The Digital Holiday Shopping List

Never Get Lost Again

When you're in unfamiliar territory, it's comforting to know exactly where you are. With its comprehensive North America digital mapping package and included 2-inch-square Pharos GPS receiver, Microsoft's $129 Streets & Trips 2005 helps you find your location in time and space. Providing clear street-by-street directions and information on thousands of restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and other services and locales, S&T lets you see where you are and plan how to get where you're going. Versions for notebook and PocketPCs are included.

One thing we'd change: The version for Pocket PCs doesn't have travelrouting capabilities.

VHS to DVD Easily

About the size of a paperback novel, Sima's $130 GoDVD CT-2 makes copying old VHS videos to DVD a snap. It even cleans up the video signals while copying any NTSC or PAL tape to DVD. The device adjusts video levels automatically and can produce copies with a crisper-looking picture than you started with.

One thing we'd change: An on-screen display would have been a handy feature for users who would like to confirm the burner's settings.