It's gift-giving season again, and do any of these questions sound familiar: What can I buy for a loved one who simply can't get enough of a certain science-fantasy movie? What can we do for that Apple enthusiast that will keep him iPadding all through the new year? How can we all enjoy our wireless music better than ever? And when can a videogame keep the kids and their parents entertained, without our just staring endlessly at the screen?
We have the answers, below. And if you just can't live without any of these items for yourself, why not forward the link to a kind-hearted friend or family member with a credit card?
Star Wars: The Blueprints Edited by J.W. Rinzler (Epic Ink Books)
There are a lot of ways to interpret our first name--Big Picture--and this massive clothbound tome certainly makes us think about large images in a whole new way. Star Wars: The Blueprints collects more than 500 photographs and illustrations in an oversized-format, limited-edition, hand-numbered print run. Thanks to unprecedented access to George Lucas' vast archives, this 30-pound-plus, one-and-a-half-foot-tall behemoth reveals with greater depth and insight than ever before (anyone else still have their vintage plastic-pouch 'prints from the '70s and '80s?) how the trappings of the Star Wars Universe were designed and constructed. The key sets and major props are all here: The Millennium Falcon! The Death Star! The Droids!
Its 336 pages contain more than 250 authentic, exquisitely reproduced blueprints, including ten gigantic gatefolds. In a year when Lucasfilm, Fox, Warner and even LEGO have found lots of ways to celebrate Star Wars, kudos to Epic Ink for giving us not just one more, but undoubtedly one of the grandest. ($500)
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Creative ZiiSound D5x Modular Wireless Speaker System with Bluetooth Transmitter
ZiiSound DSx Wireless Subwoofer
ZEN X-Fi 3 8 GB MP3 and Video Player with Touchscreen, Bluetooth and FM Radio
The digital amplifiers and precisely-tuned ports render unquestionably true, potent audio even at high volume, with more than adequate low end booming from the rear of the rigid one-piece chassis, but Creative also offers the option of a dedicated outboard ZiiSound DSx Wireless Subwoofer ($149.99). The DSx easily establishes the link, confirmed with a tiny white indicator light on the front. It works with any stereo Bluetooth source, but it also supports the step-up aptX audio codec for superior sound when streaming from compatible devices.
The included 30-pin adapter makes most modern iPods/iPhones apt-X-ready, but Creative's newest, performance-conscious portable music player arrives apt-X-enabled right out of the box. The ZEN X-Fi 3 is truly a small wonder, packing our choice of either eight or 16 gigabytes embedded memory ($99.99 and $129.99 respectively), as well as a Micro SD card slot for even more storage, in a featherweight form factor about the size of a pack of Tic Tacs. Chief among its format support--which also includes unprotected M4A/AAC, MP3, WMA (DRM9), Audible 4 and AAX, JPEG photos, Windows Media Video and AVI--is FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), rare on a portable device but assuring CD-caliber playback, in some cases even better. This mighty mite also packs an FM radio, and provides video out via optional cables, when we want to go bigger than the two-inch LCD. And when we're out of range of the ZiiSound speaker, we can pop in the included EP-630 headphones, among the best earbuds I've ever heard bundled with a mobile device, our compressed music further enhanced by the selectable onboard X-Fi Crystalizer and Expand technologies.
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Cygnett Leather Folio with Multi-View Stand for iPad 2
The iPad 2 fairly begs to be covered, but how best to envelop it? Consider this simple, classic, elegant leather book-type cover from Cygnett. It surrounds our valuable tablet in luxurious cowhide and even handsomely frames the screen with a matching border. A hidden, Velcro-fastened strap holds the iPad 2 securely, while strong magnets concealed in the corners hold the case shut when the iPad is not in use. The folio works with Apple's sleep/wake function that automatically deactivates the device whenever the cover is closed, to maintain our privacy and save battery life.
Opening the folio can immediately convert it to a stable stand, propped up at one of three different angles for a variety of uses on our lap, our desk, nightstand, etc. The case maintains open access to the headphone and docking ports, both of the iPad 2's cameras and all of the hard controls without the need to remove it from the leather. It's a tad larger than some cases, but it provides more protection as a result, always a good thing. ($59.99)
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Wappy Dog for Nintendo DS (Activision)
Anyone else's kids bugging 'em for a pooch this holiday season? The Wappy Dog game and cyber-pet from Activision ($49.99) is one way to placate, without the need for housebreaking wee-wee pads. Taking the now-commonplace notion of the "virtual pet" to a new level, Wappy brings us an unprecedented level of interaction with a robo-beast, combined with a simulation game cartridge for the Nintendo DS handheld.
The game's "Home" mode presumes that the Wapster is close by, and the interactive pup communicates via barks (translated by the DS!) and music, expressing his mood in response to the level of attention we show him. And when he can't tag along, there's "Travel" mode strictly on the DS, but he's the same critter in both the real and virtual worlds so our interspecies play, care and training within the game can later be uploaded to the physical dog. The mini-games along the way add even more fun, but they also strengthen the relationship, with additional content unlocked over time.
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Monster Miles Davis "Trumpet" High-Performance In-Ear Headphones
While the earbud housing is patterned after a mouthpiece, the three-button on-wire remote--offering the ControlTalk inline microphone with "Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad" volume and track up/down--brilliantly echoes the valve configuration found on an actual trumpet. The flat, tangle-resistant cables meanwhile are "Kind of Blue," keepin' it cool with a Cable Clip and Cable Slider and heavy-duty strain relief where it meets the earpiece for stress-free wire management in all situations. A wide assortment of Monster SuperTips provide the perfect fit and an acoustically superior seal in the ear canal.
The Trumpet comes with a limited lifetime replacement warranty, and to put them through their paces right out of the box, Miles' iconic album Sketches of Spain, remastered on CD for the Monster Music label, is included. ($349.95)
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