Gizmodo Gifts: Portable Media

Toss those White Earbuds for the Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones

Travis Hudson — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:17:39 EST

Well, the holidays are done and you now have a brand new iPod and a fistful of gift cards. First thing is first, toss those cheap white headphones. There are better out there and don't be deceived by thinking you have to wear those white headphones to be cool or hip. Logitech's FreePulse Wireless Headphones are a perfect example of good upgrades.

Most importantly, these headphones are wireless. They are also lightweight, but still provide a nice sound quality and nice amount of base. It transmits via a Bluetooth adapter that is plugged into the audio jack on your iPod (or other portable media player).

Best of all, they are available at big name consumer electronics stores like Best Buy that would be happy to accept gift cards. [Best Buy]

Gifts for the Optimistic Rock Star: M-Audio MicroTrack II

Travis Hudson — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:20:21 EST

Sure, you could buy yourself earplugs or a vacation as a gift for that aspiring rockstar, but that is too selfish. It's time to embrace the bad music and if anything, help the kiddo out. M-Audio's MicroTrack II digital audio recorder could do that.

The recorder is the do-it-all for the musician. It has two-channel WAV and MP3 recording and playback. It supports CompactFlash for easy and quick storage. There are inputs out the wazoo and the software makes it easy to move the recordings to a computer. $299 may be a lot, but just think of the karma you will obtain that will pay itself back handsomely when that band really does get signed. [MicroTrack II]

Gifts for the Road Warrior: Harman Kardon Drive + Play

Travis Hudson — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:21:07 EST

Harman Kardon's Drive + Play is the last portable media adapter needed for the iPod in a vehicle. This device has a small LCD screen that displays what's on your iPod screen. Also included in a large control knob that is very similar to the touchwheel of the iPod. It connects to a vehicle's audio system by FM transmission or through an auxiliary input. The main advantage to using this is not having to put your head down and away from the road to see the iPod. It is available from Target for $70. [Target]

Samsung P2 is NOT the iPod, Gasp!

Travis Hudson — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:02:42 EST

There are other MP3 players than the iPod, believe it or not, and the Samsung P2 is one of them. This player is still small and slim, while also providing a solid, 3-inch screen for viewing video at DVD-like quality. It comes packed with an integrated speaker, Bluetooth, and more. Prices for this player begin at $200 for the 4 GB and $250 for the 8 GB model. Oh, and it does include touch controls, for you button-haters out there. [Best Buy]

Gifts for the Fat iPod Owner: Nike + iPod Sports Kit

Travis Hudson — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:28:09 EST

Everyone and their mother asked for and received an iPod last year. Now it is time to put it to even better use. The Nike + iPod Sports kit is an adapter that plugs into the iPod nano and turns it into a heck of a fitnesse computer. It communicates wirelessly with another adapter placed in the shoe. It can calculate everything from distance ran, to calories, time and more. It also integrates into your music so you will receive interruptions while listening to music that will tell how much distance is left and whatnot. $30 [Apple]

Gifts for the Flash Obsess: Mimobot Designer Flash Drives

Travis Hudson — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:55:31 EST

If plain flash drives are too dull, Mimobot flash drives are the only solution. These designer flash drives are available in a wide variety of shapes and types. The drives are modeled after characters including Star War, Halo and other popular Internet memes. Prices begin around $50 for the 1 GB capacities. [Product Page]

Gifts for the Camper: Universal Solar Charger

Travis Hudson — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:28:51 EST

I'm still not sure about this whole "camping" thing. It's like somebody taking a vacation back in history thousands of years. At least back in the day they couldn't harness the sun for energy and power like nowadays. This Universal Solar Charger looks a heck of a lot like a Nintendo DS. It can charge umpteen different gadgets thanks to the wide variety of included adapters and the USB port. Just expose the solar cells, plug in your gadget, and be able to experience a little electronic gadgetry that will make you regret going camping in the first place. It is available from Brando for $70. [Product Page]

Griffin Amplifi is the Perfect iPod Companion

Travis Hudson — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:45:38 EST

So you've already given that loved one an iPod, so that is nixed for this year's gift ideas, but how about a speaker dock to companion that iPod. There are hundreds of docks out there, but the number one on the block is the Griffin Amplifi. This is a simple and beautiful dock that sounds great and functions even better. How do I know? Well, it beat out 19 other competitors to win the iPod dock Battlemodo. The Amplifi is available for $130. [Griffin]

Mini PMPs Simplifies the PMP Revolution

Travis Hudson — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:15:27 EST

Don't buy into that iPod and Zune hype. There are more simple solutions out there that may save you a buck or two when doing that holiday shopping for a portable media player. These miniature pmps are roughly the size of a credit card and has 2 GB of internal storage. It includes expandability for MicroSD. It plays back AVI and MPEG and JPG pictures. Other niceties are the FM radio and external speaker. All for $99, which sounds a bit too good to be true, but a heck of a lot better than dropping a few hundred on a big bad iPod or Zune. [Product Page]

Gifts for the Annoying Nephew: Cheap-o MP3 Player

Travis Hudson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:06:02 EST

You've probably already endured it during Thanksgiving, but round two with the nieces and nephews is coming up and there is one gift to shut the kids up so you can enjoy some good 'ole Christmas day football in peace — an MP3 player. An MP3 player is the perfect gift for that obnoxious kid because the headphones will stay on for the entire duration of the visit, or you can hope so.

