Gift-Giving and Gadgets

Choosing the perfect present this Christmas season can be such a chore particularly if you to scour through the market for the right gadget. Sure your loved one will scream in glee at the sight of the latest touch screen wunder gizmo. I'm sure her screams of pure holiday joy would be enough to cover the $1,390 you just shelled out on a brand new shiny Apple.

Picking the right smartphone is like going through a mad buffet of multi-functions that may or may not be necessary. Sure, its a mobile phone meant to send out messages and take in calls, the basics are covered and everything else they could think of they could cram into such a small device. That plus carrier issues, you might not have yet given a second thought.

According to comScore and their purchase metrics, this year's online sales have reached $33.8 billion and shipping is free at all online fronts. If you're not to sold on mobile phones, then go for the must-have gift of the season- tablets.



Why not go for an affordable New Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab or iPad Mini, you can take it anywhere and access apps on the go. Imagine, the hours of finger-swiping fun, its one gift that's not hard to love.

A Paralyzed Man Tweets and the World Gets Him Trending

Twitter has open a whole new world for a man imprisoned by his own body.

Tony Nicklinson has Locked-in Syndrome. A stroke has left him completely paralyzed and he now communicates through small eye and head movements. If you've seen the heart tugging film  "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" of which was also based on a true story of a French magazine editor with Locked-In Syndrome who wrote a novel about his condition (by wrote, I mean, the guy communicated his novel through his nurse by batting his eyelash for over a span of two years).

Anyhoo, Mr. Nicklinson so far has gotten the world to listen to what he has to say via Twitter. He has

filed a petition with the courts to allow a doctor to euthanize him. His Twitter stream is one way to publicize his plight and for people to respect his wishes.

"Hello world. I am tony nicklinson, I have locked-in syndrome and this is my first ever tweet. #tony "

I cannot judge the man for wanting death. If this is what the man wants for himself, he has reasons and its hard to imagine for anyone living through such a condition.

ThinkGeek: Go Shop for Some Geek Gadgets

ThinkGeek.com is one shopping site even the stingiest geek ponies up some cash! There are some great counterculture and popculture finds in this website. There's a little bit for every geek we know- from Star Trek and Star Wars stuff to Doctor Who Tardis Bathrobes to BingBang Theory shirts. The site is a lot of fun to visit!

Mobile Apps to turn your Smart Phone into a GPS Navigator

Don't want a GPS, but still want a good navigation system in place? Why not turn your Smart Phone into a GPS Navigator?

Most Smart Phones now come with built-in navigation softwares. For some, like the iPhone you can download a Navigation App at the Apple store.

Smart phone app nav programs tend to be more sophisticated and easier to use than the system in regular cellphones. With many models, you don't need a regular subscription, as long as you have a cellular data plan for downloading the maps and directions. Some nav apps preload the map data into the phones' memory which is handy in an area with no cell signal.

Here's some Navigation Apps you can try:


Navigon Mobile
Navigon is the pioneering GPS maker, the first one to create a downloadable iPhone navigation app sold through the Apple iTunes store. They are known for their reality view and free real-time traffic features. When it comes to mobile navigation apps, true to their adage- And the world is yours!

Magellan Roadmate
Ferdinand Magellan first circumnavigated the world in 1519, now in the year 2012 the explorer's name is still mapping the world via the mobile platform through the Magellan RoadMate app which is meant to run on the iPhone 3G and 3GS phone models.

Choosing Between a GPS unit or a Smart Phone Device

So which is better - a handy GPS unit or a cell phone? Using your phone for navigation saves you from having to lug around one more portable device, but a separate GPS system may save you money in the long run.

Here's Some Reasons Why:
Decent and reliable GPS navigators start around $100 and are good to go right out of the box. No complex installations and settings required. Though some smart phones come with navigation that works well, some would quickly point you to buy navigation wares at their App store.

An advantage of a cell phone navigation info that's downloaded from your carrier is that maps and other info are always the latest available. You never have to upgrade your maps. But with some phones, the navigation won't work if you don't have a cellular signal. And some phones have smaller buttons and screens than stand alone GPS units, which can make them harder to use.

Nokia Taps the Tablet Market

Finland's flagship brand Nokia needs a turnaround after value of Nokia holdings have reach an all time low of 90% in less than 5 years. To gain their rankings back in mobile hardware, Nokia is releasing new smartphones and tablet devices, a keen strategy shift to bring the confidence back in the brand.

As Nokia tries to recover from this dire predicament, its Nokia Lumia 900 has been met favorably by the consuming public. Speculation holds that Nokia will be releasing a tablet this year alongside Microsoft's upbeat Windows 8 OS. A unit fit to rival the tablet forerunners out in the market.

Watches: Tech Trendy or Obsolete?

Ten years ago you wouldn't leave home without a watch, and today, as you read this, if you look at your wrist at this very moment- do you even have a watch on?

In this post-turn of the century, who needs one? When you always have your mobile phone on you. The allure the mobile phone's portability and accessibility isn't lost on the average pedestrian. The big future is here- walking the downtown streets loaded and wireless.

But I wouldn't count out wristwatches just yet, just like sunglasess, watches are also poised for a tech overhaul. Though watches have moved beyond their practical purpose of telling time and have now gone into various tech tangents of functionality such as having built-in altimeters, thermometers and barometers. Some watches can even function as an Mp3 player, USB or even a mobile messaging device. So don't just count out the timepiece just yet, its on the verge of being 'retro fashion' or suprisingly fashion forward.