MAVROMATIC » gifts

The Energy Detective (TED) 5000 Whole House Power/Energy Usage Monitor — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:00:52 +0000

TED 5000 WHOLE HOUSE POWER MONITOR ($239) — Give the gift that keeps on giving money back and can also help make the world a cleaner, better place! The TED 5000 is the latest in home energy monitoring from Energy Inc. that can measure electricity usage in real-time. Just recently, Google and Energy Inc. announced that anyone in the U.S. can purchase and install the TED 5000 and see personal home energy data online using the free Google PowerMeter web application. This device not only lets you manage energy usage but predicts your monthly energy costs and carbon footprint instantly, thus helping you reduce power waste and save you money.

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Canon HF S-11 Digital HD Camcorder — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:43 +0000

CANON HF S-11 DIGITAL HD CAMCORDER ($1399) – There are digital cameras that are camcorders and camcorders that are digital cameras… the lines are a blurring… but don’t let all this confuse you. If you are looking for a high quality, all digital, HD camcorder then the HF S-11 is your answer. Features a Dual Flash Memory system which has 64 GB of internal flash memory and unlimited capacity on SDHC cards. The video is stunning at full 1920×1080 (1080p) resolution and uses a Canon designed and manufactured 1/2.6″ 8.59 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor (similar to the CMOS image sensors in Canon’s EOS Series Digital SLR cameras). With an image sensor like that, it means you also get an 8-Megapixel digital camera too boot. The unit is also small and fits in the palm of your hand making it the perfect camera to take with you all the time!

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Mimo 720-S 7″ USB Touchscreen Monitor — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:40 +0000

MIMO 720-S 7″ USB TOUCHSCREEN MONITOR ($229) — If you or anyone your know plays fantasy football on ESPN, then this is the gift to get! Just plug the single USB cable into your Windows or Mac computer and unfold the 7″ touchscreen monitor and voilà! Instantly, you have a second monitor which works out perfect for monitoring FantasyCast or even streaming live games via ESPN360. Since it’s also a touchscreen, you can keep the Mimo on a coffee table or desk and quickly tap through games to see scores or track who’s in the redzone!

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Roku Streaming Media Player — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:00:16 +0000

ROKU STREAMING MEDIA PLAYER ($99) – The Roku Player has been the easiest way to get Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand and MLB.tv content instantly streamed to your display. There are over 45,000 Netflix Instant Watch movies available and even more content (via the Channel Store) streamed directly to the Roku. Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) and wired internet connectivity lets you play “High Definition” as well as DVD-quality video on any TV, though, a HD display with an HDMI port is highly suggested.

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

HP DreamScreen — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:28 +0000

HP DREAMSCREEN ($249) — Digital picture frames have been around for quite some time now and the HP DreamScreen not only displays digital photos, but with it’s build in wireless capabilities it can access weather info, SnapFish even Facebook content automatically. The panel is touch-enabled and can also be controlled via the included remote control. You can also use it as a clock radio/alarm clock and stream internet radio from Pandora! And that’s not all, you can even watch videos on this device… you’ll be asking yourself, “What can’t this do!?”.

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

IOMEGA eGO BlackBelt 500GB Portable Hard Drive — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:00:09 +0000

IOMEGA eGO BLACKBELT 500GB PORTABLE HARD DRIVE ($110) – You may think this is just another 500gb portable hard drive — how wrong are you!? This is IOMEGA’s eGO BlackBelt that is perfect for travel environments where the occasional bump or drop may occur. Heck, this drive has been tested to survive drops up to 84″ — not that we recommend you do so, but it’s worth the price to know you can! The ultimate gift for the clumsiest person you know.

For the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Barnes & Noble Nook / Amazon Kindle eBook Readers — 2009 Holiday Gift Idea

Danny Mavromatis — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:11:30 +0000

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK eBOOK READER / AMAZON KINDLE ($259) — The Amazon.com Kindle was the first eBook reader that really made an impact. However, the newly announced Nook from Barnes & Noble is a very good gift idea for a book worm or technology geek. The native PDF support and color LCD screen in addition to the eInk screen makes this reader the most advanced one yet. The panel is currently sold out until Jan 4th, however, you can still give the gift as the form of a Nook Gift Certificate. For those that want to give a gift that can actually be under the tree in time for Christmas, the Amazon Kindle is still a great option.

This is the second Holiday 2009 gift idea, for the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 — Mavromatic’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:58:26 +0000

PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-GF1 ($899) – A DSLR may be considered too bulky for some people and that’s why Panasonic’s highly reviewed Lumix DMC-GF1 is a great gift for the photographer in your family. The DMC-GF1 is a 12.1-megapixel “Micro Four Thirds” based camera which means there isn’t a mirror and pentaprism inside so the camera can be made much more compact. Quality is comparable with similarly priced DSLR’s and another selling point of a “Micro Four Thirds” camera is that you can mount “any” lens that is made to this standard… even from other manufacturers.

This is the first Holiday 2009 gift idea, for the complete 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

Top 5 Graduation Gift Ideas For 2009

Danny Mavromatis — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:51:30 +0000

It’s graduation time and you know how much we love picking gadgets and gift ideas here are Mavromatic! This year is a bit different as peoples wallets are a bit tighter so we’ve kept the gift prices under $150.

#5 - Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor

Just because your child is going to college doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stay active and fit. Encourage them to stay in shape by getting them a Garmin Forerunner 50 sports watch with Heart Rate Monitor. This little gadget transmits workout data to their computer so they can analyze, store, and share the information. Plus, you can add Garmin’s foot pod (not included) to track their speed, distance, and calories burned. You can’t put a price on health and $54 won’t put a hole in your wallet.

#4 – Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White)

A Flip video camcorder is a great gift idea since it allows your child to record a special video message everyday that they can then email directly to you. The idea is great, but will they actually do that? Heck for $60, it’s worth the gamble. Plus, if they never end up sending you a video message, they can still use it to capture their memories for their own viewing enjoyment.

#3 - Blue Microphones Eyeball – USB Webcam with Microphone

This USB Webcam and Microphone combo is a perfect gift to stay in touch with your loved one while they are away at college. The microphone will allow you to hear their voice in the purest way possible and the high-resolution camera will allow you to see in detail if they have been out late partying. Blue is known for their quality microphones and this combo unit is no exception. Sure, most notebook computers come with built-in cameras and microphones, however, I have not seen a built-in camera/mic combo as good at this. The Blue Microphone Eyeball will only set you back $85 and works with both Mac and PC.

#2 - Canon PowerShot A480 10 MP Digital Camera with 3.3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD

A good inexpensive camera comes in handy to any college student and the Canon PowerShot A480 10MP not only fits the fill, but, it also fits in the pocket. This highly-rated camera snaps up great shots without all the frills and gimmicks of higher priced cameras. Comes in Silver, Black, Blue and Red and only costs $114!

#1 – Sony DPF-D70 7-inch Digital Photo Frame

Your child will be going away for college but that doesn’t mean they need to forget about you. So take some photos of the family and their roots and load it up onto this beautiful Sony DPF-D70 7-inch Digital Photo Frame. Don’t forget to add some messages like “Don’t forget to call us tonight” or “Maybe you should stay home tonight” to keep your child grounded. The frame comes in Black and Red and costs $99.99.

ESPN’s Technology Gift Guide

Danny Mavromatis — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:14:42 +0000

Be sure to check out ESPN’s Gift Guide for even more great gift ideas. Today’s focus is Technology and I’ve expanded on my top five gadgets of the year with five more items!