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Holiday Gift Guide

GriffinThreadless.jpgDoes your iPhone case match your outfit? I mean really match it? It can, now that case-maker Griffin has partnered with clothing co-op Threadless.

The first offering of this team-up is a slim polycarbonate iPhone case featuring one of two original Threadless images: clouds within the thunder and birds of a feather (shown). Both the shirt and the cases are limited runs, so if you love them, you'd better hurry. The cases go for $34.99 each.

More case designs and other accessories will follow from the partnership. At Threadless, the customers are the designers: Designs are submitted by a worldwide community of artists, and one million site members vote on which images will be made into T-shirts.

"I've been a fan of Threadless ever since my first visit to their retail store in Chicago," said Mark McGlon, visual brand coordinator at Griffin Technology. "I saw immediately, from their layout and presentation, that their shirt designs would be a perfect match for our accessories."
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Is your little one a video-game couch potato? JAKKS Pacific may have what you need with the Star Wars Republic Squadron Motion Flight Game ($29.99 list, for ages 5 and up). Your child's moves control the game, so kids will stay on their feet.

The Star Wars Republic Squadron Motion Flight Game is basically a game controller that you plug into your TV; the game is built in. It has AV cables attached, and on the controller are a menu button, an on/off switch, and dual trigger buttons on both ends and underneath the controller.

Setup was super easy: Since it's a plug-and-play toy, there's nothing to build or put together. (And the packaging was easy to get into, unlike with so many toys; you just untie a few strings, and it's out of the box.) The controller requires four double-A batteries. To insert them, you turn the controller over and unscrew the compartment. Then just  plug the AV cord into the proper TV input, hit the on switch, and you're good to go.

The mission in this entertaining game is to help Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fight General Grievous and his separatist forces. Your child flies a number of ships in a series of campaigns to help them win (there are over 20 missions included).

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The rugged Disney Pix Jr. digital camera is a fun (and safe) way to introduce your children to digital photography. The model my son and I tested is based on the Pixar movie Cars, with Lightning McQueen splashed all over the front panel (a "Princess" version is available as well). My four-year-old had a terrific time learning and playing with this rugged 1.3-megapixel camera—particularly since I was there to help.

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Maybe it's the recession; maybe it's the realization that not every gamer has an unlimited amount of money to spend on gear. Whatever the case, preeminent gaming peripheral company Razer has introduced the Abyssus mouse, a simplified version of its high-end products with a more reachable price tag.

The Abyssus was designed to give gamers the tools they need, but not the extras. It offers a 3500-dpi infrared sensor, on-the-fly sensitivity adjustments, and three programmable buttons. This mouse can be used by either left- or right-handed users and glides on Ultraslick Teflon feet. A seven-foot cord lets you sit as far from your PC as you'd like. All this will cost you $49.99, which isn't bad for a premium gaming mouse.

"Less is more," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, the president of Razer. "We've taken our ambidextrous three-button mouse design and loaded it with our industry-leading technology without the added cost of too many bells and whistles."
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He's landed on our strange planet, and he's ready for any task you have. No, I don't mean Lance Ulanoff—I'm talking about the Disney Ultimate Buzz Lightyear ($199.99 direct, $129.99 to $149.99 street). This programmable robot toy is remarkably lifelike and engaging, which is helped by 7 motors and 3 sensors.

Buzz responds to 6 voice commands and can walk, talk (over 100 sayings voiced by Tim Allen himself), blink, move his arms and legs, swivel his head, fire his "laser," and even high-five you. He comes with a 15-function remote control. And using what Disney calls "Puppeteering Programming," you can move his arms, legs, and head into a series of new positions and record the sequence for playback.

Check out our video to see more of what Buzz (and Lance) can do. Any Toy Story fan—really, anyone!—will get a kick out of this little guy.

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FloTV.jpgWhy be without television for even a moment? With the Personal Television, launching today from Flo TV, you won't have to be. The Flo TV Personal Television is a surprisingly compact digital TV, offering a 3.5-inch crisp display. The whole thing measures 3 by 4.4 by 0.5-inches and weighs just over 5 ounces, so it's small enough to take anywhere. It gets over five hours of viewing time on a charge.

You'll need a Flo TV subscription to get shows on your Personal TV, but six months of free service is included with the $249.99 list price. After that, signing up for a three year subscription gets you content for the equivalent of $8.99 per month. There's also a one year commitment plan, but good luck finding subscription info on the site. The company offers a coverage map, so you can check out ahead of time whether or not Flo TV broadcasts in your area.

How does this gizmo actually measure up? Take a look at Zach Honig's just-posted "hands on" review of the Flo TV Personal Television at PCMag.com.
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There are a lot of eye-catching iPhone and iPod cases out there, but for the most part they look like they were designed for a young, hip audience. Your options can be limited if you're looking for something more on the elegant and graceful side. Two new cases from Griffin, however, are going to change that.

By partnering with design firm Chilewich Sultan, Griffin is launching the Griffin + Chilewich line of accessories. Its first product, the Elan Form Chilewich, is made of woven vinyl and comes in two shades of gray.

The case is built on a polycarbonate shell, which is covered with woven vinyl that has the appearance of cloth. Vinyl yarn has a sheen that cloth doesn't have, however, and is both durable and easy to clean.

