Christmas Countdown Day 21 Nanopet iPod Nano Case

If you kid has a third generation iPod Nano, then take a look at these cool looking Nano cases. The Nanopet range from Boomwave will dress up that iPod Nano into a cool looking Nanopet. Available in Black, White, Pink and Red to you and me or Spitzer, Bichpoo, Pink and Bludhound to your kid.

The Nanopet cases comes with screen protector and a neck strap and at just $15.99 this would make a great stocking filler

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Boomwave via Gizmodo

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EarthRace Ar0und the World in 65 Days

This is one mean looking boat and no this is not the latest Batman Boat; although it certainly would not look out of place in the next movie. This is EarthRace, and it is trying to be the fastest eco boat on the planet, by breaking the round the world speed record, using fuel made from bio-diesel.

The attempt will start in Valencia in Spain on March 1 2008. They hope to complete the trip in 65 days (current record is 75 days).

EarthRace with its net zero carbon-footprint will certainly raise awareness of the environment and the sustainable use of resources.

Good luck to them


Source: EarthRace

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Christmas Countdown Day 20 SlingShot 100 All Weather Digital Camera Backpack

If by any chance you have purchased a digital SLR as a Christmas present, then this unique functional backpack, should also find its way under the tree. The SlingShot 100 All Weather Digital Camera Backpack uses a unique sling design which allows you to quickly go from ‘carry mode’ to ‘get ready to take a picture’ mode in seconds.

You simply rotate the backpack and you are ready to remove your camera. The SlingShot 100 AW holds an SLR with mid-range zoom lens attached, 1-2 extra lenses, cables and accessories, and has a full access lid to make loading it a snap. It comes with a built in microfiber LCD cloth to protect the LCD from camera strap, nicks, and scratches.

At just $45 this is a great buy to ensure that new digital camera gets taken care of.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Source: Gadgetgrid

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Christmas Countdown Day 19 Clapperboard Alarm Clock

Here is an interesting alarm clock for anyone into movies. This Directors Edition Alarm Clock not only looks like an authentic movie clapperboard, but also works like an authentic movie clapperboard.

The clock displays the usual time and date, but what is interesting about the Digital Clapperboard Alarm Clock is the mechanism to switch the alarm off. Yes, you guessed it; you close the clapper to switch the alarm off. Now that’s different.

It can be wall mounted or placed on a desk and measures in at 185(L) x 225(W) x 26(D). It retails for around $36

Holiday Gift Idea: 3 Stars

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Source: Chinavision via Geekalerts

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Save Fuel Use a Kite

At first I thought this was a joke (and it’s not April 1), but the folks over at the New Scientist are reporting that the first commercial sailing of a vessel using a computer controlled kite to aid propulsion will take place in January 2008.

The kite propulsion system designed by SkySails and Beluga shipping will help to propel the ship across the Atlantic. The Kite can fly up to 300 meters high and the company behind it says this should cut fuel use by up to 20%. That’s a big saving and if successful, who knows, maybe on your next cruise the captain will hoist the main kite...

More details are available at SkySails

Source: New Scientists

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Christmas Countdown Day 18 Bravia Home Coffee Roaster

Now I like a good cup of coffee, but I'm not sure I would go out of my way to roast my own beans at home. But for those of you out there, that think home roaster would be cool; check out the Bravi Home Coffee Roaster.

The machine will hold enough beans to make 25 to 30 cups of coffee and with. 15 settings you can find your perfect roast, for that smooth cup of coffee. Burning of the beans is prevented by the rotating drum and the patented ‘Flo Thru’ air ventilation keeps the machine cool to the touch, and separates the chaff from the roasted beans.

The Bravia Home Coffee Roaster retails for around $370\

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars (for the coffee lover)

Source: Daily Gadget

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Christmas Countdown Day 17 Nikon D80 Digital SLR

If you are like me, when you think of consumer digital SLR’s, you probably first think of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. But over at CNET they just named the Nikon D80 as the best digital SLR for 2007.

Even though it was released in 2006, there was no new competition this year to knock the D80 from the top spot. The Nikon D80 Nikon packs 10 megapixels and gives the user excellent color rendition, noise levels, as well as, extensive features that allow for user customization, and lightening fast performance.

