TASCA pouches are designed to protect smaller electronic devices such as compact cameras, external hard drives, small GPS units, smartphones, cellphones and MP3 players. Made of tactile neoprene fabric, the slim sleeve clips to a belt, bag or lanyard with a carabiner clip. Available in blue, black and red.

Recommended retail price:  R160 from DCC.

QUICK PICS

FOR DEMANDING DSLR users, the SanDisk Extreme Pro Compact Flash card offers lightning-fast (up to 90MB/s  read/write) speed to capture more continuous burst shooting. And with up to 64GB of storage, you`ll be able to take more RAW+JPEG photos and high-definition video.

This card is available in 16GB - 64GB.

Recommended retail price: from around R999.

SLAB OF SOUND

The Philips HTS8160 sound bar has ambisound technology to produce surround sound from fewer speakers. No multiple speakers, cables or clutter.

Recommended retail price: R12 999 at Hi-Fi Corporation stores.

VOIP IN COMFORT

VERBATIM`S Multimedia Headphone range is custom-designed for Internet telephony via Skype, MSN or other providers. It features a flexible, adjustable boom microphone as well as a 2m cable for flexibility at the desktop.

Recommended retail price: R149 from DCC.

HEAR IT ALL

JABRA`S M5390 Bluetooth headset connects simultaneously to mobile phones and desk phones - or to mobile phones and PC softphones. The headset offers true wideband audio when used with the A335w dongle and a softphone. The extended wireless range allows users to answer calls up to 70 metres from their desks.

Recommended retail price: R2 188.

ALL THE BETTER TO HEAR YOU WITH, MY DEAR

THE JABRA BT530 headset features Noise Blackout noise cancellation technology that eradicates ambient sound without compromising voice quality. The headset has multiuse capabilities and can connect to either a mobile phone or PC.

Recommended retail price: R799.

MINI CINE

CINEMAONE is a small home cinema system that produces multi-channel surround sound through six carefully angled speakers, for a full cinema experience. It combines a DVD and CD player, iPod dock, five channel amplifier, speakers and a subwoofer in a neat little package.

Recommended retail price: R2 999 from Makro and Hi-Fi Corporation stores.

GET AROUND

THE BIG PICTURE - BY GARMIN

GARMIN`S N VI 1400 GPS navigator features a 5" touchscreen and ultra-slim design, text-to-speech and new ecoRoute fuel-saver feature, which suggests fuel-efficient routes. The n vi comes with Garmap Southern Africa Streetmaps, with more than 675 000km of routable road data across nine different countries (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Malawi) and more than 193 000 points of interest.

Recommended retail price: around R4 620.

THE BIG PICTURE - BY TOMTOM

THE TOMTOM XXL with a 5" screen comes complete with EasyPort mount and stylish black finish.

Recommended retail price: R2 499.

The new TomTom Start is aimed at first-time navigational users, offering standard features, a simplified interface and an affordable price. It has a 3.5" screen and is available in black-and-white, with changeable covers available in various colours.

Recommended retail price: R1 399.

FITNESS BY GPS

GARMIN`S new-look Forerunner 310XT multi-sport watch and training device syncs wirelessly with Garmin heart rate monitors and foot pods, compatible third-party fitness equipment and power meters, and the user`s PC or Mac for automatic data download. Waterproof to a depth of 50 metres, the device categorises multisport activities in one workout to analyse your performance from start to finish. Forerunner 310XT tracks speed, distance, location, among other things, and allows you to plan and log workouts.

Recommended retail price: R4 900.

TOMTOM  WITH TELKOM

THE TOMTOM ONE GPS is now available from Telkom shops. The device boasts easy-to-use features, award-winning navigation and up-to-date software. The `One Southern Africa` comes pre-installed with Tele Atlas maps of nine countries across Southern Africa, including Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Menu language options include UK and US English, Afrikaans and more.

Recommended retail price: around R1 699 or R86.47 per month over 24 months on your Telkom account.

ADVENTURE  FLASH DRIVE

THE STORE `N` GO Carabiner USB drive is a rugged flash drive for the outdoor adventure type. For those who need their digital content while climbing mountains, the Carabiner USB drive has a rugged casing designed to protect the drive against the harshest of elements. Available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities.

Recommended retail price: from around R99 for the 2GB version, from DCC.

BETTER MUSIC ON THE MOVE

FROM ESQUIRE Technologies, the latest Divoom portable UPO-1 speaker system with PO-Bass (Passive Oscillation Bass) technology, replaces headphone listening with a powerful bass and high quality sound, in a small body for laptops. For PC or Mac, there are no batteries or wires required.

