Chances are, your holiday wish list has a decidedly 2012 flair to it.
Sweaters? Sure. Mittens? Maybe. Tech toys?
No doubt.
Here’s five that ought to find their way onto your list:
Autographer
$650 (autographer.com)
Ages: Grown-ups
Needs: Nothing. Unit is all-inclusive.
The Draw: it’s an intelligent camera worn around your neck. Five sensors fused in one algorithm detect your best photo ops – and hit the button for you. Editing’s up to you. It comes with a 136-degree wide angle lens, 8 GB internal memory and Bluetooth, all in a unit just 22.93 mm thick and 37.4 mm wide.
Web site: http://www.autographer.com/#home
Crayola Digital Light Designer
$59.99 (ToysRUs.com)
Ages: 6 and older
Needs: 2 AAA batteries, 4 D batteries (not included)
The Draw: It’s Lite Brite’s high-tech, no-dozens-of-tiny-parts replacement. It’s a cone-shaped, glass dome you write and draw on with a stylus, in as many as seven colors. It comes with eight games and activities, and an animation option. It’s mess-free drawing with light, with memory to save 50 creations.
Web site: http://www.crayola.com/products/digital-light-designer-product/
iTikes Map
$60 (itikes.com)
Ages: 3 and older
Needs: 2 AA batteries (included)
The Draw: Some kids can use apps better than adults. The iTikes Map covers animals, dinosaurs, astronomy, and more. Adding apps with satellite Internet broadband makes it a 3D experience. It includes a smart pen and kid-friendly app environment. Games come in three difficulty levels.
Web site: http://www.itikes.com/
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Camera
$349 (buy.com)
Ages: Grown-ups
Needs: 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery (included)
The Draw: For point-and-shoot, this camera’s pretty impressive. It has 20x ultrawide-angle zoom lens; GPS; semi-manual and manual shooting modes; upgraded low-light photo quality and fast-shooting performance. The big draw is the zoom range for a unit just 1.1 inches thick.
Web site: http://shop.panasonic.com/shop/model/DMC-ZS20W
Sifteo Cubes
$129.95 (barnesandnoble.com)
Ages: 7 and older
Needs: Charging dock, wireless radio (included), computer nearby (not included)
The Draw: Think space-age Lego blocks. Sifteo cubes interact with each other wirelessly and also to you, by touch and gestures. A set of three 1.7-inch cubes comes with puzzles and games on full-color LCD display; expand the fun by downloading more and adding cubes, as many as 12 at a time.
Web site: https://www.sifteo.com/product
