Edmund's Technoblasts

Edmund's Top 5 Father's Day Gifts under $100

On Sunday, June 21st get Dad a meaningful gift without breaking the bank. Looking for a great gift for the man who has everything, but you don't have much money? I have compiled a list of the 5 best gifts under $100 for dear old Dad.

1. Guitar Hero World Tour Wireless Bundle $89.99

Join Dad as he lives his dream of being a rockstar with this great family freindly game. This bundle includes the game and the guitar! Available for all major game consoles (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and PS2). Take a further look here.

2. Seagate Free Agent Go 320GB External Hard Drive $89.99

Give Dad a gift that will allow him to organize all his photos, music, movies and other multimedia in compact, stylish place. Ample storage space, USB 2.0 for fast data transfers, and bundled software for data encryption and synchronization. Cool gift for the tech savvy Dad. Click here for full specs. Visit Seagate.com to take a closer look.

3. Insignia Portable Speaker w/Bluetooth $59.99

An economical choice for the Dad who needs music "everywhere". The ability to connect to any portable device via Bluetooth makes this an invaluable purchase. Great sound for a small well priced speaker. Click here for more info.

4. Kodak EasyShare LCD Digital Frame $99.99

Great gift for all Dads. 300:1 contrast ratio, WiFi enabled, Mp3 player, wirleless picture mail, abd media card slots for easy photo uploads and it even plays mini-movies! A good idea to load it up with memorable pictures before presenting it to Dad.

More info here

5. Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 $70.95

Small, clips to virtually any flat panel easily and it captures HD quality video and pictures. Skype is bundled free to give Dad a great way to video conference with loved ones. Buy one here

As you can see there are great gifts you can get Dad for under a $100; so you don't have to resort to magic beans. Of course if buying a gift is not possible, spending quality time with Dad is priceless.

--Edmund

Edmund's Technoblasts

Top 5 Father's Day Gifts under $250

Father's Day is June 21, 2009. Show dad some love and appreciation by foregoing the uninspiring tie and opt for a tech gift that is sure to leave an impression and a smile on dear old dad's face.

1. Sony BDP S350 Blu-Ray Player $209 @ Best Buy

Regularly $249.99 this Blu-Ray player boasts 1080p, support for Dolby TrueHD, and BD-Live makes this a bargain from the company that invented Blu-Ray. Unbridled picture quality and impressive digital sound make for a truly cinematic experience. Click here to purchase and read reviews.

2. Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle $199

As the #2 selling console in America the Xbox 360 offers gaming entertainment for all ages. A vast library of games, unbelievable graphics, and the award winning Xbox Live experience will make Dad a happy camper. Access to Netflix, and soon facebook are features that will make the Xbox 360 a device that the whole family can enjoy. Click here for more info and purchase options.

3. Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote $179 @ Best Buy

This item also retails for $249.99 but is currently on sale @ Best Buy for $179.99. Do you hate having 10 different remotes laying around, cluttering up everything? The Logitech Harmony One is a great solution to your multi remote loathing. Rechargable battery, support for up to 5,000 brands, usb connectivity for online updates and troubleshooting, compatibility with Windows and Mac, and CNET.com's editor choice award; need I say more?!

4. Samsung SL620 12.2 Megapixel Digital Camera $199

Sleek, compact, and lightweight. 5x digital and 5x optical zoom gives you up to 25x total zoom. High resolution with up to 8GB external storage can't be beat. Click here for a full spec of this execptional economic camera.

5. Garmin-nuvi 265WT GPS $204.99

First the price is $204.99 after a $125 instant price cut. Integrated maps, expansion slot, bright 4.3" touchscreen, turn by turn directions with voice and automatic re-routing when Dad misses the turn on his shortcut. Great accessory to bring on family trips and get-togethers and best of all it's portable so you can take with you on hikes or when you're exploring a new city! Click here for more info.

Just a few suggestions for those frustrated or at a loss on what to get Dad for Father's Day. Be on the lookout for my next post when I list the top 5 Father's Day gifts under $100. Happy Shopping.

--Edmund

Edmund's Technoblasts

iPhone 3G S

What's old is new

On June 9, 2009 Apple Inc. announced the iPhone 3G S. The S stands for speed (Apple's words, not mine), however you may not be able to take advantage of that speed due to AT&T not having viable network capability to support it.  There are features that are bundled with iPhone OS 3.0 and therefore will not be mentioned since any iPhone user can get them. Let's take a look at the new features of the iPhone 3G-S

1. Up to 2x faster than the iPhone 3G
   
2. Video Camera
3. 3MP Camera (still no flash!)
4. Voice Control
5. Compass
6. Accessibility

The Rundown: Mobile devices have had voice command for a very long time now so the inclusion of it on the iPhone is not exciting, it's expected. The fact that I can use it to control my music is a nice feature but not a wow factor. This is also true of the video camera, however, having the ability to edit out a clip of the video and post it to my favorite sharing site is a great feature. The camera has been upgraded to 3MP and has autofocus along with a feature that allows you to tap on any portion of the photo to adjust the focus on the tapped item-nice feature. Apple still has not included a flash, which is disheartening, because it would have made a world of difference. A digital compass is built in to the new iPhone which works with Google Maps to let you know which way you are facing by automatically rotating the map specific to your orientation-ok feature, but there are GPS apps that already does this for you. Another features is the Accessibility package, which includes VoiceOver-on screen reader, TTY support, High Contrast, and Mono Audio-channel audio signal to one earbud for those with hearing impairment.

Overall, the actual new features are not enough for me to recommend the iPhone 3G S. The form factor of the iPhone is what makes it a great and innovative mobile device. Apple has successfully integrated a phone and desktop into one device; however, going through multiple versions to get features that everyone expects and already has on other devices is what is keeping Apple from surpassing RIM in the mobile device arena.

-Edmund

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