Okay, you know someone that has everything or nearly everything but you still need to get them a gift and need some help. Well, each year I strive to put together a nice line-up of things people "wouldn't mind" getting for the holidays. So let us get started...

I always recommend a fun advent calendar and mention the 2013 Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar set that comes out each holiday. This years Lego set is priced right at $39 and includes a great set of mini-Lego figures. But this year I also want to mention a new Angry Birds advent calendar from K'nex that might be fun, different and attractively priced at under $30.

Share some fun and laughter!

Every holiday season brings out a slew of new movies to see and this year is no different. And some of our favorite recommendations includes the sequel Despicable Me 2 available in Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD download. I can't say enough about how hilarious this film is...as funny as the original. Great characters and the minions are just cool!

Speaking of the Minions...how about picking up a Dave Talking Figure for yourself? This Dave is something special with 55 sayings and sound effects. Careful though...one of those sounds effects is him farting! :-)

Another family-friendly animated Blu-ray/DVD for the holidays is Disney's Planes. This movie brings you back to the Cars universe...but now it is planes racing. Truth be told, the movie is very formulaic but the kids will love it and laugh...and that is all that matters.

In quick succession I will also recommend the dark Superman reboot...Man of Steel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Blu-ray to help you brush up on what happened so you can go see the second Hobbit movie coming out in December and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Bringing the family fun!

Collectible playing card games like Magic the Gathering and the like make for great gifts and for those that are new to playing these games, a starter set is just the thing to get them going. Be sure to pick up two sets so they can have another one for their friend or family member to play with. Magic the Gathering has been around a long-time now and is a favorite in my household and something I can highly recommend.

And if your gift recipient is a comic book fan, perhaps DC Comics Deck Building Game would be a nice surprise. This game requires 2-5 players, takes 30-45 minutes to play and brings together all the fan favorite heroes and villains. Play as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern and yes...even Aquaman. Definitely worth checking out.

What about some toys?

Well if you ask any child nowadays or toy manufacturer for that matter, it is getting harder and harder to find a toy that will keep the attention of a child as well as a smart device. Sad but true. But toys are trying to fight back with some pretty clever solutions. These include toys that interact with game systems like the latest Skylanders SWAP Force or the new Disney Infinity. These toys interact with videogames to bring the characters to life.

There are also toys that have been updated to work with a smartphone like the new Furby Boom. The app unlocks an entire world where you can hatch a whole civilization of Furblings to enjoy. The app also includes a series of games you can play with your your Furby including Furbish soccer!

And if your little one is ready for their own smart device a first option could be the very nice LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra. This has been a popular tablet that hosts a slew of over 800 optional education and entertainment software in a durable package. The 7-inch tablet features a high-resolution screen and Wi-Fi. The LeadPad Ultra includes 11 apps including an art studio, photo app and has both a front and rear camera. Great for ages 4 - 9. Available for $149.

Okay...what about videogames?

This list could go on forever but I'll just quickly list some great titles for current systems:

3DS: Pokemon X or Pokemon Y (Pokemon Y is on my personal list because my son took my Pokemon X right when it arrived), Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is the latest Zelda game and definitely worth playing through and lastly Mario and Luigi: Dream Team.

Consoles: LEGO Marvel, Mario 3D World and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag are all highly recommended but be sure to pick up the right version for the recipients game system.

Now a great gift would be one of the new, powerful gaming consoles like the Sony Playstation 4 or Microsoft Xbox One but those are a bit hard to obtain. You can check the different bundles on Amazon to see if any of these consoles are available in one configuration or another.

Other tech worth getting?

Yes, the new iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina are great products and are highly recommended. These are substantial updates with improved processing power thanks to a new 64-bit architecture.

Let us not forget that Amazon is in this fight with several great Kindle options including with their wonderful Paperwhite 6" ebook reader as well as the impressive Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" that is a highly competitive offering to the iPad for less.

And to keep all your gear working throughout the day, I personally rely on this small USB external battery pack.

