Well it’s summer kids are leaving school and graduating (or have graduated), birthdays are ongoing as are anniversaries and while events like the 4th of July are typically not reasons to buy gifts for others they often are an opportunity to buy things for ourselves. Like a lot of folks I like to have technology toys that are a little different than what everyone else has and, given my birthday is in the summer (send gifts), this is the list of things I think would be special this season.

MP3 Payers

The iPod is great but it is also what everyone else has so most that see it are hardly excited about it anymore. The SanDisk Sensa e270 http://www99.shopping.com~NS-1~linkin_id-8000744~r-1~CLT-INTR at around $279 comes with 6 GB of flash memory (the e260 with 4 GB is $50 cheaper but $50 for 2 GB of Flash is a deal). It doesn’t work with iTunes but does work with those services that support Microsoft’s WMD format. It has a battery you can replace (important given batteries only last 18 months to 2 years in normal use), will take mini-SD memory so you can expand it, and it has an FM radio so you can use it on the Gym. It also has 22.5 hours of battery life substantially more then the iPod Nano and it is the only product that stands out at better then the iPod Nano that I’m currently aware of.

Now if you like to swim there is only one player that stands out and that is the SwiMP3 http://www.swimoutlet.com . It sits behind your goggles has 35 MB of music capacity (not much but how long to you really want to be in the water) and a set of unique water headphones that sound horrible on land but, under water, they sound great (they use bone conduction technology). Its $200 and, for those that swim, the only really good solution.

DVD Player

A lot of us have gone to using laptops to watch DVDs on planes, the only problem is battery life (if you don’t have power on the plane) seldom lasts as long as two movies let alone doing any work you might want to do. I’ve seen some of these, mostly junk, for as low at $100 but the best I know of, for a reasonable price, is the Panasonic DVD LX-97 http://blog.tmcnet.com . It costs around $400 but it has a 10 hour battery life and has an FM transmitter which will allow you to use it in the car for the kids and use the car sound system to get that movie experience. It has a 9 inch screen and strong 500 lines of resolution making for a great picture.

Exercise Equipment

It may be a guy thing but when the bathing suites come on there is this need to look buff so we buy exorcise equipment that we may never actually use. The coolest new product is the Bowflex Revolution http://www.bowflexrevolution.com . Now it costs a whopping $2,500 but that will motivate your spouse to remind you to use the thing. This was developed out of work done at the International Space station and it is supposedly good for physical therapy if you’ve pulled a muscle lifting that remote control. It’s nice looking too with a certain high tech industrial design I tend to favor.

Portable Navigation System

Guys just don’t ask for directions and I’ve been lost more times with the darned Hertz Never-Lost thing then I have fingers and toes. So I’ve gone to bringing my own and personally favor Tomtom. The best device from them is the GO 910 http://www.tomtomgo910.co.uk , you can download the voices you want to use for navigation (including a number of celebrity voices). It has built in maps for the US, Canada, and Europe, built in blue tooth (integrates with your cell phone and will work as a speaker phone), and it even integrates with an iPod. At $800 it isn’t cheap but it compares well and actually exceeds the capability of most integrated navigation systems which cost several times as much and won’t travel with you.

Digital Camera

There are a lot of digital cameras but there is only one that will make you and your spouse look better then you do. Most are way too accurate. The HP R927 http://www.pcsuperstore.com has a slimming affect that, when used, makes it look like you dropped 10 to 15 pounds. Much cheaper and less painful then liposuction there is no other camera I’m aware of that will do this. It’s about $400 and it this feature is worth every penny.

Watch

Watches are something I have a passion for and the more modern the better. I’ve always liked the idea of a networked mouse and got addicted to the MSN smart watches but the only one that was really cool was the Tissot Hight-T but it was too expensive for most folks and kind of large. Though it did have a unique touch screen that was addictive. The 2006 Abacus http://www.msndirect.com models have just come out and they cost a more reasonable $180. They also come with basic network features for free, and a year of enhanced services.

Mouse

If you are like me and have become hooked on Massively Multiplayer online games there is only one mouse and that is the Razer Krait http://www.razerzone.com . The optical sensor stays on all the time so if you suddenly need to move (as in are ambushed) you don’t have to wait for the mouse to power on. It looks really cool, green lights all over the place, and at $40 is an easy buy.

Weather

Don’t know what it is about us guys and the weather but we like to check it out. For instance you can see the weather where I live, along with a view from my deck, at http://www.aws.com. But if you want to avoid spending lots of money for a system like this Oregon Scientific has one that pulls from a central wireless data source and saves you the trouble of putting weather sensors on your roof. The WMS801 is on sale for $130 right now at the Oregon Scientific store http://www.weatherconnection.com sounds like a heck of a deal to me.

Keyboard

OK you have a cool lighted mouse how about a really cool lighted gaming keyboard to go with it. Saitek’s PZ30AU http://stores.tomshardware.com lights for those night games, has a nice feel to it, and won’t break the bank at $40.

Buttkicker

OK, you have your keyboard and mouse but you want more. How about a way to add real movement to your chair? The Guitammer Co BK-LFEKIT Buttkicker http://www.thebuttkicker.com is for you. This product isn’t cheap at $400 but you attach it to your favorite chair and those DVD movies and game explosions will get vastly more realistic. If something big happens you will feel it in your, ah, Butt!

The Final Frontier

OK, you have your keyboard, mouse and you butt is happy but you want more. How about the Ultimate Gaming Chair? Well for this you’ll have to wait until October when Pre Gear releases it and will cover that puppy in our back to school buyers guide. Until then you can pre-order it here: http://store.videogamecentral.com Amazing what you can get for $479 these days huh?