Digital Trends' Gift Ideas for Tech Lovers

Digital Trends rolled out some hot gadget ideas you can give away for the holidays.  We added some stuff up we thought would be a worthwhile idea to entertain.

PhotoCredit: Microsoft

Xbox 360 with Kinect bundle: $300

Gifts don’t get much better than an Xbox 360; it’s literally all fun and games. We recommend spending a little extra loot for the Kinect bundle, which includes an Xbox 360 with a 4GB hard drive, one wireless controller, the Kinect motion-sensor controller, and a copy of the family-friendly Kinect Adventure game. The only problem is that you might want to keep this one for yourself.

Where to get it: The Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle with Kinectimals game starts at $300 on Yahoo! Shopping.

CNET's Most Anticipated Tech Products in 2012

In anticipation for the new year, CNET comes up with a list of anticipated gadgets for 2012. This is my personal list as I had deleted some which I think should not be included and added a little bit of data about each gadget. Of course, the usual disclaimer is there that this gadgets may or may not well be introduced into the market as they are in the development stage and companies would not want to spoil the fun and end up spoiling their profits and marketing.
We put up the companies' selling point of the products and added the opinion of CNET's game experts. So here goes:

Nintendo Wii U

Image credit: Nintendo

Nintendo's next home console is introducing a revolutionary new touch screen controller with precision motion controls and full HD graphics that can continue a gaming session on the portable controller even when your TV is off.

Best Smartphones for Everyone

Choosing the right smartphone is a daunting task. Potential buyers need to think through several factors including cost, features, performance and more. The good news is that with several dozen quality smartphones on the market, there will be options that serve your specific needs and interests.

So whether you are seeking a smartphone to play games, get more work done, give to your children or just run reliably throughout the day, there are plenty of options to consider. Here are the best.

Best smartphone for business

While most professionals know about the BlackBerry, the business phone that deserves more attention and runs on a familiar Microsoft platform is the Dell Venue Pro. This enterprise-focused smartphone, which is available for T-Mobile and AT&T subscribers, is an elegant-looking device with its 4.1-inch AMOLED display and slide-out keyboard. With sizable buttons and pronounced tactile feedback, the Dell Venue Pro is great for typing emails and taking extensive notes on the fly.

Housekeeping Gadgets

Photo Amazon.com

The Mop of the Future

Since the days when Rosie the Robot cleaned up after the Jetsons, Americans have dreamed of a better way to clean. And while we have yet to invent a full-fledged robot maid, cleaning technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.

So if you’re still using a mop and broom to clean around the house, we recommend putting them in the closet and checking out some of the fancy new ways to keep your space clean. From vacuuming robots to self-cleaning litter boxes, the future of cleaning is here.

Photo: irobot.com

Roomba

When it comes to futuristic cleaning technology, the Roomba is the 800-pound robot in the living room. (Okay, it’s more like eight pounds.)

Introduced nearly a decade ago by consumer robotics company iRobot, these tiny robots hover around your house vacuuming your floors, using infrared technology to sense and avoid obstacles.

When it’s done it will return to a docking station to charge, and all the maintenance you need to do is empty its dustbin and occasionally clean the thing. Depending on which generation and model you get, you can pay anywhere from $200 to $600.

The Roomba is not only convenient for those who can’t be bothered to vacuum, it’s also a source of endless entertainment, used as everything from a kitten transportation system to a robotic DJ.

Laptop Computers for Everyone

We looked at laptops for every type of user: the student who needs a superlight classroom companion, the multimedia multitasker who wants a powerful desktop replacement, and plenty in between. The following five aced our tests.
Lenovo IdeaPad U260

Starting at $700 ($999 model tested)

Pros: This tiny, 3-pound 12.5-incher was the darling of consumer testers, thanks to the simple keyboard, trackpad, and navigation (plus its sleek cover, in orange or brown). It booted up and transferred files in seconds, and has a superb battery — we got 6.5-plus hours on a charge.

Cons: With less-than-stellar audio and video quality and a petite screen, it's not ideal for watching movies or listening to music.

Photo: Lara Robby/Studio D

Starting at $1,134 Apple MacBook Pro 13"

($1,199 model tested)

Pros: The MacBook Pro (or, for $100 more, the super-slim Air 13") was a winner even with begrudging PC fans. Highlights: its multi-touch trackpad, speedy processing, admirable screen and sound, impressive battery life (6.5 hours), and its weight — just 4.5 pounds.

