In other words, it's everything people have been fantasizing about in a tablet—durable, thin, multitouch, multiple screen modes for computing and reading—but for just 75 dollars. And Nicholas Negroponte, large head of the OLPC, wants it by 2012.

Remember, this is the organization that didn't just scrap the XO-2, but couldn't even tack a touchscreen onto the current XO-1 laptop, which isn't anywhere near a hundred bucks. (Hey, at least they gave up on the dual-touchscreen idea.) I think this sadly says everything about the likelihood of it happening, as much as I'd love to see and play with this thing: "We don't necessarily need to build it," Negroponte told Forbes. "We just need to threaten to build it."

Well, I can't wait to see the XO-4! [Fuse Project, Forbes]

It's a Christmas tree PC!

For those who were hoping it would be a less festive, our apologies for not revealing a burning Santa effigy PC post-jump. [bit-tech via TechEBlog]

Here are the gifts you should give to that guy. And by give, I mean quietly sneak up and shoving it in his mail slot, because if he's anything like the Holiday Haters we know, he'll have barricaded himself in and shut off all forms of communication with the outside.

And if you hate the gallery format as much as he hates the holidays, click here.

A Philips GoLite Blu: If someone hates the holidays, it's likely that they hate the holiday season as well. Part of that is due to seasonal affective disorder, which in layman's terms, means you're not getting enough sunlight and you're depressed as a result.

The Philips GoLite Blu, which we reviewed last year, really helps lift mood. It might not make your pal's mood go from a 2 to a 10, but it'll definitely get him up into the 6 or 7s. $150 [Amazon]

Cellphone Flask: If your friend really hates being around family, there's few (legal) ways of making the time go by faster than getting stupidly drunk. But what if they're gifted with at least a little semblance of tact and don't want to go all out with a flask? Then here's the cellphone flask. Provided the guy's family is as dumb as he claims, they might not realize that this silver beauty really hides a few ounces of vodka and not his office email. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to take this call. $10 [Amazon]

Yule Log Christmas Fireplace Blu-ray: This combines the traditional holiday tradition of sitting in front of a fireplace with the more palatable tradition of sitting in front of a TV. Your friend might hate the former, but he must still enjoy TV, right? Right? With the newly-updated Blu-ray version, he can just leave it on and enjoy the fake flames while doing whatever it is he does normally. Which, if our guess is right, is planning his own death. $11 [Amazon]

Festivus Pole LED Color Light Kit: Your loved one may hate the holidays, but what about Festivus? Bordering somewhere between a real holiday and a crappy meme that will not die, Festivus is the holiday for hipsters too cool or too poor to celebrate one of the "traditional" ones. On the plus side, you get a pole, so why not decorate it with some LED lights from China? $18 [Chinavasion]

Ex-lax Chocolate Laxatives: One hilarious way to a party is to have all the guests run home with Christmas sweaters tied around their pants. Any holiday hater will die to have these miracle pills in their arsenal of holiday-escaping gadgets, even if it isn't quite that gadgety. Think of it as Batman's utility belt if Batman really wanted to get out of a get together and was willing to wait 6 to 12 hours. $9 [Amazon]

Withings Wi-Fi Scale: Nothing pisses off a holiday hater more than someone actually enjoying themselves. How does one undo this mirth? By showing them how much weight they've gained since November. The Wi-Fi scale is fantastic because there's no hiding your weight—it gets uploaded automatically, online, and converted into graph form. Take that, innocent person who's just trying to celebrate the holidays. $160 [Gizmodo]

Swine Flu Protection Kit: Another thing holiday haters hate worse than the holidays is getting sick during the holidays. With the swine flu protection kit, even if your friend isn't actually safe from disease, he has peace of mind. [Amazon]

A Donation In His Name: For a person who hates the holidays and everything they stand for, giving him a present that's actually a present to someone else is the worst thing imaginable. It's like telling him that you HAD the excess money to spend on a present, but decided to give it to someone else instead. Or, like waving a bowl of food in front of a starving child and saying that there's a hungrier child that this is going to instead, and thanking him for his kindness. Don't do this!

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests regularly until Christmas, so keep checking back.

GIFTS TO BUY FOR...

ATHEISTS

AUDIOPHILES

LUDDITES

SUNTANNERS

WHITE ELEPHANTERS

COMBO GIFTERS

DRUNKS

BOSSES

SKI BUMS

GOOD SAMARITANS

GAIJIN

WEIRD RELATIVES

KIDS

LOVERS

PERVS

DESIGNERS

PROCRASTINATORS

MANSION OWNERS

BAD DRIVERS

ASTRONOMERS

PET OWNERS

TRAVELERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

CHEFS

RETRO-HOLICS

SCIENTISTS

APPLE FANBOYS

PC FANBOYS

GAMERS

STRESS FREAKS

AGORAPHOBES

TINKERERS

FILM STUDENTS

IDIOTS

READERS

ATHLETES

GRAPHICS CARDERS

DSLR WANTERS

POINT AND SHOOTERS

5.1 SURROUND SOUNDERS

SMARTPHONHERS

PC GAMERS

NETBOOKERS

LAPTOPERS

Pine Trail was officially let out of the bag today, and comes in four flavors: the N450, D410, D510, and NM10 Express chipset. The two new Wind netbooks use the N450 chip, which is designed specifically for those smaller-sized laptops, giving 15 per cent extra battery life.

Both the U130 and U135 have 10-inch LED backlit screens with 1,024 x 600 pixels. The first model has a 160GB HDD, the latter 250GB. 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3.5G WiMax are listed, along with stereo speakers and a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

On sale in January, the price for the UK market is £229 and £279 for the two models (approximately $368 and $448), with the U130 coming in "snow white" and "brilliant black," the U135 in "sterling silver," "brilliant black," "midnight blue," and "cherry red." [MSI]

Seriously, I wish all computers came like this from the factory. Or at least mine. Check Nick's photographies and how-to documentation at [Bit-Tech]

Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 3 loudspeaker
Might as well start at the top: Wilson Audio Specialties current top-of-the-line loudspeakers weigh nearly 1,200 pounds per pair, are 5'7" tall, look like giant metal praying mantises, and are guaranteed to make your music sound like angels singing on high. You'll pay $68,000 for the epiphanic joy these loudspeakers will bring, and that's not even including the cost of shipping (which is probably high, given that they weigh about half a car). The list of specs and audiophilic descriptions of the sound it produces are too long to replicate, but suffice to say that these are the speakers that convinced us that we need audiophiles. $68,000/pair. [Wilson]

