Holiday Greats

Nov. 23, 2008

Wading through the vast plethora of gear available each season for holiday giving can be a little overwhelming - especially when all you’ve got to go on are box descriptions, shouting advertisements, or vague internet reviews.
But never fear, holiday shoppers - we’ve taken a first-hand approach to gear shopping for the 2008 season, checking out each of the items below in-person to make sure they meet not only their description, but also your geek-gear needs. Here are our picks for the eight best gear gifts for the year, from email simplicity to solar power.

TAKE A PEEK
The Peek handheld email and text messaging unit has already been named on Time’s “Gadget of the Year” list, and with good reason. Although it’s purposefully limited, it does its tasks well, and includes a full mini-QWERTY backlit keyboard, and an email address setup that even your parakeet could handle, all in a unit a little wider and flatter than a cell phone.
Available in charcoal, black cherry, or our test unit color, a pleasant aqua, the Peek’s keyboard is small but sturdy, and the click wheel for navigating your email is also solid and easy to use. We input two separate email addresses (the Peek stores up to three), and the tiny blue envelope symbol started blinking, funneling email directly to our inbox. The text was easy to read on the bright color screen, and it was equally easy to write back; for general daily email use, it’s spot-on in its excellence, and is a smart and stylish way to keep up with your email without having to lug along your entire computer.
So what’s the catch? We can’t help but feel that the subscription fee ($19.95 a month) is too steep; $10 bucks a month seems more reasonable, but perhaps that will be adjusted as more people adopt one of these cool little Peeks for their very own. www.getpeek.com, $79.95

ROAM WITH ROVIO
Decked out in a serious black and gray color scheme, WowWee’s Rovio robot looks like something from Battlestar Galactica, but functions in a much friendlier fashion. Featuring omni-directional wheels, a speaker/mic, an LED headlight, and, most impressively, self-navigation capabilities, it charges itself in its own flat dock, and is then controllable long-distance, anywhere in the world, via a wi-fi connection.
Accessible through your cell phone, wi-fi-enabled game system, or our choice, laptop computer, the Rovio’s grid interface was easy to use, and lets you view both video in real-time and emailed still photos. Using the directional controls, it can be remotely steered through your house, quite well, actually, no matter where you are - as long as you have internet access. It can also be programmed along “paths” that it can navigate all on its own, as a sort of absentee indoor property guard.
In addition to being a geek status symbol, the Rovio is actually very useful. Say you’re going out of town; you can check on your pets through Rovio’s on-board mic, arrange a video conference for work, say hello to those back at home, or use it to make sure everything’s secure around your house.
It’s even offered at a reasonable price point considering the level of technology you’re getting - Rovio makes it easy for everyone to have their very own robot, not in the future, but today.
www.meetrovio.com, $299.99

SONIC BOOM
Already dubbed a CNET Editor’s Choice and now snagging our stamp of approval, the Logitech Squeezebox Boom is a pretty spectacular gift for the music aficionado on your list. The digital audio receiver taps into your wireless or wired home network, and can access not only the music on your own computer, but also an astonishing range of both paid and free online services like Pandora and Last.fm, radio stations from dozens of U.S. and international cities, podcasts, soundtracks, and even text news tickers.
Crafted in black with an illuminated teal display, integrated amp, and speakers, it showcases crystal-clear sound, a compact look in about a foot of space, and a clever, tiny remote that attaches to the top of the system via a magnetic square.
The unit does have a few DRM issues, much like other internet receivers - as in the fact that some of your iTunes music may not work, depending on how they’re coded - but considering all the other listening options you have, it’s not that big a deal, and it does do well at accessing your iTunes library once you make use of the easily-downloadable software.
Once everything’s set - which doesn’t take long at all - you’ll likely be spending as many hours as we did spinning through all of the available listening options and learning how to add your own favorite stations. The Boom doesn’t just
showcase its sleek, minimalist design
and a concise, modern entertainment idea; it also sounds terrific doing it.
www.slimdevices.com, $299.

