Affordable Gifts for the Holidays

Everyone's feeling the pinch this holiday season. While the December issue of here's how! magazine is chocked-full of holiday gift ideas in every category of technology (it'll be available soon!), I thought I'd offer up some small, affordable gadget gift ideas for those working on a really tight budget.

Belkin Rockstar: If there's a Hannah Montana-loving teen or tween on your list, this device will probably bode well with her. It's a star-shaped hub equipped with six 3.5 mm jacks for sharing music from a connected iPod or other MP3 player with a group of friends. Songs can even be mixed together using an optional second wire. At just about $25, it's certainly an attractive option for the budget-conscious.

NRG2 12-Volt Charger: If there's an avid business person on your list that's often on the road, this new charger will be ideal for him. The gadget can charge your phone (11 different models are available to accomodate 90% of the phones on the market today), but also charge a second device, like a Bluetooth headset or portable navigation unit, via a side-mounted USB port. It's convenient, and helps to reduce glove-box clutter! $35

Nintendo DS' Personal Trainer: Cooking: If you know an adult who owns a Nintendo DS gaming system, they might appreciate this cool "game" which not only feature hundreds of recipes from around the world, but also teaches you how to make them through written and video instructions. You can also learn how to perform basic tasks that someone foreign to the kitchen might not be clear on, like how to julienne vegetables (huh?) or properly chop an onion. The unit can also serve as a virtual shopping list, storing items you select (from recipes you plan to make, perhaps?) in a file you can later pull up at the store. About $20

HP Photo Books: When the economy is weak, people stay home. While watching TV and movies, and playing video games will be a popular past-time, others like to muck around with the PC and digital photos. HP's Photo Books are some of the neatest ones I've seen, mainly due to the bendable spine that lets you pop out and rearrange pages as you like. This not only helps with the creative process, but also allows you to continually modify your project until it's picture-perfect. Each book comes with software for creating visual masterpieces with not just photos, but also momentos, like ticket stubs, cards, and the like. $14.99-$24.99 (5x7 and 8.5x11 sizes)

Scosche passPORT: Last month, it was brought to my attention that the new, 4G iPods could not be charged with older-model accessories, like docks or FM transmitters. They would work, but just wouldn't simultaneously charge. While this might seem like a minor setback, many rely on that secondary charging function to keep an iPod going during a party, or keep the tunes coming in the car. An iPod-lover that just bought a fourth-gen model will appreciate the passPORT, even if he doesn't yet realize he'll need it. The small device sits in between the iPod and the accessory and facilitates the charging function. While the currently-available model only works with in-car accessories, Scosche is in the midst of developing a similar device that will work with home accessories, including speaker systems and docking stations. $30

Gene Simmons AXE Rock Band Guitar: Any KISS fan that likes to rock out on Rock Band or Guitar Hero won't be able to resist the wireless AXE guitar, which is designed as an exact (but smaller) replica of the original, and comes signed by Simmons himself. It works with both Rock Band and Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 and 3. A Nintendo Wii version is coming later this year. $80

Powerstick On-the-Go Charger: Made by environmentally-friendly company Ecosol Solar Technologies Inc., this gadget (depicted above) charges up via USB in about 90-minutes (for about 90% of its full capacity), then can be used on-the-go to charge a multitude of portable devices via nine connectors (included), like mobile phones or MP3 players. Since all its power is drawn from your PC, you're not using up additional valuable energy resources. $70

Roots Tuffskin for BlackBerry Bold: The BlackBerry Bold just came out this year, and early-adopters who have already picked one up (especially since the price has dropped considerably) are likely in the market for protective case. I particularly like this model because it offers simple protection around the perimeter of the device while still allowing you to access all of the functions. As a bonus, the included belt clip doubles as a desktop stand (via grooves in the metal clip) so you can watch a video on the airplane, or "dock" the device on your desk. $25-30

Samsung CLEO Mobile Phone: Any woman you know who loves everything feminine and pink will go crazy for Samsung's CLEO phone, which comes finished in the delicate colour, but also cleverly looks just like a make-up compact. While you'll need a contract through Bell Mobility (or Solo Mobile, but this carrier only offers the phone in champagne), the phone itself will cost $25 if you sign them up for 3-years. Not too shabby!

Belkin Mini Surge: Everyone knows someone who travels a lot for either work, fun, or a combination of both. Every time I walk into a hotel room, I'm hunting around for outlets to plug in my laptop, DSLR charger, video camera, and cell phone. Often times, they end up spread around the room (my phone in the bathroom!), or I alternate charging devices using the few outlets that are available. The Mini Surge turns one outlet into four power and two USB instantly, eliminating the issue, and letting you charge everything in one spot. $30

This only scratches the surface of "gifts under $100". Stay tuned to the Holiday issue of here's how! magazine for more gadget gift ideas, as well as more ambitious and pricy gifts, from flat-panel TVs to DSLRs and PC products. Also keep an eye out for our picks for Gear of the Year.

