Last minute shopping is never easy. If you want to show your loved ones how much you appreciate them -- why not look beyond the bland socks and perfume options? Our editors have selected the hottest products to for every tech aficionado on your shopping list. Plus our hands-on product tests will help you determine the best gift for them. Check out our guide to the coolest tech gear this year!
Who are you buying for?
The Mobile Phone Lover
HTC Snap smartphone
HTC's Snap is small, light and functional, and it has one of the best physical keyboards we've seen on a smartphone. The Snap doesn't offer anything revolutionary but what it does, it does very well.
The Photographer
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is well suited to photographers who want to crop in to fine details in their photos, or who just want to shoot and print very large landscapes and portraits. We do wish some of its controls were better implemented, but it's not hard to use once you get used to it.
The Video Buff
MyVideo HD camcorder
The Memorex MyVideo HD pocket camcorder won't bowl you over with its performance or build quality, but its feature set is a good value for the price.
The Home Theatre Enthusiast
Bowers & Wilkins Panorama soundbar
Bowers & Wilkins' Panorama soundbar is one of the best single-speaker home theatre systems on the market. Apart from its unnecessarily complicated setup, it's a great all-rounder with unparalleled sound quality in both our movie and music tests.
The Couch Potato
LG 50PG30FD plasma television
Though inexpensive for its screen size, the LG 50PG30 plasma HDTV lacks features and image punch.
The Gamer
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Taking myself out of the equation allows me to see the game's positives -- it's a polished packaging of the Mario license that fits comfortably on the Wii-but my personal feelings are so inextricably linked to my thoughts on Mario that it's hard not to let my memories of what was and what should have been affect my judgement. It pains me to award it anything that might be seen as a negative score but it would also wound me to give the game a high rating just for old time's sake.
The Music Aficionado
Altec Lansing iM600
Altec Lansing's iM600 packs quite a punch for its size, producing very reasonable sound quality.
The Notebook Fan
Lenovo ThinkPad T400 6473TBM
It might not look pretty, but the Lenovo ThinkPad T400 6473TBM sure feels good to use. You should definitely consider it if you want a laptop that will be comfortable to use either on the road or in the office and you don't need a lot of speed for taxing tasks.
The Traveller
Telstra Tough T90 mobile phone
It may not be the most pleasing mobile phone to look at, b ut Telstra's Tough T90 does what it's designed to do – provide a solution to those who require a phone that can take some punishment. It's a little expensive, though.
Who are you buying for?
Less than $100
Rabbids Go Home
Ubisoft's latest Rabbid-infested endeavour offers wacky gameplay and downright zany charm.
$100 to $200
Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter
Xbox 360 owners who are yet to own a compatible wireless adapter or are having troubles with their existing one will find the Wireless N networking adapter a useful purchase. The dongle provides wire-free gaming and media streaming on the Xbox 360, albeit at an expensive outlay.
$200 to $500
Garmin nuvi 1390T GPS unit
Simple but effective maps, clear voice instructions, fantastic lane guidance and a speedy GPS receiver make for an excellent navigational experience on the whole. The Garmin nuvi 1390T may not be as flashy as some competitors, but it more than makes up for the lack of bling.
$500 to $1000
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 smartphone
Despite lacking 3G, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is still an excellent smartphone, and it boasts an outstanding display. The stylish and compact design makes it the best looking BlackBerry yet, without compromising the end user experience.
$1000 to $2000
Nikon D5000 digital SLR camera
Nikon's D5000 is an easy-to-use digital SLR. It's not a big camera, so it won't be too hard to carry on outdoor adventures and overseas trips — unless you also pack plenty of lenses and accessories. We recommend it for anyone who wants to make the leap from a compact camera to a digital SLR.
Sky is the limit!
Sony HDR-XR520 high-definition video camera
The Sony HDR-XR520 is a rock-solid HDD video camera that improves on its predecessors in nearly every way. On the other hand, it's unlikely that many consumers will be able to afford it at its current price point.
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