21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad

If you order within the next week most of these gifts will arrive in time for Father’s Day 2011 which is on Sunday June 19th.

Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive – $10 and up

The Verbatim Tuff N Tiny USB Flash Drive has become our go to drive for two reasons. It is tough and as you can guess, it is tiny. We have it attached to the our key ring and so it is always there. Because of its size we barely notice it. Because of how tough it is we don’t worry about breaking it. We tested this drive and really beat it up. Our data was safe despite dunking it in water, stomping on it, and plunging into dirt. The drives start at $22 for a 2GB model and range on up to $158 for the 32GB model. But you can find them cheaper on Amazon.

Mimobots – $22 and up

If you are looking for a thumbdrive that shows off dad’s love for comics or science fiction, then you need to check out the licensed Mimibot thumb drives. These incredibly detailed drives don’t just carry your documents, they show off your geeky side with licences from Star Wars, Marvel and more.

We’ve been using several of these drives over the past few weeks and everyone we show them to loves the fun look of the Mimobots. The drives look as good in person as they do on the Mimibot website and with a large collection of characters you have a good chance at finding dad’s favorite comic book hero. The backside of the drive is flat enough we could use it with the MacBook Air, which sits close to a table, but if you are trying to plug into the recessed ports on some desktops you may have trouble.

iPhone, Android & iPad Protection – $30 and up

Some of our favorite cases for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices come from Speck and OtterBox. These two companies offer a range of solutions for multiple Android devices and the every popular iPhone. Speck offers a collection of colorful and fun cases mainly focused on Apple products, offering all types of looks and protection.

OtterBox on the other hand is known for their incredible protection for devices including drop protection. For fathers who work in construction, like to go outdoors or are just rough with their phones, an OtterBox case is the perfect gift.

ScotteVest Travel Vests and Jackets – $25 and up

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without ScotteVest travel vests, jackets and shirts. We’ve been big fans of the ScotteVest gear for a while now because it allows dad to carry all of his gear from cameras to the iPad without looking like a dork. Seriously, the pockets in these devices will accommodate all types of gear for around town or heading off on an adventure.

ScotteVest is having a Father’s Day sale right now, that allows you to get jackets, hoodies and shirts at 30% off. The standard ScotteVest Travel vest isn’t on sale, but is well worth the $100 price tag.

LightScoop – $30

If Dad is a shutterbug, the Lightscoop is a great choice. This handy little DSLR accessory will snap on to his camera and bounce the flash off the ceiling or the wall for better photos. Rather than washing out the image or delivering a deer in the headlights look, the Lightscoop bounces the photos off your surroundings for better lighting.

The Lightscoop is probably a better fit for budding photographer dads, rather than a pro photographer who likely has a full lightbox and studio setup on hand.

Eye Fi – $49.99 and up

Another good Father’s Day gift is the Eye-Fi X2 SD card which connects to wireless networks and iPhone or Android devices to upload your photos to your computer and to the web without any wires.

We really like the ability to upload our photos automatically to our computer and to the Eye Fi Center which allows us to share them with family members on the iPad rather than the small screen of our camera. Dad can choose to selectively upload photos to Facebook and many other websites to automatically share. We like the control, which keeps unwanted photos from going public. Check out our Eye Fi Review.

WetCiruits 4 Outlet Water Resistant Rugged Power Strip – $70

This is not an ordinary power outlet. Sure it is a little expensive but how many power strips from WalMart will withstand pouring water into them or having Junior stick a pair of metal tweezers in one of the outlets and survive without even a shock? With the WetCircuits power strip pouring water on it while it is plugged in and in use has no effect. The water is kept out of the actual circuit. Putting a set of tweezers down into the outlet will not shock anyone. We know because we tested it. Check out the video below.

This thing is great for plugging in a number of things like a laptop, a video projector, and your cell phone while you are working at a table with people drinking coffee or while outdoors at a beach or park.

Razer Orochi Bluetooth Laser Mouse – $79.99

There might be a better mobile mouse out there, but after testing a bunch of Bluetooth mobile mice, we don’t think there is a better Bluetooth mobile mouse available. Designed primarily for gamers in mind, this mouse is also great as an everyday mouse. In fact, we use it that way with the notebooks we use most o the time. You can view our full review and video and decide for yourself. Dad will love this mouse whether he’s a gamer or not.

Cadence 4-bit Binary Watch – $90

This is less a tech gift and more a gift for a techie. If your dad is a geek he will love this binary watch. From a distance it looks like any casual analog watch. Up close you realize that instead of Latin or Roman numerals each hour is represented by a four digit binary number.

Fitbit – $99

If dad is a data geek, tracking and analyzing anything he can put into a number, he may like the fitbit. This small device clips onto his pocket or belt and tracks steps, miles walked, activity, calories burned and can even track his sleep habits. The fitbit is $99 and includes access to the fitbit website for tracking fitbit stats and can log eating habits(he’ll have to do this manually though). If he wants to go deeper into the data and gain comparisons to other people in his age group he can upgrade to the premium account for $49 a year.

We’ve been using a fitbit for the past few weeks and we really like that the fitbit can handle being worn day to day at the office, in the yard or out on a long walk without any worries of it falling off or breaking. The fitbit battery lasts a whole week and uploads data to the fitbit website whenever you get within 15 feet of the base station which is attached to your computer. The fitbit isn’t waterproof, but it can handle being washed off and reportedly can survive a drop into the toilet. Below you’ll see just a snippet of the data fitbit records.

One of our favorite uses has been to monitor our sleep habits. With the included armband dad can wear the fitbit while you sleep and it will monitor how often he wakes up and moves during the night.

Booq Bag Computer Backpack – Starting at $129.95

We think Booq makes some nice computer bags and backpacks. They have almost any style you prefer, but we like the backpack style the best. The Boa Squeeze is their least expensive backpack bag. They sell sizes that fit anything from a 13″ up to a 17″ computer. They offer great protection and will look cool doing it. Dad will be very happy with this bag or any of the other styles. Maybe he likes a something more like a messenger bag with a flap, a simple sleeve, or a briefcase style bag. They have them all. We also like the Cobra Courier which is a messenger style bag with a sleeve to protect your notebook. It comes it at $195.

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 Bluetooth Headset – $199

Bluetooth headsets are for the most part poor performers when you actually start to use them, but not the Plantronics Voyager Por UC 2. This headset is the smartest Bluetooth headset we have ever used and the only one we have stuck with for more than a few weeks. It’s so good, we gave it an Editor’s Choice award at GottaBeMobile.com.

The reason we love this bluetooth headset so much is that it is smart enough to know when you want to use it and when you don’t. With a normal Bluetooth headset, audio will be sent to the headset even if it is in your bag or out in the car. The Plantronics Voyager Pro UC 2 knows when you have it on your ear and when you don’t, allowing it to route the audio to the right place. The headset will even auto answer calls when you put it on your ear. This model includes a Bluetooth adapter so that you can use it with your PC or Mac as well.

Android Phone – Various Prices

As popular as the iPhone is, we think an Android phone might be a nice way to reward dad this year. They are easy to use and have a lot of powerful features. Recommending just one is hard since not all phones are available with all carriers. So here are our recommendations for the carrier that old dad is using. These come from our sister site’s list of the top 5 phones for May 2011.

LG G2x – T-Mobile – $200

It has a fantastic 4-inch LCD display, HSPA+ 4G speeds and it has the ability to capture 1080p which is something most top of the line smartphones aren’t able to do.

