HiTechMommy

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas

Cat Schwartz on WhoSay

 

OK boys and girls - we're getting down to the wire here. Here's what I'm thinking about as we approach the end of the year.

 

Everybody Dance is the ultimate PlayStation Move party game for
PlayStation 3. This game gets everyone in the family up and moving,
using the PlayStation Move motion controller and PlayStation Eye
camera to dance alongside 40 hit tracks from top-selling artists
including Rihanna, LMFAO, Duck Sauce and more. There is even
a Party Play mode that lets up to 20 players create profiles and go
head to head in an epic dance off. With the PlayStation Eye camera,
players can record and playback their performances and then share
them with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.

This next gift is great for anyone on your list and is REALLY cool.

Check out The Echo smartpen from Livescribe. Starting at $99, this
pen records everything you hear and write, so you never miss a
word. You simply tap on your handwritten notes with the smartpen to
playback what was said at the exact moment in time. What makes this
gift even cooler is that you can transfer your notes and audio to your
computer and review an interactive digital version of your notes and

audio in what’s called a Pencast! The pencast is easy to share with
friends, colleagues and peers via email, Facebook, Evernote, Google
Docs and more. Perfect for students and business professionals who
need to access their important information quickly.

How about giving the gift of language!

Living Language Platinum is a comprehensive language learning
course that makes learning a language fun, interactive and flexible.
It’s fully integrated among multiple digital platforms (any browsers,
tablet, smartphone) making it easy for users to access the online
course, e- tutoring and social community on the go. At $179 this is the
best combo of features and value on the market and is just as
effective as ones you have seen in the past.
Perfect for the
students, travelers, international business people or anyone looking to
learn a language in 2012!

If you are looking to give a Windows 7 PC for the student on your list
this season, but not sure which PC is the right one. Check out PC
Scout.com
There you will find high -end entertainment machines to small portable
notebooks in so many styles, colors and features and prices. Like this
one.
The HP Pavilion DM1 is an affordable yet highly functional Windows 7
PC and it weighs less than 3 lbs making it a great gift for your student
or anyone who needs a super portable PC on your list. Go check out
PCScout.com

We all know toys are often the Center piece of holiday gift giving and
The Duracell Holiday Program helps parents prepare with what they
need to create a magical Christmas morning for their kids and kids
in need. If your toy doesn’t work due to a Duracell battery defect,

Duracell will repair or replace it. For those who are less fortunate, they
will donate up to 30,000 batteries to the Toy Industry Foundation. Also
to celebrate the holiday season with its fans, Duracell is hosting a
special concert on Facebook with Chris Daughtry and holding hourly
toy giveaways with the season’s most wanted toys.

Video Game Gift Ideas

Video Games are hot on the holiday gift list and not just on the kids gift list, but on millions of Americans of all ages. The latest and greatest games are bringing families together and interacting like never before making family time fun time! Here are the games I'm into this holiday.

Wappy Dog is a physical toy dog with a virtual world to play in. Players care for and play with their very own interactive puppy by communicating through the Nintendo DS. Customizing their pet is a snap; with stickers for the toy and in-game accessories and environments. In HOME mode, players communicate and play games with the physical toy dog and see Wappy respond and do special tricks! In Travel mode, players continue to interact with the virtual Wappy inside the Nintendo DS – with the physical dog safe at home!

Even cooler, the relationship determines the dog’s mood and evolving personality – lots of love and kindness builds a lasting friendship! Wappy Dog is available for $49.99 at Toys’R’Us and all major retailers where videogames are sold. See him in action here. 

You can get the whole family  up and moving  to one of the most anticipated games this season that has revolutionized the way we work out! 

Zumba Fitness 2 builds on the success of the world wide best selling original which has sold more than 4 million copies to date. It features more than 30 hot new music tracks with hits from today’s top artists, electrifying choreography with twice as many dance styles and direct interaction with celebrity  Zumba  instructors. It even has a new progress tracker that lets players monitor their success and track calories burned as they party themselves into shape.  Learn more here: www.ZumbaFitnessGame.com

The beloved Lego Star Wars is back with over 21 million copies sold to date! 

