The economy is hurting now, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stuff a lump of coal into stockings. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, electronics and gadgets again are topping holiday wish lists.
FOR THE HOME
Darth Vader Toaster
$54.95 at shop.starwars.com/catalog
Admit it, sometimes you find yourself attracted to the dark side — the dark side of toast, that is. This nerd-friendly Darth Vader toaster makes it all possible. The crust is strong with this one.
Samsung Blu-ray BD P1500
$299 at amazon.com/electronics
Spending $300 may not be frugal, but since Blu-ray players have yet to come down significantly in price, Samsung’s model is the closest thing to a cheapie. The video resolution may not be quite as high as other players, but it still can hang with the big boys. And that $100 you could save buys a handful of movies.
BUDGET BUYS
Coby Digital Photo Keychain
$13 at amazon.com/electronics
The day of stuffing flimsy pictures of your loved ones into your wallet might be over. This handy keychain with a 1.5-inch LCD display can hold up to 60 digital images
Creative Vado Pocket Video Cam
$99 at us.creative.com/products
Belonging to a new class of “YouTube camcorders,” Creative’s Vado is extremely portable, easy to use and very cheap. In short, a pocket camcorder for pocket change.
ON THE GO
Microsoft Zune 120 GIG
249.99 at amazon.com/electronics
The Microsoft Zune’s sleek new design and growing number of features — Wi-Fi Internet, Xbox 360 compatibility and RBDS-enhanced FM radio that lets you tag the songs for download later–make it hard to pass up. And the 120GB hard drive is so massive, you have enough space to upload your most guilty of guilty musical pleasures. Hall and Oates, anyone?
Sylvania G Netbook MESO
$379 at tigerdirect.com
If you’re looking to give the gift of a laptop without breaking the bank, this Netbook is a good place to start. For fewer than four Benjamins you get a laptop that performs well, has a good battery life and comes in four cutesy colors.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
