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Tom's Hardware Holiday Gift Guide 2013
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1. Tom's Hardware's 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

It's that special, holiday time of year, and once again you're out in the cold, overclocking your brain, trying to come up with that perfect gift idea for a friend, one for the kid, or significant other. We know it's difficult, and that's why we've created something we hope you'll find to be a little different. This is not your father's gift guide. This is your Tom's Hardware holiday gift guide.

Oh sure, there's some typical fare for you game enthusiasts, but we know your secret. Deep down, we're all drawn like cats to some sparkling, moving object just because it's being driven by technology. We've gone to our entire staff and asked everyone for their idea of the perfect holiday gift, money being but a mere object in some cases. What you'll find on the following pages may surprise you, or maybe inspire you (and in some cases drive you to call us crazy, but hey, we've been there before).

From monitors to robots, from wearables to sporting goods, from kitchen gadgets to tablets, we've got it covered. Take a look, and feel free to share with us, and each other, your own wish list of sparkly objects. On behalf of the entire staff of Tom's Hardware, we wish you and yours a most happy holiday season.

2. Team Black Sheep Discovery Quadcopter

By Chris Angelini: As a kid, I used to love flying remote-controlled aircraft. But at some point, it became too heart-breaking to pour hours into building a model, only to reverse the controls during landing and watch the thing cartwheel across the tarmac.

I’m not saying I’d fare any better with Team Black Sheep’s Discovery quad-copter and its first-person view camera, but I’ve put all of the components into a shopping card several time now, only to chicken out over the almost $3000 price tag. Yes, the kit can be built for less, but I want the 2.4 GHz video and UHF remote configuration.

It’s a big boy toy that I’d love to set up and take for a spin in the skies of Bakersfield. Maybe if someone else were to buy it for me...

3. Garmin Forerunner 620

By Kasia Lorenc: My trusty Garmin Forerunner 305 has served me well for several years now. It has great battery life, it’s accurate, and really all I really need to train. Or so I thought. When I saw the new Forerunner, suddenly my favorite running gadget feels old, bulky, and outdated. This year, all I want for the holidays is the new Forerunner 620.

Garmin really stepped up its game with this baby. The 620 is smaller, lighter and packed with new features. It’s not just an improved version of the old model; this thing has a ton of great, new useful bits. One of them is auto pause, which is great if you’re running through busy streets. The watch automatically pauses when you stop at an intersection or to tie your shoe. This might not sound like a big deal, but when you forget to pause your watch on a run, you end up with inaccurate pace and time. Another convenient little feature is vibrating alerts, which you can set to pace yourself without having to constantly check the watch. Both would be really nice for cold, winter runs!

But the coolest thing about the Forerunner 620 is what it can do used with the heart rate monitor. I have to admit, I don’t like wearing it, but with the 620 it helps measure your cadence, vertical oscillation, and ground contact so you can really work on improving your stride. It also has a personal trainer feature of sorts, which advises you on how much time you need to recover between runs and if you’re fully recovered once you start running. This is good for two things: not slacking in between runs and preventing injuries (by not running too soon).

The 620 is fully wireless, so your running data gets uploaded through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; no more cables! At $400, ($450 with the heart rate monitor) I think it’s worth it. I’d like the white/orange one, Santa!

4. SteamOS

By Adam Overa: Now that the Holiday Gift Guide is made up of our editor’s picks, I’m sure that you’ve already seen plenty of punishingly pricey tech toys thus far. Well, I thought that I’d change that up a bit. To be honest, what I really want this year won’t cost a thing, and it’s something that should benefit all of us.

Am I talking about peace on earth and goodwill toward men? No, I’m talking about SteamOS!

As soon as the initial announcement was made, I knew exactly what I was looking at, and I was floored that it was actually happening. You see, the folks at Valve didn’t intend to release just another game console; they were working on a console-killer. It's a Linux-based console OS that any manufacturer or user can build upon; the PC paradigm brought to the living room.

I'm an OS reviewer, a Linux geek, and a fellow PC builder. This is definitely something I can get behind. Hell, by the time the prototype specs were officially released, I had already approached Thomas about designing a living room-friendly gaming build.

So screw jolly old Saint Nick! This Christmas, Gabe Newell is the only magical bearded fat man who I want delivering my present.

