Gifts & Gadgets - It's A Small World
Tuesday, December 12, 2006SUSIE GHARIB: If you're making a holiday gift list and checking it twice, we have an idea for you: think small! That's because, tonight, our holiday "gifts and gadgets" series is looking at good things that definitely come in small packages. So here's Scott Gurvey, with a look at what's hot in the world of tiny tech.
SCOTT GURVEY, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: They may be stocking stuffer-sized, but some of the hottest products this year put plenty of power in your pocket. This Sony reader is technology's latest attempt at replacing paper. It is the size of a paperback but can hold the content of several hundred books which you buy and download. Microsoft's Zune media player made a big splash this year with its unique ability to share music with other Zunes. Sales have slowed somewhat as early adopters try to get friends to buy Zunes so they'll have someone to share with. That because most of their friends are still buying Apple's iPod. The tiny nano model now comes in a color to match every mood and outfit. Apple hopes you'll buy more than one.
Worrying that the market for iPods is reaching saturation has led many companies to produce accessories for the popular product, ranging from carrying cases to high quality speaker systems to battery extenders. Actually, if iPods have any real competition this year, it is coming from cell phones, which are fast becoming the Swiss army knives of the digital age. Here are some of the best-selling models carrying the Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon brands. All contain media players for both music and videos. All have Internet connections. All have GPS receivers for navigation and location functions. All run Windows mobile software to connect to email servers. Four of the five contain keyboards for writing - - tiny fingers are advised. And all contain digital cameras. You really don't need any other gadget. But you might consider insurance in case you lose it.
If your all-in-one device has Bluetooth, a short range wireless technology, the Paris-based Parrot company has two neat accessories. This in-car unit sits on your dash and provides for hands-free calling as well as easy reading of screen images. And this digital picture frame displays your digital photos and through the Bluetooth connection, you send the pictures you took on your camera phone to the frame for display. With any of these, you almost don't need a desktop computer. But if you still have one, have we got games and other nifty software for you. That will be tomorrow's report. Scott Gurvey, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, New York.