HTC Droid Incredible 2 – Verizon – $80

We recently previewed the HTC Droid Incredible 2, the successor of the wildly popular Droid Incredible, and came away very impressed. The increase in display size from 3.7 to 4-inches works well and doesn’t add any additional bulk.

Its single-core 1GHz processor is quick and it comes with almost an identical form factor to the original Droid Incredible.  Add in all the other bells and whistles and you have yourself a fantastic 3G phone.

Motorola Atrix 4G – AT&T – $99

The Motorola Atrix is the flagship Android device on AT&T and like the G2x, it can be considered a superphone because of the fantastic specifications it has on board. It packs a high-resolution display, dual-core processor and a massive battery to boot.

HTC Thunderbolt – Verizon – $249

The ThunderBolt is essentially an HTC EVO with 4G LTE speeds, which as you’ll see in a second, isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. The hardware is solid, the software as well and with an upgrade to Gingerbread coming in the not-so-distant future, the ThunderBolt is worthy of this list.

Amazon Kindle eBook Reader – $114, $139, or $189

There are a number of good eBook readers available, but the best one for the simple task of reading books is still the Kindle. The iPad is the premium do-it-all device. The Nook Color wants to be. But if all you want is an eBook reader cheap, the ad-supported Kindle is the best option. It is only $114 and the ads are not that intrusive. It requires a Wi-Fi signal to shop, download books, and sync things like bookmarks, highlights or notes, but can be read anywhere.

HP dm1z Notebook Computer – $449

Not quite a netbook, the diminutive HP dm1z series of notebooks is a great choice for an ultra-portable budget notebook for the mobile dad who needs a business notebook that can handle almost any basic task you throw at it. More powerful than a little netbook, he will be more happy too. It is an 11.6″ system with a dual-core AMD Fusion processor. The AMD Radeon 6310 graphics makes this little system a lot more powerful than you would think. The 1366×768 display makes it 720p HD capable, great for watching HD videos downloaded from one of the various video buying or rental sites. For an extra $129 you can get dad an external Blu-ray drive too. HP promises 9.5 hours from the battery. If you only get the typical two-thirds of the promised battery life that it still around 6 hours. It has VGA and HDMI output for presentations or hooking up to a TV.

Apple iPad 2 – $499 – $829

This is likely one of the number one requested tech gifts this Father’s Day. It is still the standard for tablet devices despite all that people are trying to do to unseat it with Android-based devices. The huge app ecosystem and accessories market make it the number one device. It is dead simple to use and one of the most versatile computing devices ever made.

Our sister site did a very comprehensive iPad 2 review if you want to read up before taking this big a plunge. Just know that if you can afford it, dad will be extremely happy with you. We suggest a sweet spot of 32GB with 3G if you can afford it. That model is $729. Take one step back and go with the 32GB wi-fi only model for $599 if possible.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 – $1399

Not officially ready till May 24, this business class notebook is one of the nicest we’ve seen this year. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 was give the editor’s choice award by our editor, Josh Smith. He said:

The ThinkPad X1 shows a now look for Lenovo and includes a collection of features and design changes which exciting and new. Lenovo has been able to add to the ThinkPad features we love, like durability and an amazing keyboard, without compromising on why businesses choose to equip their employees with ThinkPads. The ThinkPad X1 shows that the company can adapt and bring consumer features like high-end audio and backlit keys to the traditional ThinkPad line. Lenovo may still need a bit more time to perfect the mousepad, but the ThinkPad X1 is without a doubt the best ThinkPad we have had a chance to use.

The ThinkPad X1 we looked at had a 2.5GHz 2nd generation Intel Core i5-520M processor. It also included 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The display is powered by Intel 3000 HD integrated graphics. The glossy 13.3″ screen is made with a gorilla glass wich makes it durable and particularly scratch resistant. The computer is 3.73 pounds and between .65″ and .84″ in thickness. The 6 cell battery gives you over four hours and the optional slice adds another four hours. Please read our comprehensive review for more detailed information.

Additional Reporting by Josh Smith

Father’s Day 2011: 21 Awesome Tech Gift Ideas for Dad is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

iPhoto Print Books or Calendars – $3.99 to $49.99 or more

Mom’s love pictures of their family and children or grandkids. Apple makes very nice Photo printed products right from iPhoto if you have a Mac. You can get a small 3.5×2.6 soft cover photo book with 20 pages for as little as $3.99 with extra pages costing $.29 each up to 100 total pages. There are other sizes available at a higher price as follows:

• Soft cover medium 8×6 w/20 pages – $9.99 and $.49 for extra pages up to 100
• Soft cover large 11×8.5 w/20 pages – $19.99 and $.69 for extra pages up to 100
• Large hard cover 11×8.5 w/20 pages – $29.99 and $.99 for extra pages up to 100
• Extra-large hard cover 13×10 w/20 pages – $49.99 and $1.49 for extra pages up to 100

They also offer cards for the following prices:

• 5×7 special letterpress cards for $2.99 each
• folded cards for between $1.59-$1.99 depending on the number ordered
• flat cards for between $.99 and $1.49

Finally, they offer a 13×10.4 inch calendar with 12 months for $19.99. Additional months are $1.49 each.

Apple iPhoto Print Calendars

These are all made from within iPhoto and the orders go through Apple and can be shipped directly to you or your mom.

Whirl Mini Laser Mouse w/ Anti-Gravity Comfort Pivot – $49.99

The Whirl Mini Laser Mouse is an ergonomic mouse to help fight carpal tunnel syndrome

We reviewed this little ergonomic mouse and it’s bigger brother. The concept is the mouse is lifted off the surface by a stand that allows the user to tilt the thing at an angle that is more comfortable. Maybe your wife or mom has some carpel tunnel issues or complains about the discomfort of mousing all day. She can use this mouse and according to the company it does relieve stress on the wrists. It also takes some getting used to, so if you get her one of these warn her of the adjustment period. It is a nice size for those with small hands and for tossing in a computer bag.

They have six attractive colors to pick from. The are available at the company’s site or for a slightly discounted price at Amazon. Below is our review video:

SmartShopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer – $79.99

This little magnetic gadget hangs on your fridge and helps the whole family quickly create shopping lists. Just press the the blue Record button in the middle of the device and it turns on waiting for your to say what you want to add to the list. When you are ready to go shopping you print the list. It dispenses grocery receipt style lists organized by category. Below is a list of features the gadget boasts:

• Easy-to-use, hands-free voice operation
• Prints and automatically categorizes your lists
• Category Mgt. allows the user to match their store layout, change and add categories
• Powerful magnet mounts unit to your refigerator or metal cabinet
• Two lists can be individually named and kept simultaneously
• Flags items that you have coupons for
• Allows you to designate quantities
• Centrally located for the whole family to use
• Small enough to fit into your kitchen decor
• Built-in kitchen timer
• Comes pre-programmed with over 2500 items
• Allows you to add your own unique items and brands

And here is their mildly amusing commercial for the SmartShopper.

You can get them direct from the company. The device is $79.99 and with a bundle of three rolls of paper it is $89.99. Replacement rolls can be purchased for 10.99 for a pack of three or $59.99 for 18 rolls. The reviews at Amazon are actually quite good. If you like to get previous generation devices for cheaper Amazon has the old version for $30.

