Michael's Tech News Christmas '07 Wish List

Alright, here it is. The first annual Christmas list from Michael's Tech News. Let me say that this year was a tough one, nothing really has caught my eye in the technology department that is in a reasonable gift giving price range. So after much deliberation, here is the Christmas list for '07.


Sirius Satellite Radio's Stiletto 10 Portable Satellite Radio-
This do-all radio will be sure to replace my iPod after the holidays. With your paid subscription to Sirius, you can receive commercial free radio anywhere, and it also allows you to store your shows with play, pause, and rewind features. And with a few accessories, it has the capability to be mounted to your car and be played through your speakers. If you already have a subscription to Sirius, the $119 price tag is very bearable, but if you don't you either pay $13 a month, or $142 for a year, making the burden a little harder to bear. But if you can afford the price tag, this is a great gift for anyone, and especially those with a car, a love of music, and a hate of commercials.

Garmin Nuvi 200W GPS
Who hasn't been in a hurry to get somewhere and gotten lost late at night ? Well with this very handy device, that can be a thing of the past. With only having a one time fee, and easy install, anyone who has a car will be able to use this everyday. This new version has 3D mapping and comes preloaded with points of interest, like ATM's, and it can stay charged for up to 5 hours. At $249 dollars it is still in a gift giving range, generous as it may be.


Photoco Photoshare 7" Digital Photo Frame-
For all the mothers and grandmothers out there who love to display pictures of their children and grandchildren, welcome to the 21st century. All you have to do is plug in your SD card from your digital camera and it automatic shuffles through them and plays them as a slide show. You do have to plug it in to the wall, which limits where you can put it, but finally a way to show off your photos. 'Cause honestly, nobody likes to look through photo albums.


Western Digital 500GB External Hard Drive-
For the Techie out there, here is something sure to satisfy, external storage. As a hard-core user of the computer myself, i can honestly say that hard drive space goes by fast (i have already used up around 750GBs) and with people being able to record high def TV from their computer, space is sure to go by even faster. All though it will not have the "WOW" factor when opened, it is very utilitarian, and the recipient will be sure to thank you months from now.


Assassin's Creed-
This has to be the hottest game of the holiday season. It has amazing, that is AMAZING, graphics, smooth game play and a compelling story line. It is avaliable for both PS3 and Xbox 360 and runs $59 at everywhere that sells video games. While its not intended for the little ones, due to its pretty intense scenes of blood and gore, its not so unreasonable that a 14 year old couldn't handle it. On the plus side, it is pretty clean in the potty-mouth department with little to no vulgarities.

Brain Age 2-
The sequel to one of the most innovative games in years is a hit. Brain Age 2 offers new ways for you to enhance your "brain age", or mental agility. If you already have a Nintendo DS, than this $19 game is a must. And unlike most video games, this is one that adults can also find enjoyable.


Things you might notice missing from my list are, the Apple iPhone, (with the iPhone 2 sure to follow soon, why waste money on something with little memory and very slow internet browsing?) Sony's PSP 2000 (no sense in upgrading for something a little slimmer and more scratch prone), and any number of the now affordable BlueRay players. (if blue ray takes off, it will be on the back of the PS3)

Note: Some other items are certainly missing, a new Sony Vaio notebook, plasma tv, and a Xbox 360 Elite, but things of this nature were omitted on purpose due to their exorbitant price range.


While these gifts might not be for all, in my opinion (that is of a 17 year old techie) these are some sure pleaser's. Hope that this list has been of help to you, and a Merry Christmas to all