We have found that streaming services are taking up more and more of our TV viewing time. And while I'm sure Apple is due for a substantial update to their Apple TV product at some point in the near future, I would have to say that the Apple TV is one of the best products to deliver streaming content to your TV. Yes, the Roku 3 is a great product as well but the seamless integration of iOS products and the Apple TV give it an edge.

I mentioned the Bose QuietComfort 20i Noise Canceling headphones in my "Wouldn't Mind "Getting into the Mood" Holiday Wish List 2013" piece a couple weeks ago but they warrant another mention. These are great travel companions with wonderful noise cancellation features as well as great audio quality.

And sometimes you need to share your tunes with others, so be sure to check out Bose's highly-rated SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker.

And for those over the ear headphone fans on your list, you have probably heard them mention Beats Solo HD headphones. These are very popular and come in a wide variety of colors. And check out my "Wouldn't Mind "Getting into the Mood" Holiday Wish List 2013" for some other great audio listening offerings including some impressive wireless headphones!

A holiday list from me needs cameras!

As I have mentioned on several occasions on this blog, with the improvements in camera technology in your smartphones many people are using their phone to take pictures. And there have been some phenomenal improvements in phone-camera technologies like the Lumia 1020 with its 41-megapixel camera. And yes, the Samsung's and Apple's out there take "good enough" pictures.

So if you are going to carry a camera it needs to add value to your life. It needs to provide something that your phone isn't delivering on. That is the challenge camera manufacturers have been facing over the past few years.

One thing a smartphone camera suffers from is its small lens and sensor. So a point-n-shoot pocket camera needs to provide improvements in those areas. Another area of weakness is phones do not have much in the way of telephoto zoom capabilities. So a camera should improve on those aspects and deliver a much better picture. Smart-devices benefit from being connected to the internet or your home network so hopefully the cameras can start to fill the gap there to help transport your photos out of the camera and get the online as painlessly as possible.

The two brands I have found to be the most trusted for me in the mass-market category are Canon and Sony of late. You should be pretty confident if you are purchasing one of these brands. That is not to say that you can't get a lemon from them but I have found them to be of well-constructed, have a solid list of features and typically deliver great pictures for whatever price point you are looking at. That is not to say that Nikon, Panasonic, Fuji and others don't make great cameras...but as a general statement for someone going out to just "pick up a camera" as a gift or order one online, those two brands have served me well these past few years.

My current camera favorites are:

Canon S120 is the latest PowerShot camera is the storied line of market-leading image quality in a pocket size camera. This camera takes beautiful pictures, provides all the flexible a knowledgeable photographer would want all in a rather small size.

I have mentioned the predecessors to this camera before. What makes it unique is while still being small, it features a larger sensor than the ones found in most point-n-shoot cameras. This combined with fast (f/1.8) high-quality optics, an impressive 12.1 sensor and 1080p video. Highly recommend this camera priced under $400.

A great reason to buy a camera to compliment your phone's camera is to get something that can zoom into distance targets. The new Sony HX50V is a wonderful camera to do just that. With its 30x optical zoom and image stabilization, you can get some amazing pictures. You also have a camera that can rapidly take 10 pictures per second to make sure you catch the action. This camera includes full HD 1080/60p video recording capabilities. Definitely a great travel camera!

Another thing a smartphone camera cannot do is swap out lenses to change out the dynamics of your photography. This is why we have seen a huge uptick is people buying digital SLR cameras. A great new product from Canon in this category is the EOS Rebel SL1. This is the smallest and lightest DSLR camera on the market and supports a great range of Canon lenses. And while it is small, it still features a large APS-C sensor to give you high-quality pictures that will look a lot nicer than a camera phone picture. Even though this is an entry-level DSLR, it is packed full of features, is simple to use and will make you glad you brought this camera with you on a trip or family event.

Computer Gear?

Absolutely! Yes, I am a fan of the Apple products and I'm sure you don't need my help in this category but I will tell you the Retina-based Macbook Pro's are awesome!

But there is some great complimentary gear to go with your Mac or Windows computers.