Apple iPod Nano 8GB – $149

If your wife or mom does not carry a smart phone that plays music, then an iPod is the perfect gift. Unless she has an enormous music collection we think the best option is the latest iPod Nano. The 8GB model is enough to carry a bunch of albums, audio books, or audio podcasts. The sound quality is great and the form factor is perfect for a purse or just carrying in her jeans. She can connect it with arm band for when she works out. And if she is a total geek, she can even turn it into a watch. We don’t recommend you suggest that or even get her one of the many bands, unless you want a gag gift to go along with it. Get the Nano and an iTunes gift card or better yet just load up a few of her favorite songs or books so she can listen ouf of the box.

Amazon Kindle eReader – $114-$189

The Amazon Kindle is the eReader that really started the whole eReader craze. Recently they began to offer a deal where you can get a 6″ Kindle for just $114 if you don’t mind seeing some ads. The ads will not be part of the books, but will be in the pages that are shown when the Kindle is in sleep mode. While this is okay if you just can’t afford the others, we recommend the Wi-Fi model without the ads for $139 or the model with built-in free 3G cellular service for $189. Amazon’s 3G service allows the user to download books over the air even when they are not in range of a Wi-Fi network. There is no monthly fee for this free service. The 3G feature is only necessary if you don’t have a Wi-Fi network or really want to buy books or magazines away from home, office, or a hotspot.

We recommend the Wi-Fi only model for $139. It’s not that much more than the ad-supported version. 3G is not really necessary. Get a book or two for mom to read right out of the box. You will need to register it with her Amazon account unless you are willing to buy all of her books. So don’t load it with a book using your own account. You can now gift Amazon eBooks so use her email address and send her the books that way.

For those with money to burn and think mom will want it, there is a large kindle with a 9.7-inch screen for $379.

Silo by iSkin: Slim, Tote and Messenger Bags – $140-$150

iSkin has some very nice bags for carrying around a laptop in style. They work with computers from 13-15 inches, both Mac and PC. There are multiple styles in three basic lines – the Slip, Tote and Messenger. They are designed by either Cako Martlin of Brazil or New York designer Esther Sanchez.

The Tote is designed to help you carry as much as you can in a small size. There are two sections with multiple pockets for smaller objects. The laptop section holds it in place witha  strap. The double handle allows mom to tote it over her shoulder while quickly getting at what’s inside. The padding protects what’s inside. Studs on the bottom elevate it to keep it from getting wet if there is some moisture on a table or the ground.

The Slim has a belt latch that she can pull to ease her computer out of the bag. It is designed to be the smallest of bags and thus holds the computer inside and has a zippered pocket on the outside. There is both a handle and a shoulder strap.

The Messenger is a little less girly. In fact guys will love this one too. It has plenty of interior space, so this is the workhorse of the three. There are pockets on the inside and a big one on the outside. The shoulder strap is padded so she won’t feel the weight of all her mobile gear.

These are all nice bags with varying styles to match her personality.

Nintendo DS and Brain Games – $149.99 plus games

When a couple of our people here at Notebooks.com suggested we add the Nintendo DS to this list, I thought they were crazy. Why would mom want a kids game system? But one of the popular things adults do with a Nintendo DS is play the brain stimulating games like Brain Age and Brain Age 2.

The purpose of Brain Age is to stimulate the mind to help keep it fresh. We adults often let our minds go to mush after we stop our formalized schooling. Just ask any adult who has returned to college after many years away from school. They have a harder time learning. This game is intended to help stimulate the mind with activities and problems like math, drawing and unscrambling of words.

Here is a review from a woman who enjoys her Brain Age 2 game:

Droid Incredible 2 Smart Phone – $199

This is a brand spanking new Android phone just released by Verizon on April 28. It has a 4-inch Super LCD display and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Mom will love the 8MP camera on the back and also a 1.3MP camera on the front for video conferencing via Skype, great for those moms who are far away from the kids or grandkids.

If mom is a mobile geek, she will love the ability to use the device as a mobile hotspot. If she’s a travelling mom she will like that it will work just about anywhere in the world, unlike many of Verizon’s phones.

For moms who need an AT&T alternative, the new white iPhone is always a good choice at $199 for a 16GB model and @$299 for a 32GB version. But remember, before buying an iPhone that there is likely to be a new one coming in the next six months. Some Geek moms like the latest and greatest, so getting her an iPhone now would be a mistake.

Nook Color – $249

We’ve always liked the Nook Color, especially if you are adventurous enough to root the thing and turn it into a a bargain Android tablet that can also be used to read Amazon Kindle books. Now that Barnes and Noble has added an app store, it is a bargain Android tablet without having to hack the thing. Although you can’t load the Amazon Kindle app.

Moms will love the ability to read for hours, play some simple games and surf the Internet on the 7″ eReader/tablet. The much improved email application in the new 1.2 update is also a great way to check for messages and delete the junk while out and about at a local Wi-Fi hotspot or the office. There is no 3G version available, but most people don’t need it or the extra bill that usually comes with mobile broadband for tablets.

If all your mom would like is an eBook reader, then stick with the Kindle. Both models are cheaper than the color and the battery lasts longer. For those who might want more, the Nook Color is the best choice.

Apple iPad 2 – $499-$829

The Apple iPad 2 is the best consumer tablet computer available for the price. Ranging from $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only model up to $829 for the 64GB 3G model, few other tablets have been able to match Apple for price. There are other Android tablets on the market, but none has matched the features and apps available for Apple’s tablet. Mom will love it if you splurge for one of these.

Read our exhaustive team review over at Gottabemoble.com. And if your mom already has an iPad 2, that same link has reviews of many of the accessories that Apple released along with the new tablet. There are also app reviews of GarageBand and iMovie on that page. A great gift for an iPad owner would be to gift an app or get some iTunes gift cards. Sam’s Club has a great deal right now on $100 worth of cards for less than $80.

Toshiba Satellite L645 Notebooks – Starting at $515.99, Recommended model $699.99

A low priced notebook that isn’t too big, but also not so small that its only good for light office and Internet tasks is a great gift idea for a working mom. We are recommending the Toshiba Satellite L645 family of notebooks. They are priced right, come in 6 colors, and have decent processors (as long as you don’t choose the S4102 model which starts at $608). We don’t recommend that one because it has a pretty slow processor by comparison. If you are willing to get the top-of-the-line model in this family of notebooks, you would pay about $700 before tax for the S4037. For that you get the following:

• AMD Phenom II Triple Core Processor
• 14″ widescreen display with resolution of 1366×768
• ATI Mobility Radeon 4250 Graphics Card
• 500 GB hard drive
• 4 GB of DDR3 RAM
• DVD combo drive for burning/reading discs

If you don’t think mom needs that much horsepower, then consider the lower end S4040 which is the least expensive of this family of notebooks at $515.99. It only has a dual core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive and integrated graphics. It is designed more for the basics while the above S4037 is a more powerful middle of the road computer which can handle a little more demanding work like some creative content creation (basic video and photo editing), some gaming and will be an overall faster machine.

Mother’s Day Tech Gift Guide: Gadgets, Tablets Smartphones and More [2011] is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Joby GorillaPod Magnetic – $24.95

For photo enthusiasts, a good tripod is a must. But carrying a big tripod is also awkward. That’s where a small one comes in handy and Joby makes just the thing – the GorillaPod. It is a unique tripod with three legs that can be adjusted and bent to fit on, around or alongside a lot of surfaces. We’ve seen these for a while, but the thing that makes this little guy different is the magnets in his feet. Lighter cameras can be held in unusual angles and places thanks to the bendable nature of the legs and the magnets. The legs are actually unique little sphere’s with a ball joints connected together. They can be bent in a lot of shapes. You can hang this on a metal fence or bend it around a wooden one. You can connect it to the metal plates in the door. We were given a test unit to try out and it works great. Along with The Glif, it makes a great tripod for your iPhone 4.

