In case you haven't seen the latest issue of PC Authority magazine, we've rounded up a big guide to 101 Christmas Gift Ideas, including the latest toys for home theatre, sport, home networking, PlayStation 3, and more. To give you a taste, here's a selection of five from the magazine:
For the full list, see the December issue of PC Authority magazine, on sale now at your local newsagent.
Topfield Masterpiece HD
Power users will find Topfield's Masterpiece HD personal video recorder gets a tick in almost every box. We love that it offers features the networks frown upon - such as ad-skipping and the ability to easily copy recordings off the device via USB, FTP or a web browser. You can even access the device over the web to set recordings and download files, plus it's compatible with the IceTV electronic program guide. It also has composite and component video inputs for recording and time-shifting from external devices, such as a pay TV box. Price $1099
EyePet
Tipped as the future of interactive gaming, the EyePet camera/game combo is a good example of what augmented reality technology can do. In a nutshell, you setup the included Eye camera, facing a big flat surface. You stand behind the surface, facing the camera, watching the TV screen. From here you can interact with a virtual "EyePet", playing games with it, even getting your pet to play with virtual objects. It's a bit tricky to explain, but we've played with the EyePet in person, and can report it's unlike many games we've encountered before. Price tba
SanDisk Extreme Pro
We weep at the asking price, but for serious photographers, the SanDisk Extreme Pro is is as good as memory cards get. Available in 16GB ($399) up to a mammoth 64GB capacity, the new Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards are blazingly fast at writing and reading image data - 90Mbps, to be exact. To get an idea of what this means, taking 15 shots in burst mode using a slower 15Mbps card can take more than 30 seconds. We managed the same burst sequence in an astonishing 11 seconds using the 90Mbps Extreme Pro. Owners of high speed DSLRs will be in heaven. Price $399 (16GB)
Asus VK266H LCD monitor
A full HD 26in monitor with a 2ms grey-to-grey response time, the VK266H is just the kind of monitor you need for immersive gaming. There are bigger around, but after 26in you tend to head into the stratospheric price zone, while the VK266H can be found for a little over $500. In addition to its excellent picture, ghost-free motion and bevy of inputs (HDMI, VGA, component and DVI), the VK266H also sports internal speakers, an embedded 2 megapixel Web camera and a microphone. That means you can voice chat without wearing a sweaty headset - though the embedded mic can pick up audio from a loud stereo system if you're not careful. Price $518
VholdR ContourHD
Many dream of filming themselves risking danger while mountain bike, surfing or sky diving, and this is the tool for those wanting to make it a reality. There are two models available: one shoots in 720p (which is the one we've priced here), while the other is supposedly the world's first wearable action cam to shoot 1080p video. The camera is pricey, but it's also very light at 116 grams and the camera can be mounted to your goggles, helmet or handle bars. There's a rechargeable battery and video records to microSD. The entire camera weighs a measly 123 grams. Price $549