Anyone can benefit from some extra hard drive space. And Western Digital is the brand I have had the most reliability with. The WD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive is an excellent option. It supports USB 3.0 for faster transfers and leverages WD My Personal Cloud Storage as well.

How about a high-performance gaming mouse for their computer. Check out Razer's Naga 2014 MMO edition. Or Razer's BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical PC Gaming keyboard!

And last but not least, a new wireless all-in-one printer like the Epson Expression Premium XP-810 color photo printer, scanner, copier and fax makes for a great gift to print out all those wonderful holiday pictures!

I hope these suggestions help you lock down those holiday gift ideas! Be sure to check out my "Wouldn't Mind "Getting into the Mood" Holiday Wish List 2013" for more great ideas!

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

It is time for my annual "Wouldn't Mind Holiday Wish List". I thought I would start out with some ideas to help get everyone into the holiday spirit! And this year is probably the richest trove of awesome gear I have ever amassed in one season. If you haven't noticed, this has been a great year for new and innovative product offerings from a wide range of sources. Mobile technology, photography, commuting, entertainment, toys and novelties are all covered here. So let's get started.

The Big Ones

I'll just start out with the "biggest" for the season right off the bat and the bad news is some of these are already going to prove hard to not impossible to find. But I am putting everything here and letting the cards land as they may.

The very thin and light iPad Air

An iPad Christmas? That is what Tim Cook (Apple's CEO) is calling this holiday season. And why wouldn't he be confident!? Apple just dropped the bomb of an all-new iPad Air. This 9.7" iPad still features the amazing 3.1 million pixel Retina display and is packaged in a new smaller and lighter form-factor. As a matter of fact, the new iPad Air weighs just 1-pound which is 28% lighter than the previous iPad! And that weight-loss combined with a device that is 20% thinner creates an incredibly new user experience. It is so much easier to hold one handed now for extended periods of time. Great for reading a book or surfing the web.

And if that wasn't enough, the iPad Air has some new magic inside with the inclusion of Apple's new A7 processor. What is most important about this processor is its support of the 64-bit architecture in the newly released iOS 7 operating system. You can immediately sense the boost in performance from the previous generation. And last but not least, the thing I have been griping about for quite some time, Apple also deemed to provide us with a 128 gigabyte(gb) storage option. Previously they had limited their devices to 64gb of storage which as time has gone on it has made it hard to have enough space...I know I spend a fair bit of time managing my iPad's storage just to accommodate my travel videos and the like. Now I have a refreshing 60+gb to fill up! :-)

And not to be outdone and to further help ensure Apple is having an iPad Christmas, they also released a new version of the iPad Mini with Retina display. The previous introduction of the Mini was limited to the original iPad 1's resolution but this new device is much cleaner and crisper with the same resolution of its larger iPad Air incarnation. It also benefits from the new, fast, 64-bit A7 processor and the option to get 128 gigabytes of storage. It should be noted that while the iPad Air will probably be in fairly good supplies, the Retina iPad Mini may be limited in availability. If you want one of these...you better get your order or get in line quickly.

Speaking of hard to get, I would also be remise if I didn't mention the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Truth be told these will be hard to secure at this point but they are great systems and should be a wonderful gift for those avid game players on your list. I am not going to go into great lengths here, you know if you have a video game player in your life and if you need to get one of these things most likely. But I did want to mention start looking now or consider it an uphill battle to find it in time for the holidays!

How about something to get us into the holiday spirit?

How about the 2013 Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar to kick it off and count it down! This is an annual tradition at our home and is fun for every "sci-fi geeky family" holiday. This year you will find a slew of very cool mini Star Wars Lego character figures and vehicles. Another nice surprise is that last year many complained about the limited number of Lego pieces and a big price increase. Well this year I am pleased to report that the number of pieces have increased and the price has come back to the traditional $39 vs $49 last year. Definitely a must for the Lego or Star Wars fans at your place.

Perhaps some nice holiday songs will get you into the mood?