Sennheiser HD800 Headphones or Shure SE310 Earbuds
Headphones are actually one of the more affordable items in an audiophile's arsenal, although of course "affordable" is an extremely relative term when you're talking high-end audio equipment. Sennheiser's $1,400 HD800 headphones may look like a Cylon is eating your face from either side, but by all accounts they sound absolutely incredible. If you're looking for earbuds, Shure's line is hard to beat—an audiophile will appreciate the almost impulse-worthy SE310s. Sennheiser HD800: $1,400, Shure SE310: $155. [Amazon: Sennheiser, Shure]

Ayre Acoustics QB-9 DAC
Audiophiles aren't just vinyl-loving holdouts from 1975—they're a forward-looking group, and they certainly haven't ignored the computer's contribution to music consumption. But pumping audio through the built-in DAC in a computer just isn't going to cut it for true audiophiles; it's filled with noise from a computer's internals and all kinds of sacrifices had to be made in quality, for size and power reasons. Enter the QB-9 DAC. It has a single input, USB, and includes all kinds of complicated mechanics designed to turn your computer into a legitimate high-end audio source. $2,500. [Ayre]

Cowon S9
Mark wasn't thrilled with it in his review, but his issues—confusing UI browsing and a slightly cheap-feeling exterior—apparently haven't mattered to audiophiles, as they've embraced the PMP. The S9 has Cowon's vaunted sound quality, but that's not what separates it from the also excellent-sounding Samsung P3, Zune HD and Sony X-Series—it's the codec support that sets it apart. It supports FLAC, OGG, and APE, and that coupled with a surprisingly cheap price make it a solid buy for a digital audiophile. 32GB for $260. [Newegg]

Peachtree Audio Nova
The Peachtree Audio Nova integrated amplifier is an easily recommendable purchase—it's extremely well-reviewed (Stereophile rated it "Best Budget Product of 2009") and it's a great do-everything amp. The 80wpc deck has USB inputs for your computer, two optical inputs, and two coax, plus three analog line-level, with enough outputs and plugs for any additions to your setup you might want to make in the future. Plus, it's pretty good-looking for audio equipment. 1,220. [Amazon]

Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Player
Sometimes even an audiophile likes to break from listening to music and maybe watch a movie, and Oppo's BDP-83 is one of the best (and best-sounding) players on the market. It's notable because it also supports SACD and DVD-Audio, so it can replace an existing player while adding Blu-ray functionality. $500. [Amazon]

Subscription to Stereophile Magazine
Throughout my research on audiophile equipment for this guide, Stereophile kept popping up, and was a consistently solid, unpretentious and easygoing source. They've got a good eye on price—they might recommend a $68,000 pair of speakers, but they also won't shy from recommending something as inexpensive and ubiquitous as an iPod. One year for $13. [Stereophile]

DON'T BUY Anything Without Asking First
Audiophiles are intensely personal about their equipment. Once you get up to a certain level of quality, choosing between products becomes a matter of individual preference—you might think Shure's SE310 earbuds are a great gift, but the audiophile who receives them might prefer the soundstage of Etymotic. I recommend you force your audiophile to fill out an Amazon gift guide. It takes some of the surprise out of the holidays, sure, but it'll be worth it—you'll know you're buying something your audiophile will genuinely like.

Special thanks to Stereophile's Best of 2009 guide.

Remember all the excitement about Penryn a couple years ago, which took the Core 2 and made it more efficient with a new manufacturing process? It's the same deal here, as the tick of Intel's tick-tock cycle. "Tock" is a whole new microarchitecture, while "tick" is a die shrink of that, which makes it more power efficient. Nehalem is the tock—it was 45 nanometers—and Westmere is the tick, shrunk to 32nm.

Arrandale is what this set of mobile Core i5 chips, based on Westmere, is called. (Here's our primer on Intel codenames.) One thing in particular about Arrandale is that it has a graphics core built right onto the main chip package, which Intel says is good to go for Blu-ray.

Anyways, what all this means is that there's about to be a whole bunch of new laptops with faster, better Intel chips inside that won't munch your battery as hard. [Cnet]

Order Deadlines for Christmas 2009

To help you plan your holiday shopping we've compiled a list of stores and their drop-dead holiday shipping deadlines for Christmas delivery. We've done our best to make sure the dates and times are accurate, but we recommend that you confirm this with the merchant you are shopping with. And all times listed refer to Eastern. Happy shopping!

And if you know any order deadlines not listed in the chart, feel free to share them in the comments! [Image]

Of course, if cheap PCs aren't your thing, no problem. Dell's still got you covered. Maybe you'll be interested in a $4,000 Laser USB Mouse. It promises Windows 7 compatibility. And a power adapter will set you back just $709.99.

Correlation isn't causation, but as DailyTech postulates, it seems, well, possible that at least one disgruntled employee decided to tweak a few prices here and there to cause havoc. Now whether or not it's your duty, in interest of helping a fellow man down on his luck, to scour Dell for unnoticed deals and place futile orders quickly...that's your call. [SlickDeals and DailyTech via CrunchGear]

If you hate galleries more than Aunt Georgeanne hates the radical left wing internet blogs, click here.

Rick Astley's Greatest Hits: Without the internet, Rick Astley would have been completely forgotten by now. Rickrolling, which stopped being funny almost immediately after it started being funny, gave him a new life—on the internet. To everyone else, he's at best a faded, distant memory, or at worst, "not dead? Really?" So think of this as less of a gift—it's cheesy and retro and whatever, just come up with an excuse—and more as a lab experiment in memetic abiogenesis: specifically, to see if the horrid Rickrolling phenomenon can spawn on its own, without the internet, in your giftee's living room. If not, you could still be privy to the extremely rare sight of a human enjoying Rick Astley unironically. $8 [Amazon]

A Blog-to-Book: Perhaps the best thing about people who never use the internet is how they aren't as cynical as we are about spending money. A LOLcats book? Why the fuck would I buy that? LOLcats are free, like the air we breathe! Or copyrighted music! If your giftee isn't aware of a certain blog—or blogs in general—then this discrepancy doesn't exist. Also, whatever meme the blog/book/blook was riding on probably never really left cyberspace, so the humor will be super-fresh. Or nonsensical, depending on what you choose. This is Why You're Fat, Lolcats, Found. Any of them will work. From $8 [Amazon, Amazon, Amazon]

The WikiReader: OpenMoko's WikiReader comes with a relatively recent copy of the entire text contents of Wikipedia, and without any kind of network connection. It's the best thing about the internet, without any of the internet. Just tell whoever you're giving it too that it's exactly like their old encyclopedia set, except smaller and with a few extra books devoted to Sci-Fi character taxonomies. $100 [WikiReader]

An online newspaper subscription: This one serves two purposes: to help the recipient bridge the meatspace-to-digital gap with a familiar concept and brand name; and to assuage your guilt for reading newspapers' content for free for all these years. You're basically making a pure donation with this one, but it will encourage your grandparents to get down to the library and give the ol' WSJ a whirl on one of those computer devices, too. Varied [WSJ, NYT, USAT]