5. Sonos Play 5

By Antoine Boulin: I just tried the Sonos Play 5 and I love it. I find it a lot better than Apple's AirPort, which always had PC compatibility issues for me. The Sonos Play 5 is super easy to set up, has a great sound and a good app to control all my music from my phone wirelessly. It employs five speakers, including two tweeters, two three-inch drivers, and one 3.5-inch woofer, each with its own dedicated amplifier.

You can do stereo pairing with two Sonos Play 5s, and you can connect any Apple Airplay music source via Line-in. One of my favorite features: it is easy to add speakers in all of the rooms of the house. In other words, don't just give one Sonos Play 5, give your loved ones several!

6. Trossen Robotics Bioloid Premium Robot Kit

By Dorian Black: My earliest memory of my mother freaking out was when I decided to investigate a toy robot I received as a gift. This sort of reaction was typically the outcome of my "pulling apart stuff until something stopped working," and the robot was no exception. She came into my bedroom and saw me looking at the pieces of what had once been a rather majestic and noisy plastic toy. "What did you do?" she asked in that way only mothers can. "I found out how it works, see?" I responded, happily beaming at her from the midst of my recent autopsy.

My fascination with robots continues, and so I'd really love the Trossen Robotics Bioloid Premium Robot Kit. It's not that expensive (at almost $1200) when you consider it can make over half a dozen different robots, from a Humanoid, to a variety of insectoid and dinosaur-esque creatures. I could go with the basic kit at $350, but then what would happen if I do too much of that, er investigating? The premium kit has all the pieces I need to rebuild, better, faster, stronger. Cue The Six Million Dollar Man theme.

One day, little buddy, one day you will be mine...

7. Tesla Model S

By Niels Broekhuijsen: The pinnacle of automotive technology has arrived, and while it's been in production for just over a year, it is still very new tech. The Tesla Model S is not simply an electric car, it is a symbol. A milestone for the automotive industry. It's a fully electric car with a radius of almost 500 km, paired with a good bit of opulence.

Want one? Well, getting one may prove difficult. For one, there are availability issues. And even if you can get a reservation, there's a good chance that its asking price will send you home with sticker shock. But if you're one of Charlie Sheen's goddesses, it never hurts to ask.

8. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II

By Thomas Soderstrom: Free hardware and a lack of expensive hobbies leaves me with simple needs: lots of computing power, a pot of coffee, and a decent camera to get the job done. Unfortunately, my old camera has seen better days.

I shoot in soft lighting to reduce reflections, using a tripod and long exposure times to capture with greater detail. Famed for its low-light capabilities, Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II appears to offer the best combination of image quality and press-event portability. Better quality photos take less time to edit, and isn’t time the greatest gift of all?

9. Microsoft Surface Pro 2

By Julio Urquidi: I’ve been doing my best to not make any wrong moves or say anything that would dump me onto the holiday naughty-list. Last time I was there, I got socks.

If there really is a benefit to being nice, I really hope it includes getting a Microsoft Surface Pro 2, and preferably the version that comes with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of flash-based storage.

I bought the original Surface Pro earlier this year and I hardly ever go anywhere without it. In fact, I’m using it more than my regular laptop. Size-wise, it works out great. It’s big enough to facilitate real productivity, yet small enough to fit in my camera bag.

Of course, the higher-end Surface Pro 2 would give me the same convenient form-factor I enjoy from the first-gen Surface Pro, but I’d get the additional benefits of more storage and more memory, not to mention better battery life. I'll take the bundle and get the matching docking station as well.

10. Philips Airfryer

By Marcus Yam: Too many hours of my day are spent sedentary, sitting at a computer desk. Unfortunately, this kind of lifestyle doesn't go well with my love of food, especially anything that's been deep-fried. Rather than give up tasty things, I figure that modern technology can help me have my fries and eat them too.

The Philips Airfryer promises to deliver fried food results "with 80% less fat." Instead of using cups of oil, the Airfryer requires no more than a tablespoon of oil to cook a full batch of fries. It's able to do its thing with only a fraction of the grease by making the hot oil airborne, which continuously circulates to cook the food. Besides potato-based favorites, it will do chicken nuggets and drumsticks, and there's even a recipe for brownies.

At around $300, it's not cheap, but that's the price of sitting around and snacking all day. Going to the gym will be my resolution for 2014. Promise. Maybe.