The only thing against the Nikon D80 in my opinion is the price, as it is a couple of hundred dollars more than the canon XTi. But then again, if you are serious about making the move up to digital SLR, then what’s a couple of hundred dollars.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Source: CNET

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Christmas Countdown Day 15 Amazon Gift Card

Still struggling to find the right tech gift this Christmas; then why not purchase an Amazon Gift Card?

With an Amazon Gift Card you can get them what they've always wanted, even if you don't know what it is.

The gift cards are:
Redeemable for millions of items
Ships for free, never expires
Available in any amount from $5 to $5,000

They are so simple to order and can be shipped in 3 ways:

E-mail an Amazon.com gift card, and we'll send it to the recipient right away.

Choose our beautiful new gift card, and we’ll send it to the recipient in the mail at no extra charge.

Attach a gift card to an e-card, and you can send it now or have it sent up to 14 days later.



Note: we are an affiliate of amazon

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Christmas Countdown Day 15 Stocking Filler 1

Looking for something a little different to fill that stocking this Christmas; well how about this usb powered retro upright vacuum cleaner. Perfect (well almost) for cleaning up those biscuit crumbs around your pc.

Just plug the vacuum into your usb port and vacuum away. When finished, just wrap the cable around the handle, just like the real thing. The usb upright vacuum cleaner is compatible with Windows operating systems.

It certainly has novelty factor… and for a few dollars, it won't break the bank.

Holiday Gift Idea: 3 Stars

Available at drinkstuff.com

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Christmas Countdown Day 14 FlyTech Dragonfly by WowWee

This is a cool gift for your kids. The FlyTech Dragonfly has a 16 inch wingspan and weighs just 1oz. Charge it up and use the 2 channel radio controlled remote to control the wing speed and tail rotor speed. Watch as the Dragonfly soars, dive-bombs, hovers and glides, just like the real thing.

This is the world’s first radio-controlled flying insect and a 20 minute charge using the remote controller will give you about 6 minutes of flying time.

The WowWee FlyTech Dragonfly is ranked number 8 in the Time’s 2007 gadget of the year review and retails for around $40.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 13 Attic Radio

Here is another retro device that has made our Christmas Countdown. The Attic Radio has a cool retro design that would look great in any part of your house or apartment. Not only does it have the looks but it should also have the sound with the use of AroundSound technology (that the manufacturer claims ‘eliminates "hot spots" in sound reproduction’).

The Attic radio is designed for your AM/FM listening pleasure and also features a line-in for connecting that mp3 player, that you might find in your Christmas Stocking..

Measuring in at 7.5"w, 5.25"h, 5.75"d, the Attic Radio retails for around $98

Holiday Gift Rating: 3.5 Star

Source: Urban Outfitters

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Ice Luge Helps You Make Drinks

OK, so this is going to be short and sweet.

Add water to mold
Freeze
When party starts, take it out
Pour your favorite drink
Watch it flow into your glass (or mouth).

The Ice Luge should be a talking point at your party (at least for the first hour) and at $24 it’s a cool investment.

Source: UrbanOutfitters via Daily Gadget

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Christmas Countdown Day 12 a SpaCapsule

OK, so this is for those that just have too much money to burn. The manufacturers of the SpaCapsule claim that it is ‘the most advanced spa and aromatherapy system’ and by looking at it they could be right. Looking like something you would probably see in a Sci-Fi movie the SpaCapsule uses modern technology and healing methods of massage, aromatherapy, and audiovisual relaxation techniques to help you relax.

It measures 104 by 35.5 by 48 inches and the self-contained capsule comes complete with built-in audio and video system with iPod connectivity and a 7-inch LCD monitor and a personal aroma diffuser with over 120 essential oils. Add to that the "secret" pulse-jet technology to give you the most realistic massage experience and you have your own personal spa. Oh, I forgot to mention, you will need to dig deep; as the SpaCapsule costs around $26,170.

Holiday Gift Rating: 1 Star

Source: PCMag

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Christmas Countdown Day 11 Rock Band Special Edition

Rock Band Special Edition for the Xbox 360 will be available over at Amazon this Saturday December 15. This is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year and comes just in time to fit under the Christmas Tree.

So if you are into music and video games this should help satisfy your needs.

The Rock Band Special Edition includes the Xbox 360 game, a guitar controller, drum set, and microphone.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 10 Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder

Here is a cool video camcorder that you can always have close at hand. The Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder is a simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoom.