There are four different versions. The magnetic version costs $24.95 and can hold cameras that weigh up to 11.5 oz. That means a point-and-shoot camera, something like a Flip Ultra HD  or the iPhone would fit great on this little tripod. There are three larger ones that can hold an SLR ($39.95) and a heavy SLRs with a big zoom lens ($49.95 or $99.95). The magnetic version comes in multiple colors, while the others come in just black with either grey plastic trim or the more expensive and sturdy one with metal ball joints. The smaller SLR model has a bubble balance to help get that perfectly angled shot.

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse – $69.95

If you would like to gift someone a portable mouse, one option might be a Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse. This is an update to the previous version which was not very successful. We thought we would hate this one until we used it briefly. While it is not a great long-term use mouse, for short mousing on the go it is a good design. The mouse arcs to form a comfortable shape to hold while pointing around your notebook computer screen. Then when you want to turn it off and throw it in the bag, just flatten the mouse. You don’t have to worry about the battery dying because the buttons keep getting pressed inside the bag and you forgot to flip the power switch.

There are two buttons like most mouse and a center touch strip that reacts to the finger swiping up/down for scrolling or flicking gestures. The tiny receiver can fit in the side or back of a notebook USB port and even stay there all the time. The BlueTrack technology in Microsoft mice lets you use it on almost any surface.

PowerMat Charging Solutions

One of the best products at this year’s CES 2011, according to our editorial staff, was the charging solutions from Powermat. The idea is add one of the PowerMat batteries to your mobile device (usually via an add-on case) and when it needs a charge just lay it on the Powermat. The special battery pack receives its charge from the Powermat without ever having to plug it in.

The Powermat itself ranges in price from about $60 up to $130 depending on how many devices you would like to charge at once (up to 3) or where the Powermat will go. There are Powermats designed to stay put and some designed to be taken with you. A Powermat receiver (the part that connects to the portable device) ranges from about $10 for the older model Blackberry smartphones on up to $40 for the latest models from Apple or HTC. If you only plan to charge one device go with a bundled solution for between $30 to $100. These systems are convenient, making recharging your phone a breeze.

To get started configure your solution at their website which helps you select what you need based on what devices you plan to charge. In our house we charge an iPhone 3GS and an iPhone 4 at once. With a mat it would cost us $129.97.

V-Moda RemixRemote Ear Canal Headphones – $99.99

Need a nice pair of ear buds. V-Moda makes a nice collection of head phones and ear buds to replace those uncomfortable Apple ear buds. The Remote Remix are in-ear-canal buds with a mic for phone calls and a three button remote to control your iPhone without taking it out of your pocket. The sound from the RemixRemotes is pretty good. Quoting from their website:

The BEATPORT air flow system delivers a high-definition sound stage, invoking the sense of a live music or club experience. V-MODA’s revered BLISS (Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone) noise-isolating technology further reduces outside noise and enables deep punchy bass for the ultimate audio experience.

What does all of that mean? It doesn’t matter, just know that you are going to get sound that is better than the ones that came with your MP3 player or laptop. Our test showed that they are at least as good as the Apple ear buds but have  a sturdier build and some nice colors.

We were given a nice pair of pink ear buds – excuse us, we mean “Blush”. They come in Nero (black), Rouge (red) and Chrome. The box also has both clear and black silicon covers (3 clear pairs and 4 black). And there are what they call “sport earhooks” which help keep them in place while you are working out. The clips go behind the ear and hook onto the wire. In our test, these are not really that comfortable while wearing glasses.

The V-Moda RemoteRemixe ear buds feel pretty sturdy and look nice, if you like one of the four colors. With valentines coming, the Blush or Rouge might be a nice festive touch. With a price of $99.99 they are a tad over priced, but the 2 year warranty makes them a little more desirable. After all, would you replace a cheap set of $30 ear buds more than 3 times in that time frame? We would. Replacement is actually a 50% off so it’s not exactly a full warranty. But you get the idea. Before hitting the buy button at the company’s website search Amazon where we found the chrome, nero and rouge version for less than $70.

WaterField Designs Sling Laptop Bag – $99-$139

If your loved one needs a carry-it-all-in-one bag, The Sling from WaterField Designs is a great choice. It is designed to be a general purpose bag, but your laptop will fit inside the bag inside a computer sleeve for protection. It has five zippered pockets inside for little gadgets or other accessories too. The straps are attached with metal rings and clasps for strength. And the bag comes in six attractive colors. Our experience is that WaterField Designs does not make anything second class. So this bag could be a perfect choice for carrying it all.

Apple iPhone 4 on Verizon – $199/299

It’s almost as if Apple planned this for Valentine’s day. The new Verizon iPhone 4 will be available for previous Big Red customers on Feb. 3 and all others can get one on the 10th. The only problem for those who have been longing for a Verizon iPhone is convincing your significant other to wait till the 14th so they don’t ruin the surprise.

The Apple iPhone had some recption problems at launch but it is still one of the best smartphones available thanks to the beautiful retina display, the smooth styling, and all those wonderful apps. A 16GB model will be $199.99 with a 2-year contract and, if you can afford it, a 32GB model is $299.99.

The iPhone 4 has both a front and rear facing camera. The quality of the rear camera is great. It takes beautiful photos and HD quality video. Like all iPhones, it sounds great when playing music. You can watch video and even do video calls via FaceTime or Skype. Probably the coolest new feature that comes for Verizon only customers (for now) is the hotspot feature. The iPhone 4 on Verizon will behave like a mobile hotspot for up to five other devices for an extra $20/month. The cost of switching from AT&T if you are not finished with your 2-year contract can be high so read our guide before doing so.

Toshiba NB305-N440RD Mini Notebook – $379.99

Mini-notebook or netbook? Toshiba calls this one a mini notebook instead of a netbook. But the colorful red lid and display bezel makes this a seasonal choice for an inexpensive second computer for taking to the living room or on the road. Toshiba makes nice netbooks. This series was announced at CES. It comes with an Intel Atom N455 processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150, 1GB of memory and a 250GB 5400rpm hard drive. The display is a typical 10.1″ 1024×600 resolution screen. That’s a little small on the resolution, but finding one this color at this price might not be easy.

The battery on this little machine is around 8 hours, which you can assume is more like 5-6 hours in real life. But that’s pretty good. At only 2.6lbs, this is a nice little system for your Valentine. Toshiba’s “mini-notebook” looks a lot like a netbook. That means don’t go with one if you don’t have a more powerful laptop or desktop system, unless you just need one for light Internet and office tasks and some limited video or casual games.

Valentine’s Day Tech Gift Ideas is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Whether the person you buy for has a iPhone, Android, iPad, PC or just loves technology we have you covered. Still looking, check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 Gift Guides. Thanks to expedited shipping you can still get many of these before the Christmas.

1. HP SimpleSave 750GB USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Amazon -$99

Pick up this superfast USB 3.0 hard drive that will deliver up to 3x faster speeds than a USB 2.0 Drive, but just as easily connect to your current computer over USB 2.0. The portable hard drive has a nice feel to it and comes with backup software built in. We’ll have a full review up soon, but in a few words it’s a nice external hard drive.

2. Scosche MotorMouth II Bluetooth Speakerphone and Streaming Audio - Amazon – $71

If you want to add a bluetooth speakerphone to your car and the ability to stream music over  bluetooth from your Droid or iPhone you could spend big bucks on a new head unit and adapters or you could plug the MotorMouth II into the Aux jack found on most modern car CD players and add both.