Polaroid: If you're feeling generous, a camera. If your giftee already has a Polaroid camera, then get them as much film as you're willing to shell out for. Polaroids are like digital cameras for luddites, and Polaroid shut down their instant photography business back in 2008, supplies have been getting sparse. $170 for a new Polaroid One600 (though used cameras go for much, much less); film at about $40 for ten sheets. [Amazon, Buy]

A Roku Box: Old people and Netflix are perfect for each other: old people aren't very good at moving around, and they live to watch moving pictures. People know what Netflix is, and the know how it works. What they don't know, or don't care to think about, is that their subscriptions come with free digital streaming, which, despite the name, is actually more old-friendly than DVDs—just sit, click, and watch. $100 [Amazon]

Gag T-Shirts: There may not be a whole lot of overlap between people who wear joke shirts and people who don't really go online much, but anyone can enjoy a good Threadless shirt—creepily crude uncles, same-joke-telling dads and kids whose parents don't allow them to use the computer are all especially good candidates here. How does this fit into the guide? Well, the quality gulf between online novelty shirts (Threadless, Busted Tees) and offline novelty shirts (Hot Topic, Wings) is vast. Choose to taste. From $10 [Threadless, BustedTees]

Don't Buy a computer: Computers are getting cheap enough to be giftable, it's true! In this day in age, if someone isn't online, they're probably making a conscious choice. Dragging them into the 21st century will cause nothing but pain. For your giftee, because whatever kept them away from the internet has probably only gotten worse since they last tried it at the public library; for you, because you will forever be bound in servitude as this person's personal, all-hours tech support team.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests regularly until Christmas, so keep checking back.

Spending $500 on a nice graphics card? OK, that's a reasonable enough splurge if you can afford it. But Corsair's new Dominator RAM kit? Not quite as reasonable.

This insane 24GB RAM kit is comprised of six 4GB memory modules rated at 1333MHz, loaded up with a fancy blue heatsink and a 60mm fan. It's designed for the latest top-of-the-line Core i7 processors on the Intel X58 platform, and yes, I'm sure it'll let you do seriously intensive tasks with much less hangtime.

But $1,300? For RAM? It's not the late 80's anymore, guys. That is fucking insane. [Corsair via SlipperyBrick]

Exterior Evaluation

On December 9th, I received my long-awaited Level 10 computer case! This case was originally announced way back in March of 2009, with an anticipated street date in mid October. As the initial ship date of October passed, I grew skeptical that such a unique case would ever actually ship. I'm glad to say, I was wrong. This case rocks! Let me repeat that again, this case rocks!

I've spent the last 48 hours pouring over this case; top to bottom, inside and out. Clearly, this case was very well thought-out and bears the markings of a serious industrial design firm. Rather than a standard aluminum and plastic case, the Thermaltake Level 10 utilizes a central pillar, with individual compartments hanging from it for the power supply, motherboard, optical drives, and hard drives.

Included in the package is a nicely built ‘parts box' that contains the Level 10 manual, 2 keys to the case locks, a Thermaltake carabiner keychain, 5 re-usable zip-ties, motherboard riser screws, HDD screws, ODD screws, PSU screws and motherboard screws. Additionally included is a cloth for keeping your case in tip top, ‘show-me-off' shape.

Something that might not be obvious from the pictures: the Level 10 is LARGE. It is 12.6 inches wide, 24.5 inches deep, 26.3 inches high, and weighs nearly 50 pounds empty! The handles on the top and the base definitely come in handy. While I had no trouble transporting the case from the office into my photo studio by myself (the case is well balanced,) the additional handle in the base was nice to have. If two people are used to carry the case, this extra handle makes it a breeze.

The Level 10 case is constructed entirely of heavy-duty aluminum. And I mean heavy-duty. There is no flex in any of the panels, they are rock solid. Aside from the LED lighting surrounding the trim of the edge, there is not a single plastic component anywhere. From the hinges to the latches, the attention to detail for long life performance is obvious. The paint is a matte black (not the glossy black as seen in some of the very early press shots.) The paint has a powdered texture to it, and while it does show some fingerprints, they are easily removed with the supplied cloth.

The wide base supports the large vertical structure carrying the other components. The vertical section is hollow and includes significant channels for cabling as well as a lockable rear access panel on the back.

Interior Evaluation

Six independent HDD caddies make up the front of the Level 10, with completely hidden cabling and LEDs. The top 2 HDD drive bays are cooled by 2 separate fans . Each HDD bay has a physical button in the bay to detect the presence of the drive that controls an external LED to signify that the drive is inside. These HDD fans draw air from the bottom of each drive and out across the top. These fans do draw air from all the HDDs, even though they're only located at the top of the #1 and #2 HDDs.

Three 5.25" bays are at the very top, in their own box. The top ODD Bay includs a flip-up cover with an adjustable eject tab to work with most CD drives. The power supply is behind the 5.25" bays inside its own box, and the motherboard occupies the final (largest) compartment just below the PSU.

The front-panel connectors include your standard USB 2.0 ports (x4), eSATA port (x1), and standard audio jacks (mic & headphone). The case fits standard ATX, extended ATX and micro-ATX boards. The motherboard tray is removable.

The back panel contains two locking mechanisms; one for the HDD/ODD caddies and one for the PSU/MB/Back Panel. While the back panel can be difficult to put on; you sometimes have to fiddle with the hard drive locking mechanism before it will go back, I found that having the HDD in the Locked position solved 99% of that issue...

Removing the back panel reveals a sizable channel of hidden cable management channels. This area provides access to the underside of the motherboard, access to the CPU for easy removal of the cooling bracket / water-block bracket and access to the HDD connectors.

Installation

MB installation:

The Level 10 provides a removable motherboard tray that makes installation of the motherboard very easy. 4 screws attach the MB tray to the main column of the Level 10, and are easily removed. The MB Tray is well constructed and houses the 2 supplied Thermaltake fans.

H50 Water Cooler installation:

My H50 is now installed, but I needed to use a few Zip Ties, as the H50 is a 120mm fan, and the Level 10 uses a 140mm fan for in-flow and a 120mm fan for outflow. The Level 10 In-flow case fan (where I mounted the H50) is not easily exchanged. There is only a single mounting option here for a 140mm Fan, and while the supplied Thermaltake fan is very quiet, I had to zip-tie the H50 in 3 of the 4 corners, but I was able to use 1 screw in one of the mounting slots. The end result is still a solid solution, and the H50 performs as well as in any case I've used prior. I could have mounted the H50 toward the rear of the case, utilizing the out-flow fan, but the H50 performs better with cooler, in-flowing air. Had I chosen the rear mounting position, the H50 would have fit nicely, and with out the need of zip-ties.

