A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

We’re kicking off this Holiday Season by giving away a great gift in the first installment of the Gifts.com Great Gift Giveaway Series.

The first gift we’re giving away is the new 16GB iPod Nano. The new Nano is an exceptional update of an already great iPod. The highlight of the 5th generation Nano?  It now has the ability to shoot video! How cool is that to be able to shoot video clips anywhere you go with this pocket-sized powerhouse. Throw in the new FM tuner and nine new glossy metallic shades to choose from, and I just might enter myself (don’t worry I can’t…and won’t!). 

Click here to enter for a chance to win this baby. 

Win it to gift it or win it to get it!

After checking out the new DJ Hero game, I have to say that it will bring new life to “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life”. The DJ Hero turntable controller immerses you into authentic DJ culture allowing you to scratch, cross-fade, and beat match. Customize your mix with a variety of effects and samples transforming a face in the crowd into the life of the party. It features online and offline multiplayer competitive and cooperative modes.

Mix and scratch over 102 individual songs, highlighted in over 93 exclusive new mixes that blend genres of music, including hip-hop, electronica, R&B, Motown, pop, and rock. DJ Hero brings the hottest artists including: Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, Justice, Marvin Gaye, Beastie Boys, N.E.R.D, and more. Whether you’re a real DJ, want a new challenge different from RockBand or Guitar Hero, or just love music, you’ll be hooked on this game in no time. DJ Hero is guaranteed to be a hit among teens, college kids and young adults this holiday season. It’s definitely on my Top 10 Gifts for Teens and Hottest Holiday Toys for Teens lists.

DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable starting at $119.00. 

Our electronics and gadgets have taken over every room in the house, the kitchen is no exception. A fun product out there is the Talking Coffee Maker. 

Activate the machine and it will ask you, “Would you like to set the coffee brewing time?” and will then proceed to prompt questions that will set your machine.  Based on your responses, the Talking Coffee Maker will have up to 10 cups of your morning joe ready for you exactly when you want it. I’m not great in the morning, so I tend to be a little light on the AM conversation, but a quick chat with a Talking Coffee Maker might be worth it.

Talking Coffee Maker starting at $99.95.

Today marks the beginning of the Scorpio Zodiac, and being a Scorpio myself, I like to think I have a little more gifting insight this time of year. Scorpio's are said to be lovers of all things dark and mysterious, passionate in life, and lovers of style. Ok, I'll take that. So we've rounded up a number of great gifts to appeal to this temperamental zodiac sign.

One of my favorites is this hidden book camera, for the Scorpio's who like to sneak around. The case resembles a book bind but when you unlock it, it turns into a little camera. Genius! We also have a guide for the guy Scorpio's in your life. So if you are feeling stumped to find that perfect birthday gift, just remember to look to the stars. 

Book Camera and Film starting at $35.00.

A few days ago the Entertainment & Devices Division of Microsoft hosted their first annual “Open House” in NYC. Microsoft’s latest and greatest products for the home, office and car were on display as was their signature entertainment products- Xbox 360 and the Zune. Of all the products at the event, I was probably most excited and curious to see the new(ish) Zune HD.  Luckily, for event attendees, there was a brand new Zune HD in our gift bags, so I’ve had the player for a few days to test drive. Here are some of my impressions.

For starters, the Zune HD is aesthetically gorgeous. The sleek design is highlighted by a brilliant 3.3 inch OLED HD touch screen. The crispness and clarity of the screen are impressive. The touch screen works smoothly and is intuitive. My videos and music look and sound great. The player has an FM tuner, but a real highlight is it also has an HD radio, which is a huge bonus. HD radio allows for clear digital broadcast of your favorite FM stations plus you can tag songs you hear on the radio for easy purchase. Zune HD is a Wi-Fi device too so, amongst other Wi-Fi applications, it’s quite easy to buy and stream content from the Zune Marketplace when you’re away from home.

Speaking of which, the Zune Marketplace allows for purchase of the Zune Pass (subscription). So, for example, for about $15 a month, you can (essentially) rent as much music as you’d like to your Zune and permanently keep 10 of these downloads.  That allows for an unbelievable opportunity to explore and try (or buy) new music. The Zune comes in 16GB and 32GB versions. I’m lovin’ the Zune HD and I’m pretty sure any music nut and/or gadget fanatic will love the abundant style and versatility the Zune HD offers.

