Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley
\nOctober 31, 2011 Deadline
\nDecember 2011 Issue<\/p>\n
Have a Happy High-Tech Holiday<\/strong><\/p>\n Holidays are about faith, family, and friendships, with some gift giving as an added bonus. If you can be with loved ones for the holidays, that\u2019s the most important gift. Still, giving that perfect gift is a challenge we all face. The best gifts reflect how well you know the recipients. Allow me to offer some ideas from the Virtual Valley.<\/p>\n Idea 1: Earphones.<\/strong><\/p>\n If the music lover in your family is still using \u201cbuds\u201d instead of headphones, consider the gift of high-fidelity sound. Yes, old-fashioned headphones. Until I tried a pair of Skullcandy Throwback headphones, I had no idea how great an iPod could sound. Skullcandy (skullcandy.com) sells \u201cover the ear\u201d headphones resembling the old padded ones my father used in the 1970s. They might look odd to young people, but the sound difference is astounding.<\/p>\n Marshall headphones (marshallheadphones.com) are a great gift for anyone familiar with Marshall amplifiers. Serious audiophiles tell me Bose (bose.com) headphones are better and nothing beats Shure (shure.com) DJ headphones. Anything is better than having something shoved into my ears.<\/p>\n Idea 2: Phone Accessories.<\/strong><\/p>\n You might not give it a thought, but I know several people who color-coordinate their cell phone cases with their outfits. A coworker told me her daughter buys her cell phone covers as gifts, matching the covers to purses and favorite outfits. I asked her how many covers she had, since it seemed she had a different cover daily.<\/p>\n \u201cI lost track. At least twenty,\u201d the coworker answered. \u201cThey sell them in the malls for $10. I spent $60 for one at a store, but the cheap ones are more fun and easier to change.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe fashion isn\u2019t a top priority. For me, a case has to protect the cell phone from drops and the elements. My Ballistic iPhone case was $25 and is not meant to be removed. The case is water resistant; I can vouch that it has a tight seal. Ballistic describes their cases as \u201cDesigned for Life.\u201d The rugged case is ideal for me. Ballistic (goballisticcase.com) and OtterBox<\/a> (otterbox.com) offer some great cases for most popular phones, tablets and eReaders.<\/p>\n Idea 3: Photo Printers.<\/strong><\/p>\n With the shift to digital photography, we\u2019ve lost the fun that used to accompany Polaroid instant film and the trips to Fotomat. Remember taking pictures at Christmas and watching them develop before the last gifts were unwrapped? Thankfully, you can buy a personal photo printer. The two best photo printer lines are the Canon SELPHY and the Epson<\/a> PictureMate. Kodak, Olympus and Polaroid used to sell personal printers, but those printers lacked the quality and features of the Canon and Epson models.<\/p>\n Personal printers are portable. Canon and Epson photo printers have handles for carrying them. Both lines also support rechargeable batteries, for printing on the go. While I love the high-end Canon and Epson professional photo printers, you wouldn\u2019t want to be carrying them to special events. Personal printers were designed for the bumps of travel.<\/p>\n The Canon SELPHY line retails for $100 to $150. The Epson PictureMate printers are twice the price, but claim to print \u201carchival quality\u201d images that will last a century.<\/p>\n Idea 4: Anything from ThinkGeek<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The technophiles dream store, ThinkGeek (thinkgeek.com) has an odd assortment of potential gifts. While not every item is high-tech, everything in the online store has geek appeal. The \u201cUSB Gadgets and Gizmos\u201d section of the store is where you\u2019ll find the most entertaining gift ideas. Most gadgets and gizmos are less than $25, with dozens available for $10.<\/p>\n The $5.99 USB aromatherapy warmer is one of the odder gift ideas. The USB-powered pet rock is a good gag gift. For the hardcore geek, I\u2019d suggest the R2-D2 or Doctor Who Tardis USB hubs.<\/p>\n