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Holiday Guide: High-tech Christmas Gifts for the Techies on Your List

Techies will love the almost unlimited options available this holiday season. With so much to chose, Patch is here to help.

Techies will love the almost unlimited options available this holiday season. From affordable tablets to the newest cell phones, there is sure to be winner on this year’s list of the hottest in all things techie.

Small tablets are becoming a major selling point as consumers look for options packed in smaller packages. Apple has dominated the larger tablet industry with its iPad, and the iPad 4 will be released Nov. 2 with a starting price of $499. But competition is heating up in the smaller tablet market, with four worthy competitors vying for market share.

  • iPad mini: From $329. The iPad mini has already sold out in pre-orders and looks to be a hot item this holiday season. It is available in stores like Target, Walmart and Best Buy starting Nov. 2 in both black and white.
  • Amazon Kindle Fire HD: From $199. Amazon touts the Kindle Fire HD as the world’s most advanced 7-inch tablet and is the first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi.
  • Barnes and Noble Nook HD: From $199. The Nook HD boasts the highest resolution of any of the 7-inch tablets.
  • Google Nexus 7: From $199. The Google Nexus 7 is thin, light and portable.
  • Check out this article from GamingIllustrated.com comparing the four.

Gaming systems are continually being updated and reconfigured. If there’s a gamer on your list, maybe a new system is high on their list.

  • Nintendo Wii U: From $299. This holiday season, Nintendo is releasing Wii U on Nov. 18. The Wii U will significantly increase memory storage over its predecessor, the Wii, while also introducing the Wii U Game Pad with an embedded touch screen.
  • Kinect for Xbox 360: $109.99 for Kinect only, $299.99 for Kinect plus Xbox 360 4GB console. Microsoft’s popular Kinect gaming system runs on XBox 360. It is the only game console to use full-body motion control.
  • Playstation 3: From $270. This year, Sony updated its Playstation 3 system to make it thinner. Playstation 3 also has a built-in High Definition Blu-Ray player.

eReaders are turning paperback enthusiasts into digital reader converts. Two new eReaders are brightening the industry this holiday season.

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  • Kindle Paperwhite: $119. This advanced eReader has a built-in light with a high-contrast, high-resolution touchscreen. No more reading books in bed by flashlight.
  • Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight: $119. The Nook HD has no ads and comes with a power adapter. Its website claims it is the “only reader designed for perfect bedtime reading.”

These days, smartphones are everywhere, doing everything. At times, they seem to know more about our lives and schedules than we do. Manufacturers are continually adding new phones to satisfy our appetite for these latest gadgets. Here’s a few of this season’s newest phones.

  • Google Nexus 4: From $299. released Nov. 13. It’ll be offered via the Google Play store. Nexus 4 features the latest version of Android and the best of Google. It is also being touted as the first phone with 360° panoramas. Wireless charging capabilities are built in, and Android beam allows sharing between compatible devices by simply touching the devices back-to-back.
  • iPhone 5: Starting at $199. iPhone 5 is Apple’s thinnest, lightest phone yet. It has a larger screen and faster chip.
  • Motorola Droid Razr HD From $199.99 (with contract). With an ultra-thin design and 24-hour battery life, the Droid Razr HD also features a 4.7-inch display.
  • Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD: From $299.99 (with contract). This Motorola phone can last for 32 hours between charges. Razor-sharp details fit into an impossibly thin body.

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