The Elan Form Chilewich ($39.99) is available at Griffin's site, as well as the Apple Store and MoMA Design Store.
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There are plenty of GPS solutions for iPhone owners, and now iPod Touch owners have one, as well. Dual Electronics, better known for its car stereos, just announced the GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle for iPod Touch (model XGPS300). The cradle provides the GPS reception that the iPod Touch lacks, while a free app downloadable from the iTunes Store provides the interface.

The cradle lists for $179.99, which is steep--but it works away from the car, as well, so you can use it while walking or biking. The cradle includes a rechargeable battery, so it won't drain your iPod Touch. The package also comes with a cigarette lighter charging cable to keep your iPod Touch powered up while driving. The software pronounces street names and the NavAtlas maps are colorful and easy to follow. Look for it to go on sale in late November.

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AverMediaHD-DVR.jpgWhy get a separate DVR when you already have a computer? That's the idea behind the just-released AVerTV HD DVR. This PCI Express card lets you record high-def video from your cable or satellite set-top box with two HDMI inputs. Use the included software to schedule recordings, and use the included dongle to input video from component, composite, and S-video connections, as well.

While the card records 1080i H.264 video, it does so at a 320-by-240 resolution, so it isn't right for playing back on a big screen. The company is billing it more for use with portable devices, such as the iPod, iPhone, and PSP. Gamers can record their game sessions and post them online, and anyone can burn their recordings to DVD. The card works with Windows 7, Vista, and XP computers. Pick up the card from AVerMedia's site for $99.
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Today's digital photo frames can do everything--except come down in price. Witness the just-released eStarling 802.11n Touchscreen Connected Frame. As the name says, it offers 802.11n connectivity, so you can load picture faster than ever. Each frame comes with a unique Gmail address, so you can transfer them over e-mail. It's convenient for the home, or for leaving with an older relative so you can add pictures remotely.

This frame has a few other pluses, including a touchscreen. That makes maneuvering through menus much easier than with a remote. Once you've got it connected to your home network, you can display photos from Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, and other sites. It can even access a Twitter stream.

You're not limited to photos with this frame: It can also display video. Imagine shooting a video of your kids on your smartphone, then uploading it to a frame so grandma can see it minutes later. When you consider that the frame also has a 10.2-inch screen, the $249.99 list price actually starts to sound reasonable.
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Looking for an adorable and easily stealable way to consolidate the entire Beatles catalog? Have no fear, EMI has your back. The record conglomerate may still be at odds with iTunes when it comes a digital release for the fab four, but that doesn't mean there aren't, um, more creative distribution methods. Take this new Apple-shaped USB key from the company, which features 14 Beatles albums, 13 mini-documentaries, and all of the requisite art work.

The USB Apple is being released worldwide in a limited edition of 30,000 on December 7th (December 8th in North America). The 16GB Apple offers songs in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps. This key will set you back $279.99. You can pre-order it now from the official Beatles store.

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Maybe you've spoken to your alarm clock before. Maybe you've mumbled obscenities just after the alarm goes off. How cool would it be if your clock understood you? 

No, the Moshi Voice Control Travel Alarm Clock doesn't respond to curse words, but it does know nine commands. Touch the Voice Command button and you can set the time, alarm, and snooze just by speaking. You can even ask the temperature or get assistance.

The clock comes in four fun colors and sells for $24.99. If you need convincing, a video on the site shows you how it works. It's compact and made for travel, but you might like this clock's convenience so much that you use it all the time. Just no bad words, please: Moshi is listening.
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iLuv, that is one serious-looking alarm clock you've got there. Is it just me or is there something menacing about it? Maybe it's the devil horns, or the scary tornado warning in the press picture. It means well, though: The iLuv iMM183 has two iPod/iPhone docks, not, presumably, for waking up to two songs at once, but for charging two devices. It also displays National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) emergency weather alerts and includes a weather band radio.

Besides being a weather alert, the iMM183 looks to be a pretty strong small room stereo, as well. It includes an FM radio with six presets, treble and bass control, and a remote. Sure, the $149 price tag is high, and you might need a bigger bedside table to hold this thing, but it's interesting to see the clock radio evolve into a home information center. Just sleep with one eye open, in case it comes after you.
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ViperRush.jpgTake a look at the Viper Rush, a laptop bag released today. If the name alone doesn't get your adrenalin pumping, consider that this is a "work-in" case. It's for busy professionals who don't have time to remove their notebooks from their bags, thank you very much; just open the top and start computing. It looks just right for the Type A personality.

The Viper Rush is a hard-sided case designed to be a complete mobile office. The generous compartments and pockets can hold everything you need to run your business on-the-go. Special bumpers elevate the bag to let heat escape while you're working. It comes in two sizes--M and XL--but one large price tag: $129.95. Check it out at booqbags.com.
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All you Blu-ray holdouts, will this tempt you? JVC has just announced the JVC XV-BP11, a $199.95 Blue-ray player, in time for holiday gift-giving. Besides Blue-ray, it can handle the AVCHD format used in many high-def camcorders. Naturally, it also plays standard DVDs and MP3 discs, and displays JPEG photos.

You're not going to get a variety of high-end features at this level, but it looks like a good choice for people who simply want 1080/24p HD playback and Dolby Digital audio with no frills. The few extras include cinema zoom and a parental lock.
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