There are few sure things in life. But among the exceptions isthis: You will be overwhelmed when you walk into a computer orelectronics store this season and try to pick out the perfect gift.
Is it any wonder? Hundreds of new high-tech toys, computer gamesand gadgets cram the shelves each holiday season, vying forattention. Pick the wrong one and you can kiss your hard-earned cashgoodbye.
LEGOS FOR GROWN-UPS: With help from the Massachusetts InstituteofTechnology Media Lab, Lego has revolutionized one of the best-sellingtoys of all time. MindStorms gives you Lego building blocks for realrobots that move, act and think on their own.The $200 kit includes more than 700 pieces, including amicroprocessor (the same used in early PCs), motors and sensors.Once you've built your robot, program it on your PC and then beamtheinstructions with an infrared transmitter. Remember, your kids get achance to use it too.Information: (800) 453-4652 or www.legomindstorms.com.LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION: Your laptop weighs enough already -- youdon't need to double its weight with a heavy bag. The Kensington SkyRunner packs plenty of room and protection for your computer butweighs half as much as other three-compartment bags. A single zipperprovides access to all your stuff. Available in nylon (about $55)and leather ($75).Information: (800) 535-4242 or www.kensington.com.CHESS EGO BUSTER: If you think you're another Garry Kasparov,match wits with Ivan the Terrible, a stand-alone chess computer witha 500-word vocabulary that can taunt you or coach you -- it's yourchoice.With levels from beginner to expert, Ivan can play seriously orentertain you with sound effects such as galloping horses, blowingbugles and clanging swords. From Excalibur Electronics, $150.Information: (305) 477-8080 or www.excaliburelectronics.com.WIRED WINNIE: He may look like your standard stuffed Pooh, butthis $99 interactive toy is definitely not as empty-headed as hisnamesake.Hook Winnie up to your PC (Windows 95/98 required) and program himto remember your child's name and engage in dozens of games andactivities -- in front of or away from the computer. Winnie's headand mouth move as he talks and sings.Information: Mattel Media at (888) 628-8359 orwww.mattelmedia.com/pooh.MUSIC TO GO: About the size of a pager, the Diamond Multimedia Riomay change the face of the music industry. This gadget is a portablemusic player that stores up to 60 minutes of digital sound in thenew MP3 format.Just hook it up to your PC, download songs from your personal CDsor the Internet and carry them with you. It's a snap to set up anduse, and it runs on a single AA battery.The $199 Rio is so revolutionary that it sparked a legal challengefrom the the recording industry. The Rio won, but you'd better snapone up before the judge changes her mind.Information: (408) 325-7000 or www.diamondmm.com.HAND-HELD CHAMP: Despite stiff competition from hand-held PCsrunning Windows CE, the Palm III ($369) is still the best of thisbreed.It organizes your contacts and phone numbers (6,000 of them),keeps your calendar, tracks expenses and synchronizes everythingwithyour PC. You'll find lots of add-ons, including the $129 snap-onmodem, which gives you access to e-mail wherever there's a phone.Information: (800) 881-7256 or www.palm.com.STOP PHONE FUMBLING: If you're tired of punching tiny buttons tomake your portable phone work, the Sprint PCS TouchPoint makes iteasy to negotiate menus and functions with a large "mouse button" inthe center of the control panel.The $180 TouchPoint stores up to 300 numbers, displays short-message pages and has a built-in calendar that tracks appointmentsand synchronizes with your PC.One caveat: The Sprint PCS network doesn't cover as large an areaas standard cellular networks, so check conditions in your area.Information: (800) 480-4727 or www.sprintpcsnews.com/phones.MOUSING AROUND: Want to keep your mouse clean? Cover it withanother mouse -- or at least a cover that looks like the real thing.In fact, Bennie the mouse cover looks real enough to scare more thana few adults, which is why kids will love it. You won't find manycomputer accessories as cheap as this one -- $5 at Radio Shack.OLDIE REVIVED: First released in 1979, Asteroids became aninstant, quarter-sucking arcade classic. Now Activision has pulledoff the impossible: new Asteroids with the intensity of the originalbut enough embellishments to please the 3-D generation.The graphics in this $40, Windows 95/98 game are stunning -- youcan almost feel the asteroids' craggy surfaces. The game play iseven more challenging: The UFO from the original is back -- but nowit's joined by black holes, solar flares and other menaces.Information: www.activision.com.TINIEST ORGANIZER: It's no bigger than a credit card and weighsonly 1.4 ounces, but the Rex Pro ($230) is a full-fledged organizerthat tracks your appointments and contacts and syncs up with yourdesktop PC.The latest version eliminates the biggest drawback of itspredecessor -- you can now enter information directly into the Rexinstead of downloading everything from your computer.Information: (609) 386-2500 or www.franklin.com/rex/.KIDS' CAMERA: Your youngsters won't need a PC to use this cleverlittle $49 digital camera -- it hooks right up to a Nintendo GameBoyand displays the pictures it takes on the Game Boy's screen.Don't expect high-resolution -- this is strictly for fun, but itworks. Of course, to make the setup complete and share photos withfriends, you'll need a $59 Game Boy printer, too.Info: www.nintendo.com.MIX YOUR OWN CD: This may be the year of the minidisc, a tiny CDthat can be recorded and played on gadgets that fit in the palm ofyour hand.The $500 Sharp MS702 lets you make your own "mixes" from regularmusic CDs. It features a front-loading mechanism, wired remotecontrol and lithium-ion battery that provides five hours ofcontinuous playback.Information: (800) BE-SHARP or www.sharp-usa.com.
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