2010 Gadget Gift-Giving Guide

Flexibility for Your Digital Life
Portability is power, and the ability to quickly and easily manage backups, encrypt files and securely transfer even the largest of files is a necessity in business and personal life. The new GoFlex ultra-portable hard drive from Seagate lets users extend their digital life anywhere they go, whether for work or pleasure. The system is PC and Mac compatible and offers a unique modular format that includes a cable system with adapters that can be quickly swapped out to support USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire connections. You can even shuttle data between PCs and Macs without reformatting. GoFlex can also be paired with a GoFlex TV HD media player or the GoFlex Net media sharing device for enhanced media experience. It’s available in a variety of colors and capacities up to 1TB. From $89.99 (www.seagate.com)

Reach Out & See Someone ... in Full HD
Sometimes, the weary road warrior gets homesick. When you can’t get back to tuck your kids in, or perhaps not traveling is keeping you from distant family and friends during the holidays, the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 gives the next best thing to being there. With full 1080p high-definition video and full stereo audio, plus auto-focus and light correction features, this wonderful webcam has the power to warm hearts and sooth the “time zone” separation blues. The HD Pro is designed to work with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and Logitech Vid HD. Oh yeah, it’s also good for meetings. $99 (www.logitech.com)

Must-Have for iPads
If you’re one of the cool kids with an iPad, then don’t be left empty handed … add this awesome Targus Stylus for iPad. It’s great for jotting down notes, drawing or simply turning a page. The Stylus has a durable rubber tip that’s friendly to your iPad’s surface and makes it easy to type and draw accurately and comfortably. It requires no power, no batteries and no software, which means it’s ready to go right out of the box. $14.99 (www.targus.com)

Keep Your Fingers Flying
Winter’s here, and if you’re somewhere chilly you’ll want to wear gloves. But you also want to be able to use your gadgets, and with touch-screens and tiny keyboards, your fingers aren’t quite as precise with layers of fabric or leather in the way. But with Freehands Gloves from 3M, you can keep your hands cozy and still let your fingers fly across screens and buttons unobstructed. The tips of the index and thumbs flip back to expose these digits, letting you quickly text, dial, email or game. There’s even a version with a liner that has conductive tips on all five digits for iPad addicts. Freehands are available in multiple colors and styles for men and women, including knits, rag wool, eco-friendly fleece and waterproof Thinsulate. From $16 (www.freehands.com)

Guard Your Gadgets
You love your gadgets, but every time you put them in your pocket or handbag they come in contact with key chains and other objects, which can scratch their once perfect surfaces. They deserve to stay scratch-free. And they can, with BodyGuardz. Created from the same indestructible material that shields automobiles from abrasive elements, BodyGuardz is a thin, transparent film that protects devices like mobile phones such as iPhones, BlackBerrys, Palms and Androids, plus MP3 players, portable gaming systems, cameras and GPS units, and without the need for bulky cases. The protective films are available in sizes specifically designed for hundreds of devices. From $14.95 (www.bodyguardz.com)

KICK BACK & RELAX

The Media Center, Mastered
If you really want to make a digital entertainment guru excited, then look no further than the WD TV Live Hub from Western Digital. As the only portable HD network media player with a built-in 1 Terabyte hard drive, it allows you to enjoy movies, music, video, Internet content and personal media on any connected TV screen and computer on a home network. It’s like a DVR but with so much more, allowing users to directly download rentals from Netflix and Blockbuster, access social networking and picture-sharing sites, and even easily transfer files from PCs, Macs, thumb drives and cameras into the shared folders. $199 (www.wdtvlive.com or www.BestBuy.com)