Power Supply installation:

The installation of the PSU was very simple. There are 2 screws located at the top of the uppermost housing. Once these are removed, the bottom of the PSU housing hangs in slots located in the main column. The detachable PSU bracket is very sturdy. It also includes a sliding rear stop to allow you to secure any length PSU into the Level 10.

Aside from the video power cable lengths, I had no problems routing the PSU cables to their appropriate locations. The rear channel of the main column easily accommodates many cables and has many openings to allow for well hidden routing of the cables.

Video Card installation:

I have 2 EVGA 295 CO-Op video cards. These cards fit perfectly with lots of room to spare. Even with the H50 occupying the space at the end of the 295s it was a comfortable fit. These 295s are 10.5" long, so longer video cards would fit in the standard cooling configuration, but may not allow for the H50 to be added where I have installed it.

There was, however, one big problem. Cable Lengths. The bottom 295 was simply too far away from the Power Supply to allow the normal cables to reach. This is a challenge that we will see again when I install the DVD drive (more on that later.)

I got lucky with my setup though, I was able to join 2 splitters together to make the cable long enough. If you're not so lucky, and have to get power to a 2nd video card, you may have to resort to soldering in a splice. It's a shame, as the standard cable was only short by 2". I know this was a primary concern of many people, and it looks like some folks should be sure to think through how they would address this, should their power supply cables be short. My PSU is a ThermalTake 1200w modular supply.

DVD installation:

The Optical drive bay houses up to 3 drives. The external cover is easily removed, and is held into place by secure metal hinges.

The top Drive Bay has a special spring loaded door that allows the drive to eject the DVD tray and move out of the way, but return closed when the tray retracts. Additionally, this cover houses an adjustable sliding knob that allows for various DVD drives to have their eject button pressed by the cover's button.

There was, however, one problem with the DVD installation. The SATA connection on my MB was just out of reach of the standard 18" SATA cable. While I was able to eventually ‘make it work' I have ordered a 24" SATA cable to permanently resolve this issue. If your MB has SATA connections only near the bottom (as mine does) then you may want to invest in a longer SATA cable.

HDD installation:

The Level 10 supports 6 HDDs. Each HDD is mounted in its own drive bay. These HDD bays have a physical switch located at the back, which control the LED on the front of the drive bay to indicate the presence of a HDD. (Note: these do not indicate drive usage, only that a drive is in that bay)

The top 2 drive bays have SATA plugs mounted for easy slide in operation. The remaining Drive bays require you to manually install the appropriate data cables / power cables from the rear access panel.

My primary drive is a 2.5" SSD. These drive bays have mounting screws for both a 2.5" and 3.5" drive. My SSD mounted without any trouble or adapters.

Modding

While there are not many opportunities to mod this case (why would you?) there are a few things you could potentially do. First, you could remove the metal air cover from the front left of the case to expose the pre-installed grill underneath. Perhaps Thermaltake anticipated some setups needing more airflow? While I did not remove this cover myself, only 4 screws hold it on, so removal would be easy.

Secondly, you could enhance the look by adding additional lighting around the 2 air ducts on the front. Internally there is plenty of room for additional lighting. With both supplied case fans lit with red LEDs, there's no immediate need to add lighting. Externally the case is lit with red LEDs across the top, and the front edge. The front panel buttons and connections (USB, eSATA, power and reset) all have red back lighting also.

Summary

The Level 10 is a great case. It's huge, it's heavy, it's roomy and it's quiet.

Aside form two cable length issues; the Level 10 case is outstanding. It is like no other case I have ever seen. Everything about this case says quality and design. From the edges that wires cross being beveled and shrouded with a plastic gasket, to the hinge and latch points covered by a plastic guard to prevent scraping and squeaking, this case rocks!

Needless to say, I am very happy with my Level 10 case.

(PC Perspective Editor's Note: I haven't had the chance to spend any long periods of time with the Level 10 case so I thank Craig for sharing his experiences with us. It seems obvious to me that Thermaltake should have foreseen issues in cable length and included longer SATA cables and any extenders a user might need to install standard components. For the price, this should be demanded! Otherwise, the Level 10 appears to be an incredibly unique and well built piece of enthusiast hardware!)

If you are interested in the case, be sure to check it out on Newegg.com where it sells for a cool $849!

PC Perspective offers full coverage of the PC industry at varying levels of depth and complexity. Check 'em out for more PC component reviews.

And no matter what, the model should be competitively priced.

The M2700HD is a 27-inch, 16x9 monitor running at 1080P. No straight contract ratio is listed, but the dynamic contrast ratio is 50,000:1, for whatever that's worth. Still, with two HDMI inputs and 10W of virtual surround speakers, the M2700HD is ready to fill the PC or TV niche without too much difficulty. And like I've said like five times now, it might be kinda cheap. [BenQ via Softpedia]

Also, if you hate the gallery format as much as you hate your boss, smash on your mouse or trackpad here.

For the Annoying Culture Vulture Boss:
The Office - The Complete Collection BBC Edition: OK, you get your boss the American version of The Office and he gets the joke. He's a dolt, just like Michael Scott! Ha ha ha. But by giving your boss the British version of the seminal workplace sitcom and likening him to David Brent, you're sending a much more cutting message: while he may achieve some measure of success in his work and might occasionally amuse his employees, he is, deep down, a sad, contemptible man. $19 [Amazon]

For The Cutting Edge Technologist Boss:
Invitation to Google Wave: For the boss who demands that his employees stay on the web's cutting edge, nothing could be more frustrating than getting an invite to Google Wave. He'll love being privy to Google's exclusive, featured-packed new service, until he finds out after hours of frustrated clicking that he has no idea how to use it. Little does he know, no one does. $0 [Google]

For The Boss Who Thinks It's Your Job To Make His Coffee:
Nescafe Dolce Gusto: If your boss thinks personal coffee assistant is part of your job description, there's no better gift to give her than a Nescafe single-serving Dolce Gusto coffee machine. They will openly appreciate the thoughtful gesture, as well as the machine's undeniably appealing design, and you will quietly appreciate the fact that you have condemned them to drinking miserable Nescafe coffee for the next calendar year. $149 [Nescafe]

For The Materialistic Boss:
Contribute to Charity in His or Her Name: No one can outwardly express dissatisfaction with a donation to charity. So while your boss thanks you for the thoughtful donation in his name, you can take pleasure in knowing that under the surface he is seething with anger that he got a child in a developing country his or her first pair of shoes instead of receiving a new tie for his collection. Any amount [Charity Watch]

For The Boss Who Is Obsessed With Twitter:
Tweet Peek: DO NOT BUY. As much as you might despise your boss, and as fun as it might be to saddle him with a gadget that has the sole purpose of sending Tweets, we really can't justify suggesting spending your money on this ridiculous thing. [TwitterPeak]