Divoom travel speakers are available in a range of shapes and colours, and are priced from around R120.

DIGITISE  OLD MOVIES

ROXIO Easy VHS to DVD for PC and Mac makes it easy to transfer home movies from old VHS, Hi8 and V8 tapes to DVD or convert them for iPod or PSP. It supports most analogue camcorders, VCRs or even DVD players, and allows you to create menus and chapters, correct video quality and add transitions. You can also capture old LPs or tapes and convert them to digital format. Packaged with a Roxio Video Capture USB device, USB extension cable and software.

Recommended retail price: R999.

SHOP SAFE

GIFT SHOPPING ONLINE? Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 offers consumers real-time automated advanced protection from a range of online threats, including viruses, Trojans, worms and other related risks such as malware, spyware and adware. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 intelligently scans files, Web pages and e-messages in real-time to ensure advanced protection against virus attacks.

Recommended retail price: around R199 (KAV 1 user) / R299 (KAV 3 users or KIS 1 user) / R399 (KIS 3 user) from Phoenix Software or Africa SD.

USB  STOCKING FILLERS

ESQUIRE TECHNOLOGY`S range of fun and funky Dream Cheeky USB gadgets include a USB powered fridge to keep your drinks cool, a USB light and USB roll-up chessboard.

Recommended retail price: R279 for the Dream Cheeky USB Fridge.

BACK IT UP

SANDISK`S ULTRA BACKUP USB flash drive backs up critical files at the touch of a button. It is secure, with password protection and AES hardware, and comes in 8GB, 16 GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities.

The 16GB retails from R799.

PLAY SAFE

AVG GAMING PROTECTION helps avid gamers keep safe while playing online. Many gamers get tempted to switch off security software when playing online as it takes up processing time and can slow down play. AVG Gaming Protection works in the background to identify any potential threats and block them.

Recommended retail price: R149.

GO-ANYWHERE MOUSE

LOGITECH DARKFIELD Laser Tracking technology lets you use your mouse virtually anywhere you want - including on clear glass and high-gloss surfaces. This new technology is available in the Logitech Performance Mouse MX and the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX, giving you the option of a full-size mouse or a more compact, notebook mouse.

Recommended retail prices: Performance Mouse MX R 1 199,  Anywhere Mouse MX R999.

MAKE MATHS EASIER

HELP YOUR KIDS understand multiplication with Time For Tables, a program aimed at primary school children. It has an interactive 3D menu, with colourful graphics and five interactive games designed to help improve your kids` times tables. Improvements can be charted in a progress report.

Recommended retail price: R260.

WIDESCREEN WEBCAM

MICROSOFT HARDWARE`S LifeCam Cinema Webcam captures widescreen video with a native 720p sensor, to deliver clear, quality videos even in low light - without leaving anyone out of the shot. It features Auto Focus, to keep video sharp from across the room all the way up to 4 inches from the Webcam.

Recommended retail price: R999.

BETTER GAMING

LOGITECH`S NEW G-SERIES

peripherals for PC gaming promise to give gamers more control, better precision and plenty of customisation options.

THE G19 KEYBOARD features a tiltable, colour GamePanel LCD to provide in-game information for over 60 games, VOIP communication data, clock, CPU load, or other non-gaming specific items such as pictures or videos. The keyboard also has 12 fully programmable G-keys with three macros per key, giving you 36 time-saving commands per game.THE G9X laser mouse provides more precision at any hand speed (up to 150 inches per second on most popular gaming-mousepad surfaces) and includes two interchangeable, snap-on grips that let you choose a fit and feel that`s best for your playing style.LOGITECH`S G35 headset offers 7.1 surround sound powered by second-generation Dolby Headphone technology, and greatly reduced ambient noise.

Recommended retail prices:

G19: R2 999; G35: R1 499; G9x: R1 199.

MAKE MOVIES

MAGIX VIDEO EASY from Edutain promises to be the easiest video-editing program ever. You can import videos from any source, remove scenes, add text and transitions and burn your finished masterpiece to disk. Designed for use by beginners of all ages, the software comes with an easy to understand manual and simple installation wizard.

Recommended retail price: R595.

MAKE MUSIC

MAGIX MUSIC MAKER in Rock Edition 3, Dance Edition 3 or Hip Hop Edition 3 from Edutain allows you to compose and remix your own music at your PC. Each one includes over 1 000 current sounds and loops. Record and edit your own music and vocals or import existing CDs and MP3 music to remix it.

Recommended retail price: R450.