I don't know about you but it is nice to pick up some new Christmas music every year or two and Michael Bublé knows how to make the season bright with his album creatively titled Christmas. In this album Bublé delivers his classic "rat pack" voice but modernizing those familiar songs with the help of Puppini Sisters (Jingle bells, Frosty the snowman), Shania Twain (White Christmas) and Thalia (Mis Deseos / Feliz Navidad). This is a must have for the holidays to get you in the spirit.

This year we also have a new entrant with the introduction of Kelly Clarkson's Wrapped in Red. A holiday album full of familiar as well as some new pieces from the songwriter herself like "Underneath the Tree". Definitely worth checking out.

And let us say you want to take those holiday tunes with you no matter where you go and you read my blog, you know I am always on the lookout for the best solutions to untether me and my music. I don't like the constraints of wires...especially when you look at how mobile your media is nowadays with everything on your smart-device.


Well Jabra is always looking to help and this year's REVO wireless headphones are a great start! These new wireless headphones unshackle you from your audio device via a high-quality Bluetooth connection and provide enhance sound thanks to its use of Dolby Digital Plus. Jabra worked with Dolby to offer this powerful sound with the help of an exclusive Sound App on your mobile device that helps deliver a rich, full-spectrum of sound. The app allows you to preset playlists, share music and adjust the graphic equalizer to your listening preferences.

The headphones themselves feature a turntable type setup on the side to interface with the device. Pause, play, volume, take a call, skip songs all in easy reach. You can also leverage the included Near-Field Communications (NFC) to help pair the device with other NFC smart-devices. You should expect up to 12 hours of listening time from my experience and 10 days of standby.

I was able to walk away from my iPad and roam into the next room and still make connection. And you can also use the provided cable if and when the rechargeable battery dies. The Jabra REVO's are definitely one of the finest all-around wireless headsets I have experienced to date and well priced at just around $200.

Another stylish and premium set of Bluetooth headphones is the Parrot Zik. I mean if you are going to wear something on your head in public, why not wear something designed by famed French designer Phillipe Starck? :-)

These headphones features four active microphones to provide up to 98% noise reduction. The right ear cup is touch sensitive and controls the volume, song selection and the like. This clever device knows when you put them off and automatically pauses the song. Zik also provides the Audio Suite App to adjust your audio settings.

Those last two headphones are not small but they are very high-quality products that deliver amazing sound. Yet I quite often talk about trying to travel as light as possible and sometimes I need to find a more "portable" solution. With regards to my music listening preferences, my latest favorite earbuds are the Bose QuietComfort 20i Noise Canceling headphones.

What sets these guys apart from other earbuds is their impressive noise canceling solution. The system can actively cancel out surrounding noise or be dialed down to partially cancel some out in an "Aware mode".  You are also provided with an assortment of StayHear tips (S, M, L) to further help isolate the sound as well as improve comfort. These amazing earbuds do come with an amazing $299 price tag...but you won't be sorry you got these for yourself or a wonderful gift. I do wish they were magically untethered from a cable but they are still small and pretty amazing.

The Bose QC20i are available with a standard inline microphone or in a more advanced iPhone/iPad microphone control pod.

Making that holiday gift list?

How about a pen that takes all your handwriting and stores it on your smartphone, tablet or even into the cloud via Evernote or Dropbox? Well that is what the latest Livescribe 3 Smartpen can do for you!

For those of you unexperienced with Livescribe pens, it is a normal looking pen for writing but when you use special paper you can purchase or print out of your printer...the pen records your writing and can store it to your mobile device or online service. Other clever applications include the ability to record audio while you write and have to two synced up on the computer. This is great for finding out what was being discussed while you jotted something down in the notes.

Unlike previous Livescribe pens that syncs via a cable or wifi to your computer...the new pen goes straight to your mobile device and from there your writing can go pretty much anywhere. The smartpen syncs to your smartdevice via Bluetooth Smart for live, real-time syncing of whatever you write or draw.

