Cool gadget gifts

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Here are some gadget gift ideas sure to please the electronically-inclined

Cool gadget gifts aren?t just for geeks, although it probably helps to be one (a geek, not a gadget). Electronic gadgets have great ?guy appeal? and make the third most popular presents after CDs and clothes, according to the National Retailers Association. The range of computers and such available on the market today appears to be endless and dynamic, releasing the inner geek that lurks inside many of us is a task that can be easily mastered by shopping online for all the latest gadgets and gizmos.

The novelty factor of gadgets is their special allure for both men and women, but it is the ability to create something or solve problems that particularly endears gadgets to men. They are often conversation pieces and being the first on your block to have the newest version of almost any gadget is a vicarious ?keeping up with the Jones? sort of a thrill.

What are some cool gadget gifts?

Cool gadget gifts come in all sizes and shapes. Consider some of the following ideas:

1- iPhones and accessories

iPhones offer big touch-screens, fashion and sleek appearance. Apple?s iPhone 3GS was rated highest in customer satisfaction in Consumer Reports’ annual cell phone rankings. Cell phones have seeped into popular culture and are as much a fashion statement as a popular tool of communication.

iPhones are cool gadget gifts because they are so versatile. The iPhone functions as a camera phone, a portable media player and an Internet portal offering email, texting and web browsing, to name a few options, which keep changing with every new model. The iPhone also permits audio conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions.

2- iPods

Portable (digital) media players are cool gadget gifts. Launched in 2001 and marketed by Apple, the iPod can serve as an external data storage device the capacity of which varies by model. While an iPhone can function as an iPod, the iPod is considered a separate product. As of September 9, 2009, more than 220,000,000 iPods had been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history.

Scientists have developed a power generator that will make the dying of an iPod while exercising a thing of the past. It generates power from physical activity around the knees. This prototype iPod relies on kinetic energy produced by the motion of the legs and knees, which converts into electrical energy, which is subsequently used to power up the iPod and possibly other electronic devices as well. Although not yet ready for market, the process is sure to overwhelm those selecting cool gadget gifts in the future.

3- Laptops

Personal computers designed for mobile use make cool gadget gifts. From a concept designed in the 1970s, laptops are usually shaped like large notebooks. These electronic devices integrate most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch-pad, speakers and a battery. There are many different models to choose from, but for the traveler/computer geek on your gift list, there are few presents that are cooler.

Pick your cool gadget gifts wisely as there are many to choose. In fact, an old adage comes swiftly to mind:

So many cool gadget gifts, so little time.