For the Boss Who Can't Stand Being Late:
Fossil Palindrome Too Watch: On the surface, you're giving your boss the generous gift of a stylish new designer watch from well-known watchmaker Fossil. In reality, you're ensuring his infinite frustration as he is late yet again for his meeting with head office because he couldn't figure out whether he was supposed to be reading from the "tick" or the "x" on the left or the right dial. $150 [Fossil]

For the Boozehound Boss Who Can't Just Have One:
Pernod Absinthe Kit: One surefire way to get that slave driving boss off your back is to get a few drinks in him, and for that there is no better gift than a Pernod absinthe kit. By inviting the Green Fairy to the office you are sure to minimize productivity while maximizing potential boss embarrassment. $65 [Pernod]

For the Hipster Boss Who Loves Music and Fashion Equally:
Sonic Fabric Necktie: In a way, by giving your boss the Sonic Fabric Necktie, a playable tie recycled from old cassettes, you're giving them two gifts: that of music and that of fashion. But in another way you're giving them no gifts: playback is only possible via a modified tape player and the tie itself is bound to unravel after the first Windsor. $120 [Supermarket]

Ever slight a boss with a gift? Ever get slighted? Share your story in the comments

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

This step-by-step guide from DIY web site Instructables is far from difficult—all it requires is a few household tools, along with some thin pieces of wood and, of course, a stylish bistro tray. Plus, not only can you use the extra space to store flash drives, power cords, or other miscellaneous computer items below the laptop, but you can also still use the tray to carry drinks and such when it's not holding your laptop—and where once the tray was stylish but prone to spillage, it is now a spill-free multitasker.

We had a tough time finding the exact tray used in the post, but it looks to be this one from CB2. IKEA has similar trays that could work, though, if you're looking for something a bit different. If you find one that you like, feel free to share in the comments.

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Maybe it's the whole campfire theme, or maybe it's because this heater looks like something Superman would have in his fortress of solitude—the bottom line is that I love the Nobo radiator. In addition to a touch-controlled heating element, Nobo projects a video of flickering flames off the glass logs for ambiance. $2800 [CL Designs via Link]
If you know someone with perpetually cold hands the Eneloop Kairo from Sony would make a great gift (especially if this person happens to be your significant other. You know...when they embrace you it's like getting touched by the Grim Reaper). It comes in two models: the KIR-SL2S and the KIR-SE1S which deliver 1-3 hours and 4 hours of warmth respectively. $35-$45 [Sanyo via Link]
Brian's right—lugging heavy, battery powered boots in the snow while trying to hike is a bad idea. But if you plan on just doing some casual walking, you could probably get away with closing your eyes, walking down the slushy sidewalk with these on and pretending you're wearing thongs on a Rio beach.$250 [Columbia via Link]
Staying warm on the inside is just as important as staying warm on the outside. Coffee lovers will surely be thrilled to receive a mug that can automatically keep your drink warm and stir it up with the push of a button. $37 [Brando via Link]
As our own Brian Lam pointed out, the Blazewear heated vest does a great job of keeping you warm whether you are outside in the cold, or falling asleep on the couch. There are five temperature control settings that range from approx. 110 to 150 degrees. The lowest setting will keep you warm for up to 5 hours. $139 [Blazewear]
It's not just the cold that makes people miss the summer, it's also the sunny skies, green leaves, chirping birds and gentle breezes. If you have the means, installing one of these SkyV skylights in a home or office would be one hell of a gift. They use high definition LCD screens to mimic the ambiance of the great outdoors. Hit the following link to see it in action. Prices vary [SkyV via Link]
I could go on about crazy USB heating gadgets and Snuggies, but we all know that these products should be avoided. My choice for a "don't buy" gadget this holiday has got to be the Poseidon patio heater. Don't get me wrong, I like the way it looks, but it costs more than twice as much as comparable models in Chillchasers lineup. Why? Because it has a miniscule (and therefore useless) media player slapped on top. $1376 [Chillchaser via Link]
In the summer, nothing beats kicking back outdoors with some burgers cooking on the grill. Remind yourself of those awesome times with this USB-powered, heated burger massager. As bizarre as this product is, it's more socially acceptable than pleasuring yourself with an actual burger. $12 [Brando via Link]

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Some Notes About Our Recommendations

• This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don't play games, then the cards on this list are more expensive than what you really need. We've added a reference page at the end of the column covering integrated graphics processors, which is likely more apropos.
• The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance. We acknowledge that recommendations for multiple video cards, such as two Radeon cards in CrossFire mode or two GeForce cards in SLI, typically require a motherboard that supports CrossFire or SLI and a chassis with more space to install multiple graphics cards. They also require a beefier power supply compared to what a single card needs, and will almost certainly produce more heat than a single card. Keep these factors in mind when making your purchasing decision. In most cases, if we have recommended a multiple-card solution, we try to recommend a single-card honorable mention at a comparable price point for those who find multi-card setups undesirable.
• Prices and availability change on a daily basis. We can't base our decisions on always-changing pricing information, but we can list some good cards that you probably won't regret buying at the price ranges we suggest, along with real-time prices from our PriceGrabber engine, for your reference.
• The list is based on some of the best U.S. prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will most certainly vary.
• These are new card prices. No used or open-box cards are in the list; they might represent a good deal, but it's outside the scope of what we're trying to do.

Best PCIe Card: Under $85

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$50:

Radeon HD 4650 (Check Prices)

Great 1280x1024 performance in most games, 1680x1050 with lowered detail

You will not find a card that packs more punch than ATI's Radeon HD 4650 under the alluring $50 price point. With solid stock performance and an overclockable GPU, this card is an excellent starting point for our recommendations, and a wholly worthwhile upgrade if you're currently stuck using a motherboard with integrated graphics.

Best PCI Express (PCIe) Card For ~$65: Tie

Radeon HD 4670 (Check Prices)

Good 1680x1050 performance in most games

With the release of Nvidia's GeForce GT 240, ATI's Radeon HD 4670 is no longer the most powerful reference card without a dedicated power connector. However, it remains a compelling solution under the $75 price point, which Nvidia's solution simply hasn't hit yet.

Performance is excellent and power usage is very low, making this product an impressive performer all-around. Its accelerated clock rates and modestly-higher price tag are worth considering if you originally had your eye on the Radeon HD 4650.

GeForce 9600 GSO (Check Prices)

Good 1680x1050 performance in most games

The GeForce 9600 GSO is seems to be getting quite hard to find, and is likely being end-of-life'd soon in favor of the new GeForce GT 240. Nevertheless, as long as it is available, the GeForce 9600 GSO remains a powerful competitor compared to the Radeon HD 4670. While the GeForce requires a dedicated PCIe power connector to supply more juice than the Radeon, it does offer better performance in some situations.

