 Norton
SystemWorks 2005 Premier. Tis
the Season to be wary... wary of worms, Trojan horses,
and viruses. One way to banish the evil-doers bent on
invading your computer is to protect your PC with Symantec's
steller SystemWorks 2005, a must-have suite for paranoids,
perfectionists, and everyone who owns a PC. It seems
the new edition has arrived just in time, as it now offers
Internet worm protection. (After only a week it managed
to stop several dozen penetration attempts.) The package
includes the dependable, all-around anti-virus champion,
Norton Anti-Virus 2005. Norton Utilities is also on board
to clean up your system and keep Windows running smoothly.
And a full version of Norton GoBack is here and it's
superior to Microsoft's System Restore feature. We also
like Norton Ghost 9.0 which completely backed up our
test system's 60 GB drive in just 21 minutes. Thus, with
so many worms and viruses cutting into the holiday spirit,
Norton SystemWorks 2005 Premier may be the most appreciated
gift of all. www.symantec.com
 Dream
in Pictures. Here's
an engaging program for organizing your digital photos
that was clearly designed by an artist. The approach
is playful, the interface an easily accessible control
room where you explore creative possibilities. In addition
to standard image management tools for tracking, editing,
and sharing images, you'll find some truly unique features
like one of the coolest 3D photo gallery creators we've
seen. There's also a marvelous Mosaic Maker where you
choose a photo and transform it into an artwork comprised
of hundreds of photos from your collection. Dream in
Pictures includes a Slideshow Builder, interactive Picture
Puzzle Game, and an unusual star-rating system for separating
your best and favorite photos. Slideshows (including
video clips) can be turned into screen savers. You may
have so much fun playing with your photos here, you'll
find little time to take new ones. www.luminousparrot.com
 Case
Logic DVD Player Case. Why
the manufacturers of portable DVD players don't make
decent travel cases to go with them we'll never know.
And now, thanks to Case Logic, we don't care. Their
#8 series case is a real winner. It
fits players with screens between 5 and 10-inches. Plus
it has a built-in compartment with room for 8 DVDs, as
well as two side-pouches for power cord, remote control,
and other accessories. Best
of all, the case is made with thickly padded Koskin.
Now you can safely take your shows on the road. www.caselogic.com
 Casio
Disc Title Printer. Tired
of the scruffy, sloppy "homemade" look of your
archived CD-Rs and DVD-Rs? Then stop scrawling by hand
and ask Santa to bring you the Casio Disc Title Printer.
Your discs will have a polished look you'll be proud
of. This gadget lets you use any TrueType font on your
PC. You can also import your own graphics and images
for a truly slick-looking label. The compact printer
features stand-alone operation or can be connected to
your PC (it's USB compatible for all Windows flavors),
and supports 14 languages. It's powered by either 8AA
alkaline batteries or an optional AC adaptor. www.world.casio.com
Halo
2 for Xbox. Here's
the game that will top more Xmas lists than the Xbox
itself did on launch…The first version of this
must-play game, Halo: Combat Evolved, has evolved to
far deadlier magnitude in 2. More is at stake in the
unfolding battle, and both the weapons and enemies have
multiplied in force and stealth. The game's hero, Master
Chief, takes on the unenviable task of destroying Halo
before it wipes out all life in the galaxy…but
at least he's got a heavy-weapons artillery at hand.
Make that in both hands. Now firepower is doubled, given
dual-handed capabilities in the battle to stop the invading
Covenant and their never-before-seen leaders, the Prophets.
