ENGADGET U.S.

Galaxy Tabs

News

Hubs

Galleries

Misc. Gadgets,

Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: for her

By Engadget staff

posted November 26th 2008 5:20PM

Buying tech for your number one lady can be pretty nerve-wracking, especially if she loves gadgets as much as you do, but we're here to help with the latest installment of Endgaget's Holiday Gift Guide. We've tried to keep it hip with the right balance of usability, design, and functionality, but only you know what she really wants -- treat this as a jumping off point and we know you'll do fine.

P.S.- Don't forget, we've also got for him and lots of other guides coming up as the days roll by -- they'll all be sorted by suggested recipient and price on the main Holiday Gift Guide page.

$0 - $50

Tamagotchi Connection V5 - Alright, so maybe you're not ready to commit, but that doesn't mean you can't raise some bouncing virtual baby pets together. The V5 ups the ante from a single 'Gotchi to a whole herd, letting your special lady experience the unrelenting challenge of managing "different personalities, tastes, and hobbies." Just the thing to warm her up to your secret second family in Omaha.
$14.99 - Shop for Tamagotchi Connection V5

Moshi Interactive Voice Response alarm clock - If you're sick of being the target of your lady love's wake-up wrath every morning, refocus her anger on Moshi's voice-controlled alarm clock. No buttons, just a calm electronic voice that responds to "Hello Moshi" and can reliably inform her of the time, temperature and whether or not she looks good in those jeans (yes, she does).
$49.95 - Buy from Moshi

Perpetual Kid iPod building block speakers - A tiny iPod speaker dock that looks like a Lego brick? Yeah, she'll flip. Plus you can always borrow it to finish off your amazing Lego dance party diorama.
$22.99 - Buy from Perpetual Kid

$51 - $100

Wii Fit - No, seriously -- it's really fun, and anything that gets the both of you off the couch in general is a good idea. That's right: the both of you. Front like you don't also need a little extra exercise when you give this one and it'll just be you and your Mii by New Year's.
$89.95 - Shop for Wii Fit

SteelSeries WoW gaming mouse - Sure, it sucks to know that you're less important to her than the Lich King, but nothing says "I care" to your favorite mage like a 15-button programmable mouse with an in-game config utility. Just don't expect to hear from her for a couple days after she opens the box.
$99 - Shop for Steel Series WoW Gaming Mouse

AT&T Quickfire - Smartphones may get all the attention, but there are a ton of nifty QWERTY featurephones on the market this year, and AT&T's Quickfire is one of the best-looking of the bunch. The 2.8-inch touchscreen rotates automatically when you slide it open to reveal the keyboard, making texting love notes a snap. On another carrier? Check out Verizon's LG env(2), T-Mobile's Samsung Gravity, or the similar Samsung Rant on Sprint.
$99 - Buy from AT&T

$101 - $250

iPhone 3G - Speaking of smartphones that get all the attention, this one's a no-brainer if she doesn't need to copy and paste, send and receive MMS messages, or run apps that Steve hasn't personally approved. Yeah, everyone knows what the iPhone can't do by now -- but a lot of what it does do it does better than the rest. Trust us, she won't be angry to find one in her stocking.
$199 - Buy from Apple

Flip Mino HD - There's something about the Flip that makes people actually take videos -- and the newest model will let your sweet little Scorsese capture her precious memories in pretty decent high-def. Just make sure you're ready for how cloying your squeaky-voiced babytalk sounds on tape, Snuggles.
$229 - Buy from Pure Digital

JVC NX-PN7 Dual iPod / iPhone speaker dock - So you and your lady both have iPhones, but only one of you gets to charge up in the alarm clock at night? That's not fair and you know it -- which is where JVC's surprisingly brilliant dual-dock speaker system comes into play. It's the simplest idea, but it works a treat to reduce clutter -- and it's awfully cute when you both plug in at night with differently-colored light strips. Awww. (You'll have to rely on your iPhone's built in alarm to wake you up -- it'll play through the speakers, so it's loud, but check out iLuv's iMM173 if you want more traditional alarm clock features.)
$149 - Shop for JVC NX-PN7 Dual iPod / iPhone speaker dock