Best PCIe Card For ~$85:

GeForce 9600 GT (Check Prices)

Good 1680x1050 performance in most games

The GeForce 9600 GT is a great performer, thanks in part to its high-end 256-bit memory interface and speedy DDR3 memory. It's a great choice on an $85 budget, even if the architecture on which it centers is showing its age.

Certainly, this card's continued presence here is a testament to Nvidia's engineering work dating back almost two years ago. With that said, we'd certainly like to see the company's latest DirectX 10.1 cards drop in price to compete against ATI's strong offerings.

Best PCIe Card: ~$90 To $140

Best PCIe Card For ~$95: Tie

GeForce 9800 GT (Check Prices)

Exceptional 1680x1050 performance in most games, 1920x1200 in most games with lowered detail

The GeForce 9800 GT is essentially a rebadged GeForce 8800 GT, and offers the same great performance it has for years now (that sure sounds funny to say in reference to graphics cards).

With the rising price of ATI's Radeon HD 4850 giving it space to breathe, this legendary card is once again a recommended buy. But once again, we're looking forward to seeing technological progress put new, faster, and cooler products loaded down with more features in this space rather than revisiting history.

Fortunately, there's still PhysX and 3D Vision support to like about this aging board.

Radeon HD 4830 512MB (Check Prices)

Exceptional 1680x1050 performance in most games, 1920x1200 in most games with lowered detail

Just as the GeForce 9800 GT can once again be recommended due to the rising price of the Radeon HD 4850, so can the Radeon HD 4830. While availability is low, this Radeon is still a viable option under the $100 price point if you can find it. You'll discovered that it offers great performance on par with the GeForce 9800 GT, with the added benefit of DirectX 10.1 support.

Best PCIe Card For ~$110:

GeForce GTS 250 512MB (Check Prices)

Good 1920x1200 performance in most games

The dissapearance of the $100 Radeon HD 4850 has not only opened up the GeForce 9800 GT and Radeon HD 4830 for recommended status, but also the GeForce GTS 250.

At $110, the 512MB version of this card offers respectable performance, and nothing else in the price range can compare to it. As fast as the Radeon HD 4850 and new Radeon HD 5750 (and notably cheaper), the GeForce GTS 250 has no real competition from the rest of the sub-$150 market at this time.

Bear in mind that going this route instead of the Radeon HD 5750 will cost you DirectX 11 support and Eyefinity. But in the context of gaming, you'll need to make other quality sacrifices long before trying to enjoy either value-add in the $110 range.

Best PCIe Card For ~$120:

GeForce GTS 250 1GB (Check Prices)

Good 1920x1200 performance in most games

For $10 more than the 512MB version, an interested gamer can get the benefit of a full gigabyte of memory. At the highest resolutions and levels of anti-aliasing, this extra memory might provide a performance boost, though it's unlikely the GeForce GTS 250 is powerful enough to run at those detail levels. Still, many buyers might find the slight $10 price increase worthwhile in something like Grand Theft Auto IV.

Best PCIe Card: ~$150 To $290

Best PCIe Card For ~$155: Tie

Radeon HD 5770 (Check Prices)

Great 1920x1200 performance in most games

While the new Radeon HD 5770 isn't any faster than its older Radeon HD 4870 cousin (we've found that it's even slightly slower in many instances), it does have something the Radeon HD 4870 doesn't have: full DirectX 11 and Eyefinity support. Indeed, while the Radeon HD 5770 doesn't run away with any performance crowns in this category, it does look good from a longevity/value standpoint.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 5770 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

GeForce GTX 260 (Check Prices)

Great 1920x1200 performance in most games

Like many cards, the GeForce GTX 260 is becoming very hard to find, and may soon be end-of-life'd. In any case, it does offer advantages in titles that run better on Nvidia's GT200 architecture, and it sports some GeForce-only value-added features like PhysX compatibility and support for GeForce 3D Vision.

Once again, a little diligence is required on the part of the buyer to find out which card is best adapted for his or her favorite titles, and whether or not your motherboard supports SLI, CrossFire, or both multi-card technologies.

Best PCIe Card For ~$200:

Radeon HD 4890 (Check Prices)

Excellent 1920x1200 performance in most games

The Radeon HD 4890 is essentially an overclocked Radeon HD 4870. However, the tweaks that AMD made to the newer RV790 die result in much higher overclocking headroom. At stock speeds, this card is worth the $200. But to get the most out of it, some overclocking is in order. And now that the prices on Radeon HD 5850 cards are through the roof, there's not much between this board and ATI's next-fastest solution.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 4890 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card For ~$240:

2 x GeForce GTS 250 1GB in SLI Configuration (Check Prices)

Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most games with lowered detail

Two GeForce GTS 250 cards in SLI pack a punch and make a strong case for multi-card setups. With the Radeon HD 4850s going up in price and down in availability, these GeForce cards replace them as the weapon of choice for sub-$300 brute force power.

Best PCIe Card: ~$300 To $400

Best PCIe Card For ~$310: None

Honorable Mention: Radeon HD 5850

Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most titles

The new Radeon HD 5850 has some definite advantages over a pair of GeForce GTX 260s in SLI or a pair of Radeon HD 5770s in CrossFire. It doesn't need a CrossFire-compatible motherboard, it uses a lot less power thanks to its 40nm manufacturing process, and it sports DirectX 11 capabilities (plus Eyefinity).

Unfortunately, scant availability forces us to relegate the Radeon HD 5850 to Honorable Mention status until it can be purchased without having to fight for it.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 5850 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card For ~$330: Tie

At approximately the same price, these options retain the same advantages of their single-card counterparts: two GeForce GTX 260s offer SLI compatibility, PhysX, and GeForce 3D Vision support, and two Radeon HD 5770s offer DirectX 11, Eyefinity, and high-def audio bitstreaming to CrossFire-compatible motherboard users. A good case can be made for either of these options, and none of them are a poor choice. Just pick your poison.

2 x GeForce GTX 260 in SLI (Check Prices)

Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, good 2560x1600 performance in most titles

Nvidia doesn't have a DirectX 11-class architecture yet, so if you're going to sink $300+ into DirectX 10 hardware, do so knowing that there are competing DirectX 11 boards available in the same price range.

A pair of Radeon HD 5770s won't offer quite the same level of performance as two GeForce GTX 260s in SLI; that's the trade-off for more modern functionality, though.

