The Gift Ideas Blog

Well, you got that wonderful digital camera for Christmas, but now what? You’re taking lots of pictures, but sometimes there’s just not anybody around to help you take your picture. Or, you want to take a cool self-portrait for MySpace or another social networking site profile. What do you do?

You could get the Timetale FOZI Tripod, a handy-dandy tripod that fits right in your wallet! It comes in seven different colors, and it folds up flat into the palm of your hand. When you’re ready to use it, simply open it up, put the flap in the slot, and set your digital camera right on top. You can get it to accommodate a cell phone camera, iPhone camera, and most compact digital cameras. See it in action on YouTube here.

It’s a great gift for any cell phone camera or digital camera user, and it’s so small and compact for easy use.

Do you have a friend who’s a businessperson or is always glued to his or her laptop for work or home? Then perhaps a good gift idea this holiday season is Lapworks’ Laptop Desk Futura. Lapworks sells various ergonomic desks and stands for laptops that can ensure comfort and safety for frequent uses of these electronics. But the Laptop Desk Futura is being featured especially for its style and convenience.

The Futura, which is retailing for $29.95, has five incline positions, so you can set it for proper ergonomic laptop use. The laptop stand also has vents, so the surface under the laptop doesn’t get too hot (this is especially good for men because high heat on the lap from laptops has been said to reduce fertility). It has special rubber holds that keep the laptop steady, and best of all, the stand folds down flat so you can just slip it next to your laptop in your carrying case when you’re not using it.

Thin, lightweight, and good for your posture and ergonomics, this gift is perfect for businesspeople and others who frequently work on laptops. Check it out!

I know recently we’ve been talking a lot about digital cameras, but it’s because I’ve had it on my mind. I just purchased a Panasonic Lumix FX55, and I’ve been fiddling around with it and using it.

It had been high time for me to replace my old digital camera, which I had been using for about six years. It was large and bulky, and one of my friends, when I pulled the old camera out to use, joked, “What is that, your fax machine?”

All jokes aside, I knew I wanted a new camera that was sleek, slim, and good at taking pictures. I’ve always been drawn to the Panasonic brand for its consistently high quality, and here was a new line of cameras from them that were quite sleek (especially in black!), pretty slim, and excellent for photography.

The display LCD is very large, and despite a month of use now, there are no scratches, so the material for the screen is quite strong. Also, the buttons are convenient to use, with an easy button for deleting pictures. The function wheel at the top allows you to switch easily among the various modes, from taking regular pictures, to recording videos, to viewing your pictures.

My only complaint is that when you take a vertical picture, the camera replays the photo horizontally, thus reducing the image size. Some other cameras I’ve seen automatically adjust the playback view depending on whether you hold the camera horizontally or vertically, where if you take a vertical picture, the image is played back vertically when you hold the digital camera that way.

In any case, the Panasonic Lumix FX55 is an excellent camera, and I highly recommend it as a digital camera gift for those looking to give one of these handy pieces of technology this Christmas and holiday season.

So with that delightful digital camera you gave or received for the latest holiday or gift-giving event, you might want some advice on how best to use that electronic device.

The kind folks at HP have provided a variety of photography tips to help you take perfect pictures of your holiday get-togethers and to capture delightful images of everyone with their new gifts.

Before taking pictures in the coming months, check out those picture-taking tips so you can remember those special memories forever.

As a lot of people go on vacation this summer, a great gift to give is a digital camera. Why let your acquaintances pay so much for disposable cameras and the cost of developing film and getting prints when the eventual cost will add up to surpass that of a budget digital camera?

Digital cameras are great for travelers and those fun summer get-togethers. They can capture fun times at the beach or park or a visit to Disneyland or other theme parks. You can look back on your photos on your computer, burn them onto a CD, or order prints of them online or at your local photo developer.

They also make great gifts for recent college graduates because they will have many memorable experiences on campus and will want to remember them. Be sure to warn them not to post incriminating photos online on Facebook or MySpace because they might regret it later!

Some things to consider before purchasing a digital camera:

- Brand name (may indicate quality)

- Warranty

- Price

- Zoom capacity

- Red-eye prevention

- Screen preview (LCD monitor)

- Resolution (how many megapixels?)

- Included photo-editing software and other accessories (cleaning brush, tripod, carrying case, etc.)

Try Digital Photography Blog, Digital Camera Reviews, or Digital Photography Review for more helpful information about purchasing a digital camera as a gift.