3. Mophie Juice Pack Air Case and Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 4 - Amazon – $80

The iPhone 4 is slimmer and sports a new look which means your power users may need a new case to add extra power which is where the Mophie Juice Air case comes in. This case protects your iPhone and offers up to an additional 6 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on 2G, of Talk Time, up to an additional 36 hours of Audio Playback and up to an additional 9 hours Video Playback.

4. Eye- Fi Explore X2 WiFi SD Card - Amazon – $79

The Eye Fi SD card is great for users who can never be bothered to connect their camera to the computer to upload photos. Using WiFi hotsposts the X2 will upload photos over WiFi to the web and your computer with easy sharing on Facebook and other sites.

5. Swiss Army Flash USB Knife 2GB, 4GB, 8GB – ThinkGeek – $54 – $99

This handy and multipurpose tool gives a red LED light, ballpoint pen, knife, scissors, file with screwdriver and keyring. It comes in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB sizes and is sure to be loved by geeks and tech lovers.

6. Apple Magic Trackpad - Amazon – $70

Apple finally brought their expertise in MacBook trackpads to the desktop with the Magic TrackPad, a multitouch mousing surface that combines perfectly with the de facto Mac aluminum keybaord.

7. NetGear Push2TV Adapter for Intel Wireless Display - Amazon – $79

The perfect gift for someone with a new Intel WiDi capable laptop. The NetGear Push2TV adapter allows the users to stream HD content from their computer to the HDTV without any wires. Huge wow factor and it works out well, check out our video overview of WiDi above.

8. Kodak Zi8 Pocket HD Video Camera - Amazon – $99

Help your recipient record the next greatest YouTube hit in HD with the Kodak zi8 HD pocket camcorder. This small device has a jack to hook up an external microphone for better audio which budding YouTube stars will love.

9. Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse - Amazon, Best Buy and Local Retailers – $69

Hard to find online right now but it should be on the shelves of local stores this new mouse from Microsoft folds flat for travel and has a touch middle button that performs different actions depending on what program you are in. The Arc Touch mouse comes with BlueTrack technology so that it can mouse on surfaces that would give most mice a problem like carpet, a glossy countertop or a wood bench.

10. Logitech Harmony 700 Universal Remote - Amazon – $99

If the home theater system at your recipient’s house is a collection of components, game consoles, DVRs and more this remote is the perfect gift. It can be programed on your computer with a huge database of files and live customer support. After you set it up you can press one button to turn all the right devices on!

Have a smaller budget, check out our other Tech Gift guides,

• 10 Last Minute Tech Gifts Under $25
• 10 Last Minute Tech Gifts Under $50

10 Last Minute Tech Gifts Under $100 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Whether the person you buy for has a iPhone, Android, iPad, PC or just loves technology we have you covered. Still looking, check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 Gift Guides. Thanks to expedited shipping you can still get many of these before the Christmas.

1. Targus Stylus - Amazon – $13 Also on Sale at your local Best Buy

If you’re buying for an iPad owner that likes to take notes then this stylus is perfect fit. It is designed to work on the special touchscreens found on Apple products like the iPad and the iPhone.

2. iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speaker - Amazon – $20

This slick and snazzy looking speaker collapses for travel and can easily fill a small room with the sounds coming from your laptop, phone or MP3 player.

3. iPad CandyShell Case – ThinkGeek – $20

The CandyShell is one of our favorite iPad cases that protects the back of the iPad and gives a little lip to the front to protect your screen when you set it down on a table. Check out our CandyShell case review.

4. Kindle Book – Amazon – $9.99

Send an eBook via an email address to your favorite book lover. Your recipient can read the book on their Kindle or via an app on their smartphone.

5. Kensington 4 Port USB Charger for Mobile - Amazon – $24

This 4 port USB charger is perfect for travelers who need to charge up a lot of gadgets while on the road without hauling an extra bag for chargers.

6. Gelaskin – iPhone, iPad or Android Skins – $14.95 and up

We love these easy to apply skins that protect your devices and are also easy enough to remove when you want to change your mood or your favorite.

7. Cassette Tape Themed MacBook Sleeve (Fits 13.3″ Notebooks) – Amazon – $18.90

This cool looking laptop sleeve is designed to look like an old school cassette. It fits a 13.3″ MacBook and should also fit similar sized notebooks.

8. HP Wireless Optical Mobile Mouse – Black Cherry - Amazon – $15

This wireless mouse from HP is a small enough to slip in the pocket of a laptop bag, but large enough to be comfortable for extended use.

9. 16GB Transcend Retractable USB FlashDrive - Amazon – $23 Free Standard Shipping

Perfect for taking large files from computer to computer or for storing some extra files on that small MacBook Air solid state drive.

10. V-Moda Vibe Earbuds (Gunmetal Black or Red Roxx) – Amazon – $23

These aren’t high end audio, but they are good enough to use a a “daily driver” while you are out and about town. Bonus points for style too.

Have a different budget, check out our other Tech Gift guides,

• 10 Last Minute Tech Gifts Under $50

10 Last Minute Tech Gifts Under $25 is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Thanks for checking out the Notebooks.com Gift Guide 2010 series. We want you to have a great holiday season so we have pulled together a collection of gift guides that make it easier to shop for everyone you know. These gifts have been hand picked by the staff at Notebooks.com and have been deemed worthy of giving to someone you care about.

Netbooks and Laptops under 12″

HP Mini 210 – Starts at $329, $419 for dual core

The HP Mini 210 is one of our top picks for a netbook this holiday season because it offers a very portable package with numerous refinements over the last generation model including a screen that can tilt all the way back and the option for a dual core atom processor. The Mini 210 comes in five different color options that will allow you to personalize the netbook to your recipient’s favorite colors. We recommend upgrading to the 250GB 7200RPM hard drive for an extra $10.

Specs: Intel Atom N455 1.66 GHz, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 10.1″ display

Samsung NF310 - $399

The Samsung NF310 is a new addition to the Samsung line of netbooks which brings a new fin-like design and a dual core atom processor. You may want to vet this one with your gift recipient as not everyone will be a fan of the new design. With the dual core processor the NF310 will be able to handle flash video like Hulu and Netflix out of the box.

Specs: Intel Atom N550 1.5GHz, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive 10.1″ display with 1366 x 768 resolution.

Acer Aspire One 721 - $409

The Acer Aspire One 721 is a slightly larger netbook that uses am AMD Athlon II Neo processor and ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics to deliver a multimedia experience you won’t find on most netbooks. There’s also an HDMI port to connect the netbook to your HDTV.

Specs: AMD Neo II 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, ATI Radeon GPU with 384MB dedicated video RAM

Alienware M11x - $744

If you’re looking for a portable gaming machine, check out this 11″ gaming laptop from Alienware that comes with a Core 2 Duo processor and the options to upgrade to fast Intel Core i series processors and a 1GB NVIDIA GT335M GeForce GPU for gaming on the go.

Specs: Intel Core2Duo or Core i Series, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, 11.6″ display with a 1366 x 768 resolution

Acer Timeline X 1830T - $599

This 11.6″ laptop is also packing a powerful processor (Intel Core i3 or Core i5) into a small package that’s light and quite portable. This one isn’t designed for gaming like the Alienware, but it will handle the needs of demanding users that want to do more than browse the web.

Specs: 1.2GHz Intel Core i3, 3GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and 11.6″ 1266 x 768 resolution display.