Cons: Fewer ports than most. With just two USB slots, you may not be able to connect, say, your external drive, camera, and mouse at once.

VideoLan's VLC Media Player

I used to utilize different media players for different media files. Quicktime for 3gp files, Media player for mp4 and mp3 files, and many more. But that was all before I encountered VLC Media Player. It basically meets all my media player needs. It plays just about all the media files in my computer, does not take up much data space and basically operates as good in Windows as in Linux or Mac. I recently encountered an article introducing VLC and featuring some features that even those VLC users like me don't appreciate much.


For those who are not familiar with VLC, I highly recommend it and would advise you to give it a try and I think you will not regret it. For those who use the media player already, you may be interested with these other features that you have not noticed before.

FireFox 4 Browser is Out!

Since abandoning Internet Explorer, I always had a thing for Firefox. It opened my eyes to the world of internet browsers. When I was a budding computer geek, I used to think that Internet Explorer is the only browser available. For the information of everybody, I did not have a formal training about computers and I was only introduced to the tech world by my father who studied programming. It was love at first sight and so I continue to expand my interest and knowledge about computers until today. 


A friend had recommended Firefox to me and I was open to the idea since Internet Explorer doesn't really offer the flexibility and security I need when it comes to Internet. But after a while, I have come to realize that Firefox is really not that special specially after discovering Google Chrome which what I am using now. Firefox can't really beat Chrome when it comes to speed and convenience. So not long ago, I switched yet again. So to try to entice us back to Firefox, they released the latest version which is Firefox 4 with added features and plug-ins/add-ons to make or enhances its functionality. These are some things that you may want to look at and consider Firefox once again:

HAving Troubles with my PSP

I was having trouble with my PSP lately. I've been meaning to sell it in order to have enough money to buy an iPod Touch. Well I have no grudge against PSP but the iPod Touch is more appropriate for my lifestyle and my techie needs.

Bubble Bobble Evolution

Download PSP Game

Breath of Fire III

One of the best RPG games I played. I like the graphics with all the effects of the story mode. I also like collecting various equipments for the characters and eventually upgrading their capabilities. I hope you enjoy it.

Download PSP Game

Tablets

They said that 2010 was supposed to be the Year of the Tablet. It did not happen — the flood of product was not the hype that it was expected, as many manufacturers awaited a more tablet-friendly operating system from Google. So, once more: 2011 will be the Year of the Tablet. Several new models have either been released, or are in a very advanced state of preview.

Apple iPad

Apple introduced the second version of its iPad on March 2. The newer version is slimmer, lighter and has both front and rear-facing cameras. The devices can be bought to operate on either AT&T or Verizon's 3G networks. Competitors are cropping up with increasing frequency, but the iPad remains the dominant tablet on the market.

Device                                Apple iPad

Operating System     iOS

Apps                                    40,000 + iPad apps through the Apple App Store; 

300,000 + compatible iPhone apps

Flash Support           No

Multitasking                 Yes, with the newest iOS upgrade

Screen                            9.7" 4:3 IPS screen

Screen Resolution    1024 x 768

Camera                          Front and rear-facing cameras

Ports                                   Apple dock connection, HDMI

Navigation                       Compass, assisted GPS (3G version only)

Storage                               16, 32 or 64 GB

Wireless                            Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G (some models)

Estimated Battery Life              10 hours

Dimensions                     9.5" x 7.3" x 0.34"

Weight                                1.33 pounds

Wireless Plan                 $15 or $25 a month via AT&T (No contract); $20 to $50 a month via Verizon

Price                                    $500-$830

Bliss Island

Download PSP Game

Bomberman

Download PSP Game

Ape Quest

Download PSP Game

Astonishia Story

Download PSP Game

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Download PSP Game

WestWard IV: All Aboard!!!

Download Game

RIM unveils a tablet: the BlackBerry PlayBook

Looks like all those rumors about BlackBerry maker Research inMotion coming out with its own tablet were true — well, everything except for the name.

Instead of the "BlackPad" (ugh), RIM is calling its 7-inch, camera-packing tablet the BlackBerry PlayBook. CEO Mike Lazaridis showed off the long-rumored device during the keynote of RIM’s BlackBerry developer conference in San Francisco on Monday.

