Great ideas for Gift GivingTo yourself. To someone you love. To the FAMILY (great rationalization there.) If I don't list an address you can do a quick Google search on the item name.
If you are married and male, maybe leave the computer on this page. Speaking for myself, my greedy self-centered self, for my birthday I want TOYS. NOT TIES. The words are similar. I grant you that. But the impact greatly varied! The only problem is as I've grown, so has the price tag and complexity of the toys.
This is a holdover from our Christmas gift ideas, but since the goodies are still out there, the ideas valid, we'll leave this up for you to enjoy!
Big boys' toys: innately tough for women to understand their allure, heck, even what they ARE.
Here's a hint, ladies: big boys' toys mean even more in a mid-life crisis.
So guys, you can't really fault the significant-other if they have zero clue on what works for you. I hope this list helps. It is full of very good ideas to enhance or help you enjoy your home theater or stereo system.
From lower priced to high:
Join www.yourmusic.comfor a varied selection of about 14,000 CDs at $5.95 each including shipping. What's the catch? You have to buy at least one a month BUT you can cancel at any time with no limit to meet. Unbeatable deal. Not all CDs are on the service though many ARE. These next two items are an obsessives' delight but they really work.
DeOxit D5($10) DeOxidizes and cleans away corrosion on electrical contacts. Get the PEN instead of the spray at $12.99 - it's easier to use.
ProGold G5$15.99 conditioning solution that improves conductivity for maximum performance.
Radio Shack Sound Meter(about $40.00) This will let the owner play with sound levels, matching speakers in a home theater setup, or just screwing around with measuring the room, how loud the baby cries, the dog barks, etc. But to do room measurements accurately, you need a
Rives Audio test CD#2($21 from Music Direct www.musicdirect.com) which is calibrated with tones that take into account the known inaccuracies in the Radio Shack Meter. Geeky pleasure.
AudioPrism Quietline Filters($30 each) These little wall wart type boxes plug into the outlets around the home and "eat' noise generated by refrigerators, appliances, dimmer switches, etc. You get increased dynamics and resolution from your equipment. They say an average house needs 8. But this might be a fun stocking stuffer. From Music Direct, and no, we have no relation to them - they simply are a good source.
CELLstik phonebook saver(okay, not home theater, but cool.) You plug it into your cell phone and it stores all phone numbers for your NEXT phone. Great idea. $40. www.sparktech.com
Vaultz Media Binderscontain a standard three-ring binder mechanism, to accommodate binder insert pages that hold CDs, DVDs, Diskettes, business cards or just paper. Your contents stay safe and secure with tumbler locks and the aluminum and steel reinforcements offer protection. Looks great! For the non-Ipod person, obviously. The nylon shoulder strap and smooth chrome handle offer comfortable carrying option, while rubber feet prevent surface scuffing and sliding. The soft black felt interior features mesh pockets. Includes CD insert pages. Choice of Key or Combination lock. 200 CD Capacity costs about $50 - inserts of 25 (x8 CD per sheet) are $14. www.ideastreamproducts.com
Harmony 520 Universal Remote$99. You program it via internet then seriously reduce the number of remotes (to one.) For $250 get Harmony's 880 with more features and rechargeable battery.
WIRELESS HEADPHONESIf the house is full o' noise, consider this escape. See WIRELESS HEADPHONES
SANYO VPC-C5 flash-memory cam/camcorder.This is where the world is going. Why not get there first? It's for both video and stills: stills at 5 MegaPixels! Records to SD memory cards. Zoom. Image stabilization. Docking station (hooks to TV). 4 1/2 inches tall, 6 ounces. www.sanyo.com
PANASONIC SDR-S100 flash-memory video/still camera.2 x 3.8 x 3 inches! 3.1MP stills. 10x Leica zoom lens, image stabilization. 2GB SD card holds 25 to 100 minutes of your video. $1,199 www.panasonic.com
SONY HDR-HC1 High Definition Mini-DV Camera$2000. See Whiskers the cat as whiskers, not a blur of fur.
DELL W4200 42 inch plasma HDTV$2599. Surprisingly good for the money. Good price too. www.dell.com
SONY KDS-R50XBR1 50 inch SXRD LCos 1080p rear screen projector$3999. It's a wowser. Also available as a 60 incher. May be the one to beat. Fully tricked out, too.
WARNING! BUYER TRAPS!
Don't take cash advances on your credit cards.You pay a fee of 2 to 4% for the advance PLUS high interest rates ont he loan!
Avoid store gift certificatesunless they have no EXPIRATION, INACTIVITY or REPLACEMENT fees. These may be viewed as store gambles you'll lose the card, or not use it. This is a HIGH profit center for the issuer!
Watch out for the EXTENDED WARRANTY pitch.You should always check with your credit card company - some extend the warranty for a YEAR. If you DO go for the warranty, get a copy of what's covered and read it before you sign. Take a few days.
BEWARE deferred payment plans- it may be if you don't pay in full, then you are charged interest for the time from date of purchase!
Don't get suckered by the 10% discounton in-store new credit cards. The high interest rate might wipe that savings out right away!
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