2 x Radeon HD 5770 in CrossFire (Check Prices)

Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, good 2560x1600 performance in most titles

The new Radeon HD 5770 sports added benefits over its GeForce GTX 260 competition: DirectX 11, triple display outputs, and the ability to bitstream high-definition audio content from Blu-ray movies contribute significant value to ATI's newest mainstream graphics cards. For those seeking long-term DirectX 11 compatibility, this might be the more attractive option.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 5770 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card For ~$400:

Two Radeon HD 4890 cards in CrossFire Configuration (Check Prices)

Good 2560x1600 performance in most games

Two Radeon HD 4890 cards should, on average, perform on par or better than a single GeForce GTX 295, and will definitely beat out a single Radeon HD 5870. Plus, these Radeons cost less than either option. If you have a CrossFire-compatible motherboard and want some serious performance at high resolutions, this route is the way to go.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 4890 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card: ~$400 And Up

Best PCIe Card For ~$410: None

Honorable Mention: Radeon HD 5870

Good 2560x1600 performance in most games

For $10 less, a couple Radeon HD 4890s will easily beat a single Radeon HD 5870 in the titles that matter today (perhaps this will change when DirectX 11 software becomes more pervasive). From a raw price/performance standpoint, this makes the Radeon HD 5870 a hard sell. But that is not to say this card is underpowered: it sports the fastest single GPU on the planet, relatively low power usage (remarkably low at idle), and DirectX 11 support. For folks without a motherboard that supports CrossFire and a hefty power supply, the new Radeon HD 5870 is definitely a more-than-viable option. Unfortunately, availability is still quite rare.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 5870 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card For ~$465: None

Honorable Mention: GeForce GTX 295 (Check Prices)

Good 2560x1600 performance in most games

Despite ATI's new Radeon HD 5970 taking its place as the fastest graphics card on the planet, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 (with SLI-on-a-board) remains an extremely powerful graphics card. Essentially two conjoined GeForce GTX 275s, the GeForce GTX 295 offers very notable gains over a single Radeon HD 5870 in the great majority of game titles, although the Radeon will use far less power doing so. The GeForce GTX 295 does have an advantage in that it it still quite easy to find and purchase. Moreover, ATI's release has forced prices on these cards down by a significant chunk.

Read our full review of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

Best PCIe Card For ~$625: None

Honorable Mention: Radeon HD 5970

Great 2560x1600 performance

3,200 shader processors. There isn't much more we need to say about the brutal grace of execution that characterizes the world's fastest graphics card, the Radeon HD 5970. With two Radeon HD 5870 GPUs onboard, the only things we can complain about are scant availability and an extremely high price tag. Availability should improve over time; the price not so much, but if you're in the market for this card price probably isn't an issue.

Read our full review of ATI's Radeon HD 5970 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.

There you have it folks; the best cards for the money this month. Now all that's left to do is to find and purchase them.

Don't worry too much about which brand you choose, because all of the cards out there are close to Nvidia's and ATI's reference designs. Just pay attention to price, warranty, and the manufacturer's reputation for honoring the warranty if something goes wrong.

Also remember that the stores don't follow this list. Things will change over the course of the month and you'll probably have to adapt your buying strategy to deal with fluctuating prices. Good luck!

From there, out of sight and mind, the EdgeCenter supports up to four TV tuners and 7.1 audio surround. It's configurable, with processor options ranging from Core2 Duo to two-way Core i7's. Windows 7 and a "durable" aluminum chassis come standard, as does the high $4,000 starting point. Add some options and that price point can go much, much higher. [Piixl via Engadget]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Prank Gift Boxes: It doesn't matter what you stuff in these hilarious boxes, because the reaction of your recipient is the real gift. Be it the Beer Beard or the Griddle Alarm, you'll be sure to make someone very, very confused 3 for $20 [Link; PrankPack]

128MB Thumb Drives: They'll be able to fill them up with almost enough data to make them useful, but not quite. That's what makes this gift extra sadistic. It's full of potential, but still just not quite useful. $10 [Amazon]

Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive: You should be able to find these for around $20 on eBay. And hell, maybe even cheaper if it doesn't work. Whether or not it works doesn't matter, as there's no way anyone would actually use one of these embarrassing mistakes of a product.

USB Hedgehog Hand Warmer and Massager: It's a USB device! It's a hand warmer! It's a personal massager! It's a hedgehog! It's...awkward! $13 [Brando]

Burrito Glasses: I have no idea either. $15 [Etsy via Fashionably Geek]

Penis Ice Cube Tray: The "dicks in your drink" jokes just write themselves, don't they? For added Christmas Spirit, throw their old ice cube trays away so they have no choice but to use this. $9 [Amazon]

Hooper DVD: Hooper stars Burt Reynolds as "The World's Greatest Stuntman." No need to worry about this coming out on Blu-ray, as it's fucking horrible. $10 [Amazon]

Reindeer Toilet Cover: Nothing says Holiday Spirit like pooping in Blitzen's mouth. $15 [Link via Nerd Approved]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite White Elephant in comments-include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Create Your Own Sun Jar: Lifehacker Edition

Inspired by a tutorial we posted last year, we decided to make our own DIY sun jars. The trendy summer time lighting accessory retails for $30+ but we were able to make ours for around $10 each. The sun jars proved to be our most popular non-computer DIY of the entire year and readers shared their own creations with us.

The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

Building your own computer is a great way to get exactly what you want, the way you want it, without being constrained by the limits and high-prices of mass produced computers. We showed you how to build a computer from start to finish and have fun doing it.

Turn a Sharpie into a Liquid Fueled Rocket

What's standing between you and some office mayhem? Certainly not a lack of Sharpie markers and keyboard dusting spray. Combine the two with this fun DIY project and you've got one of the most awesome pieces of office-machinery we've ever featured.

Properly Erase Your Physical Media

You need to be properly erasing your physical media: all the time, every time. Our guide will show you how to get the job done and done right whether you use software to scrub your disks or you send them to the great data mine in the sky with a 21-gun salute.

Turn an Old Laptop into a Wall-Mounted Computer

Why settle for a digital picture frame when, in the same wall space, you could mount an entirely functional computer/slideshow player/TV tuner? One Lifehacker reader turned an old laptop into a super-charged digital frame.

$8 DIY Aluminum Laptop Stand

We've always been keen on DIY laptop stands, but reader Aaron Kravitz—inspired by an attractive $50 stand—went above and beyond, creating one of the most attractive DIY laptop stands we've featured to date.

Build an IKEA NAS On the Cheap

If the Hive Five on best home server software got you excited about setting up a home server but you're not keen on another unsightly PC in your home, check out this DIY IKEA NAS.

Build a DIY Portable Air Conditioner

We've shown you how to make an air conditioner (even for as low as $30), but what if you wanted something you can put in your car and take with you? While it's no substitute for a fully-charged and factory-fresh AC system, it'll keep you cool.