RIM says its new tablet will arrive in the U.S. in early 2011, and in overseas markets in the second quarter of next year. No pricing details yet.

Expect a 0.9-pound tablet that’s 9.7mm (or 0.4 inch) thick, complete with (as rumored) a pair of cameras: a 5-megapixel camera in the back, and a 3MP lens in front, both capable of recording HD video — nice.

The 7-inch display — the same size as that on the just-announced Samsung Galaxy Tab — will boast a resolution of 1024 by 600, and yes, it’s a capacitive multitouch display, good for such multi-finger gestures as punching and zooming.

The "no-compromises" PlayBook will run on a new tablet OS designed by QNX Software Systems, which RIM acquired back in April, and it’ll be powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, complete with a whopping 1GB of onboard RAM (compared with just 256MB for the iPad). The PlayBook will also support multitasking and Flash (think Flash Player 10.1), by the way, as well as multimedia-friendly HTML5 Web standards.

As far as data: The PlayBook will arrive with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, with both 3G and 4G (yep, 4G) versions coming "in the future," according to RIM. The PlayBook will also connect to a nearby BlackBerry via Bluetooth for viewing e-mail, calendar, to-do items or contacts — meaning, presumably, that you’ll be able to tap out messages on the PlayBook and fire them off from your handheld BlackBerry.

We can also expect "nonproprietary" microUSB and micro-HDMI ports, with the PlayBook capable of outputting full-on 1080p video via HDMI, RIM says.

A slick promo video for the PlayBook shows features such as tabbed browsing, an app task bar, threaded messaging, on-the-Web YouTube video, and tablet-sized e-mail and event interfaces — all very iPad-like, with the added twist of the PlayBook acting as a BlackBerry companion (or the BlackBerry "amplified," as RIM puts it) in addition to a stand-alone slate.

All very interesting, but we’ll have to wait for more details on the BlackBerry PlayBook (not to mention its new, QNX-build OS) until some point "on or before" the tablet’s launch date — which, of course, we don’t really know yet.

So, thoughts on the PlayBook? Questions? (Keep in mind, though, that I’ve yet to lay hands on the PlayBook itself.) Predictions? Fire away below.

• Research in Motion: Press release

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.

World of Warcraft Slang Guide: A Beginner's Guide to WoW Leetspeak

World of Warcraft is among the most popular video games of all time. As of 2009 it holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG, with over 10 million subscribers. The game has also made its mark on pop culture, spawning popular web series "The Guild" as well as being lampooned in its own episode of "South Park." It's so big, it's even developed its own dialect!

For new players, the game's slang and abbreviated language can be confusing. Some of the lingo comprises existing "Leetspeak" or gaming slang terms, like "LOL" (Laugh Out Loud) or "pwn" (a corruption of "Own," a way to gloat over victory). Many others are specific to World of Warcraft, abbreviating game terms and features. To make your trip to Azeroth go more smoothly, here are some of the most frequently used terms:

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Char - Short for character, meaning a character avatar within World of Warcraft. Also referred to as "toon," short for cartoon.

Main - Main character. This is the character you play most often.

Alt - Alternate character. Any character you play besides your main.

Ding - Slang for increasing your character's level. A friend who knows you just reached a new level might congratulate you by saying, "Grats ("Congratulations") on ding."

Gear - Equipment. Your character's armor and weapons.

XP or Exp - Experience points. Points gained when defeating enemies or completing quests, which go toward increasing your character's level.

Loot - Treasure, usually found on the corpse of a fallen enemy.

NPC - Non-player character. Any character that can be interacted with that isn't controlled by another player. NPCs include quest givers, merchants, and city guards.

Mob - Attackable enemies, or a class of enemies such as "Those bats are level 24 mobs."

Dungeon - An area that can only be entered by a single group, with more difficult enemies and better loot. Dungeons are often referred to as "instances" in World of Warcraft. Dungeons may have their own abbreviations, e.g. "RFD" for Razorfen Downs, or "UK" for Utgarde Keep.

Raid - A group that holds up to 40 players, used primarily to fight in World of Warcraft's most difficult dungeons. A guild that does these sort of dungeons regularly is called a "raiding guild" or "raid guild."

BE, UD - Short for Blood Elf and Undead, 2 of the available player races within World of Warcraft.

Buff - Status effects that improve your character's performance for a limited time. "Debuff" indicates negative status effects, like poison or disease.

