Gift Guide
$500 $180
Targus 120-Watt Universal AC/DC AdapterTargus 120-Watt Universal AC/DC AdapterTargus 120-Watt Universal AC/DC Adapter
We’ll spare you another spiel about the hassles of travel, and cut right to the chase: We’ll spare you another spiel about the hassles of travel, and cut right to the chase: We’ll spare you another spiel about the hassles of travel, and cut right to the chase:
Whether you’re taking a trip or just moving between home and office, a universal Whether you’re taking a trip or just moving between home and office, a universal Whether you’re taking a trip or just moving between home and office, a universal
power supply will diminish your load considerably. Targus’ new 120-watt universal power supply will diminish your load considerably. Targus’ new 120-watt universal power supply will diminish your load considerably. Targus’ new 120-watt universal power supply will diminish your load considerably. Targus’ new 120-watt universal
power supply lets you power today’s high-wattage notebooks as well as your PDA, power supply lets you power today’s high-wattage notebooks as well as your PDA, power supply lets you power today’s high-wattage notebooks as well as your PDA,
cell phone, DV camera, and CD player (if you purchase the appropriate adapters), all cell phone, DV camera, and CD player (if you purchase the appropriate adapters), all
with a slim, stylish, and proud-to-be-single power brick. The Universal supply sup-with a slim, stylish, and proud-to-be-single power brick. The Universal supply sup-
ports 12-volt input from a car cigarette lighter or the in-air connectors on planes. It’s ports 12-volt input from a car cigarette lighter or the in-air connectors on planes. It’s
the perfect gift for anyone with multiple gadgets. http://www.targus.com$130
Targus 120-Watt Universal AC/DC AdapterTargus 120-Watt Universal AC/DC Adapter
We’ll spare you another spiel about the hassles of travel, and cut right to the chase:
Whether you’re taking a trip or just moving between home and office, a universal
power supply will diminish your load considerably. Targus’ new 120-watt universal
power supply lets you power today’s high-wattage notebooks as well as your PDA,
cell phone, DV camera, and CD player (if you purchase the appropriate adapters), all
with a slim, stylish, and proud-to-be-single power brick. The Universal supply sup-
ports 12-volt input from a car cigarette lighter or the in-air connectors on planes. It’sMAXIMUMPC DECEMBER 2003
Charismac FireWire Dino
“ROAR!!!! MY NAME IS ZOLTOR, AND
I WILL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!!!
RAWWWRRR”... OK, maybe that’s
a little overblown, but Charismac’s
FireWire Dino is nonetheless vicious
looking. Four FireWire ports are inter-
spersed among the razor-sharp plates that span
the Dino’s back (don’t touch!). A power connec-
tion is nestled near the base of the Dino’s mur-
derous tail. When connected, the beast’s eyes
glow a fiery red, as if from the depths of Hades;
meanwhile, the creature’s gaping maw emits
a menacing blue beam. Kneel before Zoltor!
And while you’re down there, plug in some
FireWire devices and
enjoy this fun addition
to any desktop.
http://www.charismac.comRadio Shack Pro-96
Digital Police Scanner
Sure, it’s from the Shack, but you
needn’t turn your nose up at it. The
Pro-96 digital police scanner is a seri-
ously cool gadget. Essentially the
first police scanner for the masses,
the Pro-96 is able to monitor digital
communications without the aid of an
expensive decoder card. Furthermore,
the radio runs on AA batteries instead
of the proprietary packs required by
competing units. Indeed, the Pro-96
is a veritable feast for the ears, with
police, fire department, HAM, CB,
and just about every other popular
frequency at your disposal. The 500-
channel scanner will interface with
a PC for firmware updates and to
download new frequencies to the
unit (it comes pre-programmed
for major metropolitan areas).
http://www.radioshack.comPlantronics C212 2.4GHz Cordless
Headset Telephone
You might feel all free and easy with your cordless telly and your ability to
walk from room to room while carrying on a conversation. But you’re really
not. The necessity of a single hand, or worse
yet, a shoulder, with which to cradle the
phone’s handset amounts to a body part
that can’t fully enjoy life.
Enter the Cordless Headset
Telephone. The phone’s dial pad
is just a slip of thing that can be
easily attached to your belt buckle
or tucked into a shirt pocket. The
headset, or earpiece (the parts
are convertible), is lightweight,
cushioned, and imminently
comfortable. Add to that the
phone’s healthy range, noise-
canceling mouthpiece, and cell
phone-caliber functionality, and,
folks, there ain’t no livin’ you
can’t do during a phone call.
http://www.plantronics.com$70
$150
Ambient Orb Device
“Tell us, O Ambient Orb, what you seeth.”
Actually, you don’t have to press the Orb with a bunch of questions,
because it reveals its information quite voluntarily, pulling data from a
nationwide wireless network (no net connection is required).
Exactly what the Orb seeth can vary. Out of the box, it’s pro-
grammed to track the health of the Dow Jones: When market prices
are going up, the Orb shines with a blue/green light. When prices
are going down, the light segues to red. At http://www.ambientdevices.com ,
you can select the focus of your Orb’s careful watch. Shoot, you can
even choose to monitor the weather or national security threat level,
if that’s your fancy. Once you see all the shades, hues, and blinking
patterns the Orb can display, you’ll understand that visual cues can
speak volumes compared with “mere words.” http://www.thinkgeek.com