Zune HD 16GB Digital Media Player starting at $219.97.

Who didn’t love playing with LEGO's when they were younger? Well now teenagers, and even some adults, who can’t shake LEGO madness have an amazing outlet to feed their addiction to those classic and stylish little blocks. My personal favorite is this LEGO digital camera. 

It’s perfect for throwing in your bag and taking your next Facebook profile shot. At 3MP, we’re not looking at gallery quality, but what it doesn’t have in technical prowess, it definitely makes up for with style. This camera and all of it’s LEGO electronics counterparts make amazing gifts and will keep just about anyone young at heart. 

Digital Blue LEGO 3MP Digital Camera starting at $59.99.

The ipod Nano has been my media player of choice for the past few years. I love its size and its versatility. So you know I’m very excited about Apple’s newly released update of the Nano. 

The biggest attention-grabbing addition to the new Nano is the player’s built-in video camera.  So now the ability to take quality video is as portable as you are. Another addition, which I love, is the Nano now has an FM radio! But it’s a little more than an FM tuner. With FM on the Nano, the songs and artists you’re listening to will show up on the Nano screen and you’ll also have the ability to pause the radio play and resume it if you have to take a break from the music action (kinda like pausing your TV w/ your DVD). And to top it off, you can tag a song you hear on the radio. So if you tag a song, once you re-connect your Nano, iTunes will remember the song you tagged so you can easily preview and/or purchase the track. Sprinkle in nine updated colors options in either 8GB or 16GB capacities, and I think you’ll agree, that many a music and media lover will find themselves the owner a new Nano come sometime in December.

Apple iPod Nano 8GB (5th Generation) starting at $139.99.

Every so often you see something and you say to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”  The new Samsung TL220 is one of those things. The TL220 has most of the features you’ll find on a point and shoot digital camera- 12 megapixels, 3 inch touch screen LCD, image stabilization, face detection etc..  But what makes the TL220 a really unique camera is the additional one inch LCD on the front of the camera!  

What the added screen on the front of the camera allows you to do is to take the guess work out of those self-portrait shots. All you have to do is just frame the image with what you see on the front screen and presto the perfect self-shot. Parents of babies and youngsters will really love this camera because you can program a smiley face image or an animated clown to appear on the front screen, which will be the perfect attention grabber for the little ones. Not only will the munchkins be looking at the camera (which is a feat in itself), but they’ll be smiling! You gotta love that.

Samsung TL220 Digital Compact Camera starting at $262.95.

At CES last January I saw heard and was blown away by a proto-type of the iHome iP1 Studio Series Audio System. I walked away thinking it was the best sounding ipod docking sound system I’ve ever heard. Well, the iP1 is now commercially available and I highly recommend it as a gift.

What makes the iP1 a peerless system is that it is fundamentally different that all other ipod docking systems. The reason for the iP1’s impressive performance is Bongiovi Acoustics' “Digital Power Station” technology. This technology scans and adjusts the digital music in real-time. The result is a sound which is extremely close to the way the audio was originally meant to be heard (and at very impressive volume levels to boot). So regardless of music genre, the iP1 will automatically and seamlessly make the tunes on your ipod sound better than it ever has. Additionally, the iP1 has an AV out jack to play iPhone/iPod videos through your TV for added versatility. And as you can see, the unit is very stylish and would look great virtually anywhere. The iP1 is my favorite iPod docking sound system. I love it for music lovers who are looking for exceptional sound from their ipods and iphones.

iHome iP1 Studio Series Audio System starting at $299.95.

We’re right in the middle of the Back to School season. Getting ready to get back to class takes a lot of organization and preparation. Gifts.com has been busy highlighting the year’s “must-have” Back to School products. Today, we’re focusing on Back to School tech- specifically a student’s laptop needs. 

Depending on your favorite student’s personality and interests, they’re going to require a machine that will help get the most out of school. Here’s our Back to School laptop recommendation gift guide.

Toshiba Mobile Satellite M505D starting at $680.00.