2012 Holiday Gift Guide

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2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Nintendo Wii U

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Toys, Video Games, Family, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $500,

Are you ready to usher in the arrival of the next-generation consoles? Nintendo is, as it's released the Wii U, today's pick in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. There are two configurations of Wii U available: a $299 white base model that packs in 8GB of storage, and a $349 Deluxe black bundle that has 32GB of storage and the NintendoLand game.

Both versions include the Wii U console, a WiiPad, sensor bar, AC adapters, and HDMI cable. If you opt for the Deluxe set, you'll also get a play stand, charging stand, and console stand.

The current Wii remotes and nunchuks are fully compatible with the Wii U console.

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Dismember-Me Plush Zombie

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Toys, Men, Kids, Teens, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,

We've got another inexpensive, yet awesome, entry for our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, this one focusing on the undead. Do you know what happens when you take old broken plush toys and bury them in the woods by the light of the full moon while whistling the theme song from "Halloween"? Unfortunately nothing...which is why the skillful design monkeys over at ThinkGeek were forced to come-up with their own scary (but cute) zombie plush.

The Dismember-Me Plush Zombie begs to be torn limb from limb. After all he is a decaying re-animated corpse turned into irresistible cuddly plush. Rip off an arm... he doesn't mind. Tear him in half.. he'll barely notice. Pull off his legs... ok now he's getting a bit annoyed. Steal his brain... now you've really done it. Keep your teddy bears under close guard tonight because undead plush have come back from hell to walk the earth.

Grab yours now for $12.99!

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Portable Audio / Video, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks are the first interchangeable on-ear headphones featuring V8 Sound Engine speakers, switchable cables, and "Sound Track" headbands. SOL REPUBLIC engineers developed a proprietary new polymer called FlexTech, which makes them virtually indestructible, and we're recommending them in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. the company actually stands behind that claim, as you get a 1,000 day warranty on each SOL REPUBLIC headband. they just won't break. For total comfort, the team designed the Tracks ear cushions to be large and lightweight. Tracks offer the optimal balance of size, style, sound and comfort and are available in black, white and red. You can pick up a pair on Amazon for $99.

Read More | SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5K

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, Features, Wireless / WiFi, Family, Women, Men, Techies, Under $250, Under $500,

The nice thing about smartphone cameras is that you can instantly share photos using your data plan--but the quality of a point-and-shoot like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5K trumps your phone shots, and we're recommending it in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Even better? The SZ5K packs onboard Wi-Fi that allows you to take great pictures, and then share them immediately to your smartphone for sharing (it works with both iOS and Android devices.) You can a 14.1 megapixel sensor with 720p video recording and 10x optical zoom. They sell for $199.99, but you can pick one up on Amazon for $189.99, saving yourself 5%.

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Logitech Washable Keyboard

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, USB, Features, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Family, Women, Men, Under $100, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,

Keyboards get dirty, and they're annoying to clean. Logitech solves this with its Washable Keyboard, our next pick in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. You can say goodbye to crumbs and hand-salsa when you run the keyboard under the faucet with confidence. The sell for $40, but you can get it on Amazon for $29.35, saving you 27%.

Oh, and to complete your setup, pair it with a Belkin washable mouse!

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire Blaster

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Toys, Kids, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,

Next up in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire Blaster. This is the highest-capacity Nerf gun of all time, sporting eight clips that, all-together, hold up to 144 foam darts that can be shot as far as 75 feet. They retail for $40, but you can pick it up on Amazon for $26.97, a 33% savings. Just be sure to duck for cover when the kids are running around with these.

Read More | Nerf N-Strike Elite Hail-Fire Blaster

2012 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Rdio steaming music subscription

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Music, PC / Laptop, Portable Audio / Video, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,

They say music is the universal language, and as music lovers ourselves, we think it's one of the best gifts that you can give, and we're putting it in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Rather than grabbing an iTunes gift card, or worse, a random CD from the bargain bin, we recommend hitting your loves ones up with Rdio gift subscriptions. Why? It allows the user unlimited access to the entire Rdio music streaming catalog. That means on-demand access to millions of tracks from the web, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and even your Sonos system. Rdio costs $9.99 per month for full access. We love it--check out Gear Live on Rdio!

We are giving away three 3-month subscriptions to Rdio to our readers as well! To enter, all you need to do is:

Follow Gear Live on Twitter
Tweet the following message: "Hey @GearLive - hook me up with that free @Rdio subscription! http://gear.lv/SEjTdi" (Click here to tweet this now!)

Good luck to all entrants, and be sure to look through the rest of our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide for more giveaways!

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple TV

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Family, Men, Techies, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $500,

iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch will be big holiday gifts this year, make no mistake about it. The Apple TV is actually a fantastic complement to Apple's handhelds, worthy of being featured in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. A nice little device in its own right, the Apple TV gives you access to Apple's iTunes Store entertainment content right on your television. In addition, you get Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, sports networks, and plenty of other entertainment options. Connect it to your iTunes Home Share, and you can use your iOS devices as remote controls for the Apple TV. The best part, though, is AirPlay. You can beam audio and video content right to the Apple TV with ease from your iOS device, or your Mac. You can also mirror the display of these devices as well, all wireless over your home network.

You can pick up the Apple TV for $99, or $94.95 on Amazon.

Honorable Mention: Roku 2 XS Streaming Player

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Vitamix Professional Series 750

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Smart Home, Family, Women,

Vitamix has been making blenders that last the test of time for over 80 years, and the Vitamix Professional Series 750 rests at the top of the line in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. It's not cheap, but it should last you a lifetime, and adds to any cooking aficionados kitchen repertoire with style and grace. You can pick up the Vitamix Professional Series 750 on Amazon.

Read More | Vitamix Professional Series 750

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Furby

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Toys, Kids, Techies, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,

Fourteen years ago, Furby was the hot holiday sensation, and now in 2012, Hasbro has brought it back with a modern update that's good enough to be featured in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Changes include LED eyes, capacitive touch sensors, and an app that lets you control it remotely. Kids will love them, but so will tinkerers--the original Furby was super-hackable, which hobbyists love. You can pick up the new Furby for $60.

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