Get Gadgeted this Diwali for Rs. 25,000

In our previous “Get Gadgeted” story we covered a range of devices we recommend under a stricter budget of Rs. 10,000. It’s time to take things up a notch so we’ve upped the ‘expense account’ to Rs. 25,000. Here are a bunch of goodies you can get yourself (or others) with a budget of Rs. 25,000.

Micromax A70 (Rs. 7,889) View Stores
With a rather sharp looking device, Micromax has managed to gain some redemption in the smartphone segment with this, their A70 Android powered device. The A70 runs on a 600MHz processor and utilizes Android 2.2 aka FroYo quite well in terms of functionality. It offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, 32GB microSD card support and a 5MP camera. Micromax has also provisioned the A70 with quite a few freebies like a task manager, network manager, power manager, software manager and file manager as well as an internet radio streaming application.

Low budget smartphone that gives you a value for money deal

Canon A1200 Powershot Digicam (Rs. 5,550) View Stores
Cameras are a sure shot option when thinking about gifting yourself or loved one a gadget this Diwali. It’s no problem if you’re an amateur at photography or just want a camera for casual purposes. We have identified the ideal camera for those who want a camera that’s extremely easy to use and suited for most budgets – the Canon PowerShot A1200. This camera features a 12.1MP CCD sensor, optical zoom of 4x and the camera is extremely easy to use. This camera also has 720p HD video recording. This is a great camera for a great price. One can purchase this camera for a street price of Rs. 5,800 and possibly in some places a little lesser. So go ahead and start clicking with this camera during this festive period.

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Snap those fireworks with this well priced Powershot

Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB (Rs. 3,150)

Diwali is the time for celebration, music and fun. If your music needs haven’t been fulfilled so far then this one’s for you. Apple’s new iPod Shuffle provides a cool 2GB of memory which can store around hundreds of your favourite music tracks. It also provides 15 hours of battery life which means whether you’re working out, or running a few laps in the park, or travelling; the iPod is not going to run out of juice. Also, it’s available in five colours - Silver, Blue, Green, Orange and Pink, so there’s no dearth of options to choose from depending on your liking. Priced at Rs. 3,150 for the 2GB version, this Diwali gift your ears with a superior audio experience. 

Great for the gym or to down out the fire crackers

What better way to complement your PC than a nice little MFD. Canon has a really affordable one, the MP287, which retails for as little as Rs.2,999 on online stores like Flipkart. This inkjet printer also has a copier and scanning functionalities, all bundled up in a rather good looking package. It uses Canon’s Hybrid Ink system for better colours and sharper prints. The bundled application helps enhance the grey text on web pages making it easier to print pages from the web. The ease of use and good feature set makes it a very good pick, especially at this price.

An  Multi Function Device to bring more color to your festive spirit

Mirosoft Xbox 360 Wired Controller (Rs. 1,499)
Most PC games currently available have full support for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller and at this price, there’s really no excuse not to get one. Game genres like racing, flight simulators and third-person shooters are just more fun on a controller instead of the keybaord and mouse. Since all the buttons are already mapped out, simply plug it into a Windows machine and you’re good to go. The controller works just as well on an Xbox 360 also. If you hate wires, then for Rs. 2,649, you can snag the wireless controller for the PC.  

For the PC gamer who’s more of an indoor ‘firecracker’

Belkin Wireless Basic Router N150 (Rs. 1,400)

If you don’t already own a WiFi router at home, it’s time you bought one. Assuming that you have a PC, mobile phones and laptops at home, it should be the next item  in your wish list. Priced at just Rs. 1,400, the Belkin Wireless Basic Router N150 is an ideal companion to the rest of your gadgets. The Belkin router is one of the cheapest ones to support WiFi 802.11n, which means theoretical transfer speeds of up to 150Mbps. Apart from browsing, there’s a whole bunch of things that you can do. You can use a smartphone as a VoIP phone or as online radio. A wireless router means no cables, which means less clutter in the living room.

Stay wireless for a low price

For those music enthusiasts, who don’t wish to miss out on the hustle-bustle and jostling of the city life,  the Nokia BH-503 Bluetooth Stereo Headset can be a good option. Here’s a quick look at what it has on offer - the Nokia  claims to offer high-quality, stereo sound audio streamed via the BH-503 on your compatible phone. The neckband design of  the headset gives it a stylish appearance, and a thumbs-up from us. The integrated media keys gives you access to all the  required controls during use. Nokia also adds the ‘quick charging’ bit to its set of features for the BH-503, which should be a good option.

Great for the sporty individuals

Vintage laptop Skins for any laptop size (Rs. 1,250)

We’re entering the age of post modernism or hipsterdom where we’d like to decorate our Macbook Pros (or any other laptop for that matter) with a touch of the retro world. Or, you know, just make it look cool and different. I particularly like the Boombox laptop skin, which you can customize for a laptop of any size. The skin right now is $17 (Rs. 850) from CafePress.com but it’s an extra $8 (Rs. 400) for shipping and tax. Which one would you pick?

Jazz up your laptop this festive season

 Stay tuned for more “Get Gadgeted” editions as we get closer to D-Day, in this case we mean “Diwali” of course. We’ll be increasing the budget further to include some of the higher end devices as we close in the festive season.