11. Asus PQ321Q Ultra HD Display

By Don Woligroski: I get to play with lots of new PC components, but whenever someone walks into my office, the first thing they comment on is the 30-inch Dell 3007WFP monitor attached to my main workstation. This 2560x1600 beast is something that I have truly come to appreciate over the past few years, and given the choice, I'll take one large high-resolution display over a triple-monitor setup every time.

I have to admit that the old Dell is aging though, and Asus' PQ321Q looks like an ideal replacement. This 4K option would increase my native resolution to 3840x2160 pixels. And at 31.5 inches, it's even a bit larger than the Dell. Now all I have to do is scrape up the $3500 to buy one.

12. Oculus Rift

By Kevin Parrish: Dear Santa, I want the Oculus Rift for Christmas. I know it’s not out yet, but any current version will do. We both know I’m going to need it. The Christmas morning carnage of ripped boxes and shredded wrapping paper, the avalanche of new toys that seem to spill out into each room, the loud chatter; all of it is already inflating my stress levels to no end, and the day hasn’t even arrived.

I need the Oculus Rift so I can escape from the chaos, to wander about a virtual world full of fluttering butterflies, running streams, and virtual people that won’t knock my teeth out if I say something offensive. A place where there are no screaming kids, no dogs barking at relatives, just a peaceful virtual world that allows me to breathe. Bring me an escape, Santa, please. Bring me the Oculus Rift, and I’ll owe you big time. Wait! I wasn’t talking about your weight, I promise! Drat...I’m getting another lump of coal, aren’t I?

13. Infomotion 94Fifty Smart Sensor Basketball

By Fritz Nelson: I keep fooling myself, pretending that I never get old and never slow down, that my vertical leap can improve, that my crossover can break ankles, and that my first step can still leave my defender stuck in mud. But then my basketball skill set may never have carried any of that in the first place, let alone at my advancing age. Yet still I look for every angle, every edge, and the 94Fifty basketball holds great promise.

The new consumer offering, available originally via the company's Kickstarter campaign, but now in the Apple Store, is a ruggedized basketball, loaded with sensors that can detect shot release time, shot arc, and the ever-important backspin. It measures not only your shooting skills, but your dribbling ability. It feeds the data to the 94Fifty mobile app (available for iOS and Android), where you can use it for workouts, or skill training. Skill training gives you constant and instant feedback on aspects of your shot (or dribbling), helping you make adjustments. You can battle your own scores, or go head-to-head against others on various skills.

It isn't cheap at $300, but for athletes serious about improving their game, it's a small price to play. The company manages to keep the ball at regulation weight, and it is being used at the high school, college, and even professional level. I'm in the middle of testing this product, and will provide a full review soon, after which I'm certain to be able to take on all challengers!

14. Samsung LED 9000 Series

By Jane McEntegart: In the age of pixel densification, my HDTV is feeling a little long in the tooth. Is it just me or is it a bit ridiculous that my phone now has the same resolution as my 50-inch plasma? Definitely time for an upgrade. I'm talking about going 4K. Ultra HD. The bigger the better.

I'm not crazy, though. I do think spending tens of thousands of dollars on a TV is kind of insane (no matter how beautiful and mesmerizing the panel). Thankfully, prices are dropping fast. Samsung's LED 9000 series are at least somewhat reasonably priced at $4500 for the 65-inch model and $3000 for the 55-inch version. Best of all, they have an input breakout box, ensuring that they’re a little bit more future-proof should 4K standards change.

Maybe Santa can work some of his magic? I'll leave a key under the mat, St. Nick. You can set it up next to the PS4 (we'll talk about that in my snail mail letter).

15. Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Smartphone

By Barry Gerber: When I bought my (and Apple’s) first iPhone, I felt a pang of guilt and a bit of trepidation as I left the comfortable world of Microsoft and Windows. I ventured on with two iterations of the iPhone and iPad, and a number of Android-based devices, including my current iPhone replacement, a Samsung Galaxy S3.

Then came Windows 8.1, with Microsoft’s best SkyDrive and cross-device settings environment, and I started coveting a Windows phone. The Lumia 1520 won my heart with its almost tablet-sized six-inch screen, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 SoC, Windows Phone 8, and a 20 MP camera to make any photo nut extremely happy.

The 1520 is on its way to me as I write. It will be really nice to work in a fully integrated cloud-based computing environment where I can productively do my work without switching between the iOS, Android, and Windows environments. There’s still some life left in good old Microsoft.