Digital cameras come in various prices, so don’t automatically write it off as too pricey to be a gift. You can find some quality digital cameras without paying too much, and your gift recipient will appreciate it tremendously, too! Help make those memories by giving one as a gift.

It’s that time of the year when students around the country graduate from high school or college. It’s a time for celebration, which means it’s also a time of giving gifts! Here are some great graduation gift ideas:

There are all sorts of fun graduation gifts. There are usually cute teddy bears or other stuffed animals wearing charming graduation caps. Any gift store or stationery store will have little figurines and stuffed toys for graduates.

Graduates will want to cherish their school memories, so maybe a picture frame with “Class of 2007″ on it or a picture album. Maybe give a photo album with a few pictures of the graduate and his or her friends already inserted in.

A graduation gift is also traditionally one that looks to the future. What will your graduate do after he or she graduates? If it’s a high school graduate, he or she will probably need a laptop to use on their way to college. A digital camera is also a great idea for helping the graduate capture new memories made in college. A college graduate will probably be heading out into the working world, so things a professional might need, from briefcases to a new professional wardrobe might be a good gift to give.

And, since it’s a celebration, there’s always the big bouquet of flowers from your local florist. Maybe for a special touch, get flowers in the school’s colors.

There are plenty of graduation gift ideas that your graduate will love. Good luck to the graduates, and to those finding gifts for them!

Father’s Day is coming up on June 17, and you’re probably looking out for that gift that says “I love you” to dad. Here are some Father’s Day gift ideas:

- What are your father’s hobbies? If he likes sports, get him something at a sporting goods store or perhaps a sports memorabilia store. If he enjoys a good game of golf, maybe get him a new set of clubs or a book about golf. Speaking of books…

- Does your father read? Perhaps a gift card to a local bookstore or a national retailer would be in order. Who is his favorite author? A good gift would be to buy him a book by that author.

- Is your father a businessman? Perhaps getting him something he could use at work could be in order. He might appreciate a stationery gift. Or a new briefcase.

- Perhaps you could get your dad a nice tie. Think about the dress shirts he wears, and buy him a tie that would match (in pattern and colors) those shirts. Belts, wallets, cufflinks, and other accessories are also popular gifts for men.

- Men are also quite fond of gadgets and gizmos. Look online for great deals on laptops, digital cameras, DVD players, iPods, home entertainment systems, and other electronics gifts.

Father’s Day is a great chance to give a gift to Dad. Make sure you remember to find a present on Father’s Day on June 17!

Digital photo frame

A charming, technology-friendly gift idea is to give a digital photo frame. This is a great way to show off those amazing photos you’ve taken with your digital camera. The digital photo frame will constantly display one image, or rotate through a series of digital photos.

It’s a perfect Mother’s Day gift idea because Mom will love seeing pictures of good times you’ve shared with her on this frame. It will bring back memories that will bring her great joy. Give a digital photo frame pre-loaded with your digital pictures, and it will be that much more meaningful.

Find a digital photo frame via Froogle.

Here’s a great gift idea for the music lover: Apple’s iPod.

Ah yes, the iPod. Much has been said and written about this innovation that has swept the country and the world. This mp3 player from Apple features a sleek design and easy-to-use interface. The most recent version of the iPod features a sharp 2 1/2″ color screen and video playback capabilities, so now you can watch your favorite movies and TV shows on your iPod as you travel.

The iPod also holds color pictures and of course mp3 files. The new iPod battery lasts for 20 hours before needing to be recharged, so now the iPod is better than ever. Everyone wants an iPod, so give the newest iPod with video to your favorite music lover!

The 30 GB iPod is vailable for $299 at Apple.

You’ve heard about it; you might even own one. But now it’s time to share the technological innovation that is TiVo! This great gift allows the recipient to tape their favorite shows digitally (and without fail, regularly) with an easy-to-use feature that allows instant rewinding of live television shows and the ability to skip past pesky commercials!

TiVo is offering a special deal where you can get a TiVo box for only $49.99 (a saving of $150) when you prepay 12 months of TiVo service ($155.40). Given that one is going to have to pay for the TiVo subscription anyways to use the TiVo box, with the special discount offer it’s like getting a whole year of TiVo for free with purchase of a TiVo box or a really cheap TiVo box with purchase of a year’s subscription.

Either way you look at it, it’s a great deal for an excellent gift idea for the TV watcher. It’s also great as a gift to an entire family or household.

Check the offer out at TiVo.