It holds up to 60 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 2GB of built-in memory (no tapes or additional memory cards required). It comes with a built in (pull out) USB arm that plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharing and the built-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL etc. and you can also capture still photos from video

The Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder retails for around $149.99

Holiday Gift Idea: 4 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 9 Garmin nuvi 360

Never get lost again (probably) with the Garmin nüvi 360 GPS Navigator and Personal Travel Assistant. Not only the nüvi 360 a GPS navigator, it is also multi-media entertainer and tour guide all wrapped into one.

The nüvi 360 comes preloaded with City Navigator NT maps containing detailed road maps throughout the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, including nearly six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions.

The Garmin nüvi 360 gives you:
Bluetooth wireless technology, built-in microphone, and speaker for hands-free calls with compatible phones
MP3 player with pre-loaded sample songs and audio books, JPEG picture viewer, travel alarm, and currency converters
2D or 3D views; pre-loaded with most recent Navteq-driven maps for United States, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Canada
Turn-by-turn directions with actual street names; real-time traffic and weather info
Super-bright 2.8 x 2.1-inch sunlight-readable color screen
Measures 3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87-inches (WxHxD)
Weighs 5.1 ounces

The nüvi 360 works just as well in your car or as you walk around an unknown town or city.

Holiday Gift Rating: 3.5 Stars

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The Thumpz Portable Expanding Speaker from iFrogz

With so many portable speakers around it’s difficult to know which one to choose. Well, here is the Thumpz from iFrogz (makers of customizable iPod cases). The Thumpz certainly looks a little different especially when you open it up to reveal the expandable middle chamber that the manufacturers claim gives an enhanced bass.
When closed it ‘provides a typical "small" speaker sound but when opened it expands to provide exceptional sound quality with thumping bass’.

The Thumpz speaker comes with a rechargeable battery and USB cable and is small to go any where with your mp3 player.

The iFrogz Thrumpz retails for around $24.99



Source: PRWeb

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Christmas Countdown Day 8 Nikon LaserCaddy

The Nikon LaserCaddy 500G Laser Rangefinder could be that gift you are looking for, for the golf fanatic in your life. Measuring only 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches it is easy to carry and will easily fit into a golf bag.

The Nikon LaserCaddy 500G Laser Rangefinder accurately measures distances from 11 yards to over 500 yards. Measurements can be made in either yards or meters and features an automatic power shutoff after the reading has been displayed for eight seconds.

Technical Stuff:
It utilizes a six power monocular with a 20-millimeter objective lens to provide an exit pupil of 3.3 millimeters. The eyepiece is adjustable, with a range of +/- 2 diopters, and the unit has 10 millimeters of eye relief. In addition, the Nikon LaserCaddy has a real angle of view of 6.3 degrees, translating to a wide, 50 degree apparent angle of view and a field of view of 33 feet at 100 yards

Holiday Gift Rating: 3.5 Stars



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Christmas Countdown Day 7 Watch Winder

OK, so this is probably a gift you would give someone who has almost everything (as personally, I have never had the need to automatically wind my Seiko watch), or maybe someone that has two automatic ‘self winding’ watches.

The principle is that you take your self winding (the ones that automatically wind as you move your arm during the day) and place it in the winder. Set the desired timer duration and walk away. The watch winder ensures that your watch is always ready for use.

This Belocia model accommodates two watches and will rotate clockwise, auto swap or counter-clockwise that should meet the needs of most automatic watches. The watch has 4 different settings:
Rotate 33 seconds, rest 12 minutes: 300 approximate rotations/day.
Rotate 10 minutes, rest 90 minutes: 660 approximate rotations/day.
Rotate 30 minutes, rest 3 hours: 940 approximate rotations/day.
Rotate 1 hour, rest 3 hours

Holiday Gift Rating: 2 Stars

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Best Buy to Stock Dell Computers

Not satisfied with Staples and Walmart, Dell is adding Best Buy to their list of retail outlets. Within the next couple of weeks you should start seeing Dell laptops and desktop at your local Best Buy.

Best Buy will be stocking several XPS and Inspiron systems as well as the ‘all new’ XPS One.