As much as you would think it would be great to just use a pen to write directly onto a tablet for note-taking but so far that experience hasn't been as flawless and easy to use as the old pen and paper. Whereas this combo gives you the best of both worlds. I really recommend the Livescribe 3 Smartpen which is priced at around $150 for the standard edition or $200 for the pro edition that includes a Leather Smartpen Portfolio as well as a one-year Evernote Premium Subscription. I use a Livescribe pen every day.

While I love using the Livescribe for note-taking and some light doodling. The artist in me does love to sketch and paint on my iPad when the inspiration strikes. My latest favorite product to help in this pursuit is the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus of iPad. This very advanced stylus will work with iPad 3, 4 and Air as well as the iPad Mini. Wacom is the leader in graphic tablets for artists and this new stylus introduces 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity for amazing detailed accuracy and a robust palm-rejection solution to prevent the side of your hand from smudging the image as you rest your hand on the iPad as you draw.

This new stylus is well integrated in many popular creative apps including Sketchbook, PSTouch, ProCreate, ArtRage and Bamboo Paper. One thing to keep in mind is that if you get this stylus, you don't pair it via the normal Bluetooth process but instead within the apps themselves.

This is a professional level graphics solution priced at less than $100. Definitely a nice gift for the artist you know!

Before I forget, I have been talking about a lot of gear to use with your smartdevice. And for me and many people, that tends to be iPhones, iPads and the usual Apple gear. But I do want to talk about another awesome smartdevice, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The Note 3 is a different type of smartphone. It is a large phone with a 5.7 inch screen. The iPhone screen is only 4 inches and truth be told...it is a starting to feel a bit small to me. Almost cramp. Maybe my older eyes are feeling the strain but whatever the reason...bigger is probably better.

Now the Galaxy Note 3 is running Android and I am still firmly in the camp that the Android app universe is a distant 2nd to Apple. And the Android user experience is much more confusing overall. But the Note is a quality constructed piece of gear and for the most part is totally livable. So instead of talking about its limitations...lets start out with why it is great.

That 5.7 inch screen gives you a lot of real estate to view important information. The display is very bright and high resolution. The phone feels fast. Much faster than previous Android phones I have used. This is probably because the Note 3 is one of the few Android phones to give you a full 3-gigabytes of system memory. That extra memory must give the operating system plenty of room to breath.

But the coolest thing about the Note 3 is a hidden "S Pen" that when pulled out allows you to write and draw on the screen. It is a very nice experience that is great for taking notes on the go. And yes, this phone is chuck full of all the latest must-have features. A 13-megapixel camera, Voice Control, 4G LTE network speed, etc. All and all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is very nice smartphone as long as you are okay with the size. Check it out!

Worried about putting on some pounds over the holidays?

A popular gift in my circle of friends over the past couple years has been the amazing fitness trackers made by Fitbit. And this year is no except with the introduction of the Fitbit Force Wireless Activity + Sleep wristband. Like previous versions, the Fitbit will track your steps, distance, calories burned, stairs climbed, active minutes and a sleep monitor. These stats are wirelessly synced to your mobile device and available for your review on the Fitbit app or online.

What is unique about this years offering is the inclusion of an actual timepiece to help "tell the time" but also to provide new services like a silent vibrating alarm to wake you up in the morning. The gift of health is a very thoughtful gift and I really like what Fitbit has refined over the years. Quality construction and inspirational guidance to help anyone and everyone get more active. Available at Fitbit.com for $130.

Does someone not reach out and call enough?

Perhaps the gift of free home phone service will help? I don't know if you have been following the phenomenon of "voice over IP" technology but the Ooma Telo is a device that you hook up to your internet broadband connection and to your regular home phones to create a new type of solution that can call anyone within the U.S. for free! You only have to pay the applicable taxes or fees with telecommunications. Businesses have been leveraging the cost-saving of voice over IP for years but Ooma has successfully brought about a product to bring it to everyone.

The voice quality is pretty amazing. Be sure to check out the Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service for less than $120 on Amazon. Also note the over 3,500 reviews on Amazon with an overall score of 4 1/2 stars. Very impressive!

