Tech Gadgets For The Holidays

With Black Friday morphing into Black Thursday, there's hardly time to swallow your pumpkin pie before you race out to start your holiday shopping. Tech Tuesday looks at the season's hottest tech gadgets for the youngsters and less-young on your list, and shares some tips on what to think about before you buy.

David Pogue's 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

New York Times technology columnist David Pogue shares the hottest holiday gadgets for the technophiles among your friends and family.

The Node. It's a supersensor capsule with various snap-on modules that detect color, gases, ambient temperature, barometric pressure, motion, surface temperature and other qualities -- all transmitted wirelessly to your phone for display. Price: $149

Kindle Paperwhite. Finally, a backlit e-book reader so you don't need a flashlight to read in bed. Price: $120

Roku LT. Lots of people are cancelling their cable service and getting one of these instead. It gives you Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and YouTube right on your TV. Price: $50

Tagg GPS Pet Tracker. If Fido runs away, now you can see where he is on a Web map. It also texts you when he leaves your property and tracks his activity. Price: $100

Sony ActionCam. Clips to your helmet, bike handle, ski pole, skateboard, whatever... It records hi-def, and a Wi-Fi version is also available that lets you see what you're filming on your phone. Price: $200

PowerSkin SpareOne. The world's lowest-tech cellphone. One AA battery lasts 15 years in your glove compartment. It dials 911 for free, and needs a SIM card for regular calls (you have to get one). Price: $60

AudiOffice. Charger dock and speakerphone for iPhone or iPad. Have calls on a real handset with better sound! Price: $300

The new Parrot Quadricopter. It's amazing: it flies, it makes great TV. You drive it with your phone, and the screen shows what the copter is "seeing" from its cameras. There's a new version this year. Price: $300

Nook HD. It's Barnes & Noble's color tablet and it's REALLY nice. Blows away the Kindle, and about 60 percent the price of an iPad Mini. Price: $200

Jawbone UP band. It's a bracelet (brand new 2.0 version) that you wear. It measures your activity, food, and sleep, which it displays on your iPhone screen. Makes clever realizations like, "When you eat after 7 p.m., it takes you longer to fall asleep." Price: $130

Microsoft Surface tablet. Has that super cool fold-out screen and keyboard that magnetically attaches, plus a kickstand. Price: $500

iPod Touch 4th Generation. Exactly like the iPhone now, with an amazing big screen and terrific camera, minus the cellular. Give it to your kid instead of a cellphone to make calls and texts for free. Price: $300

Google ChromeBook. A laptop without hard drive or DVD drive, just for getting online: Web, email, Google Docs, etc. Beautiful, simple, cheap. Price: $250