Washington - The holiday season is fast approaching in many parts of the world, which means gift givers will soon be compiling their shopping lists. This year, though, the emphasis is likely to be on frugality - thanks to economies around the world that are weak and getting weaker. But never fear: Tech gifts are available in all price categories, and less expensive does not have to mean less interesting or less fun. In fact, searching for low-priced tech products that will make a big impact as gifts just might lead you to look at products that are too often overlooked. Read on for some ideas. --- Little things mean a lot
The market for tech accessories - everything from notebook computer stands to USB flash drives - is huge. There's good reason, too: the little add-ons often add up to greater productivity or more fun. That's good news for frugal gift givers because tech accessories are often inexpensive.
Almost every computer user can benefit from a wide variety of low-cost accessories that few go out and buy themselves. CD and DVD sleeves or jewel cases, for instance, are almost universally in demand, since an unprotected writable CD or DVD is almost destined to be scratched beyond repair. You can find a pack of 100 or more for as little as 15 dollars. Similarly, a CD or DVD carrying case may come in handy - and is similarly priced.
Staying on the theme of protection, protective keyboard covers can keep bread crumbs and drinks from fouling up a keyboard. You can pick these up for about 5 dollars. LCD cleaning kits, too, will always come in handy - and they'll prevent your computer-using gift recipient from resorting to cleaning an LCD with potentially harmful chemicals or paper towels that can leave scratches. Rosewill makes a good LCD cleaning kit, which comes with an ample amount of liquid as well as a soft foam applicator, for under 30 dollars.
Notebook computer users can often benefit from little gadgets that make computing on the road more comfortable - or more fun. In the more comfortable category, consider giving a wireless notebook mouse. Microsoft's Notebook Optical Mouse 3000, for example, is small, comfortable, and can be found for as little as 15 dollars online. For just a bit more, you can give a notebook user the gift of live images with a Webcam designed to clip onto a laptop's screen. Logitech's QuickCam for Notebooks retails for just under 30 dollars online, and the Microsoft LifeCam NX costs just a couple dollars more. Both make Web chats via notebook a reality.
For portable storage, USB flash drives have been a great idea for several years, and these tiny devices have only gotten larger in capacity and cheaper in price - great for cost-saving gifts. One gigabyte models are widely available online for 5 dollars - often even less - and 2 gigabyte flash drives are just a couple of dollars more.
Also, subscriptions to technology magazines or subscription-only tech Web sites are a sure-fire hit for tech buffs - and subscriptions are inexpensive. Buy a single issue for wrapping, or a gift card, and include a note about the subscription.
For kids, games for computers or gaming consoles are always a hit. A stroll through your local computer store's gaming section or at a popular online retailer will tell you what's hot this year for particular age groups. Games generally run from 40 to 60 dollars, but game compilations of older titles are also packed with fun and can be purchased for much, much less.
Novelty tech gadgets, too, can be fun, useful, and inexpensive. Take, for example, a keychain camera from Digital Blue (http://www.digiblue.com). The tiny device has 16 megabytes of internal memory and can hold about 20 pictures - as well as your keys. It comes with a USB cable for downloading your pictures - and it retails for only 20 dollars.
--- The other iPods
Portable media players are always popular, and in this market, Apple's iPod and Nano rule, thanks to Apple's marketing machine. You end up paying for that marketing, of course, in the price of Apple's products - which is not insignificant. The good news: There are very competent - and inexpensive - alternatives to the iPod, and some of them offer features that you just can't find on an iPod itself.
Take, for example, the Philips GoGear player, a keychain-sized player with 2 gigs of memory that sells for around 25 dollars. Or look at Creative's Zen Stone or SanDisk's Sansa series of colourful MP3 players. The 2 gigabyte models have good sound, ample space for storing music files, and clip easily to a belt for convenience.
--- Digital cameras and camcorders
Don't get sucked in to the megapixel war - and consequently to high prices - when looking at digital cameras as gifts. The more megapixels a camera has, the more it will cost. But more megapixels don't necessarily translate into better pictures. They do mean the ability to print larger photographs, but most people never print photos larger than those they used to get from the local photo store. And for those, even the lowest megapixel camera on the market today is overkill.
Instead, look for features that are likely to make the camera more useful to your gift recipient. Small size, image stabilization, auto ISO, a large zoom range, and an automatic lens cover are nice features - and all are available in cameras from Canon, Nikon, and Olympus for around 100 dollars.
Also, for the digital camera owner on your gift-giving list, there are plenty of useful accessories that don't cost much. Flash memory cards are the digital equivalent of a roll of film - except they never wear out. Four gigabyte flash cards go for as little as 10 dollars and provide space for hundreds of high-resolution images. Just be sure to get the proper format of flash card for your recipient's camera.
Inexpensive camcorders are also a sure-fire hit, especially for teens and young families. Thanks to the advent of high-definition camcorders, the "standard definition" camcorders have come way down in price but still produce usable videos. Creative produces a series of Vado camcorders that come with enough built-in memory to hold 60 minutes of best-quality video. They retail for under 90 dollars. For just a few dollars more, the popular Flip VGA camcorders can hold the same amount of high-quality video and come with a built-in USB cord. Both are small enough to fit easily in a pocket or purse.
--- Save gas
Gasoline prices have come down, but it's far from free. You can save a bundle on your holiday shopping this year by watching for the inevitable free shipping deals that will surface at the major online retailers, including Amazon.com. This year, retailers will be desperate to meet their sales projections, and one way they'll try to do it is by offering free shipping. So you can save money on the gas you would otherwise pay to shop at a local store and have the convenience of home delivery as well.
