Christmas Technology Must Haves
Christmas Technology Must Haves
As Christmas is approaching you are probably compiling lists of presents to buy for friends and family. Anyone who has relatives that love technology should have no problem with finding great gifts, although the sheer choice may be a bit of an issue in itself. Here are a few of the Christmas technology must-haves for 2011.
Apple iPhone 4S
This smartphone sold four million units in its first 72 hours on sale and this is likely to rise dramatically over the festive season. While it may look like last year`s iPhone 4 on the outside, it has a brand new dual core processor and an eight megapixel camera to keep things fresh on the inside. In addition the latest iOS 5 software adds in new features such as deeper integration for social networking services and even a voice-controlled personal assistant called Siri, which lives up to its lofty ambitions of letting you chat to your smartphone.
Amazon Kindle 4
The fourth version of Amazon`s eBook reader is the most affordable of the bunch and it does away with the keypad of its predecessors to keep things nice and simple. Its clever e-Ink display is still the star of the show, allowing you to view page after page of text in a natural manner without ever tiring out your eyes. Thousands of tomes can be consigned to the Kindle 4`s memory and weighing in at 170 grams means that it will not strain your wrist if you are holding it one-handed for extended periods. There is no 3G connectivity in this base model Kindle, but with Wi-Fi onboard it is more than enough to let you browse and download books to expand your collection.
Nintendo 3DS
While the sales of the Nintendo 3DS have not been as stellar as its creator might have hoped a healthy price drop has made this one of the most exciting handheld games consoles around. Its glasses-free 3D display is still able to deliver deep, immersive gaming like nothing else on the market. However, Nintendo is keen to emphasise that it is not just about 3D gaming because the 3DS can still deliver a top tier 2D experience if you minimise the effect using the slider mounted next to the screen.
Sony PlayStation Vita
The rival to the 3DS is the PlayStation Vita, likely to launch on December 17th, which means you will only have a few days to nab one before Christmas arrives. It may not have a 3D ready display but it does take advantage of AMOLED technology and powerful processing to deliver immersive graphics that will come close to equalling the PlayStation 3 in terms of fidelity and effects. The innovative touch sensitive panels on the front and rear will also allow for some unique interactions with highly anticipated titles.
You should be able to pick up these gadgets and many more ahead of Chirstmas 2011 with major retailers such as PC World and if you want to avoid disappointment it makes sense to pre-order your products as soon as possible.