Lego Star Wars III lets you play as your favorite star wars characters in the tongue and cheek humor fans know and love . With all new graphics and enhanced animations players will explore a vast universe like never before. Whether you are a Padawan or Jedi master from this Galaxy or the next, players of all skill levels will have a brick smashing good time in single player mode or with friends and family through jump-in jump out co-operative play. Available on all platforms for $19.99! Learn more here: www.LegoStarWars.com

 

This next game fits into the mom approved top games for the holiday. 

The Adventures of  Tintin is an action packed adventure game that parents can enjoy with their kids. It allows fans of the original comic book hero to fully immerse themselves into the world of Tintin and relive key moments from the movie and comic book adventure series.

The whole family can get in on the Cooperative Mode as it introduces classic characters from the Tintin universe. Each character will have to combine their skills to solve new mysteries - collect treasure and unlock exciting levels. 

Transform your living room into the ultimate playground with Rabbids Alive & Kicking for the Xbox 360. 

This game will have you and your family physically swimming, jumping and stomping as you try to square off with the Rabbids in more than 40 crazy mini games and the most hilarious situations imaginable. With the Augmented reality the Rabbids mess with your life in front of your very eyes. To add to the fun, you can capture and share your silliest moments with photos and share them with your friends. 

 

Holidays Are Coming!

OK, let's get to it!

Mint and Mint Plus

For pretty much anyone on your list that has floors that need to be cleaned this will make them jump for joy!  I'm talking moms, grandparents, pet owners... Mint and the Mint Plus are for you to give. These automatic floor cleaners have gone way hi-tech with the use of something called North Star Navigation Technology.  The cleaner comes with a cube that you place in the center of the room and it draws an invisible map of the room that directs the gadget meticulously clean every exposed inch of floor without touching your furniture!  Amazing. It actually mops and sweeps the floors! Although the Mint is incredible they actually made improvements and now the Mint Plus includes the ProClean System with self-dispensing fluid reservoir, faster recharge and a battery life of up to 4 hours. SO COOL!

Ohhhh how the family will love this one! It's the HP TouchSmart 320 with AMD technology all-in-one computer.  I have one in my kitchen and it has become a fantastic learning tool as well as an entertainment system that we all use. You can watch movies on the large 20" display and they look great thanks to optional AMD steady video, which smooths out shaky home movies.  All Jack wants to do though is create holiday themed photos and videos or connect with his grandparents and friends on the web cam.  It's really cute and I'm loving this HP especially with a less than $600 price tag!

OK guys, Black Friday is coming and that means it's time to get online and find the right gifts- but before you buy anything do as the mommy blogger do and get yourself some online coupons and promo codes!  They save you time and money and it's truly amazing what you find if you know where to look. CheapSally.com is THE best place to score these codes because she scours the web collecting and posting the best of the best. Even exclusive offers appear on CheapSally like this one for $15 off $100 at Mattel! To stay up to date on all her great finds make sure to check her blog regularly and sign up for her newsletter!

Listen up video game fans, the new Ben 10 Galactic Racing game is out and it's a fantastic gift choice for the young gamer in your life. Based on the popular self titled Cartoon Network cartoon, this first of its kind kart racing game is filled with the same fun and intensity as the show. You can play with up to 3 friends,  choose from 25 exciting tracks to race on and play as one of 13 different alien characters and heroes! We play ours on the Wii but it's available on all of the consoles.

Last but not least giving the gift of communication has never been easier thanks to Virgin Mobile and their amazingly easy-to-give, no contract Android phones!  It's great, you can actually give someone a phone that rocks and they can choose a plan that requires no contract which start at just $35 a month! With that you get the reliability of the Sprint Network and unlimited messaging, data and web usage.

 

Holiday Video Games

Parents, I keep telling ya, video games are a GREAT way to bond with your kids! Here are a few you should check out! 