New Wii Games Look Promising

Just as news hit that the Nintendo Wii has become the first of the big three gaming consoles in Canada to sell one-million units, I had the opportunity to check out some of the latest games for the console.

Guys will love the new Star Wars game, where players can duel one another with lightsabers by waving the Wii Remote about. The game reminds me of the look and feel of the old Streetfighter and Mortal Kombat games. Rather than just pushing buttons, however, players need to physically move their hands about to take a swipe at their opponents in battle.

Wario Land: Shake It!, featuring Super Mario's Mr. Hyde-ish alter-ego, includes lots of jumping, brick-breaking, and money grabbing. A neat feature in this game is the ability to shake the actual Wii remote to accomplish tasks, like jiggling an enemy until money bags come out of him! Signs throughout the game hint at what buttons to press on the Wii Remote to accomplish certain moves: such as hitting "2" and the "right" navigation button to built momentum and break a massive brick.

Rayman Raving Rabids TV Party is apparently the third installment of the game for the Wii console (already!?) What sets this one apart, however, is its use of the Wii Balance Board, available and used with Wii Fit. One function includes sitting on the Balance Board, with the Wii Remote in one hand and the Nunchuk in the other. Then, move side to side to manuevre your Rabbid Rabbit around poles while he rides an upside-down cow (yes, a cow!), and tilt back to go faster. The concept is similar to Wii skiing or snowboarding, but it adds a neat dimension to the experience by actually getting you off your feet and onto your butt!

The most family friendly of the new games, however, is Wii Music, which is actually nothing like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, despite prior beliefs. Select from a number of popular songs or nursery rhymes (Matt from Nintendo says that the game will include about 50 tunes upon launch), then select the instrument of your choice from more than 60 selections. Use the term "instrument" lightly, though: along with the standard piano, electric guitar, and violin, you can also sing, play to the tune of dog barks, and even beat-box! Practice the desired instrument for a bit, then jam with your friends as each of you takes a desired portion of the tune (melody and harmony are great starters, followed by more difficult background parts, like percussion). While you can push a button to see the proper musical notes appear on the screen, it's still difficult to determine exactly how you should strum your Wii Remote as a guitar, or manipulate the violin with the Nunchuk and Remote. Any wind-based instrument requires that you simply place the edge of the Remote up to your mouth, then move your head up and down to control volume, and press buttons in tune with the song. Whether you're a musician or a young child, the results upon the first try are hilarious, and it'll bring some laughs to parties. Parents beware, though. If you think baby rattles can cause a racket, wait until you get 4 kids together in a Wii Music jam session!

While these games will satisfy Wii gamers during the holiday season, many are likely on the edge of their seats for the upcoming MotionPlus controller attachment that provides 3D-like motion simulation that sees your on-screen character responding to real-time to wrist or arm movements; not just general body movements. The first game to be compatible with it is the highly-anticipated Wii Sports Resort, which is scheduled for availability next spring.

Aforementioned games that aren't yet on store shelves (with the exception of Wii Sports Resort) should be hitting stores in time for this holiday season.

While it's not for the Wii, I was thoroughly impressed with an upcoming recipe "game" for the Nintendo DS. It has about 250 recipes, combined with detailed written, video, and verbal instructions. Once you select a recipe that you'd like to make, step-by-step instructions are provided on screen and dictated by a virtual chef. If you're told to perform a task that you aren't certain how to do (e.g. deveining shrimp), just hit the "more details" button and you'll receive detailed written instructions, or in some cases a video, that demonstrates what you need to do. You can input ingredients to get dish ideas, alter the serving amount, and even create digital shopping lists so that you know what's needed for the desired recipe. If you decide to make substitutions to recipes, you can log them in a notepad. For someone like me that often cooks with a laptop and recipe Website page on the kitchen counter, I find this to be a really neat idea!

Rock Band Motley Crue Releases Single Through Rock Band, The Game

Video game makers everywhere just carved another notch in their belts. Popular rock band Motley Crue announced that it would use the video game Rock Band as the launchpad for its new single, marking the first time that a song has been released through a video game.

Rock Band consists of a "mock" guitar and drum set, along with a microphone. Players can simulate actually playing in a rock band by hitting buttons or the coloured drums in time with musical bars that slide down the screen. As you strike the notes correctly, the tune continues to play. If too many notes are missed, you'll get boo'ed off stage! (If you've never seen Rock Band in action, just search for it on YouTube.com and you're bound to find hundreds upon hundreds of user-generated videos of kids and adults playing the game). Rock Band comes with a number of tunes pre-loaded, but game players can log into online accounts using the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and download additional songs. Motley Crue's new single Saints of Los Angeles will be one of those options, which means that customers can learn to "play" the song while they're hearing it for the first time.

