If there is anything I love about my computer, it's being able to research and price compare before making any big purchases.
This article may provide some guidance before buying this holiday season:
Consumer Electronics and Engineering Product Standouts
December 11, 2009 by Rachel Rothman
While we don't like to play favorites, there were definitely a few standout products and services that passed through our lab in the past year. All of these cool products make excellent gifts for your friends and family.
Need a gift for a parent, relative, or friend who isn't the most tech-savvy person on the planet? Look no further than one of our 2009 Very Innovative Products Award Winners -- Eye-Fi cards ($50-150). These Wi-Fi enabled SD cards automatically wirelessly upload photos and videos to a computer or photo-sharing site.
Both lab and kid-tested, the active game Cosmic Keep Away by Hasbro takes Monkey-in- the-Middle or Keep Away to the next level. The ball, which has a built-in speaker, introduces the game and recognizes each player by sensing the colored tags they're wearing (included with the game). The activity then begins with the ball recognizing who's holding it and when it's intercepted. During the Keep Away game the ball counts down how many successful passes each team has completed until one team wins with 20. The toy really got the kids on our test panel moving and parents loved the way it promoted teamwork.
The comfy Audio Technica ATH-CKI ($60) in-ear headphones were a favorite with everyone who tried them. Designed especially for women, they come in six pretty colors (green, orange, pink, purple, white and yellow) and three earpiece sizes.
One of our more recent projects was scoping out the best toys for 2009. While many wowed our children, there was definitely one stand-out winner, Saucer Scramble by Mattel for kids 5+. The base unit spins and shoots small, flying, plastic discs into the air. Players scramble around catching the discs in flexible plastic catchers. With its fun sound effects, this game is addictive and kids quickly learned how to keep it going by reloading the base when the discs ran out.
When the holidays are over make a keepsake for your family - a personalized photobook. The one we created and ordered from Shutterfly was our top pick for its great image quality and because it made customization quick and simple. It offered a plethora of design options and over 100 page layouts for anywhere from one to 16 pics per page.
Photo Credit: Good Housekeeping
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