Virtual worlds and creating avatars are more popular than ever! I'm sure you know of the
best selling PC game of 2009, The Sims, which is now available on all consoles for 2010. It’s called
The Sims 3 and although you still create your own character and virtual world,  this year there is
a new feature called “Karma Powers” that allows you to instantly do things like "Get "Lucky" and everything that day is perfect - you get the job, the girl and the new car!
-Range $30-$60, Rated T-Teen

If you’re into online gaming then you should check out Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Galactic
Passport. Join millions of players in this Star Wars virtual world, where the retail
package gives you a 90-day JEDI membership and access to exclusive in-game
content including additional minigames and the Togruta player character
species. It even comes with a  Yoda Bobblehead  which makes a great stocking
stuffer.



Yes, dance/fitness games are really taking off, especially for moms who want to stay in great shap and have fun at the same time!  Mom's I know are loving Zumba Fitness from Majesco
Entertainment  and it's going to be hot this season. It’s a true dance fitness party for Wii,
Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move. It features 9 real dance styles and 30
different routines – so it’s super fun way to stay in shape this season.
-Range $39.99 for Wii and PlayStation Move, $49.99 for Kinect for Xbox 360, Rated E
for Everyone




There HAVE been some face-lifts to the games we grew up with! The first is the
new video game Monopoly Streets for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It’s a new take
on the board game we love where the board comes to life in full 3D! What I love is that
you can still play as a family – or online and connect and play with other fans around the
world.
-Range from $35, Rated E-For Everyone

Another cool game is Pac Man Party which comes to life in 3 dimensions for the first
time this year on Wii. It has more than 50 mini-games, tons of challenges and features
the original arcade versions of Pac Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug. The game has three
different play modes – all set to the theme of a birthday party, so it’s a great spin on an
old favorite and something the whole family can enjoy.

Holiday Is Coming!

Holiday shopping is just around the corner and moms and dads all across the country are starting to ask - what's going to be hot this holiday? Don't worry guys, I've got ya covered with this first round of holiday tech 2010!

Motion controlled gaming is continuing to make waves this holiday and Sony's kicking things up a notch by offering HD! Using the PlayStation Eye Toy in conjunction with their new, cool PlayStation Move controller, gamers get the latest in precision motion control on a wide variety of games that the whole family will love! My family loved the PlayStation Move Start Bundle's game , Sports Champions but also enjoyed the singing games, and Eye Pet. PlayStation move is going to be the hottest thing this holiday in the gaming space so get 'em while ya can!

If your family is anything like mne then I'm sure someone is going to be asking for a new laptop! This one's easy - the HPEnvy14 Beast Edition is THE coolest laptop to drop in a while thanks to the collaboration between HP, Dr.Dre, Interscope Records and Jimmy Iovine. They made this baby not only look super cool with it's black housing and red light up keys, but the screen is amazing, the size is slim and the sound quality is not to be believed allowing you to listen to your music the way the artist intended you to.

Next up is something I was totally blown away by, a 3D still camera! This thing is so cool I could hardly believe it! This is the perfect gift for the person who has everything and who has a love for tech From FujiFilm this is the FinePix Real 3D W3 and it's the FIRST camera that lets you take 2D and 3D photos as well as record HD video~ It actually has two lenses build into it and two processors that create these unbelievable images! You can view the coolness right on the screen or hook it into your 3D TV or laptop. If you want to print out the images you simple upload them to Fuji's site, SeeHere.com and can order prints that look fantastic!

Looking for a gift for a practical person, someone who loves to travel or a student? Magic Jack is one of the coolest inventions I've seen come around in a while! It's a device that you plug your standard phone into on one end, then on the other , your computer. Now your ready to make and receive phone calls, from the same number, anywhere in the world! This device eliminates the need for monthly phone bills and for $40 for the first year and $20 each year after that, you're making calls with no monthly fees! Need voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and so on? No problem, Magic Jack does it all!