This is yet another way that the music industry is fighting to remain profitable in the ever-changing distribution landscape. If the kids won't buy CDs and are trying to download music for free, how else can you get their attention? In this case, the answer is through a means that we already know they actively engage in: video games!

When you think about it, it's sort of sad that someone will frown upon paying $0.99 to download a song through a legitimate Website, yet they'll purchase that same song to play on Rock Band without breaking a sweat. Is there something wrong with this? Probably not. It's just the way the industry is going. People want to do more with their music simply because they can, whether it be to transfer it to other devices, stream it through the PC, or yes, simulate actually playing it through a fun video game. Ahh, technology.

Bully: When Does a Video Game Cross a Line?

Ever since video games became more than just two dots on a screen that you paddle back and forth, people have cried out that they're too violent, send the wrong message, or make kids lazy. The last two points are debatable, but game-makers will have to plead no contest to the violence factor, which is rampant in many of the most popular games today. But at what point does a game go too far?

Reports flooding the 'net claim that a group of teachers acround the world are requesting that a new video game, called Bully: Scholarship Edition, be banned from stores. According to the Globe & Mail, the game includes all of the teen angst and self-confidence issues that are often found in the high school scene, complete with fights (including shoved heads in toilets!), naked photos for laughs, and the like.

Let me start by saying that I've seen (or heard of ) some pretty violent video games involving everything from chain-sawed killings, to ripping someone's insides out, biting off heads, and even picking up prostitutes and stealing cars. When it comes to teens and pre-teens, I've always felt that, as long as they understand the difference between fiction and reality, these games are simply for the purpose of having "fun", enjoying comraderie, and perfecting hand/eye co-ordination. But when a game involves realistic situations tailored to a young crowd (the game is rated Teen for those 13 and up), a red flag goes up in even my typically open-minded head.

What's more, the game is apparently a sequel to the already-available Bully, which also caused a stir when it was released a few years ago, although it still managed to make its way to store shelves.

It's very unlikely that a kid will find himself in a lone dungeon with some weird creatures dressed in metal, so separating that fiction from reality should be a fairly easy task for any sane-minded kid. And being a gangster that pulls people out of cars and has random shooting sprees on the streets is pretty far-fetched as well (again, for any sane kid). I don't believe that participating in games like this will affect a child's mindset in the slightest. But when you're looking at a real world environment that's just like his, especially if the kid playing the game is typically on the receiving end of such bullying in real life, it's a bit disturbing. The issue, I think, isn't so much the violence as it is the probable ability to relate to these sensitive situations.

I won't make a judgement call on the issue without having actually seen the game (which the publisher, Vancouver-based Rockstar Games, claims is "one of the funniest games you will play.") Perhaps it isn't as bad as people think. But all I can think when I read things like this is thank God for good ol' Super Mario and clean, fun (and G-rated!) games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Video Games Really are for Every Generation

I never thought of myself as a "gamer", although I used to play the odd Atari and Nintendo 64 game way back when; and who can resist a quick online game of Bejeweled? But after spending some time with the Nintendo Wii, I'm convinced that this console really has conquered every generation.

Earlier this month, reports flooded the 'net that the Wii crept up and outsold every other gaming console on the market in the first month of 2008. According to NPD, 274,000 Wii consoles sold in the U.S. in January, compared to 269,000 PlayStation 3s and 230,000 Xbox 360s. Who would have ever thought that a "cheesy" and family-friendly gaming system could overtake consoles made for the hard-core, teenage male gamer?

But this family-friendly console has really come up out of nowhere and taken the gaming world by storm. Playing the "free" sports game that comes with the Wii console for an hour or two will have you sweating buckets; and creating your own "Mii" character that looks just like you is a barrel of laughs, just not for kids, but easily for a group of 20, 30, or even 60-somethings. What's even more telling is that the Wii is still to this day tough to find in retail stores even after being on the market for over a year. I even had to travel to 4 different stores just to find a second Nunchuk controller!

For those who thinking gaming is for lethargic, "geeky" kids with no friends, think again. An hour of gaming with the Wii can give anyone some well-needed exercise, and is a great activity for "family" time for mom and dad, the kids, or even a gathering of friends.

I want to end by noting that I'm not implying the other consoles don't offer neat, interactive features as well. I was also recently introduced to Rock Band for the Xbox 360, and I must say that I enjoyed it as well. Again, this is a game that brings people together, and requires physical activity rather than sitting on your butt and flicking a button or joystick every now and then.

Incorporating physical activity into gaming really seems to be the way that gaming is headed; and it will certainly continue to open the hobby to new and exciting markets.