Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: for daughter
Your daughter, she's your princess, deserving of all the adoration and affection in the world. She's also likely quite picky when it comes to consumer electronics, which is where we come in. Or try to anyway. We don't claim to know the ways of the very young female gadget lover's heart, but hopefully we'll be able to at least guide you in the right direction.
See also: for him, for her, for son.
$0 - $100
i-Dog - Sure, you could get a real, stinking, slobbering doggie for the family -- one that you might be likely to put up for adoption after the novelty wears off on the kids. Or just go for a i-Dog to protect her iPod. Don't overload those kids with too much responsibility, ok? Sometimes changing the batteries is plenty enough.
$25 - Buy from Amazon
"Flavored" Firefly - Let's face it, you probably want your kid to have a Firefly emergency phone, and your kid probably wants anything but. So do what all good marketers do when they want someone to buy something -- slap some different logos, labels, and colors on it, and call it a day. Now in Superman, Supergirl, and Tweety Bird varieties, keeping your youngins safe was never so gimmicky.
$90 - Buy from Firefly
Nintendogs (and/or Trick Trainer Pups plush toys) - Or, alternately, you can go with Nintendo's answer to Sega / Hasbro's i-Dog, the Nintendogs Trick Trainer Pups plushies (and the game they're based on, Nintendogs for the DS). With "howl with me" Boxers, "trick trainer" German Shepherds, and so on, you're sure not to go entirely undisturbed this holiday. Seriously, what's a toy without a little "stop playing with that thing right this instant!"
$20 - $30 - Buy from Toys "R" Us
Noteworthy mention: GR8 TaT2 faux tattoo gun
$101 - $250
(Pink) PSP - It doesn't necessarily have to be the Pink Sony PSP, but hey, if you were looking for something in that femme shade somewhere between white and red, Sony's got your hookup. Good for all manner of portable games (and especially media), ladies and gentlemen alike aren't seldom seen with a PSP in hand these days.
$200 - Buy from Play-Asia
Samsung SYNC - Sure, you could snag her a RAZR like her many friends may already have, or you could do her a favor and get her the Samsung SYNC (A707). Not only does it outclass Moto's aging flagship, it also makes media playback much easier if she's the type to leave the iPod at home.
$200 with two year contract ($50 after rebates, etc.) - Buy from Cingular
DS Lite (your choice of colors) - If you're not sold on the Pink PSP, then get her a black (or pink, or white) DS Lite. Something tells us she wants one of the two, and knowing how Nintendo and Sony fangirls are, something tells us she probably let you know which. If you still need something to tip the scales, don't forget the DS weighs in a little cheaper than Sony's handheld.
$130 - Shop for DS Lite
Noteworthy mention: LG Fusic, Charming Kitty Fujifilm Pivi Camera Phone Printer
$251 - $500
- What she needs to take pictures is something small, but with a high ISO, OIS (optical image stabilization), and, if possible, enough megapixels to make sure your grandchildren can still spot your blemishes when viewed in 2040. Try something along the lines of Canon's SD800 -- it may not be the smallest on the block, but it's got all of the above and a 3.8x zoom, 2.5-inch display, and widescreen and movie modes to bring out that inner Sofia Coppola.
~$380 - Shop for SD800
Archos 604 WiFi
- If your daughter is a portable media junkie, and complains if she can't get her adequate time online to check her MySpace / Facebook page, you may just want to finally sate her with the Archos 604 WiFi. For $450, this French media device garnered some pretty good reviews, given that it'll play nearly anything you throw at it, and comes with built-in WiFi. The interface may not be mind-blowing, but that's still a tough spec sheet to beat.
$450 - Shop for Archos 604 WiFi
Epson PictureFlash PM 280 - If you snagged her that camera (and more accessories than she knows what to do with), you may want to remember that a decent photo printer is a good way to save the endless trips to the printing kiosk in Walgreens. Epson's PictureMate top-of-the-line photo printer is $300, and will run off some seriously nice 4 x 6 versions -- it even comes with a built-in CD burner for archiving. Just don't complain when scrapbooks of holiday gift-giving start turning up around New Year's.
$300 - Buy from Epson
$501 - $1000
Olevia 537H - Nothin' says lovin' like a budget HDTV -- and believe you us, this year you've got your pick. We're going to go with the Olevia 37-inch 537H, which you can get for well under a grand. It's not the best picture in the world, no, but it's really not bad -- and besides, that's what the living room TV is for. This bugger's going in her bedroom or her dorm room so she'll never be without an HD fix.
About $900 - Shop for Olevia 537H
Nokia N73 - If you've ever held a Nokia N73, you probably fell in love a little. What's not to swoon over? 2.4-inch screen, 3G, 3 megapixel camera, FM radio, and all the media playback you could possibly want? She may not know what the hell this phone is, but ain't nobody couldn't like to get one.
$510 (bundled with 2GB card) - Buy from ImportGSM
Noteworthy mention: Hello Kitty PMP, Sega Dream Pony (sorry, foreign only!)
$1001+
Apple MacBook - We have a feeling there's not a lot we need to say here. If she wants a laptop, we'd bet dollars to donuts it's a MacBook, probably in white. Oh sure, they've had their fair share of problems, but we can't deny that people seem to find them irresistibly desirous. We could be wrong, but hey, you're the parent -- if you know her so well, why are you reading this silly gift guide?
$1100 and up - Buy from Apple
Peter Aloisson-customized Motorola KRZR K1 - Is a Vertu simply not exclusive enough for your baby girl? Seriously? Even in Racetrack Legends trim? Peter Aloisson, excessive phone bejeweler extraordinaire, might have just the thing. This time around he's taken on Motorola's KRZR K1, studding it with hundreds of diamonds that look pretty much like those $5 packs of decorative studs to everyone except your jubilant daughter (and your accountant). The initial run appears to include three designs, though we're sure waving sufficient cash in the designer's direction will net you a K1 decked out in whatever pattern and color you like.
Price varies by quality and quantity of stones - Inquire directly with Peter Aloisson
Toshiba immersion helmet - Toshiba calls this thing a full-face helmet for enabling the wearer's complete 360 degree immersion in the environment of his or her choice. At least, that's the story you'll be giving your daughter when she slips it on -- but we all know it's really a mind control device for those times when the chores simply must get done. If it doesn't snap her head clean off, anyway.
Price unknown (since it's a research project, you may have to buy Toshiba itself) - Inquire with Toshiba
Noteworthy mention: Themeaddicts Magic Message Mirror