13″ Notebooks

Toshiba R705 – $749

Looking for an Ultraportable with enough power to get your work done and a price that’s on the nice list? Well, the R705 is exactly what you’re looking for. This laptop earned our Editor’s Choice award for delivering an incredible user experience for around $800. It also comes with a battery that lasts around 5 hours and Intel WiDi which allows you to wirelessly stream HD content to your HDTV with a $99 NetGear Adapter.

Specs: 2.26GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAm, 500GB hard drive, 13.3″ 1366 x 768 display and a 6 cell battery.

MacBook - $933.99

Looking for an entry level Apple notebook, try out the 13″ MacBook which is powerful enough to meet the needs of home users and students alike. The built in iLife apps like iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband add to the value and will have you sharing your memories or creating music right out of the box.

Specs: 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 320M GPU and 10 hour battery

MacBook Air 13 - $1299 ($1249 with student discount)

The latest Apple laptop is the incredibly thin MacBook Air which is a site to behold and perfect for your always on the move gift recipient, though you will need to dig deep to get this as a gift. The High-Res 13.3″ display offers a lot of room to work and the system is ready to go almost as fast as you can turn it on. We recommend bumping up to 4GB of RAM for an extra $100 if you can manage it since you can’t upgrade that later. Here’s our review of the MacBook Air 13.

Specs: 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 128GB SSD, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics and a 7 hour battery

Laptops Between 14-15.6″

Sony VAIO EB Series – $599

The Sony VAIO EB is a real steal at this price and offers a stellar user experience in a stylish package. When we reviewed the VAIO EB VPC-EB33FM/BJ recently we were surprised that it came with a Intel Core i processor and the Sony style for $600. It also has WiMax if that is something your gift recipient is interested in.

Specs: Intel Dual Core P6100 2.0 GHz processor, 320GB hard drive, 2GB RAM and a 15.5″ display

HP dv6 – from $549

The HP dv6 was refreshed earlier this year with a new metal alloy lid and a focus on the look and feel of the device. This has led to a notebook that provides a more durable experience than you’ll typically find on a consumer grade laptop. The dv6 is one of our favorite 15″ laptops. Check out our review of the AMD quad core powered HP dv6z.

Specs: 2.4GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and a 15.6″ display

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 - $623

The Lenovo Edge 14 may be designed with a small business user in mind, but the laptop is also a great fit for a student or mobile home user. The 14″ form factor provides a nice size screen for working on without bulking up to the full 15.5″ display that comes on many consumer laptops and adds to their weight. Key features like a spill resistant keyboard and other durability enhancements add to the value. You can check out our review of the Edge 14 as well as the Edge 13 and Edge 15 laptops.

Specs: 2.4Ghz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, fingerprint reader and 14″ display.

MacBook Pro 15 – $1,705 ($1699 with student discount)

The 15″ MacBook Pro is another expensive laptop, but if you are trying to find a gift for a budding multimedia enthusiast or as a gift to the creative freelancer on your list the MacBook Pro has enough power to meet their needs. We recommend finding out where they will be doing their work to see if they want the optional anti-glare screen.

Specs: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and a 15.4″ display

Laptops 16″ or Larger:

Dell Inspiron 17R – $549

For users who won’t be mobile often and want a large screen at an attractive price, look at the Inspiron 17R from Dell which provides a 17.3″ display and a Core i3 processor for under $550. This large display offers a higher resolution screen that is great for watching movies or working on two documents at the same time.

Specs: 2.4Ghz Intel Core i3 processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and a 17.3″ display

HP ENVY 17 3D – $1,599

If you have a gamer on your list that wouldn’t want the small screen of the Alienware M11x, take a gander at this 17.3″ 3D display that cames all wrapped up in a stylish package. The ENVY 173D is ready for gaming or working on multimedia files and the built in 3D technology means you can relax and watch the latest 3D movies or game in 3D.

Specs: 1.6Ghz Quad Core Intel Core i7 processor, 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5850 Graphics, 6GB RAM, 500GB Hard drive and a 17.3″ diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display (1920×1080)

Sony VAIO EC – from $749 ($999 with Intel Core i5)

The Sony VAIO EC series laptop is a desktop replacement computer that weighs in around 8 pounds, but it has a nice look, comfortable keyboard and a 1600 x 900 17.3″display that is great for work and play. We recently reviewed the dual core VAIO EC and found it to be capable for your average home user. If you are getting this for a power user we recommend bumping up to the Core i3 or Core i5 processor.

Specs: Intel Dual Core P6100 2.0 GHz processor, 320GB hard drive, 2GB RAM and a 17.3″ display

Holiday Gift Guide: Laptops and Netbooks is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The perfect gift for your iPad fan or for someone who’s also getting an iPad this holiday season could be a case. This is a very personal kind of thing as most iPad users have a particular style of case that they enjoy. So we give you a recommendations in a few different styles, from a slim silicon skin case to book style folio cases, and a case useful for carrying more than just the iPad. The last two are unique cases for special circumstances.

One case that is conspicuously absent from this guide is the Apple iPad Case. That is not a mistake or oversight. Our review of the case was less than positive. In fact after ordering it when we first purchased our ipad, we returned it as soon as possible preferring at first a netbook case over the horrible Apple case. Since then we have found some wonderful cases and here are some of the best. Read on so you don’t make the same mistake we made with Apple’s case.

Thanks for checking out the Notebooks.com Gift Guide 2010 series. We want you to have a great holiday season so we have pulled together a collection of gift guides that make it easier to shop for everyone you know. These gifts have been hand picked by the staff at Notebooks.com and have been deemed worthy of giving to someone you care about.

iSkin Duo for iPad – $49.99

If you only want a small protective skin to keep the iPad from getting scratched and dinged for use around the house or at work, then a good silicone skin might be the best bet. The colorful iSkin Duo cases are just that. The iSkin Duo has a unique feature in that it not only protects the edges and back, as most iPad silicone skins do, but it adds a frame of black covering around the front screen. The only thing exposed is the display itself. Also, if you use the Apple iPad Dock, this skin is one of the few cases that does not have to be removed to actually use the dock. Finally, the company claims it is made of a material free of harmful chemicals that also resists bacteria. If so, it might also be a more healthy case. We had no way of testing that without sending off to some kind of CSI-like lab. But we do know it was comfortable to use and easy to install. The only thing we didn’t like was the price. But all iPad cases are about $20 too much. So with that in mind, this is not out of sight. The good news is the clear case shows up at Amazon for only $35. And if you search Amazon you can find the others for similar deals.

Scosche foldIO p1 iPad Case – $49.99

We recently reviewed this folio case/stand combination and declared it the best of class for folio cases. What makes it so special is that it is a good combination of form and function plus fashion. The stand function of the case works well and is easy to transform from a case to stand. The size of the case is low profile meaning it doesn’t add much bulk to the case while still protecting the iPad. Finally, it looks nice. There were only minor flaws which you can read about in our review. One of those is the horrible name. Despite the name and minor quality problems, it is our choice for the best folio case for the iPad. Below you will find our video review.

To get a deal, head over to Amazon where the sale price is a hair over $33.

Incase Convertible Book Jacket Case – $59.95

The Incase Convertible Book Jacket Case was beaten out by the above Scosche foldIO p1 iPad Case for only two reasons – it adds more weight and thickness to the iPad and it is slightly more costly. Other than that, it is every bit as good and takes the 2nd place in our list of top iPad cases. Some people might actually prefer the added bulk since it is likely to make the iPad more secure. But we prefer going with a smaller form. If you disagree then this is the perfect choice. It also has a nice elastic band to hold the cover over the iPad when not in use. Oure review of the white version can be read or seen in the video below.

