The Uber10 Awards select the top 10 gadgets under $500; just in time for your holiday shopping. Thanks to our Platinum Sponsor Dolby, our Gold Sponsor Intel and our Bronze sponsor UBS Financial Services, we held a private event in San Francisco on Nov 12 where the Uber10 Awards were unveiled.
Uber10 giveaway (closing Dec 4): Enter to win an HP Envy Beat with a Core i7 processor. Update: The lucky winner is Ken Yeung! Congratulations Ken
Help us select an 11th gift suggestion by voting at the bottom of the page!
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| Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. What to do when DSLR cameras can snap better photos and when smartphones are the “casual photography” device of choice? Go rugged! The Lumix DMC-TS1 fits in your pocket and can survive and thrive in environments that would make your iPhone’s moisture sensor go nuts. ($287) | Barnes&Noble Nook. The Nook uses a touch-screen to power its user interface. You can browse books or use it as a virtual keyboard or whatever else developers will build: it runs on Android. But there’s better: when you walk into a B&N store, you can browse all the books, for free. You can also lend books to friends. We would almost forget the “e” in “eBook”. ($259) – Note: B&N has not managed to build enough of these, it’s sold out… The kindle is the next best thing. | |
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| Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX. Nomads never know what surface they might drop their mouse on next. It might be too shiny, or completely transparent: there are many hostile environments for computer mice. Rest assured that with the Anywhere Mouse MX, you won’t have to use a magazine, or the hotel brochure, as a mouse pad and that’s priceless. ($60) | Kodak Zi8 1080p. Unbelievably, the traditional camcorder industry has done very little progress to make things easier for users: odd video formats, conversions, huge files, poor industrial design… That’s why pocket camcorders like the Kodak Zi8 are so popular. Isn’t the best video the one that you can share? ($180) | |
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| Apple iPod Touch 8GB. If you can’t afford to give an iPhone to your kids, there’s still hope for not ruining their social life. From what we can tell, teens are really happy to use the iPod Touch as a WIFI communication device and place their calls with Skype. Oh, and it plays music too ($199). | Zune HD 16GB. Is it better to pay $3000 or $15 per month to get 16GB of music? From the answer to this question, you’ll know if the Zune HD is a good choice. The Zune HD is the king of music rental, and it might soon become a 3D gaming monster as well. The first game (PGR Ferrari Edition) is impressive on the OLED display ($215). | |
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| Motorola Droid. The Droid is the best that Android has to offer for this holiday season. It’s fast, has a display that is twice as sharp as the iPhone’s, has a real keyboard and most importantly, it runs on a much better 3G network. In this case, the beauty is definitely on the inside ($200+subscription). | Sony PlayStation 3 Slim ($299). The PS3 Slim provides a great gaming experience with titles like “Modern Warfare 2” or exclusive titles like “Uncharted 2” or the upcoming “God of War 3”, but it is also a formidable Blu-Ray Player that non-gamers can enjoy. Its best 2009 added feature: the price cut. | |
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| HP Mini 110 Studio Tord Boontje. You might have noticed that computers in internet cafes look better than in other places. People are very aware that the coolness of their laptop rubs on them. The Tord Boontje design does look good and believe us, this photo does not do it justice ($399 start price, but the $500 version is beefier, if we dare using this adjective with a Netbook). | GlideTV. GlideTV is perfect gift for those who watch TV on a computer or connect a home-teather PC (HTPC) to a big screen in the living room. It looks great on the table and can control a 10-foot user interface from the comfort of the couch. When not in use, drop it in its cradle for a recharge ($150). | |