ALKHOBAR, 5 June 2007 — It’s almost graduation day and we’ve had many requests for gift ideas. There are thousands of gadgets out there on the market, in every price range. On this page we’re showing some of our favorites, any of which are sure to light up the eyes of the graduate in your life.
To reward the graduate with a bit of relaxation, consider the Nokia MD-5W Bluetooth Speakers. These portable speakers with wireless technology let the user listen to the digital music stored on any compatible mobile device in high-quality, stereo sound. There’s no need to worry about missing calls when the music’s playing: The speakers act as a hands-free speakerphone and can be used to manage phone calls. The speakers can be powered with the supplied Nokia charger or batteries, for up to 30 hours of music play time when using batteries. Retail price: 105 euros.
For graduates who store their music on a PC, the Plug and Play Motorola D200 transforms a computer into a wireless music system. Easily stream content from a computer (Mac or PC) wirelessly to Bluetooth enabled headphones or speakers. Just plug the D200 into the computer, connect, and go — no installation required. The device can also connect with a Bluetooth enabled headset to enjoy wireless convenience for Voice-over-IP calls made through a computer. This is especially important for graduates who will be going abroad for further studies and would be using online services to make inexpensive voice calls to folks at home. Priced at 30 euros.
Going hands-free is great. It’s time that everyone left their phones in their pockets. Weighing barely an ounce, the Motorokr S9 is lightweight and discreet. These headphones, let the user not only enjoy and control music wirelessly, but also take calls from a compatible Bluetooth enabled phone using the integrated touch controls on the sides of the headband. The Motorokr retails for 90 euros.
Young ladies might prefer to go hands-free in style with Sony-Ericsson’s HBH-PV705 Style Edition. When looking good is important, this elegant, discreet and compact Bluetooth headset is the most stylish way for her to leave her phone in her handbag while making and taking calls. The PV705 Style Edition can be worn in different ways. Hung round the neck on a beautiful necklace strap or kept at hand in a soft pouch, it also comes with detailed attachable jewelry which can be worn on the necklace strap or pouch. Three different panels allow for the personalization of the headset to match any outfit. Retail price of the Style Edition is 56 euros.
The last headset on our Gadget Gift Guide is the MINI H9, Motorola’s smallest and most discreet Bluetooth headset. This barely-there headset measures in at only 30x23 millimeters. It fits perfectly inside the ear. The MINI H9’s advanced design creates a seal to reduce ambient noise so surrounding sounds are nearly eliminated and the call comes in clearly. The headset retails for 141 euros.
New graduates will certainly be going out to see the world. Give them a means to record all those new sights. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 weighs just nine ounces and comes in dark blue. The camera features a 28mm wide-angle Leica DC lens, shoots 7.2 megapixels and displays on a large, 3.0-inch LCD screen.
The camera takes pictures that look good and are free of lens distortion thanks to an Intelligent Image Stabilization system which comprises two features — Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) and Intelligent ISO Control. One system compensates for the effects of hand-shake, the other detects whether the subject is moving and, as necessary, automatically raises the ISO setting and shutter speed according to how fast the subject is moving and the light conditions. Retail price $350.
Another attractive camera is the Sony Cyber-Shot T20, which is available in a silver, black, white and pink color finish options. At 8.1 effective megapixels, its sensor offers the highest resolution yet of any T Series Cyber-Shot. Image quality is further assured by the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens.
The T20 also includes the new Sony Face Detection technology. This harnesses the power of the BIONZ imaging processor to ensure that beautifully-exposed, perfectly focused faces are captured ... just as they should be. The hardware-based processor can rapidly recognize and track up to eight human faces in different scenes, automatically optimizing focus, exposure, flash with red-eye reduction, white balance and color settings accordingly. The result: Beautiful portraits and group shots under different conditions, even in low light or with moving subjects. It retails for $300.
And once the graduate has shot so many great photos, then the Parrot Photo Viewer 7” is a wonderful way to display those memories. Parrot’s wireless Bluetooth enabled high-resolution photo frame is fully digital. Pictures may be sent wirelessly to the photo frame from a mobile phone, PC or digital camera. The frame comes in several different finishes in full leather or solid wood. Retail price 179 euros.