TOUCH IT

Packard Bell`s new oneTwo All-in-One PC is embedded with multi-touch capabilities. Comes in 20" or 23" screen sizes with up to six USB ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, an integrated webcam, and jacks for audio in and out. The oneTwo L includes a 23`` touchscreen, speakers, webcam, Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 4GB DDR3 ram and 1TB hard disk drive. The oneTwo M includes a 20" touchscreen, speakers, webcam, T4300, 4GB DDR 2 ram and 750GB hard disk drive.

Recommended retail price: not available at time of going to print.

GREAT VIEW

Philips` 244E1 24" LCD monitor boasts 16:9 Full HD 1080p performance, combined with HDMI and DVI inputs for a better multimedia experience. It incorporates Philips` SmartContrast technology which increases the contrast, resulting in bright, lifelike pictures with high contrast and vibrant display.

Recommended retail price:  around R 1 965. Distributed by DCC.

CULT CLASSIC:  COMPACT 35MM CAM

LEICA`S M9 digital camera is described as the smallest full format system camera in the world. The propriety CCD sensor in the LEICA M9 with 18MP allows the utilisation of the full 35mm format. Available in classic black paint or elegant steel grey, it comes with a license for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Recommended retail price: around R75 000.

NOT A COMPACT, NOT AN SLR

NOT A COMPACT CAMERA, not an SLR, the new 12.3MP Olympus PEN EPN digital camera boasts image stabilisation, dust reduction system and interchangeable lenses. It can record HD video and performs even in low light, with ISO up to 6400. Built-in art filters make your filming and photography more fun.

Recommended retail price:  R12 000.

PRINT IT

EPSON`S STYLUS TX800FW 4-in-1 has won two major international design awards to date, an International Forum Design award and a Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) award for `Best Multifunction Photo Printer in 2009`. It`s a Hi-Definition 4-in-1 printer with fax, automatic document feeder and Wi-Fi capabilities, featuring a 19.8cm LCD touch panel interface, and is ideal for home applications, including premium home photo printing.

Recommended retail price: R3 599.

IGNITE ENVY

HP`S NEW luxury consumer brand, ENVY, features precision crafting and  leading technology and superior support. The first product in the ENVY family, a 15.6" ENVY notebook, is HP`s fastest consumer notebook. It includes Intel Core i7 processor supporting up to 16GB system memory, and an optional dual hard drive including SSD option for up to 500GB.

Recommended retail price: from R16 999.

LIGHTEN UP

THE NEW 11.6" Dell Inspiron 11z weighs only 1.36 kg, but boasts an HD display, built-in webcam and WiFi connectivity. The keys are 92% of full-size for comfortable typing,

Recommended retail price: R 7 999.

SHINY NEW APPLES

APPLE`S ALL NEW iMac desktop PC line features brilliant LED-backlit 21.5" and 27" widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all-aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance. Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new wireless Magic Mouse.

Recommended retail price: not available at time of going to print.

BARGAIN BLU-RAY

THE PHILIPS blu-ray player launched recently through Makro stores and is reported to be the first blu-ray player to go below the R2 000 price barrier.

Recommended retail price: R1 999.

SPORTY  LITTLE NUMBER

Acer`s Ferrari One 11.6" netbook is powered by the Second Generation AMD Ultrathin Platform for notebooks and is designed to deliver superior HD entertainment and highly responsive, balanced multi-tasking performance. Plus, it`s got Ferrari styling.

Recommended retail price: R8 999.

WHAT GAMERS WANT

High on gamers` wish lists this Festive Season, the Alienware M15x 15" notebook features the Intel Core i7 920XM - billed as Intel`s best and most advanced CPU - and the 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M graphics card.

Available in red, black or silver, it can configure up to 8GB of DDR3 1333MHz memory, engineered to support the next-generation quad-core processors.

Recommended retail price:  around R39 999.

IMUSIC LOUDER

LOGITECH`S Rechargeable Speaker S315i and Portable Speaker S125i boost your iPod or iPhone music experience. The slim Rechargeable Speaker S315i delivers up to 20 hours of listening time, and can play your music while it`s plugged in and charging your iPod.

At less than 500 grams, the portable, power-smart and compact Portable Speaker S125i runs on AC or battery power, to deliver up to 10 hours of battery-powered music.

Both will play and charge any iPod model with the Apple Universal Dock Connector or connect other music players using the 3.5mm auxiliary input.

Recommended retail prices:         Rechargeable Speaker S315i: R1 199;

Portable Speaker S125i: R799.

SEALED IN SOUND

VERBATIM`S Sound Isolating Earphones are silicon ear buds that create an in-ear seal, blocking out external noise and delivering the sound closer to the ear. Available in white, metallic green, and metallic pink, the earphones come in three sizes for the perfect fit.

Recommended retail price:  R99 from DCC.