Speaking of cool technology that leverages your home internet connection. You should check out the Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi video monitoring camera. The Dropcam provides wireless monitoring of a home or office. The video footage is streamed to the cloud and is accessible via your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Some nice features include the mobile app, intelligent alerts if motion or sound is heard, night vision and two-way talking from your mobile device to the camera on-site. Dropcam also offers optional services including a cloud-based recording solution that can capture a month of video footage. Check out the $199 Dropcam and give someone the piece of mind of being able to check on their home, children or pet while away.

Another way to keep an eye on the house as you are busy getting ready for the holidays is the new Nest Learning Thermostat. Here is a replacement to your old and tired thermostat with a high-tech, wirelessly connected device. The Nest will auto-schedule itself to remember when you come home and leave the home to help save costs. It is a wi-fi device that sits on your home network and allows you to adjust the settings with your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Nest is very easy to install, typically just takes 30 minutes to get going and will pay back its $249 cost in no time with the potential energy savings of such a smart device.

How about some help setting the mood?

Okay these next two items might be "unusual" gifts but I always believe that a great gift is something that the person will enjoy but probably will not go out and immediately get for themselves. And the Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting really falls into that gap. This is not your normal set of lightbulbs...Hue does just that...it changes the color in your life.

These lightbulbs are connected via Wi-Fi and work with a mobile app to adjust the color of your room. Before you count these out, think about it. You can set the lights to a more relaxed setting when appropriate or to a more bright setting when you need to get to work.

Now lets talk about even the more practical applications including the ability to set the lights conveniently on a timer including the ability to have the lights gradually brighten over time to wake you up in the morning. Or to be able to turn the lights on and off when you are away from the home.

The Philips Hue wireless lights are starting to sound neat...huh? You can order a started pack with the wireless bridge controller and three bulbs for $200. Individual bulbs run $60 each. The bridge can control up to 50 bulbs throughout your home.

Okay, let's say you like the idea of setting the mood but the entire room lighting system might be too much. How about a beautiful set of Philips rechargeable candles. These soft flickering LED candles provide 20 hours of light and include their own charging cradle. A set of three runs $39 and can really change the look and feel of a room. A very nice gift.

Is that all the holiday gift ideas?

Nah, did you see any cameras, much talk about video games, audio/video or mobile storage solutions mentioned? Would this be a Wouldn't Mind blog post without them? The previous list was just the ideas around getting you, your life, your friends and your home "in the holiday spirit". We'll cover the rest in the next post.

Hope this helped get you started! Let me know if there are any categories of gift ideas or anything specific I should cover in the follow-up.

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

This is turning out to be a pretty exciting year for great holiday gift options! Movies, games, products as well as a slew of trusted "relatively new" tech to keep everyone happy.

I really would appreciate it if you would "share, like, tweet, pin, post or follow" me. Please spread the word so I know there are people out there that are listening :-)




I have endeavored to put together a series of posts over the past month that highlight tons of great gift ideas. I certainly hope you found something to elicit joy and excitement for the recipient! I know I would be happy if I was on the receiving end of one of these!

Be sure to check out these posts for any gift ideas for friends, family...or something for yourself.










I hope these help! Once again, please "share, like or follow" for more great product information especially with the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) coming up next month.

Please follow me @


Happy Holidays,
Larry

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry

I've gotten pinged a few times with people looking for gift advice on some subtle alternatives from my 2012 Holiday Gifts for Cool Kids of All Ages write-up. Questions about options on how to leverage certain products within their current setup and the like. While talking through these scenarios, I hit upon some other great products, many of which I have recommended at one time or another over the past year. So here is my "Another Great Gift List for People that have Everything 2012"!

I mentioned the Big Jambox which is a Bluetooth wireless speaker system that allows you to bring "big sound" with you no matter where you go. But for those of you looking to bring wireless music enjoyment to the home...I would strongly recommend Sonos PLAY: 3 ($300). Sonos is such a quality outfit. Every product they make delivers great fidelity and are thoughtfully executed.

So what does the PLAY: 3 do? Well, it lets you stream your iTunes music library to speaker anywhere your WiFi reaches. All controlled by your iPhone or iPad. You can also access a host of internet music streaming services including Amazon, SiriusXM, Spotify, Pandora and Rhapsody. Definitely a great gift of the music lover in your life!