This next gift could is a really cool and unique idea for anyone and could be a life altering moment for the recipient. It's a brand new web address that's called .co and it's sweeping the web as THE next big domain name extension to have. All of the .com names are taken and the web truly is headed towards this new era so you've gotta get on it, mom! What you do is head to their website, www.givea.co, no "m" needed, and there you'll buy a gift certificate that you can print out and stick into a card. With this gift someone can then snag their kid's names (which EVERY parent should own), the name for a business , a blog or website. Think about it - Google, Yahoo, Facebook - these all started as domain names and have changed our lives. Remember, for now on, .co is the way to go!

Dad's And Grads Gadgets

Father's day and graduation day are upon us and finding that perfect gift for this special person is important.  They've worked so hard to get through school and he's been there for every baseball practice, a cool tech gadget seems more than fitting to show your appreciation.  Here's a few suggestions that will show just how much you care.

If you want to knock their socks off, how about this slim design 55” HD LED TV from Toshiba that has amazing picture quality and, wait for it, built in Vudu movie streaming!  Its cutting edge because of this access as well as the fact that it easily connects to the web via the included WiFi adaptor.  Right out of the box you have amazing access to all kinds of content through Toshiba’s NetTV like Facebook and Twitter, YouTube and flick.  And again, It streams movies from Vudu, the best HD streaming service to date! 

If you have a gamer in your life this is the game they're going to want.  StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, from the geniuses at Blizzard, is the sequal to the  amazing  si-fi real-time strategy game,  StarCraft,  which sold over 11 million copies! In the game you're a rebel fighter who's trying to free the galexy from a tyrant.  The game is for PC or Mac and has truly taken the graphics and capabilities to an amazing level.  Along with great gameplay players will actually be able to make changes within the game  to suit their own playing style as well as  design and edit their own maps which can be made available to other players for download on Battle.net ,  their online gaming destination

If you're not sure what to get then the idea of a gift card is perfect for you.  Through Gift Card Mall you can select from so many different types of stores and the card can be personalized in seconds. For instance,  if your Dad is into outdoor activities, like fishing,  but you have no idea about fishing gear then a card to Bass Pro Shops is fantastic because there are plenty of cool fishing gadgets on there that he can use his card towards.

The latest power tool has taken on a new form: toothbrush!  Upgrade your dad or grad's brush system from manual to power with one of Oral-B's brushes.  You can either go entry level Oral-B ProfessionalCare 1000 or really go for it with a super hi-tech brush.  The Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide  removes up to 97% of plaque from hard to reach places thanks to technology!  Through Bluetooth , the wireless display let’s you know exactly where you should be brushing, whether or not you are brushing too hard, and when you have brushed the dentist-recommended two minutes. Join the discussion about these amazing brushes on Facebook and Twitter`.

Now if you are going to give someone the gift of technology, mention this fantastic free website to them JustAskGemalto.com.  They have loads of tech tips to really help you navigate your digital life. If you’re buying these gifts online checkout the tips on how to shop safely. And if your dad or grad is traveling abroad this summer, the site has excellent tips on using mobile phones, computers and credit cards when they are outside of the US.

Video Games!

If you're looking for a gift for a gamer this holiday then here are some suggestions for ya.  When looking at popular gifts on eBay I've seen the video game consoles flying off (and on) the site!  In fact,  on eBay, a video game system is sold every 20 seconds!

Next up is a partnership I'm SO excited about!  XBOX360 just teamed up with Netflix and starting TODAY you can access more than 12,000 movies instantly through your XBOX. You just need a LIVE gold membership and your subscription to Netflix and you're set!  For you  movie buffs, there’s also a new game out where you can also make movies.  This is the new game clled  “Your in the Movies” and it comes with a video camera. Use the cam to record yourself, edit and play back movies that you create.

