Smart Tech Buy

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

6 digital cameras!

Canon Powershot SD850 IS
Nikon D80
Sony Cybershot DSC-T200
Casio Exilim EX-Z77
Olympus Stylus 790
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

5 video game systems,

4 Apple iPods,

3 Garmin GPS,

2 Dell computers,

And a 65 inch Sharp Aquos LCD!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth… nah, not really. Growing up and, thankfully, have all of my teeth still in tact, I definitely want more than just my two front teeth. Here is a Top 10 wish list — which will probably remain wishes for quite some time I might add.

#1 Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch
Perfect for travel, image editing, game playing, and other processor intensive activities, the Apple Powerbook is the first on my wish list. Having a fast CPU means spending less time waiting for things to render and more time relishing in the application of horrendous amounts of filters and effects. Not to mention more time off of the computer taking your photos, doing research, or just plain chatting with your co-workers or IMing your friends during work (if the SysAdmins haven’t already blocked all the IM programs out there). Heck, if you order online, it even comes with a backlit keyboard so you can work even when the lights go out — pretty sweet huh? And let’s not forget about the 8xSuperDrive that burns DVD ± R DL/DVD ± RW/CD-RW which will allow you to backup all your data quickly. Also, now that Apple uses Intel processors, you can now install windows and have a dual boot system so you can have your cake and eat it too.

#2 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
For all its short-comings, I still pick this as my number 2. With features galore and the ability to download premium add-ons as well as special updates, those like me who want choice will like this OS. Let’s not forget that, for us gamers, DirectX 10 in only available through Vista as well, so if you want to play the hottest new games in all their glory, Vista is practically mandatory. Parents will also find useful tools for protecting their children while they use the system, namely in the parental control feature. This feature not only gives parents better control over their children’s usage by giving them the ability to filter web sites, setting time limits, and controlling which games are played by their rating. It also gives parents the ability to receive a detailed report of their child’s logon times, application use, e-mail, instant messaging and other information that parents will find useful.

#3 Dell XPS M1730
For the Gamer in… well — me. The laptop I have just doesn’t “cut it” so I need a new laptop to be able to play my games and view the new Blu-Ray formatted movies. While having windows installed on the Mac, I would prefer to have a system dedicated to game play on the PC so that I can keep it lean and mean with only gaming applications and little else. To this end, the Dell XPS M1730 fits the bill. Available in multiple highlight colors, the blazing fast Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme X7900 2.8GHz, AGEIA PhysX™ 100M processor, 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM, and Blu-Ray Disc Combo. This system is the very definition of cool. Not to mention that you have the option to get 128GB of space on a solid state drive (no moving parts) so that you can play on the go without worry of damaging your HDD.

#4 Apple iPod 160GB Classic (Black)
Because I need an iPod with a large HDD for no other reason than it gives me a massive amount of HDD space, I have put this as number 4. My mouth waters at the amount of music I can store on this baby, not to mention that I can rip them off of my CDs at maximum quality and still be able to store them all. And let’s not forget that I can also watch videos on this. It’s true, it may not have the “cool” factor that the iPod Touch has, but I would rather go with more space for more music than be on the cutting edge of “that’s kewl, but I can’t store all my songs on it” shtick.

#5 Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium (Mac)
I like my software, and image editing utilities are no exception. With more tools, abilities, and whatnot, Adobe CS3 is a power package with all the frills and laces I would ever need and then some — at least until the next generation comes out. Now even more complete with the addition of Dreamweaver CS3 and Flash CS3 professional to the mix, not to mention all the neat extras with Photoshop CS3 extended. This software contains all you need for print with the ability to do web editing as well.

#6 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
For the photographer in all of us, Lightroom offers a way to manage, adjust, and present a large volume of photographs. It allows for organization of all your photographs, keywording, and is designed to be easy to use and easily navigated. With all of the photos that I have, this would make a welcome addition to my collection of useful programs.

#7 Corel Painter X for PC & Mac
Hands-down the best application for natural media rendering, Corel Painter X is made for the artist is all of us. Painter X is amazing for it gives you the ability to create images that replicate the use of natural media such as pencils, inks, paint, charcoal, chalk, and more. If you like to explore media in your art but hate the mess of the real thing, this is the way to go. Combined with Adobe CS3 there is no illustration that you cannot do as far as I’m concerned.

