Tech Tuesday: Holiday Tech Gift Guide

Holiday Tech Gift Guide from BehindTheBuy.com’s Senior Editor-David Gregg

With the holiday season fast approaching, manufacturers are wasting no time offering great deals for those who want to avoid the last minute rush. Here with a preview of what’s hot in the world of tech gifts this year and how to get the most bang for your holiday buck is David Gregg Senior Editor of BehindTheBuy.Com

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According to National Retail Federation, this year families will spend approximately

$926 on holiday shopping . That’s a 4% increase over last year .

According to the Consumer Electronics Association 12 billion more dollars will have been spent on consumer technology than in 2006 and a majority of the items reflecting this surge will take place during the holidays.

STAPLES 19-INCH WIDESCEEN MONITOR

Holiday competition from unlikely big box retailers like Staples is giving consumers more shopping options this year. The office supply behemoth is going all out to become a year round tech shopping destination with exclusive deals to sell Dell laptops and printers and creating its own affordable line of branded consumer electronic products. For example, this Staples branded 19-inch wide screen monitor with high end features like 4 USB ports, built in speakers and a swivel stand is selling for under $250 during the holidays. www.staples.com

KODAK EASYSHARE 5300

For the 4th year running digital cameras are predicted to be one of the top gifts of the season. One “must have” digital cameras accessory is a photo printer. As we all know, ink refills end up costing more than the camera after only you’ve printed a nominal amount of pictures . Solving this problem and saving tons of money to boot is Kodak with its new model 5300 all-in-one photo printer, scanner, copier with ground breaking new ink that saves you up to 50% on everything you print. Black ink cartridges only cost $9.99 and color ink cartridges only cost $14.99. Other features include a 3-inch LCD screen lets you view your photos and select which ones you want to print and intuitive software that makes printing documents and photos really simple. $199.99 available at www.kodak.com

Tom Tom Go 920 Portable GPS

A great gift for college students, commuters or multi-car families is a portable GPS

(Global Positioning Systems). Tom Tom's brand new Model 920 raises the GPS bar with its bright 4” by 3” color, wide screen touch screen display and exclusive features including Tom Tom Map Share that for the first time allows users to instantly change and improve maps even share on line with other Tom Tom users, and a “Help Me” feature that instantly identifies and locates exact locations of emergency facilities in the area (such as hospitals, police stations even car repair or towing services). This 4GB devices comes out of the box ready to go and is loaded with all the maps (all of North America) you'll need.. For commuters, instant traffic updates with route alternatives and a hands free Voice Command feature make it easy to get to work. Connect your iPod and play it over select FM frequencies or get creative with a personalization feature that allows you to replace the standard Tom Tom commands with your own voice! Tom Tom GPS model prices start at $249 The 920 retails for $699 (A much better alternative than costly car dealership GPS upgrade options that can run in the $1000's of dollars). www.tomtom.com

Sirius Stiletto

2 Satellite Radio Receiver

Satellite radio has really caught on as it offers commercial free programming designed exactly for what each individual consumer prefers. Taking satellite radio to a new level is the new Wi- Fi equipped Sirius Stilleto SL2 . Much more than just a portable satellite radio this portable music machine has a TIVO like function that allows you to store a song you're listening to on the fly and capture up to 100 hours of SIRIUS programming to listen to any time. With Wi-Fi you can receive Sirius broadcast over your home network or a public hot spot . This 4.3-ounce player can also play back MP3 and WMA files. It has a micro SD slot, a 2.2-inch color display, and holds up to 20 hours (non live) of music playback. $295 (plus a service fee of $13 /month) www.sirius.com

Black and Decker VPX Starter Kit

Black and Decker’s new VPX line of cordless tools make great, affordable gifts for anyone. What’s unique about the VPX line is it incorporates (a new for tools) Lithium- Ion battery technology like that of computers and cell phones. The battery is interchangeable and has been designed to power the entire line of VPX tools. Lithium Ion batteries are insignificant lighter than then old school power tool batteries, and more importantly, hold charges much longer. Aesthetically too, the new line takes the intimation factor our of power tools with a much more appealing look. There are currently 7 tools (inflator, drill, screwdriver, cut saw, handvac, led flashlight, VPX Power Supply in the line that can be powered by the battery. For the holiday’s Black and Decker has a $99, 3- tool VPX bundle which includes a the new battery and charger, a VPX Screwdriver, Cut Saw and a 3 LED Flashlight for only: $99 www.blackanddecker.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE PRODUCTS PLEASE VISIT WWW.BEHINDTHEBUY.COM