We prefer darker cases so suggest you pick this black one. But aside from this black case or the white one in our review there are other colors like Charcoal, Vermillion or Deep Violet.

Waterfield Designs iPad Wallet Case – $79

Folio cases are not all there is when it comes to iPad cases. This case from Waterfield Designs is a beautiful option for those who want carry more than just their iPad. The iPad Wallet Case comes in a number of beautiful colors and is a handcrafted case that has a very professional yet home made look and feel to it. The company makes some of the nicest cases for any electronic item including iPhones, laptops and more.

The iPad Wallet Case is unique because it can not only carry an iPad in it’s protective zipper case, but also has a pocket specifically designed to fit the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. Add to that a pocket for peripherals, and this is the perfect tool for someone who plans to use their iPad on the road as a laptop replacement. We love this case and the only reason we are not using it full-time is our preference for folio style cases. The good news is a user can take advantage of both a small form factor folio case like the Scosche foldIO p1 Case above and still use the Wallet Case for those extended road trips. Check out our written review or the video review below.

The basic model is $79. Buyers can get a pair of D-rings added for $5 extra. That makes it useful as a shoulder bag if you have your own strap. Straps from Waterfield Designs come in two styles for either $9 or $19 depending on whether you want a basic strap or one with extra padding. We reviewed the basic model and don’t think you need any more than that.

Otherbox iPad Defender Series Case – $89.95

If you need more than average or typical protection because your iPad will be used in extreme environments or you just want extra peace of mind, then our Editor’s Choice Otterbox iPad Defender Series Case is a good option. It is a rugged, hard shell case that protects everything from the screen to the ports and every other inch of your iPad. It is a hard shell around the entire device.

You can either read our written review or see the video review below.

Zaggmate Keyboard Case – $99.99

One of the cases we really wanted to like which we tested earlier this fall was one of the keyboard cases from Kensington. Unfortunately, it was just okay. The biggest problem was the keyboard itself. But of all the cases that incorporate a Bluetooth keyboard only this one from Zaggmate has a different form factor. All the rest seem to be the same case and keyboard just rebranded with different names on it or slightly different cases. This one however is a hard shell aluminum case with a keyboard integrated into it.

We have not had this one in for testing, but the price and unique form factor gave us the courage to go out on a bit of a limb and recommend it. Here is one review from an actual user who really likes the case.

The case is aluminum and the keys are plastic. The edges of the keyboard are raised to keep the screen from scratching against the keys. And the raised aluminum edge might annoy some users, but the above review said this actually forces you to type the right way helping protect against repetitive stress injuries.

While this is in our lineup, we put it here because the explosion of this style of case shows this is something wanted by users. If you are such a person this looks like a better solution than the Kensington case we tested. Or just pick up the Waterfield Designs case above and the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard.

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: iPad Cases is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

In addition to handling music the lovely display can be used to read eBooks from the Amazon Kindle store or Google Books as well as others. You can also use the device to read textbooks in college or when it comes time for entertainment to play Netflix movies or rent TV shows form teh iTunes store.

There are also an almost uncountable number of apps to pass the time in lines or in meetings that are appropriate for all ages. The iPod Touch may be one of the gifts that spans the largest age groups as we have seen them in the hands of toddlers and senior citizens — almost always accompanied by a smile.

If your recipient is a lover of subscription music services like Rhapsody, they can even use the Rhapsody iPod Touch app to take their music with them instead of buying tracks that won’t be listened to anymore next week.

The iPod Touch comes in several sizes 8GB, 32GB and 64GB starting at $229 from most retailers like Best Buy where you can also get a $40 gift card with purchase which is almost as good a deal as we saw on Black Friday. You can also find the iPod touch starting at $215 at Amazon.com which may be cheaper since you aren’t charged tax up front and starting at $214 at Walmart.

Here’s a look at the iPod Touch:

If you have questions about this gift and who might like it leave a comment below.

Gift Guide: iPod Touch Is The perfect MP3 Player For all Ages is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

If you have an Apple iPad owner on your gift list this Christmas, then we have some accessories for you. At the outset, one category we won’t be including is cases, only because we also have an iPad Case Gift Guide on the way with several great choices. These iPad accessories are sure to delight your iPad aficionado.

Thanks for checking out the Notebooks.com Gift Guide 2010 series. We want you to have a great holiday season so we have pulled together a collection of gift guides that make it easier to shop for everyone you know. These gifts have been hand picked by the staff at Notebooks.com and have been deemed worthy of giving to someone you care about.

iPad Camera Connection Kit – $29.00

For iPad users who want to import digital camera photos either from an SD card or directly with a camera connected via a USB cable, the iPad Camera Connection Kit is a simple and inexpensive gift. It has two adapters that connect to the dock port on the bottom of the iPad. One will accept a standard or high capacity SD card. The other has a USB input on it. When either adapter is plugged into the iPad and the iPad recognizes that there are pictures in a format that it can import (it accepts JPG and RAW files), it will open the Photos app and offer to import them. It is so simple to use.

What Apple didn’t tell users is that the USB to Dock Adapter in the kit will also accept input from a USB keyboard, a USB headseat, a USB headset with a microphone or just a USB sound input device like a microphone. With it a user can record sound to the iPad, listen to music, or input text.

Targus Stylus – $14.95

We’ve reviewed a few different styli here at Notebooks.com as well over at our sister site Gottabemobile. But the one that we want to recommend is the Targus Stylus. We liked the Hard Candy Cases iPad Stylus, but decided to go with the Targus Stylus because of price. Sure it doesn’t have a built-in pen or look as fancy, but it is simple and has the same tip — and it costs a third of the Hard Candy Cases stylus, if you get it from Amazon or Targus. Don’t go to Best Buy unless you need it as a last minute present since they charge more than the retail price.

Here is our video review.

This is the best  choice for a simple, inexpensive stylus for your iPad fan this Christmas.

iHome iB969 Charging Station – $49.99

If we had to pick one favorite iPad accessory, besides a case, the iHome iB969 Charging Station would be in the top two. It is more than an iPad accessory; it is a gadget lovers dream for charging. The iHome iB969 Charging Station comes with two iPod/iPhone docks and a place to plug in two USB cables one of which has enough juice to power the iPad and charge it. The other can be used to charge a smaller device or something like the Kindle. So long as the device can be charged by a simple USB powered port, then it works. That means you can charge up to four devices at once.

The iHome iB969 Charging Station doesn’t take up that much room on your nightstand. It works great if you plug the iPad in at night and turn on the free app Nightstand Central which has a huge clock display, shows weather and is an alarm clock. There is a paid version for $1.99, but we don’t think it adds much more. The combo of the two will make the iHome iB969 Charging Station useful even while your iPad fanatic is asleep. Right now you can get it a little cheaper by purchasing from Sears, which has it for $41.00.

iPad Space Dock – $54.95

Another top choice in iPad accessories is the iPad Space Dock from LapWorks. This is a simple and easy to transport stand for the iPad. It is made of solid aluminum with some felt inside the groove that actually holds the iPad. It comes apart to easily throw in a bag.

My only wish was that I could get one with a little larger groove so I didn’t have to remove my case to use it. However, this stand is excellent for taking your iPad on the road and standing it up at one of three angles so you can watch videos, type, or whatever you wish. It holds the iPad in either portrait or landscape mode. When we first reviewed it, we were little too critical, only because of the price. But in retrospect, it is worth every penny.

