Best Gadgets to Gift This Diwali

The festival of lights (and sounds) is finally upon us, and it’s time to take stock of what you can buy on a reasonable budget. Of course, if money is no object you can buy whatever you fancy, but unfortunately most of us do have certain constraints. It’s no use drooling over the latest Asus Lamborghini laptop or a Voyager speaker system – unless perhaps your name starts with Bill and ends with Gates.

Without going into the realm of the fancy and fanciful, we at Tech2.com have attempted over the past couple of weeks to keep you firmly grounded and in the loop regarding what’s hot and what’s not when you go gadget-shopping this festival season. The articles are all available on the website, but here’s a quick roundup of all our Diwali features so you can plan your last-minute purchases…

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Digital Cameras

Feeling stuffed because you overate on Diwali? Compensate with a slim camera, which can be a handy gift to boot. Considering the demands of the festive season, you never know when you’ll be caught in the midst of a moment that deserves to be captured forever. So Gagan has reviewed some great slim cameras that you can choose from. If you know someone who’s a hardcore shutterbug, check out his Superzoom guide as well. Did we say digicams make excellent gifts?

High-end Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are natural gifts for any occasion. Indeed, they have become rather too common these days. But high-end handsets still command a premium. Why not let a significant other know your true feelings by gifting him or her a top mobile phone? It would obviously be priced rather steep – but hey, if you can afford it, why not flaunt it, asks Shayne. And so, here are some high-end mobiles that will make both gifter and recipient drool.

MP3 Players

Diwali may be the festival of lights, but as we all know it’s also the season for plenty of sound as well, what with all the firecrackers going off like it’s a war zone. Shayne has a great solution – he recommends MP3 players as a great way to drown out ambient noise. Assuming your budget is Rs 5000, here are six highly recommended MP3 players that you can gift someone (or buy for yourself). If you can stretch your budget to a portable multimedia player, read Laiq’s review of six sub-15K PMPs, both flash-based and hard drive-based.

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Headphones

Continuing with the festival-of-sounds theme, we feel a pair of good headphones can prove to be a great gift this Diwali. If firecrackers are fouling with your favorite songs, there’s a solution. No, don’t pump up the volume and risk damaging your eardrums. What Laiq has done is review five great headphones that offer an oasis of calm in the noisiest of environments. Pop them on and enjoy a peaceful Diwali. After all, they don’t call them ’noise-canceling’ headphones for nothing!

Games and Consoles

It’s Diwali and you’ve probably inherited a good sum of money from a generous relative. Or maybe you’re a rich relative hoping to thrill a favorite nephew with a great gift but sadly can’t tell a PlayStation from a playpen ( or an Xbox from an… er… iBox). Worry not, for Avinash understands your plight. He’s rounded up some of the hottest gaming deals on the block right now – both in hardware and software. So just loosen your purse strings and go game-shopping.

Laptops

The festive season means tempting offers on electronic goods of all kinds. This involves a bewildering array of gifts to choose from. Gadgets such as MP3 players, headphones, and cameras are all very well, but none of them can quite approach the utility or significance that a laptop provides, feels Jayesh. We agree. So here’s a roundup of some great laptops that will make ideal gifts this Diwali.

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PC Speakers**

When was the last time you bought your trusted PC a nice gift? Sure, you upgraded to a DVD writer and plonked in an extra stick of RAM last year, but when did you show that you truly care? Hint: think PC speakers, perhaps a set of uber-cool black-and-silver babies? Yes, Siddharth has a speaker guide for you, straight from Gizmonia. Here’s a list of great 2.1 PC speakers that are new and very impressive.

DVD Players

You’ll no doubt be aware DVD players are an indispensable part of your entertainment system; after all, it’s the unit that plays your source disc. Naturally, they can make ideal Diwali gifts too. On a limited budget? Well, we’ve made things easy. DVD players come in different packages and prices, so it’s Sid to the rescue, with an article that highlights the best DVD players available for under Rs 5000.

Home Theatre Systems

What if you don’t want to stop at individual components and devices, and would like to gift yourself an entire home theatre system instead? Well, Sid has an answer to that too. Just state your price. Or rather, your budget. If it’s under Rs 50,000, look here. Of course, you can’t expect any Onkyos and Harmans on a limited budget, but if you can double the moolah to a lakh, here’s what you should be rigging up.

So that concludes our Diwali shopping special extravaganza. Let us know if you guys had a blast!