Gifts for … pets
You’ve got your parents, siblings and friends covered. Ditto for your significant other and his or her family, too. Looks like your Christmas shopping is done — or is it?
Did you buy something for your pet? Shame on you if not, to forget your loyal friend like that, but have no fear, the Weekender is here with some quick — and low-cost — suggestions for your best friend.
FOR THE PET OF A WINO
Now you and your pet can sip together with Bark Vineyards’ “wines” for cats and dogs. Pour flavors like Pinot Leasheo and White Sniff ‘N’ Tail over your pet’s meal to make it an occasion. Per-bottle prices range from $12.99-$19.99. Online: www.barkvineyards.com.
FOR THE HEF-WANNABE CANINE
This doggy robe, with a velveteen exterior and terrycloth interior, can be used post-bath or for everyday lounging in debonair style. $7.95-$16.95, sizes vary. Online: www.remmeer.com.
FOR THE DISCERNING CAT
You might not be able to afford your own caviar, but you can get Catviar Gourmet Cat Treats, with all-natural fish flavoring, for your favorite kitty. $5.75 for a 3-oz. jar (600 treats). Online: www.chimpfeet.com.
CAGE COMFORTS
You sleep in a bed, shouldn’t your rabbit, too? The Super Pet Hide-N-Sleep Bed comes with Velcro covers so your bunny can burrow its way to dreamland. $8.99. Online: www.rabbitstop.com.
FAR-OUT FISH
Send your favorite fish to outer space with this half-gallon Fish in Space Aquarium with 3D planets and a UFO light. $19.99. Online: www.etoys.com.
Gifts for … music lovers
The good news is someone on your holiday shopping list loves music. The bad news is you still have no clue what to buy him or her. Here’s a few suggestions, whether the tunes-lover in your life has an “Appetite for Destruction” patch on his jean jacket, an iPod full of Pitchfork-approved tracks or can’t stop raving about last summer’s Kanye West concert at Montage.
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
Download a concert recording — legally and free of charge — at the Live Music Archive ( www.archive.org), burn it to a CD, create your own cover art, and bam: instant present. For an extra-personal touch, pick a show the giftee attended. Maybe you went to the show with him or her; include a photo of the two of you at the show.
The Archive is popular among fans of jam bands that allow taping at their shows, but it’s quite diverse, including shows from acts like Death Cab For Cutie, 311, Ryan Adams and The Decemberists.
NO SURPRISES
You can allow digital listeners to add exactly what they want to their iTunes libraries with an iTunes gift card, available in $15, $25 and $50 and in different styles at the Apple Store (store.apple.com/us). Or hook them up with a membership to a digital service like Rhapsody.com ($12.99 a month, $14.99 a month includes portable-player use) or emusic.com (starting at $11.99 a month for 30 song downloads), which specializes in but is not limited to independent music.
BIG TIME
As always, there’s a bunch of major releases out in time for the holidays. Snag the hard-rock fan AC/DC’s “Black Ice” (only at Wal-Mart), Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” (only at Best Buy) or Nickelback’s “Dark Horse.” Other new big mainstream rock releases include The Killers’ “Day & Age,” out this week, and Fall Out Boy’s “Folie a Deux,” set to drop on Dec. 16.
Hip-hop, pop and r&b fans shouldn’t be left in the cold, either, thanks to new stuff by Kanye West (“808s & Heartbreak,” out this week), 50 Cent (“Before I Self Destruct,” next month), Britney Spears (“Circus,” Dec. 2), Beyonce (“I Am…Sasha Fierce,” out now), and possibly Eminem (by year’s end).
THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE
Set someone up with a subscription to a magazine like Rolling Stone ($14.95 for 26 issues at magazines.com) or Paste ($9.95 for 11 issues, with sampler CD in each issue, at magsdirect.com). Magazinesubscriptions.com has deals on Spin ($9.95 for 12 issues).
Gifts for … techies
When they were kids they begged Santa for the latest in technology — Speak & Spell, the Nintendo Powerpad, the Easy-Bake Oven and Teddy Ruxbin. They were the kids whose parents, on Christmas morning, had to run to the convenient store for batteries, since they failed to read the “Batteries Not Included” label on all the techie gifts underneath the tree. And today, as adults in the digital, wireless generation, they still crave the latest in gadget technology.
Here’s a few picks for the gadget guys and gals on your holiday gift-giving list for less than about $150 each.
NOT DOWN IN FLAMES
Don’t be fooled by the flames! Your documents will not self destruct in 30-seconds. The USB 8GB Flash Drive Lighter ($49.99, ThinkGeek.com) is not only a refillable Zippo-looking lighter but also a USB flash drive. With its dual functionality, the techies on your list can take their precious files with them on their smoke break or sneak a light in their home office.
VIEW LONG AND PROSPER
Ever bring an old home movie to a pal’s house to completely embarrass yourself, only to find they — gasp! — Don’t have a VHS player? What about all those video tapes of school plays, birthday parties and weddings? The techie on your list will thank you for helping him or her preserve precious memories (and lots of old “Star Trek” episodes) with the Honestech VDD3S VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe ($67.95, X-tremeGeek.com). The converter will work with any analog video source, including video cameras.
COPYCAT
This little dude will light up your cube, and your work day! This unique gift — Cyber Friend: Tengu USB-Powered Sound Toy ($35, UncommonGoods.com) — scored 4.5 stars on UncommonGoods.com, so we know it’s a hit. Tengu may be just a square box with some lights that resemble a face, but to the techie, it’s like having a buddy right at your desk. The facial expression of the Tengu Cyber Friend will match the mood of the room and lip sync along to whatever music or noise is in the background.
BLIND THEM WITH SCIENCE
The USB Microscope QX5 ($89.99, ThinkGeek.com) is the ultimate mix of science and technology. With this microscope, your science geek can take specimens and examine them microscopically on his or her PC. The plug-and-play device comes with software that allows users to zoom in up to 200 times as well as take pictures and even time-lapse movies, plus includes specimen jars, an eyedropper and tweezers.
SAY GOODBYE TO SNOOZE
By giving Clocky: The Runaway Alarm Clock ($59.95, X-tremeGeek.com) as a holiday gift, you could very well save your techie from being written up by HR for coming in late. Again. When the set wakeup time comes, Clocky will begin playing unusual sounds, leap off the nightstand and crawl around the room. The slumbering recipient will have no choice but to get out of bed and chase Clocky around, surely waking him or her up.
SUPERMARKET SWEEP
The SmartShopper Grocery List Assistant ($99.95, Brookstone.com) is a perfect gadget gift for anyone forgetful or anyone with a family. No need to find a pen and scrap paper! Just speak into the SmartShopper Grocery List Organizer and tell it what you’ve run out of. With its speech-recognition software, the gadget organizes the items into a by category. All you have to do is hit print and run to the store. Just don’t forget your frequent-shopper card!
TALL, COOL ONE
This retro-looking USB Mini Fridge ($32.99, PerpetualKid.com) will keep a can of soda or energy drink chilled while the techie is hard at work on the computer. Just plug the fridge into the USB port, and the cold plate will chill the can’s contents to 45 degrees.