Some of the models that you should be able to find are:
Laptops - XPS M1330 in white, the Inspiron 1521 in blue and black, and the Inspiron 1420 in black

Desktops - Dell Inspiron 530, 531, and 531s

XPS One

For me, this is a good move by Dell as it gives us ‘the customer’ to see the product ‘in person’ (providing the costs are the same as ‘online’). Then again, if there is a difference; check it out in the store and buy online.

Source: Dell Press Release

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Christmas Countdown Day 6 Ultracompact Digital Camera

You can not go wrong giving or receiving a camera on Christmas Day and with such a wide range of options in size and resolution of digital cameras today; here are a couple of options in the ultracompact category.

Ultacompact digital cameras are those that are small enough to fit into shirt pockets but do not skimp on options or photo quality

The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS is one of several ultracompacts from Canon. It is stylish, slim and offers a wide-angle lens with 7.1 megapixels, that according to CNET produces ‘very good photos with a snappy performance’. CNET rate this camera as 7.8 out of 10.
Features of the PowerShot SD800 IS:
Weight 5.3 oz
Measures 3.5 in x 1 in x 2.3 in
Resolution 7.1 megapixels
Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO auto Digital Zoom 4 x
Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs: Snow, Beach, Indoor, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Underwater, Kids & pets, Digital macro, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Night snapshot
Shutter Speed 1/1600 sec Min Shutter Speed 15 sec X-sync Speed 1/500 sec
Exposure Metering Spot, Evaluative, Center-weighted Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic White Balance Presets Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (daylight)
Flash Memory 16 MB Flash - SD Memory Card Floppy Drive None Image Storage Type Zoom lens - 4.6 mm - 17.3 mm - F/2.8-5.8 Focal Length 4.6 mm - 17.3 mm Lens

The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS retails for around $240


The Cyber-shot DSC-T20 from Sony is another good option. Again it has a slim sleek design that offers face detection; optional HD output and fast performance. This 8.1 megapixel camera gets 7.4 out of 10 from CNET.
Features of the Cyber-shot DSC-T20:
Weight 4.5 oz
Measures 3.5 in x 0.9 in x 2.2 in
Resolution 8.1 megapixels
Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200 Digital Zoom 2 x
Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs: Snow, Soft, Beach, Fireworks, Landscape, Snap shot, Twilight mode, Hi-speed shutter, High sensitivity, Magnifying glass, Twilight portrait Special effects Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Black & White
Max Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec Min Shutter Speed 1 sec
Exposure Metering Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted Exposure Modes Program, Automatic Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps White Balance Presets, Automatic White Balance Presets Flash, Cloudy, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent light (daylight), Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (warm white)
Digital video format MPEG VX Still Image Format JPEG
Integrated Memory 31 MB
Flash Memory Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 retails for around $260


Holiday Gift rating: 4 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 5 Western Digital Passport 320GB

If you are planning on taking 100’s of photos or videos this Christmas and your current laptop or desktop is running out of space, then Western Digitals latest Passport portable drive could be for you. The Passport series has just been increased to a whooping 320GB.

This small and compact drive gives you:

Plug and play installation
Powered direct by the USB
Small and light weight for portability
Synchronized and secure with WD Sync™ synchronization and encryption software
Windows version gets additional Google software to make searching the drive a breeze
Use with Windows® and Macintosh® computers

If 320GB is too much, Western Digital Passport drives are also available in 60, 80, 120, 160 and 250GB

Holiday Gift Rating: 3 Stars



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Source: Western Digital

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Christmas Countdown Day 4 Samsung BD-UP5000 HD DVD and Blue Ray Player

Just like back in the day when the VHS and Betamax pitched consumer against consumer; history is repeating itself in the current DVD format war. If you are still undecided between HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray HD discs; then why not take a closer look at The Samsung BD-UP5000.

The Samsung BD-UP5000 gives you 1080p, 1080i and 720p HD native resolutions and will playback both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray HD discs. It also features:
HQV video upconversion processing (720p/1080i/1080p)
1080p 24fps playback on Blu-ray and HD DVD
Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD Master Audio support
HDMI version 1.3, Component Video, S-Video and Composite video outputs
16.9 x 3.1 x 12.8 inches ; 9.3 pounds

The only downside to the Samsung BD-UP5000; will not be available for Christmas Day. It will be available at the beginning of Jan 2008 for around $800 You can always print off a picture of the Samsung BD-UP5000 and wrapped it up…

Holiday Gift Idea: 3.5 Stars

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Source: TFTS

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Never be late Never be Lost Watch from Timberland

Not sure if I can say that this is a nice looking watch. But the Timberland HT2 will make sure that you will never be late and never be lost.