So what's hot?  I'm loving the newest version of this popular Nintendo DS game called Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades . Its now better than ever and you can rock out to hits through the decades from the 1970s to today including songs by Fall out Boys, Bon Jovi, and Queen. It comes with this cool guitar grip and the neat little pick so you really feel like you're playing the guitar! And get this, you can link up to another DS players with any version of the game, and stream songs while going head-t-head! Plus , of course, with the DS the best part of the fun is that you can take it wherever you go!

Party games are always popular gifts and when you're looking at them for the Wii you're probably interested in a game that'll get ya up and going! Celebrity Sports Showdown from EA SPORTS Freestyle is sure to be a huge hit. The object of the game is to become the ultimate celebrity sports champion and it's SO fun!  It’s the Ultimate Wii party game, for people of all ages because it has instant pick up and play action with fun, motion-based and easy-to-play controls designed specifically for the Wii. Choose from 10 celebrities like Fergie, Avril Lavigne and Keith Urban and make them ride horses, sled down mountains and more.

 

Motion gaming is HOT and now you can play at a gret price point.  SwingZone SPORTS on  UltiMotion system by Jakks Pacific. It comes with a wireless motion controller so the kids can jump, wave around and move on the TV screen.  In th ebox it comes with snap-on toys for the controller such as a baseball bat, tennis racket, and golf club for when you’re playing sports. It’s super affordable at just under $100. Also, it's really easy to set up too, all you to set up are cords that just plug it in the A/V jacks of the TV and your set!

Now finally, if budget is really tight this year think online gaming. Gamehouse.com is a great resource for the whole family with a large catalog of online and downloadable PC games from puzzle and word games to adventure and hidden object titles  that you can download at affordable prices. One of my favorites is Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox  a really cool strategy game and the sequel to one of the most popular PC games last year, where you follow Mortimer on a wild trip through time.

Game On

I'm not afraid to say that video games are OK to bring on your summer vacation!  The fact is that games come in handy keeping the kids, or Mom and Dad,  entertained when there's down time or when travel is involved.  In fact, in a recent survey from the video game retailer, Game Crazy, found that 96% of kids who own video consoles or hand held game systems will bring it with them on vacation this year. So go with it!

In my opinion a great device to bring along is the the Nintendo DS Lite.  In case you've never heard of it, it's a very popular handheld gaming system that's great for family travel and kids of all ages.  Its cool factor starts with the different color selections, I'm rocking' the pink and Jack has blue,  a really long battery life of up to 19 hours, wi-fi capability so you can play against others anywhere in the world or in the back seat,  is backwards compatible so you can  play old Game Boy games on it and has a rad selection of games. I highly recommend getting one.

So what games should you bring?  Ubisoft has just come out with The Imagine series, designed specifically for girls, which really lets young ladies express creativity and imagination by letting them explore their favorite hobbies in virtual worlds.   Games in this series include titles like, My Fashion Studio, which  is great for the trendy tween demographic, Imagine Fashion Designer for those who are into fashion trends, Fashion Dogz, for the pet lover allowing you to dress your puppies up in more than 400 fashionable items, and Imagine Babyz, where young mommy types can take complete care for a virtual baby.

And for the rocker in the family, Guitar Hero on Tour brings the amazingly popular fun to the DS!  It was voted one of the most “wanted” game this summer and with a ton of Gibson guitars choices, five different venues and six characters to choose from it really lets you rock out anytime, anywhere. It comes with a guitar pick-stylus and lets fan shred along to so many of their favorite tunes. Also, there’s a lot of great interactive features like challenging friends to Guitar Duel or use of the touch screen to autograph a fan’s shirt in the middle of a set.Ahhhh yeah!

The Nintendo Wii, as you know, is a HOT item and is pretty easy to pack up and travel with. So pack it in because when it rains outside or you all feel like ditching the night time plan, plug it in and let the games begin! The gameWii Play is great title for vaca’s because the whole family can join in and play any of the 9 different quick games. From air hockey and table tennis to billiards and fishing, every game features  multi-player mode so players can compete head to head to see who’s best. The best part, It comes with aWii remote w hich is a great deal because when you buy the Wii it only comes with one remote!

What are you taking on your vacation?