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Buying Guide: High-Tech Thanksgiving
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Thanksgivings are no longer quite the same as Norman Rockwell depicted them. The Victrola has morphed into an iPod, a Prius has replaced the Model T, and flat-screen TVs have booted the fireside chat. But these changes are just the dressing—at heart, Thanksgiving is still the same. Still, there are plenty of ways that today's technology can enhance your holiday.
What Thanksgiving would be complete without watching the Macy's Day Parade in the morning and football in the afternoon, preferably on an HDTV? The 42-inch Samsung HP-S4273 plasma HDTV may lack 1080p resolution, but it makes up for that with superb contrast and easy multimedia file support. With new models being introduced, the HP-S4273 can be gotten for considerably below list.
If you're among the many folks whose Thanksgiving involves long-distance driving, you might want to finally get that GPS device. The Netropa Intellinav 3 offers a range of features—including a database of 6 million points of interest—at a reasonable price. It'll also help you find restaurants, gas stations, and other necessities of the road.
You'll want to have a camera handy to preserve holiday memories. The Fuji FinePix F50fd is a 12-megapixel ultracompact camera that packs the latest in face-detection technology. It's good in low light and is newbie-friendly. And to go with your camera, a portable small-format photo printer will let you make prints on the spot and hand them out to relatives. The HP Photosmart A626 Compact Photo Printer lets you use a touch screen to edit and print the shots.
To provide your guests with a bit of music, an iPod with speaker dock are a winning combination. The Apple iPod touch is just like an iPhone, except without the lousy phone. It's simply the best portable media player ever made. As for a sound dock, the B&W Zeppelin has caught our fancy. At 16 pounds it's a bit of a lead Zeppelin, and its price is in the stratosphere, but its design is graceful and it sure sounds sweet.
Whether you're going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house, or you're cooking the turkey for your own kids or grandkids in your urban townhouse, may you have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. The holiday is not about gadgets, but about family, friends, and gratitude. Still, we can be thankful for all the wonder, convenience, and enjoyment that digital technology has to offer.
Featured in this Roundup:
Samsung HP-S4273 ($2,799 list)
Samsung's HP-S4273 plasma HDTV offers a good picture and useful multimedia functionality, but this 42-inch set runs into problems when screening film-sourced DVDs and dark scenes.
Netropa Intellinav 3 ($329.99 list)
The Netropa Intellinav 3 is a good choice for consumers who want high-end GPS features at a budget price.
Fuji FinePix F50fd ($250 street)
Fujifilm's 12-megapixel pocket camera offers advanced automatic features, including flexible low-light and action shooting tools and effective face-detection technology that's ahead of the pack.
HP Photosmart A626 Compact Photo Printer
($179.99 direct)
The HP Photosmart A626 Compact Photo Printer adds the convenience of a touch screen to an otherwise conventional small-format photo printer.
Apple iPod touch ($399, list, 16GB)
With an excellent interface and elegant design, the iPod touch is simply the best portable media player ever made.
B&W Zeppelin ($599)
The Zeppelin iPod dock costs a ton because of its graceful design and excellent sound, but don't expect any fancy functions such as a FM radio, alarm, or even useful iPod navigation on the remote.