Santa will be lugging around a lot of digital cameras this Christmas Eve, including the one at the top of our Wish List: the Fujifilm FinePix F30. With a street price just over $200, it’s an affordable, compact 6.3 MegaPixel powerhouse with 3x Optical Zoom. It’s also the world’s first digicam to offer an ISO setting of 3200! That means you can take great shots in the dark. This cool performer features “Intelligent Flash” which provides just the right output in low light situations. For serious nocturnal photography or for just plain fun, the F30 will be a definite crowd-pleaser. [Watch for our feature review next month.] www.fujifilmusa.com
If you find a Bravo SE Disc Publisher under the tree with your name on it... everyone will be burning with envy. 
It’s the first affordable desktop disc publishing solution for burning & printing CDs and DVDs. If you were thinking of distributing a family video or an Indy band album for the holidays, hurry up and order the Bravo SE. It prints up to 20 discs per job and features full color, direct-to-disc printing. Doesn't require a desk of its own, but is sized just right for the small home office. It’s a snap to use and comes with everything you need to start burning right out of the gift box.
Bravo, indeed! www.primera.com
Here's a handy gadget for security-freaks: the Kanguru Bio Slider II. This USB2.0 encrypted flash drive features a built in biometric sensor so your fingerprint becomes your password. Remember, you can't forget your fingerprint so it's pretty much foolproof. There's no software to install, either, just plug it in. The Bio Drive is available in capacities from 256MB up to a whopping 4GB. Santa gives this baby two thumbs up! www.kanguru.com
For the disorganized person on your list (and that's most of us, admit it) there's the Flic 
Media Organizer. Now you can zap your way to organized heaven with this awesome barcode scanner. It automatically catalogs your book, movie, and music collections into separate databases that can be instantly searched. No tedious typing, the bundled software does it all. Click here for more info on our Cool Tools page. www.flicscanner.com
If you want to give a great digital mage editing program but don't want to mortgage your house to buy Adobe Photoshop, here's the answer. For under $100 get Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI. It can do just about everything without the treacherous learning curves. It even has a few tricks up its sleeve not found in Photoshop. Check out our full review here. In addition to providing professional results, Paint Shop Pro Photo is an absolute joy to use. Intuitive, full of creative surprises, dazzling effects, and inspiration!
www.corel.com
X-Men for Xmas? You bet! And for anyone who wants to create their own personalized Marvel comics, Comic Book Creator is a thought-balloon come true. Drag and drop your favorite Marvel characters, backgrounds, and clipart to create your own Marvel-inspired action. Or use the program to build your own unique comic book adventures from the ground floor up with your personal graphics. The software lets you export your creations in a variety of formats including PDF and Flash. For under $30, Marvel Heroes Comic Book Creator is 100% KRRR-POW and WOW!!! www.mycomicbookcreator.com
Smart products are the rage this year, but who'd have thunk they'd invent a smarter 
stapler. Well Swingline has and it's a great gift for the home or office. The Swingline Optima PowerEase doesn't use the old manual slam and bang method to penetrate the paper, it employs stored energy to decrease the effort as the sheet count mounts. That's right, the more you use it the easier it gets. And no struggling when it comes to adding staples, just push the QuickLoad button to eject the magazine. It's an easy choice and a lot cheaper than a robot. www.swingline.com
Time to cut the cord and don the FreePulse Wireless headphones from Logitech. Now's the time to jump on the mobile music bandwagon. No longer chained to your PC or laptop, you can actually get up and dance. The FreePulse provides a wireless range of 33 feet via Bluetooth 2.0 w/EDR technology. The unit's 30 mm neodymium drivers deliver robust audio. Battery life is over 7 hours and the headphones are so comfortable you can wear them throughout the cycle. Nothing like the gift of freedom. www.logitech.com
Here's a gift for under $60 that'll only fit in Godzilla's stocking. Humans, however, will find far more uses for it. The LadderKart from Franzus is a combination 
stepladder and professional hand cart rolled into one. It folds flat for easy transport and storage and is built tougher than you'll need. (Rated Level 1 for "Industrial Heavy"). This stepladder can hold 300 lbs.—keep off, Godzilla!—while the hand cart can transport up to 250 lbs. It's a practical gift that comes in handy all year long, not to mention when you're decorating the tree. It's available at Wal-Mart and other large retailers.