Wear the battle armor of Master Chief, rewrite the story,
get Halo… before it's 2 late. www.xbox.com
 Flow
Floor Lamp. Install
this elegant floor lamp near your indoor Zen water garden,
next to the futon with the overstuffed pillows, beside
the oriental screen, not far from the Mondrian painting;
or perhaps under the Christmas tree. With its 60.75 inch
chrome stem, soft lighting and unusual shade, the Umbra
Flow Floor Lamp is perfect for the room with the modern
aura. Its coolest feature, however, is the user-friendly
base that allows you to light up by simply grasping the “pull-sleeve.” With
the Flow, there are no fussy switches to fumble for in
the dark, no accidental encounters with hot bulbs. Just
grip and pull. Call it a stroke of brilliance by the
elves at Umbra. www.umbra.com
 Spy
File. Direct
from the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC comes
this clandestine box of illustrated cards designed to test
your knowledge of the murky world of espionage. There are
120 questions to delight and stump James Bond-buffs or
Mata Hari wannabes. Categories include Tradecraft, Codes,
Tools of the Trade, and Who’s Who? (Cheating is permitted,
so long as you get away with it.) An eveving spent with
this game will have you nostalgic for those good old Cold
War days. BYOT (Bring Your Own Trenchcoat.) www.spymuseum.org
 Lightning! Something
wicked this way comes in this striking DVD from WGBH Boston
Video. If you're a storm-freak enthralled by nature's most
mysterious phenomenon, this riveting episode of NOVA is
for you. It not only covers the science, but puts you right
inside a team of researchers as they attempt to trigger
lightning bolts by launching conductive rockets. There's
also an eye-popping collection of storm videos that capture
the incredible power of strikes, the thunderous streaks
and freakish effects that light up the night skies. Why
wait for summer's distant thunder? You can have plenty
of suspenseful storms on your screen right now. www.shop.wgbh.org
 Philips
GoGear Wearable Digital Camera (key010). Speaking
of spies... here's the key to shutterbug fantasies
of spy-shots captured in the nick of time. How can
you miss with this snap 'n wear mini-cam? There's no
fumbling around in your pocket or purse since this
tiny digital trinket is worn around the neck. It's
always handy, ready for those sudden photo-ops. That's
right, we said photo-ops, not photo-oops. We tried
on the 128MB model for size and it snapped up nearly
300 pix before calling it quits. We then simply plugged
the camera into our PC's USB port and transferred our
photos. (The USB connection also charges the unit's
built-in battery.) The camera's 2 Megapixel quality
is sufficient for fun snapshots on the go, but don't
expect razor sharp results worthy of 8x10 prints. Best
for Web galleries, e-mailing, 4 x 5 trade-ems. Click
here to see a sample photo. It's one-button simple
to use and makes a great gift for cam-crazy teens,
fashion fiends, or skulking spies. www.philips.com
 The
Grand Canyon Camera Bag. We think we've found the
perfect camera bag. It's a raw beauty from the folks at
M-Rock.Take it to the top of the mountain or deep in the
valley below, the Grand Canyon bag was born to travel.
It's also a natural choice if you want rock-solid protection
for your digital SLR or camcorder. Inside there's thick
closed-cell foam and two adjustable dividers so your precious
gear makes it safely to your destination. And it's surprisingly
roomy for such a compact design. In fact, on a recent trek
we were able to fit both a miniDV camcorder and digital
camera comfortably. The bag features a U-shaped lens cradle
to balance & safeguard your lens, modular design for
attaching accessory pouches, neoprene handles, water resistant
fabric, and sweet non-pinching shoulder straps. It's actually
comfortable to carry for the long haul. Bet you didn't
know the Grand Canyon measures H-6 1/2 x W-7 xD-4 1/4 inches.
And others, of course, will admire the view as this is
one cool camera bag. www.m-rock.com
 The
JBL Creature II. Darth Vader returns in drag? An
all-powerful extraterrestrial? You bet your boosters! These
space age, self-powered satellite speakers and mother ship
subwoofer from Harman Multimedia are sci-fi-fantastic!
If looks can kill, then these alien speakers will zap you
dead with rich, out of this world sound. The mighty Magnum
series subwoofer transducer is the mother ship here. It
features separate treble and base controls and showers
the planet with deep space bass. You'll know the little
satellite speakers have landed when their LEDs glow green.
The Harman Multimedia Plus transducer is a full range transducer
specially designed for small subversive enclosures, providing
awesome midrange and highs that compliment the rich base
tones. And can there possibly be sweeter tweeter in our
solar system at under $100? We doubt it. Creature...comfort & cosmic
sound thrills for the hungry human ear. www.harman-multimedia.com
 Migo. What
separates this tiny USB flash drive from so many others on
the market is its unique synchronization features. It's not
just portable storage but a data-preservation system. Migo
not only backs up and synchronizes your Outlook email, but
your complete desktop environment, including IE browser favorites
and wallpaper. Your contacts and important data are available
wherever you go, just plug into an available PC and access
your contacts, MP3's, graphics, presentations, and critical
data. You can password protect all your files, too. Migo
is a nifty little security policy if your laptop gets swiped
or your PC self-destructs, your stuff is safe. Synchronizing
files when you plug Migo into a USB port is a simple, one-click
affair. The drive is available in multiple capacities. www.4migo.com
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