And while I am at it, the original, smaller Jambox by Jawbone ($130) is still a wonderful and quite portable solution for streaming your music from your iPhone, iPod Touch or Android...any Bluetooth device. It even has a stereo headphone type of jack.


One question I am regularly asked is "How do I get the music on my smart-device to play on my home stereo?" and I point them to the Belkin Music Receiver ($20'ish). This inexpensive little device receives the Bluetooth music from your Bluetooth player (iPod Touch / Smartphones) and outputs via a regular RCA or headphone jack to your audio system. This is a great, low-cost solution for hooking up your iPhone to your home stereo to stream music around the house!

Speaking of audio around the house. Sometimes you just don't want to bother other people and while I have mentioned other great headphones, these are probably the finest set for just around $100! The Audio Technica ATH-M50 professional monitor headphones are spectacular. Now I do need to caveat that these are not portable headphones per se. They have a rather long, coiled wire but for hooking up to your home stereo, PC or lounging around the house, these are amazing!

Even their ATH-M30 model for around $60 are an amazing performer!


If you are looking for some great ear-buds for your mobile device under $50...check out the great Klipsch IMAGE S4 In-Ear Enhanced Bass Noise Isolating headphones.

And now that your home stereo can play all that cool music, you will want to be able to control it, the TV, Blu-Ray player, stereo and the like. I recommend the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote ($130'ish). Don't be fooled by the new Logitech Harmony Touch! That is the new version and the user experience is very awkward...still strongly recommend the Harmony One Advanced!

One thing that I really like to do for my holiday gift giving, is to give someone the gift of something they probably need but not consider getting for themselves. And one of the biggest areas of "neglect" is backing up your computers. And guess what...computers die, hard drives die, things get glitchy...and you loose valuable digital content.

A great solution is just pick up a small portable USB backup hard drive. I am partial to Western Digital and their My Passport ($90) line of drives. I have several that have proven to the highly reliable. For some reason my Seagate drives die within a year. So I stick with WD and have been happy. Just plug it into your computer and install the backup software and off you go. There is a My Passport for the Macintosh (less than $100) available as well that is compatible with Apple's wonderful Time Machine back-up solution. Note: You can reformat the PC version of the drive use on the Mac and vice versa but will loose the software along the way. Not really a lose except for the Windows backup software on the PC version of the drive.

While I am not a fan of the Android tablet offerings to date, I can see why someone would pick up an Android Smartphone. They are less costly, offer differentiated sizes, features and configurations...giving you more variety of options. And at the end of the day, you can make a phone call, browse the web, get your email and txt messages all at the price you are willing to pay.

This works as long as you do not have an iTunes music, apps or video library. If you do, stick with the iPhone! It is the best-in-class product in the category but if you don't, then an Android is an option for the techie or cost-savvy consumer.

While your carrier will offer different hardware, different pricing and different limitations, I would recommend you look at the Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola Razr Maxx HD, Samsung Galaxy Note II (really like this one but it is rather big and not the easiest to tote around)...

...Okay, I tried to offer alternatives but you can get an iPhone 4S from many carriers for under $100! And there is not that much of a difference between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5. Yes, the iPhone 5 is the nicest smartphone with an amazing app library, very well integrated eco-system of music and video integration. And all of that comes with the $100 iPhone 4S...pretty amazing!

And be sure to check out my full 2012 Holiday Gifts for Cool Kids of All Ages posting for tons more great gift giving ideas!

Other holiday gift lists and advice:

Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas 2012

What NOT to Buy this Holiday Season 2012!

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Larry Pacey, award-winning designer tracks the latest news on consumer products, electronics, appliances, smart devices, networking and the gadget lifestyle.

For the latest news follow me on: ------------------------------ OR ------------------------------- Follow me on Twitter @WouldntMindThis Please comment below and share your thoughts. If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to email me at wouldntmind@gmail.com. Just my 2-cents, Larry