Obviously this watch is designed for sports crazed folks with its offering of; analog and digital clock that can display different time zones. You also get an altimeter, thermometer and barometer, plus analog and digital magnetic compass (so you won’t get lost as long as you can read a map). Finally there is a 1/100th of a second chronometer and a tachymeter. I also forgot to mention the glow in the dark hands (so no torch needed) and its waterproof to 100 feet.

The HT2 comes in three versions, ranging in price from $295 to $345 USD

Source: Timberland via Technabob

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Christmas Countdown Day 3 iPod Touch

If this turned up under my tree on Christmas day, I would not be upset. Would I go out of my way to buy one? Well, so far I have not. Having said that, the iPod Touch is a very cool, sleek mp3 player that gives you so much more.

Up to 22 hours of music playback; up to 5 hours of video playback
3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
Dock connector, stereo minijack
USB through dock connector; component and composite video through dock connector (with AV cables or kit, sold separately); audio through headphone jack
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF
Syncs iPod-viewable photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats
4.3 x 2.4 x 0.31 inches (110 x 61.8 x 8 mm)
4.2 ounces (120 grams)

The iPod Touch is currently available in 8Gb and 16GB versions and even though not cheap, its worth considering on your Christmas wish list.

You should also consider the Samsung YP-P2 and the new Creative Zen

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 2 Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle

Any one else remember this?

I had not planned on including the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle in the Gadget Grapevine Countdown to Christmas. But, after hearing that Evel Knievel passed away on November 30, memories of this toy came flooding back.

So here this post is a tribute to the great stunt man and also a reminder of the cool Christmas gift I received many years ago, that remarkably is still available today.

This is a toy that I am sure any small or large boy would love

A quick search on Amazon revealed that this awesome retro toy is available today. The Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle has been made using the original 70's moulds. Just crank the handle and watch Evel perform total insane stunts. Just don’t do what I did with my original back in the 70’s. I built a ramp to watch Evel fly out of the second storey window. The jump was amazing, unfortunately the landing was a bit hard and Evel did not ride again.

You can check out the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle over at Amazon (affiliate link below)

Holiday Gift Rating: 5 Stars

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Christmas Countdown Day 1 The Stylophone

We thought we would start off Day 1 of The Gadget Grapevine Christmas Countdown with an oldie but a goodie. Back in the late 60’s and 70’s this musical instrument was all the rage over in the UK (not sure about the States). The Stylophone was made popular by the likes of Rolf Harris (Australian painter / entertainer) and David Bowie (aka a Space Odyssey). The Stylophone has also featured on tracks by Kraftwerk, Erasure, Orbital, Marilyn Manson, They Might Be Giants, and White Stripes.

You tap the electronic keys with the integral stylus to make funky noises. This new version has been updated for the 21st Century and now gives you Classic, Synth and Bass sounds. It also allows you to hook up your own mp3 player so that you can murder player along with your favorite tunes.

Features:
The retro stylophone is back but now you can play along to your MP3 tracks.
Electronic keys.
Tap the keys with the integral stylus.
Funky new sounds including Classic, Synth and Bass.
Play solo or along to your MP3s.
Suitable for ages 8 years+.
Requires 3 x AA Batteries (not included).
Size: 22 x 12 x 6cm.

The Stylophone is retailing for around $14.99

Just a word of warning. If your kids get one of these, they will probably be very happy for a day or so. You on the other hand may be driven mad by the distinctive sound of the Stylophone. If you are not sure what I mean, why not get one as a stocking filler.

Holiday Gift Idea: 2.5 Stars

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Source: iwantoneofthose

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The Gadget Grapevine Christmas Countdown

Today is December 1, and Christmas is only 25 days away. So here at The Gadget Grapevine we thought we would enter the Christmas spirit by posting a special Christmas Countdown post each day until Christmas Day.

Each day we will select a gadget that we would either:

Love to see under our tree
Think would make a neat gift
Think is just bizarre and we are posting it because it’s Christmas

So without further delay we will be kicking off our GadgetGrapevine Christmas Countdown.

If you have any gadget wishes for your tree, just drop a note in the comments.

Have a great Christmas

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