#8 Wacom Cintiq 21UX
A Wacom tablet with an LCD screen so you can literally work on your screen as you would a piece of paper. The coolness factor of this is just amazing and the fact that you do not need to have good hand-eye coordination since you are seeing your pen interact with the screen makes this perfect. With a 21.3’ high-resolution display and a dynamically adjustable stand that allows for quick removal for in-lap use, I just cannot begin to express how much I want this.

#9 Nikon D300 with 18-135mm Lens
12.3 Megapixels, 3” LCD Screen, CompactFlash Memory Card Slot, and Video HDMI and USB Outputs — what’s not to like about this little baby? With 12.3 Megapixels you will not have to worry if your images are good enough for print (unless you happen to be making art for billboards I suppose). Besides, SLRs are just plain cool… if a little bulky.

#10 Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones
Awesome noise reduction, great audio performance and comfort. That’s definitely how one would describe the QuiteComfort 2 headphones from Bose. The first thing you will be amaze by when wearing these headphones is that the world almost completely disappears and you are left with the amazing sound fidelity of the headphones. Great for trying to ignore your irritating co-workers and family members alike.

The Casio Exilim EX Z77will definitely turn heads this holiday season as you take it out for a snapshot.  The camera is a mere 0.8 inches thick (much thinner than a deck of cards), has a gigantic 2.8 square inch LCD viewer, and comes in many different colors (not just pink).  However looks aren’t everything as the EXZ77 has a quick draw, taking pictures just 1.6 seconds from powering on and in every subsequent picture (2 seconds if flash is needed).  Finally, the YouTube movie mode is already set in the best format for uploading your home videos onto the site!

Find the best deal on the Casio Exilim EX Z77 here:

Specs

Read the rest of this entry »

I remember the good old days when I used to beg my parents to use their cameras.  Back then, the issue was always about wasting film (I was no Ansel Adams), today due to digital memory, the issue is more about “Whoops”, *drop*, CRASH!

Thanks to the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera, parents don’t need to worry about letting their children take pictures anymore.  In blue and pink, this camera is made for both boys and girls.  The internal memory allows for about 50 pictures at 1 MB, but there is an SD memory slot for greater storage, and there is even an LCD view finder!  The greatest benefit however is probably the extremely tough build that makes this camera nearly indestructible.  If you don’t want to dish out the several hundred bucks to try out the Olympus Sylus 770SW (Wednesday’s pick), at less than $50, you might want to give the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera a try!

Find the best deal on the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera here:
For Girls
For Boys

Specs

Read the rest of this entry »

The Olympus Stylus 770SW is the coolest camera I have ever seen!  I would own it myself if I didn’t already have one (I own a Casio Exilim, but more on that tomorrow).  This camera is one tough mother of a camera.  Here are some of its amazing stats:

Shockproof - drops up to 5 ft
Freeze-proof - handles as low as 14°F
Crush-proof - up to 220 lbs
Waterproof - as low as 33 ft

Finally, to top it all off, it comes in several snazzy colors…Include this with quality imagery Olympus cameras are known to have.  It takes a beating, but it keeps on clicking!

Compare prices on the Olympus Stylus 770SW
Blue
Bronze
Silver

Specs

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard to go wrong with the Powershot, which has built up such a strong reputation as compact cameras with excellent picture quality. It’s no wonder that the Canon Powershot SD850 IS is the most popular camera on the market.  The SD line, also known as the Elph series, usually gets an update annually, but not many changes ever embrace the new models (that’s how good they are).  This year’s updates include 8.3 mp resolution and a new image processor providing better face detection and light sensitivity, which is great for people that like to take indoor or night pics like myself.  Canon has done it again, why don’t you check out what every one else has been?

Compare prices on the Canon Powershot SD850 IS 

Specs

Read the rest of this entry »

Many consider the Nikon D80 to be the standard in SLR cameras for those that wish to get a professional quality shot.  The manual focus allows for great pictures at many noise and light levels and the 80 ms shutter response time means that there is no lag from when you push the button to when the D80 takes the picture.  Although much more expensive than the average point and shoot camera, in a world where a picture is worth a thousand words, the Nikon D80 is worth every penny.

Specs

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to BST’s Pick of the Day!  This week, the spotlight is on digital cameras, with a new one every day.

The DSC W80 is the perfect camera for those on the go.  At the size of a deck of cards, this camera can fit in your shirt pocket so you’ll never miss out on a catching your friends’ embarrassing moments.  The included Carl Zeiss lens insures great picture quality.  Who said bigger is better?

 Specs Read the rest of this entry »