Do you have trouble buying for other people? Have you given your entire family slippers … for the past five years? Is gifting not your forte? Fear not! MOVE is here to help with this year’s shopping in the form of our tech gift guide. Give any of these awesome electronics and you’ll be the star of your family’s celebration.
**Spotify Premium Subscription**
Got a music lover to shop for? Here’s a godsend. Spotify is music streaming service that gives users access to a massive music library featuring everything from Mozart to Wu-Tang. Normally, the service is ad-supported but a paid Premium membership does away with that and adds support for smartphones and offline listening, along with higher audio quality and international support. Premium subscriptions are $10 per month, though there is a $5 Unlimited version that allows for ad-free listen, but none of the other perks.
**Kindle Fire**
The newest member of Amazon’s Kindle family of devices, the Fire debuted Nov. 15 with the hope of becoming the first legitimate rival to the iPad in the tablet market. The Fire adds a 7-inch color LCD screen and expands upon the Kindle’s niche by adding in support for internet browsing, streaming music and movies. With it running a special skin of Android, its hardware is nothing noteworthy, but the $199 price makes it a more attractive option for frugal gift-givers.
**New Android Superphones**
This holiday season features an unprecedented succession of high-powered, Android-based smartphones in the Motorola Droid Razr, HTC Rezound and Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Droid Razr features a stunningly slim .28-inch body, complete with a Kevlar back plate and 1.2 GHz processor. The Rezound debuts Beats by Dr. Dre audio and also has a 720p display that rivals that of the iPhone. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has the distinction of being the first phone to feature Android 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, which is the latest major update to Google’s mobile operating system. The phone also adds a slew of cool new features like face unlock and near field communication. Both the Droid Razr and Rezound are currently available for $299 under contract, while the Galaxy Nexus has a tentative (but not officially confirmed) release date of Dec. 8.
**iPad 2**
Alhough it’s been out for a while, Apple’s latest entry into the tablet market is still the standard that every other manufacturer is chasing. The iPad 2 also boasts the best tablet ecosystem, with more than 140,000 available apps and cool accessories like the Smart Cover. Recent upgrades like iOS 5 and iCloud help to balance out the hefty price tag (models start at $499 and go up to $829) as well. Anything Apple is a good idea when it comes to gift-giving and the iPad 2 is no exception to that rule this holiday season.
**Nintendo 3DS**
Nintendo’s newest handheld, the 3DS, has been a bit of a flop. But now, you can reap the benefits of that. The price on the 3DS dropped almost $100 this summer and the recently released “Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 3D” gives the handheld cross-generational appeal: a great new game for younger kids and a healthy dose of nostalgia for anyone old enough to grow up with an N64. The 3DS and “Ocarina of Time” are available bundled together for $199.