There's nothing like laughter to help alleviate holiday stress, and our pick this season is Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Book by Deirdre Dolan (Gotham). For anyone who's a fan of Larry David and his hit HBO comedy series, this book is a must-have. • For everyone else, Bill Bryson's new memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (Broadway Books) is a good bet. It's a Baby Boomer's nostalgic and humorous look back at growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in 1950s. • And for the millions of iPod owners, you can't go wrong with iPod: The Missing Manual by J.D. Biersdorfer (O'Reilly; Fifth Edition). Those familiar with her writing in The New York Times know she's got a sharp wit, which makes this particular manual fun to read as well as illuminating.
Click here for more holiday book ideas.
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This year skip the traditional Xmas music and open your ears with Keith Jarrett: The Carnegie Hall Concert (ECM Records, 2-CD set))... it's Jarrett at his best in a rare solo performance. This is jazz improvisation cut to the bone, down to the skeletal keys of the piano. At times lyrical and brooding, introspective and just plain out there... the essence of this artist. It's one of the best jazz CDs of the year.
Portland's fem-led indie-pop band, Sophe Lux, has produced a carnival-like experience with their new CD, Waking the Mystics. The songs are cleverly stylized, theatrical, and satirical ("God Doesn't Take American Express")... it's a Dadaist performance crossing various genres from classical to rock. Edgy, witty, unique. Although not officially released until February 13, you can sample the cuts and order it from Amazon by clicking here.
It wouldn't be the holidays without some board games beneath the tree. For fans of the hit show 24, check out Pressman's 24 DVD Board Game (teens and adults, 2 or more players). There's continuous onscreen action with a virtual 24-hour countdown timer to a terrorist attack. Wonder if Michael Chertoff is playing it? 
For action without the dire consequences there's Coverup (8 to Adult)
from Out of the Box. It's a four-in-a-row strategy game "with depth." Players choose where they'll place disks and at what depth. Putting a disk below the surface risks having it covered up. Move a disk and risk uncovering an opponent’s disk. Fast and fun.
Tis’ the season to upgrade smiles! The Philips Sonicare Elite e9500 electric toothbrush is your go-to 
tool for plaque-busting deep cleaning. This dental workhorse is clinically proven to reduce coffee, tea, and tobacco stain, and more importantly, reduce gingivitis and periodontal pockets. Statistics show that about 80% of us have some form of periodontal disease. Regular use of this small, but mighty gadget can make a difference. Philips Sonicare Elite e9500 reduces gingival bleeding and gives naturally healthier, whiter teeth in 28 days(Philips guarantees it). The e9500 comes with charger base, travel kit, and two brush heads of different sizes; one for everyday use, the other for precision cleaning in hard-to-reach places. The base offers two speeds: gentle and max. Its programmable timer ensures that the brush keeps buzzing for the full, dentist-recommended two minutes (thirty seconds per mouth quadrant). The e9500 will buff those pearly whites till they shimmer like snowflakes. So wow someone high on your holiday list. What a gift: you can brighten and whiten a smile. www.sonicare.com
Last but not least, here's some stocking-stuffers from Breathe Right that can save a marriage. The Love, Honor…and Sleep Snoring Relief Kit has arrived in time to guarantee a stress-less Christmas Eve. Let Santa stay up all night, the rest of us need our sleep, not to mention harmony in the bedroom. The kit includes Breathe Right Snore Relief Throat Rinse, Throat Spray, and Nasal Strips. Toss and turn no more!
Bat readers get a FREE kit—just call 1-800-749-1894.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,
& Peace to All!
