Great Gadgets for the Holidays

Got your shopping list ready? It's never too early to think about gift ideas. You're bound to stack up a pile of sincere thank you notes if you give friends and family some of today's hottest handheld tech gear. Boring, bulky cell phones and oversized organizers with clunky interfaces have given way to an amazing array of fun and functional products: sleek camera phones and PDAs, compact music players, intuitive digital cameras, and versatile digital camcorders. We've compiled a list of the best products in these categories, including links to more detailed reviews.

If you're looking for more entertainment, check out "Fun Tech," which includes reviews of 12 innovative products to use on the road--and at home. You'll find hands-on reviews of Garmin's IQue 3600 GPS-ready PDA, TDK's DA-9000 CD-RW Jukebox, Gateway's huge 46-inch P46M103 Plasma TV, NEC's Showcase HT1000 projector, and LG Appliances' Internet Refrigerator. (We're not kidding about the fridge.)

Big Features on Small MP3 Players

Digital music players are making a lot of noise in gift land this season. If size matters, you can choose from many mini models that might actually get lost in a large pocket or purse. Or you might want to consider the heavyweight contenders with generous storage capacities, near-audiophile playback qualities, and included Wi-Fi connections that are a boon to music downloaders.

Apple's three IPod models, which appear on the newest branch of the Apple family tree, are the pick of this year's crop. The IPod comes with a choice of 10GB ($299), 20GB ($399), and 40GB ($499) hard drives. There's room on the biggest drive for more than 10,000 songs in AAC format, along with thousands of digital photographs. With ITunes software, you can sync the IPod or transfer music files with a Windows PC or Macintosh. There's an easy-to-read LCD and amazing sound coming out of this 5.6-ounce device. The IPod also features an onboard voice recorder, a sleep timer, and even an alarm clock.

For PC World's review, check out "Slick New IPod Even Better."

If you thought really great things don't really come in small packages, then you better think again after listening to the Rio Nitrus. This $300 player is just 3 inches high and 2.4 inches wide. It's a mere 0.6 inches thick and weighs 2 ounces, but it can hold more than 375 songs, thanks to its 1.5GB hard drive. The company promises 16-hour continuous playback with the rechargeable lithium ion battery. There's also a USB 2.0 connection for quick hookups to your PC.

Read "More Than a Good Gig (of Music)," and check out "Digital Audio Players: Tote Your Tunes."