gifts

Amazon touts top products of 2009

The Kindle e-reader, the Nintendo Wii, and an Asus Netbook were among the top tech items for Amazon customers in 2009.

The retail giant touted three "Best of 2009" lists on Wednesday, revealing the best selling, most wished for, and favorite gift items chosen by Amazon consumers for the year. The company also introduced its Bestsellers Archive, which can show historical popularity among several categories, including print books, Kindle books, music downloads, movies and TV shows, and video games.

Amazon has been relentlessly proclaiming the popularity of its Kindle device, though it just as steadfastly has declined to … Read more

Best hardware and software add-ons for your PC

Each holiday season, millions of computers celebrate the holidays isolated and unappreciated for all the hard work they do throughout the year. Whether you just unwrapped a new PC or you're just looking to upgrade your old standby Windows XP or Mac G5 computer, we have the perfect accessories to complement your system.

From replacement keyboards and mice to reduce typing fatigue to aftermarket monitors that increase your workspace and external hard drives for more storage space, these peripherals are a simple and cost-effective way to show your PC the love it deserves.

Accessories Best Printers Best Storage Drives … Read more

Five last-minute gifts you can print!

Uh, oh! Just a few more shopping days until the ho-ho-holiday. Are you scrambling for a last-minute gift for your trusty mail carrier, the kids' schoolteacher, a co-worker, or someone else on your list?

Good news: All you need is a printer. These five stores let you print your own gift certificates for fast, easy, and downright special in-person giving:

Amazon.com On any Amazon page, click the Gift Cards link, then choose Print a gift card. The minimum amount is $5, but you're not limited to increments: Your certificate can be in the amount of, say, $12.09 … Read more

Gadgettes Podcast 166: The White Elephant Episode

Not only are the gifts covered in today's episode perfect to meet the mediocre expectations of a white elephant party, but this episode itself is in essence our very own white elephant gift to you! Interpret that as you will, and have a wonderful holiday, everyone!

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 166

Gifts to bring to a white elephant Christmas

Snuggie for your neck (Thanks, Greg and Sam)

Snuggie for your dog (Thanks, Eric!)

Doormat Scale

Electric rock guitar shirt… Read more

Top 5 worst holiday tech gifts

There are lots of really good gifts to give and to get this year. We're giving one away in this top 5! But there are also a lot of really bad mistakes you could make. So don't make them. Watch the Top 5, heed the warnings, then come back to this blog and post a comment for a chance to win a Sony Reader touch edition, courtesy of Sony Electronics. It's easy.

So, how do you win this CNET Top 5 giveaway of the Sony Reader touch edition? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them … Read more

Crave giveaway of the day: $500 Crutchfield gift card

Last week we gave away a $500 Newegg.com gift card and now, thanks to some intrepid work by our reps at Shopper.com, Crutchfield is generously offering up two $250 gift cards for a whopping total of $500.

In case you don't know what Crutchfield is, it offers a fantastic selection of consumer electronics products (particularly home-theater gear) and is known for its excellent customer service and support.

As for Shopper.com, it powers CNET's price-comparison engine and it's a great site for finding the best prices on products. (See all of Shopper's deals, coupon codes, … Read more

Seven sweet gift ideas

I know, I know...you're thinking, "really? Another holiday-themed list? Really!" But here's the thing: this one is legen(wait for it)dairy! Or awesome, take your pick. Actually, the selections here could make appropriate gifts for any time of year. the reason I just had to make another one is that I wanted complete creative control over the stuff to be included. No sticking to one category, no price guidelines, heck, no having to include only things that are actually available in the U.S. (Consider yourself warned.) This list includes seven sweet gadgets I'… Read more

Which (blank) do I get for (blank)?--Ask the Editors

Q: Can you help me to choose an earphone? I have $150. For the sound, I like an earphone that has great bass and clear sound. Which one is the best between Dr. Dre Tour, Shure SE210 and Bose earphone? -- Yudanto, via e-mail

A: Personally, I would not go for any of those, though for the Dr. Dre Tours, it's more a matter of fit (the earpieces are very long). As for the Shure SE210s, those are not the best model for thumping bass. And the Bose In-Ear 'phones have had lukewarm reviews overall from users and editors alike.

I'm not sure what the availability is like in Indonesia, but my recommendations for you are as follows, in order:

Monster Turbine Klipsch Image S4 Ultimate Ears Super.fi EB (if you have a little extra to spend or can find a deal)

Q: My girlfriend is getting a gift for a relative who likes to read, so I recommended a Sansa Clip and an audiobooks gift card. Before she goes through with it, I wanted to check with the MP3 queen to see your thoughts on the Clip as an audiobook player, and your favorite audiobook purveyor. If you've got a better idea for a gift, I would appreciate it, but keep in mind that her budget is $75 (preferably less). -- bereezy, via e-mail

A: I would go with the Sansa Clip+. You can check out our list of top choices for audiobooks; as you can see, the Clip+ is the best option in her price range. It also leaves plenty of the budget left over for a gift card.… Read more

The toy mouse with the 'Jingle Bells' problem

Admittedly, this may not be the most high-tech of gadgets, but a new toy mouse with a funny recording is worth a mention--and so thought The Sun, which broke the story early Monday. It all started with parents fretting over a $5 toy mouse; they claim the novelty toy sold in small shops and market stalls is singing "pedophile" instead of "Jingle Bells."

For anyone who wants to hear it for themselves, here is the recording.

Toy distributor Humatt, which got the toys from China, says the man in the recording simply could not pronounce "… Read more