PadDock 10 iPad Dock – $99.99

One of the most interesting iPad accessories we’ve looked at this year is the PadDock 10 for the Apple iPad from SMK Link. It is a multifunction device which will hold your iPad at eye level, making it work very much like a small monitor. It swivels a full 360 degrees so you can view the iPad in either portrait or landscape mode. The PadDock 10 holds the iPad securely with a speaker on one side and three lips that surround the iPad on the other sides. The iPad snaps into place with a dock connector at one end. With the connector you can both charge and sync the iPad and sound comes from the iPad to the built-in speakers.

Our review of the PadDock 10 shows just how useful this iPad dock can be. At $99.99 it may seem a little expensive, but for all it can do, that is not too bad. Just be warned the speakers are not the highest quality and it is made of plastic. But it is sturdy and holds the iPad nicely while we use it as an external monitor with a little app called AirDisplay, a $9.99 app in the app store.

Below is our video review of the PadDock 10:

Holiday Gift Guide: iPad Accessories is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Thanks for checking out the Notebooks.com Gift Guide 2010 series. We want you to have a great holiday season so we have pulled together a collection of gift guides that make it easier to shop for everyone you know. These gifts have been hand picked by the staff at Notebooks.com and have been deemed worthy of giving to someone you care about.

Kensington PowerBolt Duo Car Charger – $29.99

If Dad has more than one gadget that could use a charge while he’s on the road, this little PowerBolt Duo Car Charger might be just the thing. It plugs into the DC jack (cigarette lighter) of the car and supplies him with two USB ports for charging anything from an iPhone to an iPad.

While designed with Apple devices in mind, check the power needs for any other USB devices he might have and it could work with them too. The little LED indicator indicates when it is getting enough juice from the car to charge. The two ports actually have different amperages (power ratings). One of them is a 2.1 AMP port, enough power for an iPad, which requires more than a typical iOS device. The other is not powerful enough to charge an iPad but will handle all other iOS devices without any trouble. The thing we like about the PowerBolt is the size – you can see in the picture that it won’t stick way out of cigarette lighter port of the vehicle. It also comes with the USB to Apple Dock Connector cable.

USB  Hard Drive, Flash Drive or Backup Solution – Prices Vary

A great solution for Dad might be a backup hard drive or flash drive. If dad is always taking pictures, digital video or listening to digital audio, he might want a place to store them off of his computer.

We recommend a 3-2-1 backup strategy. That means that any precious files (picture, video, music, documents) are not properly backed up until there are three copies, on two different kinds of storage media with at least one offsite storage location. For offsite, go with a service like Carbonite, Dropbox, or SugarSync. These are services that let you upload files with up to a certain level for free. For example, Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage for free.

The two different storage media means back up to at least two of any of the following: an extra hard drive, DVDs or CDs, or flash media. One of those media should be a hard drive because they are cheap and convenient.

We like the Western Digital My Passport Essential drives, if you plan to go with an external USB hard drive. They are small, lightweight, inexpensive and now are compatible with the faster USB 3.0 standard. Retail on a 500GB drive is only $99.99 if you buy it direct. But we know that you can get a 1TB drive My Passport Essential SE drive that supports USB 3.0 for just $20 more at Amazon.

If you don’t think Dad needs that much storage or think he will want something much smaller, then a USB memory stick (sometimes called a thumb drive) or an SD card might be a better solution. Amazon has a ton of 16GB flash memory in both SD and USB memory stick formats for under $40. Use that a price point and then compare with your local electronics or office stores to see where good deals can be found.

Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot – AKA Mifi Card – Price Depends on Carrier

Getting multiple devices on the Internet while on the go is a challenge that can be met thanks to the Novatel Wireless Mobile Hotspot card or more popularly known as a MiFi Card. Many of us here at Notebooks.com have a version of this great device. Customers from Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Virgin Mobile and now AT&T can get a version of this great little wireless Internet modem/router or similar device.

The Mifi is the size of a deck of card. It connects to the Internet through a 3G wireless data connection and can be used either as a USB modem for one computer or as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices. In our tests, it has enough bandwidth for simple Internet usage for all five devices. However, if one of those devices is being used for bandwidth hungry tasks like downloading large files or streaming video, the whole network will suffer.

Currently, the MiFi 2200 from Verizon Wireless is free with a two year commitment. Otherwise it is $269.99. That two year commitment requires a monthly outlay of at least $35 for 3GB of data. 5GB is $50 and 10GB is $80. That sounds expensive, but a single iPad data plan can be $30. Plus a computer wireless modem doubles that.

Sprint used to have the exact same device as Verizon. However, they have replaced it with the Overdrive, which is a 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot with the same basic features plus it can connect to a 4G network, if you have that in your area, which few do. It adds to the above features the ability to store up to 16GB of data on the device, which can be nice for sharing files with co-workers or family members. There device is $49.99 with a two year commitment. For a 5GB plan you will pay $59.99/month.

Virgin Mobile has the same MiFi 2200 as Verizon, however, it doesn’t require a monthly contract. The upfront cost is $149.99 and unlimited data is $40/month. 100 MB of data, which should be avoided, is only $10/month. This is the best deal if you can get Virgin Mobile in your area.

AT&T also has a Novatel modem available. It is the updated version of the MiFi 2200. It should be available by the time you read this. We will update this page with prices and data package figures once they are available.

Roku XD|S Streaming Media Player – $99.99

There are a slew of streaming media players that connect to your TV and stream digital video from the Internet. Based on our experience and research, we think the one that outclasses them all is the Roku XD|S. The reasons are cost plus content. It is the best value at $59.99, $79.99 and $99.99, depending on which box you buy. As for content, it is the only box that has both Netflix and hulu Plus as well as tons of other channels. Unlike many of the other boxes, users can add their own channels. If dad is a real geek there is no reason he won’t be able to find out how to add them.

If dad likes baseball, he will be able to subscribe to the MLB package and watch his favorite teams live through the box. Also, Roku was teasing that another major sports league would be added soon. We were hoping it would be the NBA, since the NFL is married to DirecTV and Verizon and Roku already has NBA Game Time, which is a playoff highlights channel. However, the NHL is it. So if Dad is a hockey fan, then he’ll love it.

Roku XD|S hooks up to a TV via HDMI, Component video, or the old fashioned yellow RCA cable. It also has optical audio out. It is capable of full 1080p HD streaming. And it can hook up to the Internet via either an Ethernet or Wireless 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. There is also a USB port for an external hard drive or flash drive to display videos, pictures or play music files. We will be doing a full review of the Roku XD|S soon, but our early experience says this thing is the best in class.

There are a couple of cheaper options but we say splurge for the full experience. And don’t order from Roku as they are out of stock. Amazon has them in stock however. If dad doesn’t have an available HDMI import on his TV then don’t forget the XDS Cable Value Pack from Roku for $20.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z360 – $749-949 direct or less from other retailers

If dad has been really hard-working without cramping your style too much this year, then maybe you’d like to get him a really nice ultra-portable laptop this Christmas. There is always the 13.3-inch MacBook Air we reviewed and loved, but that might be slightly out of reach. At a much smaller price point is the Lenovo IdeaPad Z360, which our editor Josh Smith is currently reviewing and has posted his early kudos.

Directly from Lenovo this 13.3-inch laptop will start out at $749 with an Intel Core i3 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and as Josh said in his first look post a keyboard with “perfect feedback spacing and feel.” Despite the glossy screen and plastic case, he seems to really like the IdeaPad Z360 so we can say that dad likely will too. Be sure to check out his video below:

Holiday Gift Guide: Tech Gifts for Dads is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.