If this is the annoying kids of a relative you don't particularly like (in-laws, perhaps?), then there is no use dropping the change on a Zune or iPod. How about you opt for the cheaper variety, like a $9 variety? The Evergreen MP3 player is really just a SD card reader with a few buttons and a headphone jack. An SD card will run you another 20 or so, but you can load it up with music preemptively to ensure that the kids stay entertained during the duration of your visit.

If the kiddos aren't that bad, but you are still a cheapskate, I would recommend a Sandisk. Sandisk makes a variety of pretty good MP3 players that generally have low prices.

Oh and if you are one of those aunts or uncles that is absolutely in love with the nephews and nieces, just get them an iPod or Zune already. Oh, and stop talking about and showing off pictures of kids that are not yours.

Oakley Split Thump Good for Friends, Enemies

Travis Hudson — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:00:17 EST

It pains me to do it, but I will be including the Oakley Split Thumps in the Gizmodo gift guide, but hear me out — the gift guide is about finding products to give and therefore not use yourself, which makes the Thumps a bit more conceivable of an idea. There has to be someone in your life who works outside, or likes to do yard work, or something of that sort that could really benefit from the Thumps. And for the person in your life that you really despise, go ahead and get them the Thumps so they have to wear the glasses in public, but be sure to neglect to tell them about the removable earbuds. Prices begin at $250. [Product Page]

Bose QuietComfort 3 Headphones Silence the Airplanes

Travis Hudson — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:00:34 EST

There is a reason that 90 percent of every flight daily has one person wearing a pair of QuietComfort 3 headphones from Bose. These noise-cancelling headphones are capable of simulating the 85-decibel plane noise in favor of something more soothing, like Slipknot or Pantera. The QC3 uses rechargeable batteries for the noise-cancelling and have a removable cable to allow for those unnecessary headphone-wearing bathroom visits on airplanes. The headphone do have a bit of high price tag at $350, but they seem to be worth it.

If you're still looking to give the ultimate gift of noise isolation for that traveler, but not looking to drop a few c-notes, check out what David Pogue has to say about noise-cancelling headphone. There are some other solid suggestions. [Product Page]

Sirius Sportster 5 is the Top Satellite Radio Receiver Dog

Travis Hudson — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:20:53 EST

In the world of satellite radio receivers, there aren't many better than the Stiletto 5 from Sirius. This is an upgrade from the Sportster 4. This receiver includes 10 preset in addition to a "jump" preset, but most importantly, it can record and rewind the satellite radio steams through a little time-shifting goods. It has an FM transmitter and an auxiliary output for those car that include the necessary port. The biggest upgrade for this receiver is the color screen and customizable backlighting. Any owner of the Sportster 4 knows of the ungodly bright blue backlighting (which often clashes with the other dash colors), but this one allows the color to be changed to set the mood or match the environment. The receiver is available for $140 and monthly programming fees also apply. [Product Page]

Shure Noise-Isolating Earphones are a Better Gift Than One Would Think

Travis Hudson — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:50:57 EST

For those that give a gift or two early, you may want to consider giving the gift of noise-isolating earphones. The receiver of said gift will appreciate it more than you think. What's the easiest way to drown out the non-stop ramble of relatives? Technology, of course, and Shure would be the company to take care of that. Shure is a solid manufacturer of noise-isolating headphones and offers a complete range of earphones in the SE series for music players and the I series for for mobile phones and music players. For gift-giving purposes the SE110 earphones, at $119, are the only reasonable option for most, but if you have the scratch, the SE530 at $500 would be the second coming of Jesus, in earphone form and would make the most obnoxious relative sound like silent angels. [Product Page]

Kensington LiquidFM Deluxe iPod FM Transmitter is Light on Liquid, Heavy on Awesome

Travis Hudson — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:30:44 EST

iPod accessories are a dime a dozen with every company and their mother producing some sort of case, car accessory or other item. One shining gem in this sea of turds is the Kensington LiquidFM Deluxe for iPod. There are four features of the LiquidFM that make it shine in all its glory — the QuickSeek feature that will find the clearest FM station for transmission, RDS to display the song information on compatible car stereos, ClearFM technology for good sounding jams and, of course, a charger to keep the tunes flowing. Non-iPod users don't fret, there is also a model available for any other MP3 player. The non-iPod version is available for $70 with the iPod variant going for $100. Thirty dollar premium is quite a bit, don'cha think? Oh well, it's a winner of a CES Innovation Award, so it has to be good, right? [Product Page]

iRiver Clix Deemed Worthy Media-Playing Opponent

Travis Hudson — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:00:54 EST

What do you do when you just aren't feeling the iPods of the world? It's obvious — go buy something else. It's okay, you can buy an MP3 player that isn't an iPod and people won't burn you at the stake. For another worthy competitor in the MP3 player world I would suggest the iRiver Clix.

The Clix has a minimalistic design that is surprisingly fun and useful, even though it isn't touchscreen. The four edges on the front panel are buttons that "click," hence the name. It doesn't hold a ton of data — 2GB, 4GB or 8GB — but the simplicity of operation made it a fun device to use. For more details check out the my review, Mark's review and the hands-on video. Prices begin at $140 and up.

Clix [iRiver]