Top five tech gifts for the season

Technology changes at the speed of light. It is difficult to keep up with ever-changing technology. It can be disheartening when the salesperson at Best Buy tells you the new tech gadgets you bought two weeks earlier — at the same store — are now old technology. Choosing technology with staying power is key. Here are the winners of the top five gadgets of 2005.

5 Sony PSP
Sony virtually invented the world of consumer electronics when it released the Sony Walkman audio cassette player in 1979. It revolutionized the world of the gaming industry after the introduction of PlayStation 2 in 2004. Now the saga continues with the Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable). It lets you store music, photos, watch full-length videos, access the Internet and, above all, enjoy your favorite games. Sony claims that it has sold almost 10 million PSPs worldwide, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation-branded game console ever.
Current price: $207 - $249

4 Apple iPod
Good things always come in flavors. Well that’s what the philosophy of Macintosh has always been. Currently you have three choices of iPods out in the market: iPod shuffle, iPod Nano and iPod Video. All iPods are capable of storing music but not all of them have photo and video storage capability.

Among the three of them, the least expensive is the iPod Shuffle, smaller than a pack of gum, which lets you store up to 240 songs. It also lets you directly plug into your USB port like any fl ash drive and fill with any songs of your choice. The iPod Nano is the new shrunken iPod with more features, which stores up to 1,000 songs.

Last but not least, iPod Video is the music to your eyes. How about watching “Lost,” which you missed last night as you were stuck in some kind of boring business meeting, on the go? This incredible gadget lets you store up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos and 150 hours of video. Time to check your wallet and decide: Which iPod is for you?
Current prices: iPod Shuffle, $99-$129; iPod Nano, $199-$249; iPod Video, $299-$399

3 Motorola RazrV3
Hello Moto! Hello Motorola Razr V3! Who is sexier? You or your cell phone?

When it came to designing a cell phone that not only is as good as the calls they make, but also has the looks, Motorola came with the ultra-thin (half an inch) and ultra-light (3.35 oz.) Motorola V3 Razr (Razor).

The phone is made up of anodized aluminum, which makes it sleeker. It slips into any pocket with ease. This flip phone can play MPEG 4 videos and capture pictures with an integrated digital camera. It has a voice-dial speaker phone and also connects to your Bluetooth headset without any wire. With the sleekest looks, lightest weight and loaded features, there is no doubt that Motorola V3 Razr is one of the coolest gadgets of 2005.
Current price: $0 to about $440, depending on cell plan

2 Palm One Treo 650
A long time ago, my dad used to carry this thick black book called his “daily organizer,” where he kept all his telephone numbers, meeting schedules and agendas. When I showed him the Palm One Treo 650, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), he put it as number one on his wish list for this Christmas.

The motto of PDA is to “do more and carry less,” but Palm One claims to do some more. Here is a very short list of its capabilities: Make phone calls, message, access the Internet, write memos, download and listen to music, take pictures, watch videos, play games, plan with a calendar and scheduler, use Bluetooth and the list goes on.
Current price: $299

1 Delphi SkyFi2
We all have favorite radio stations. But when you travel too far from the source station, the signal breaks up and fades into static. Don’t you hate that?

Now, imagine a radio station that can broadcast its signal from more than 22,000 miles away and then come through on your car radio with complete clarity. You could drive from Texas to Washington, D.C., without ever having to change the radio station and with few or no commercials.

Currently there are two popular satellite radio services (XM and Sirius, both of which have monthly subscription fees that hover below the $15 mark.) However, these radio services are not audible if you don’t have a satellite radio receiver. That’s where our Delphi SkyFi2 XM Radio comes into play.

Smaller than most men’s wallets, the sleek silver SkyFi2 features a bright 5-line display, and is compatible with car and home kits, as well as with a portable boom box. The SkyFi2 is a must-have gadget for 2006.
Current Price: about $120