ROOM WITH A VIRTUAL VIEW
Although it arrived looking like a complex optical item only operational by, say, Star Trek’s Geordi, the iWear AV310 Widescreen is actually a bright idea that’s downright basic to use and pretty remarkable to view.
Weighing around four ounces, it’s worn like regular (if thick) glasses, and claims to transform your viewing range into the equivalent of a 52-inch video display as seen from 9 feet away.
Attaching the AV310 to a video iPod, we did a bit of adjusting on the individual eye focus wheels, put in the attached stereo headphones, and watched Christopher Walken dancing away in Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” music video. The image was clear and fairly sharp, and, indeed, looked comfortably large, and it was nifty to feel like you were in your own “theater room,” while on-the-go, although you do have to be prepared for looks from inquisitive passers-by. The AV310 is energy-efficient, too; one AA battery affords around 9-10 hours of viewing.
Although we’ve yet to try it, it seems the AV310 would also be awesome for immersive videogaming such as flight simulators or battle games, as it can be used with laptop computers, portable DVDs, and gaming consoles; and it’s as close as you’ll get to virtual reality without spending thousands of dollars. www.vuzix.com, $249.95

POWER OF THE SUN
There’s not really much to the Solio to write about - and that’s a good thing. It’s a compact, lightweight, unassuming silver unit about 5-by-3 inches in size (closed), with three solar “petals” that spiral out from its center spoke (so you can either set it on the ground for sun charging, or attach it to a window with its included suction cup) - but when you realize what it actually does, you’ll want to order a half-dozen.
Right out of the box, the Solio’s easy chargeability allows it to store up power from the sun (or a wall socket, if you’re in a hurry, although that kind of defeats the whole point), and the included many-faceted selection of adapter tips allows you to charge up everything from a Nokia to an Ericsson phone to an iPod.
The internal battery stores energy for up to a year; we left it on a sun-facing window all day, and the next day it was ready to charge up our cell phone before being folded deftly back up into its teardrop shape, all ready for next time. Every intrepid traveler should have one. www.solio.com, $99.95

TWO SOLAR PALS
Of course, now that you’ve discovered how cool solar power is, you’ll be looking for more items that harness the sunlight, right? We discovered the Freeplay Energy company at the last minute while prepping this article, and we were so impressed with their radios that we had to include them.
The Summit is the first of our two Freeplay choices; completely self-sufficient, it offers the options of solar power and a self-charge option via which you wind up a lever, which worked just fine for us after winding for only 30 seconds. (Or you can use the included AC adapter.)
And what a radio you’ll have - in addition to FM and AM (MW), you also get SW and LW, which means you can access shortwave stations from around the world, a fascinatingly fun activity once you figure out how to decipher the meters and bands; we tuned in SW broadcasts from South America, Germany, and Denmark, as well as our local NPR FM station. The Summit looks elegant, too, harkening back to classic radio shapes while adding a modern element with its gleaming metal buttons and solar panel on top.
If you’re looking for a slightly lower price point with nearly as much functionality, the Companion is another impressive solar radio option from the same company. Smaller and more portable, the Companion has its own standout features; although it doesn’t include the SW/LW bands, it does tune in AM/FM, and also functions as a cellphone charger and super-bright LED flashlight. It’s perfect for outdoor activities, as it relies on its solar panel and winding lever for its power, too; once fully charged, it’ll last for 12-16 hours, with only a few spins of the lever to repower when needed.
www.freeplayenergy.com, $89 (Summit), $32 (Companion)

PORCINE PODNESS
And for those of you who like a little whimsy with your music, let us introduce the iPig, a deceptively toy-shaped amplifier unit for your iPod that actually packs quite the audio power. Available in yellow, pink, and white, the iPig’s tubby little body contains 25 watts of sound that’s cranked through 4 speakers, including two eye-shaped grids and a 4” subwoofer. It arrives with a small, flat remote that easily stores under the iPig when it’s not in use, and which also activates the iPig’s smiling blue-lit grin.
As far as the music goes, it can accommodate a variety of iPod models; our classic iPod worked just fine, and within 10 minutes of setup, we were surprised by the depth of sound emanating from our test choices of DeVotchka, Franz Ferdinand, and The Shins. Classical music also sounded quite good on the iPig; it seems to be able to handle a wide range of audio in spite of its small size.
Another cute feature is the iPig’s volume control; no typical knobs or levers here - you merely tap the iPig’s left and right “ears” to bring the volume up or down. And for the environmentalists, you’ll be pleased to know that the iPig was designed as a green and RoHS-compliant product, using environmentally-friendly components and non-hazardous materials.
www.speakal.com, $139.99