When you reach for that remote, iPad, or other high tech device, is it ever covered with peanut butter or some other type of sticky fingerprints? Ugh, and don't even get us started on the actual TV. Thanks to mom and dad, kids of all ages are growing up with all kinds of cool tech toys. You may be proud to be bringing up a little geek, but when it comes to technology, you probably aren't the best role model for sharing.
We know how hard it can be to share expensive and delicate electronics. Besides the cost, you probably spent countless hours researching, shopping and installing most of those goodies.
Well, Christmas is coming soon. Basically, that means that now is the time to load your kid up with his or her own tech gear -- and make it stuff that you can play with when they're asleep, of course. So we've put together our list of the Top 7 High Tech Christmas Gifts for Kids.
This year, there are plenty of kid-friendly gift options that have a tech twist to choose from. Even better the variety of gift options has an equally diverse price range to match. Let's take a peek at our favorite gift picks for the wee ones this year.
Toy Story Trilogy in 3D
Have you ever met a kid or an adult that didn't like Toy Story? If you weren't moved by one of the Toy Story flicks, you may be the one who is made out of plastic. Disney-Pixar re-released all three movies on Blu-ray 3D disc this year. There is a combo pack with all three. However, if you want something truly special, go for the individual discs. It may seem like a double-dip, but each release is actually bursting with extras, excellent audio and video, and every type of format imaginable. Each combo pack has the Blu-ray 3D disc, a 2D Blu-ray, the standard-def DVD, a Digital Copy, and enough special features to keep your recipient busy well through the holiday season.
If the kids aren't ready for Woody and Buzz's adventures just yet (or already have all three discs), they are welcome to hang in the Hundred-Acre Wood. It's so cute and cuddly there!
This blast from the past is absolutely one of the sweetest movies of the year. It's also one of the most original, thanks to old-school animation and on-screen interaction between the characters and A.A. Milne's classic storybooks. It also has a wonderful, whimsical soundtrack and an excellent image, which make this a great gift for any age. However, the film's 63-minute runtime means this one will also work for even the wee ones on your gift list.
Kids have been clamoring for this latest DS portable since it first hit store shelves. Maybe that's because it can play all of Nintendo's classic DS games, as well as do 3D. You'll be happy about that as well -- especially because it doesn't require any additional hardware to make 3D magic. That means that no emitters or glasses are necessary. All you need are steady fingers. If those aren't an option, the 3DS also comes with its own a telescoping stylus. Other features include a 3D Depth Slider, the + Control Pad, a Circle Pad, a built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor, and three cameras.
Your little one may love dressing up in your clothes, sitting in the driver's seat, and playing with some of your toys. However, when it comes to wearing your 3D glasses, they're just sort of uncomfortable. Instead of trying to get them to grow faster, get that wee one a pair of perfectly sized 3D glasses of his or her own.
If you have an at-home 3D setup, as well as a family, nieces, nephews, or any other little pals, this is an absolute must. Many manufacturers make them, too, for both active and passive 3D. Those passive 3D pairs are also perfect for the family trek to the local 3D Cineplex. Just make sure they are compatible with your 3D TV before you buy.
The ones on Amazon are available for pretty much any needs: the anaglyph 3D glasses (red/blue lenses) are not for 3D TV use but for other applications. Passive polarized 3D glasses work with VIZIO Theater 3D and LG Cinema 3D TVs. Active 3D glasses are generally manufacturer-specific, so buy Panasonic glasses for Panasonic TVs, Samsung for Samsung, Sony for Sony, etc. A few vendors also make universal active 3D glasses that work for multiple sets (but we haven't seen these in kiddie sizes yet). Here's a link to the full selection on Amazon:
If you don't want an angry gift recipient, you'd better stuff some Angry Birds in their stocking. This little speaker can blast about 30 watts of music from most portables, including mobile phones. The Red Bird is designed to work with any device that has a 3.5mm jack, while the Pig has an iPod/iPhone dock. Kids with access to an iPad (lucky!) will appreciate the Black Bird, which has its own external dock/charging station.
You've probably still got your first PlayStation collecting dust somewhere. Well, the system has really advanced since PaRappa the Rapper. This console is the ultimate AV machine. Not only does it do games and Blu-rays, but it does 3D games and 3D Blu-rays as well as Netflix and tons of other streaming apps. If that doesn't spell family fun, we don't know what does. Even better, this is one that the kids will love, but you'll get just as much use out of it.
Some kids already have a PlayStation 3 -- and every possible add-on. Chances are they don't have this one. It's new, and it's the ultimate accessory. It's also as much a gift for you as it is for the kids as it will allow you to get your TV back while your child gets his or her own gaming display. The 3D HD-capable display has Edge LED backlighting for excellent image brightness and power savings, a full 1080p HD image, and two HDMI inputs. That said, it's optimized for gaming on the PS3. Of course, it can also be used for movies, in both 2D and 3D. However, when gaming, players can opt for SimulView, a two-player feature that simulates a full-screen 2D HD image for each player that's wearing a pair of compatible 3D glasses. Speaking of which, this 24-inch HDTV comes with a pair of 3D glasses, as well as the MotorStorm Apocalypse Blu-ray game, and an HDMI cable. Extra pairs of glasses cost $69.99 each.