DK, Lock, Pally - Short for a few of World of Warcraft's player classes. DK is short for Death Knight, lock means Warlock, and pally is short for Paladin.

Rez - Short for "resurrection," or being brought back to life after dying within World of Warcraft. Some classes can resurrect friendly players, such as priests and paladins. If there's no one around to rez you, your spirit will appear at a graveyard. You'll need to run in "spirit form" or "ghost form" back to where you died. This is called a "corpse run" or "rez run."

Zone - An area within World of Warcraft. Usually indicates open areas rather than cities or dungeons. May be used as a verb to indicate switching areas, such as "Zone into the dungeon." Nearly every zone or dungeon in World of Warcraft is referred to as an acronym. The Stranglethorn Vale zone is known as STV, for example.

PST - "Please Send Tell." Also known as "tells" or "whispers," this means sending a direct message to another World of Warcraft player, i.e. "/tell Player Hi!"

LFG, LFM - Looking for group, or looking for more. Used to recruit players to play together, usually for a specific objective like a dungeon or quest.

Hearth - Your character's home point, to which you can teleport at any time, set by an item called a hearthstone. Used as a noun, as in: "My hearth is in Dalaran." Also used as a verb, as in: "I need to hearth to check my mailbox."

AH - Auction House. World of Warcraft's marketplace, responsible for most of the game's trade between players.

WTB, WTS, WTT - Willing (or wanting) to buy, sell or trade. Used to trade directly instead of using the AH. These terms will be yelled out in populated areas, along with the goods or services players are interested in.

Soulbound - When an item or piece of equipment is "bound" to your character and cannot be traded to other players.

BoE, BoP - Bind on equip, bind on pickup. BoE items can be traded as long as they're never worn; these are usually items you find as loot. BoE items become soulbound as soon as they're equipped, while BoP items are soulbound immediately.

Craft - Creating goods through in-game crafting professions. Many of the crafting professions have their names abbreviated, such as WS for weaponsmith.

Mats - Short for "materials," or the ingredients needed to create a crafted item.

Tank - A character designed to take most (or all) of the damage from enemies, especially in dungeons. Also used as a verb, as in "My pet can tank that mob."

PvE, PvP - PvE (Player vs. Environment) indicates when players are fighting against monsters or NPCs. PvP means fighting against other players. BG - Battleground. One of the PvP-specific areas within World of Warcraft, such as Warsong Gulch (WSG).

Board games go digital

A new release from one of the industry’s largest publishers is shooting up the video game charts, but it’s not the space marines of Halo or the jocular star-collecting Mario brothers who are sucking in gamers. Instead, it’s a title based on an old board game: one those same console fanatics probably have gathering dust at the back of the closet.

Risk: Factions is the latest in a string of these chiefly downloadable, low-priced board game spin-offs. Rather than Risk’s usual world-domination schtick -- which could make for an over-long, unwieldy experience on a game console -- Factions gives players shorter, bite-sized missions to complete, setting them loose on smaller, fictional continents. It packs a graphical facelift that introduces animated zombies, barfing cats, and tongue-in-cheek cut-scenes. Games can easily run their course in under 30 minutes. In short, it’s Risk: ADD Edition.

Flippant though its presentation might be, Factions is going down well even with Risk purists: it’s scoringhealthily at review aggregation site Metacritic.com, with much of the criticism stemming from the comparative lack of single-player content. Somehow, we doubt that’ll bother board game fans too much.

Boardgame classics hit the digital realm.

Monopoly’s next up for a similar treatment, also at the hands of EA. Releasing this October, Monopoly Streets promises to give gamers a unique view of the Monopoly board -- from ground level, by creating a living, breathing world that’ll evolve as you play. Make a good purchase, and you’ll see your headquarters swell and become more ornate; get soaked, and it’ll crumble aloing with your bank balance. It’ll also feature a no-frills mode for those looking for the classic Monopoly experience.

If that all sounds a little too...modern, more traditional takes on parlor classics are finding healthy consumer interest, too. Take Carcassonne, renowned winner of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award in 2001: a deceptively simple game where players take turns to lay tiles that connect to form roads, cities, and fields. Just like Scrabble or Monopoly, its touchscreen-friendly tiles and turn-based gameplay make it a natural fit for the iPhone and iPad. Throw your device in your pocket, and it’ll update you whenever your opponent makes a move. Nothing more convenient than that.