Western Digital My DVR Expander (or any DVR-compatible external hard drive) - Let's face it -- when the chips are down, it's your shows that are getting deleted off the DVR to make room for Grey's Anatomy. Not to worry, though -- newer DVR's from DISH Network and TiVo can take advantage of external hard drives like Western Digital's 500GB My DVR Expander to record an additional 60 hours of HD content. Too bad you can't jack in another tuner or four.
$149 - Shop for Western Digital My DVR Expander

$251 - $500

Sony Rolly - Yeah, no one knows what it's for, or why it's even here -- but Sony's Rolly music bot is damn cute, and you can bet that none of her friends are getting one this holiday season. And isn't that all that matters?
$399 - Buy from Sony

Amazon Kindle - If she's a reader the Kindle might well change the way she thinks about books and magazines forever -- and if she's not, well, the Kindle might get her to start. Couldn't hurt to throw in a gift card for the first couple books either -- Whispernet makes racking up the credit card bills awfully easy.
$359 - Buy from Amazon

Canon Powershot G10 - If she's outgrown the compact point-and-shoot you got her last year but doesn't want to deal with the size and hassle of a DSLR, Canon's Powershot G10 is worth a look. It's got loads of manual adjustments and high-quality optics that'll have her channeling her inner Annie Liebowitz in no time. Plus it's built like a tank, so it'll survive no matter where she takes it.
$499 - Shop for Canon PowerShot G10

Vera home automation system + unlimited service - Yeah, this one's really geeky, but if she's serious about greening up, the Vera Z-Wave / 802.11 hub will let her monitor, measure, and control lights and appliances from all over the world -- just be careful, Randy, because it also supports remote security camera viewing.
$400 - Buy from MiCasaVerde

$501 - $1000

Vivienne Tam HP Mini 1000 - Do you know what the biggest problem with netbooks is? They look like netbooks: dull, boxy, and too thick at the waist... not an image you want associated with your lady-friend. While you may not know who Vivienne Tam is, rest assured your lady does. In fact, she'll be so impressed by this special edition HP Mini 1000 that she might not even notice your inane chatter about the Atom's superiority to the VIA C7-M.
$699 - Buy from HP

Dell Crystal 22 monitor - If she's looking to get some serious Photoshop work done, you'd best steer clear of this ultra-glossy display, but if she's more interested in classing up the joint than pushing pixels, it's hard to beat Dell's Crystal 22 LCD display for style.
$999 - Buy from Dell

32-inch LG Scarlet LCD TV - Let's be honest, after a few months years of dating, the television becomes the nucleus of any dysfunctional relationship. So do yourself a favor and spring for a new 32-inch Scarlet TV for your hipster, urban digs. She'll be reminded all weekend long of your good taste while loafing about distracted from the unpleasant considerations of child rearing. Win, win.
$800 - Shop for LG 32LG60

$1001+

Apple MacBook - Admit it, you're considering buying yourself a new MacBook this holiday and then re-gifting your hand-me-down to the girlfriend. Don't do it. If she knows you half as well as we do then she'll understand your supreme sacrifice upon unwrapping a new unibody MacBook. Besides, once she gets bored making four-fingered gestures it's yours for the taking.
$1,299 - Buy from Apple

Ultra Motor A2B electric bike - You want mad points? Give her a bike for Christmas, just like when she was a kid. The A2B isn't just any bike, though -- it's an electric assist bike with a full suspension that'll run for 20 miles on a charge at 20mph. Sure, she'll look a little goofy around the squares, but she'll be the star of the next Critical Mass.
$2,699 - Buy from Ultra Motor

Nikon D90 - Come on, everybody's doing it. So take advantage of the holiday season to get in on some of that hot, amateur film action with your she-lover. No green tint, no sub-VGA resolution -- just sweet 720p HD video produced by a 12.3 megapixel Nikon DX CMOS sensor and your choice of SLR lenses. Remember, Nikon targets this at "advanced amateurs" for a reason. Besides, if the goods ever end up in court as part of a divorce settlement -- it's her camera, her idea.
$1,299 - Shop for Nikon D90

So, did we forget anything? We've got plenty more gift guides to go, and if there's some burning item on your wish list this year, let us know in comments, maybe we'll find some place to work it in.