Turn a Bookshelf into a Secret Passage

Who hasn't dreamed of having a mystery-story-style secret passageway? While a trick bookshelf is pretty awesome in itself, this secret passage hides a home office with clever style. One industrious Lifehacker reader and his girlfriend had grown tired of seeing their office from their living space, so they hid it behind a wall of books.

Wire Your House with Ethernet Cable

You've ripped a movie on your laptop, and now want it on that fancy new home theater PC next to your TV. If you've got the time, wiring your house with Cat-5e cable could make transfer times a distant memory.

Rain Gutters as Cable Management Tools

We're all about creative cable management here at Lifehacker, so we were instantly drawn to reader Seandavid010's rain-gutter cable management setup. He was awesome enough to send detailed photos and step by step instructions to help other readers recreate his setup.

Build Your Own DTV Antenna

The lights went out on analog television this year and we were there with a guide to help you build a great DIY antenna for boosting your reception and getting that crisp digital picture you crave.

DIY Laptop Rack Hack Turns Your Monitor into an iMac

Lifehacker reader Matt Lumpkin saw our monitor stand from door stoppers post and thought we might like his laptop rack hack as another space-saving desktop solution for laptop-lovers. He was right.

Build Your Own Pizza Oven

Suppose you were inspired by the cheap DIY home pizza oven—but weren't so sure your home insurance would cover oven modifications. It's time to build a safer, more eye-pleasing oven, and we've got a thorough guide.

Crack a Master Combination Padlock Redux

Two years ago we highlighted how to crack a Master combination padlock for those of you who may have lost the combination to your bulletproof lock; now designer Mark Campos has turned the tried-and-true instructions into an easier-to-follow visual guide.

DIY Invisible Floating Bookshelves

We've covered the invisible floating bookshelf once or twice before, but if you liked the idea but weren't keen on ruining a book in the process, weblog May December Home's got you covered.

DIY Inverted Bookshelf

Instead of storing your books upright on top of the shelf, the inverted bookshelf holds all of your books in place using elastic webbing so you can hang them below the shelf—all the while allowing you to still take them out and put them back on as needed.

Build an Under-the-Cabinet Kitchen PC from an Old Laptop

Inspired by our guide to giving an old laptop new life with cheap or free projects, Lifehacker reader Brian turned his aging Dell laptop into an incredible under-the-cabinet kitchen PC.

Turn Storage Containers into Self Watering Tomato Planters

If you'd like to have delicious home-grown tomatoes but lack a garden to grow them in, you'll definitely want to check out this ingenious and inexpensive self-watering system.

Deter Thieves by Uglifying Your Camera

A few years ago, blogger Jimmie Rodgers's camera was stolen while volunteering in an impoverished Brazilian community, so he did what any sane person would do: He bought a new camera and made it ugly. With his uglified camera, Rodgers was able to snap pictures freely during the rest of his trip without worrying too much that his ostensibly crappy camera would end up stolen.

DIY TV or Monitor Stand from Door Stoppers

Nothing adds space to a desk or home theater setup like a simple monitor or TV stand, and weblog IKEA Hacker details how to build your own stand on-the-cheap with a few inexpensive items from IKEA.

Repurpose Your Analog Television

You don't need to run out and buy a new TV because of the DTV switchover. If you did anyways, Make Magazine has put together quite a guide to giving old TVs new life.

Use Ping-Pong Balls to Create Diffused Party Lights

If you need some cheap and novel ambient lighting for your next party, you're only a box of ping-pong balls and a string of lights away from solving your lighting worries.

Build a Custom-Made BoxeeBox

DeviceGuru blogger Rick Lehrbaum, inspired by the cheaper set-top boxes, made his own higher-powered "BoxeeBox" for the free, open-source media center. He posted all the parts, the how-to details, and lots of pictures.

Build a Sturdy Cardboard Laptop Stand

You already shelled out your hard earned cash for a swanky laptop, why drop more cash on an overpriced laptop stand? Cardboard alone can do the trick, as detailed in this step-by-step tutorial.

Install Snow Leopard on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required

Earlier this year we put together a wildly popular guide to building a Hackintosh with Snow Leopard, start to finish, and then followed it up with an even easier guide to install Snow Leopard on your Hackintosh PC, no hacking required. Computers + DIY is all sorts of geeky fun waiting to happen.

Have a favorite DIY from 2009 that wasn't highlighted here? Sound off in the comments with a link to your favorite project. Want to see more popular DIY guides courtesy of the ghost of Lifehacker past? Check out our huge DIY guide roundup from 2008.

Onkyo's DX laptop features two, 10.1-inch screens, both of which run at a respectable 1,366×768 resolution. They're complemented by a 1.6GHz Athlon processor, 2GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, 320GB hard drive and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi n. It's preloaded with Windows 7.

(Yes, the astute among you will notice that this laptop looks quite familiar, but under the Onkyo brand, we've seen the best price to performance ratio yet.)

Of course, you'll need to import the DX to own one, but for $960, you can almost justify the tacky extravagance. [Onkyo and PCWatch via Engadget]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as they hate being Sagittarians, click here.

ION USB portable turntable and Zumreed headphones If your pal has lots of records, the USB turntable will help with backing them up and making digital copies, which can be transferred easily to a Mac or PC. And of course, they'll be needing stylish 'phones, too. [ION $140 and Zumreed $60, both at Urban Outfitters]

Griffin AirCurve and iTrip Autopilot Any iPhone or iPod owner is bound to be happy with a couple of accessories from Griffin. Take the AirCurve clear acoustic amplifier, which acts as a speaker with no batteries required. Combine it with a car accessory for Christmas, such as the iTrip Autopilot, and you're onto a winning match. [AirCurve $19.95 and iTrip Autopilot $99.95, both at Apple]

Optoma PK-101 and Samsung N310 Give the gift of film this birthday/Christmas, with the Optoma pico projector connecting to the Samsung netbook with ease. The netbook may not have an optical drive so DVDs aren't playable, but there's no stopping your recipient from downloading or live-streaming some films, to beam onto a wall in 480 x 320 resolution. [Optoma $229.99 and Samsung N310 $349.99]

Diana F+, 38mm super wide lens, and instant back+ Lomography is the recent revival of a '60s photography craze that results in the most brilliant photos. The Diana F+ is the most classic model, and pick up a few accessories while you're at Lomo's online store, including a super wide lens and instant back+, which produces instant photos a la Polaroid. [Diana F+ $95, super wide lens $40 and instant back+ $95]

Red Square superyacht and Bell-Boeing 430 helicopter What, your friend doesn't mean enough to you that you'd splurge $930m on their birthday present? And then another $2m on their Christmas present? Shame on you. [Red Square €630m, Bell-Boeing 430, around $2m]

Star Wars DVD boxset and Tauntaun sleeping bag Yes, we love Star Wars as much as the next person, but with the trilogy expected on Blu-ray anytime soon, we wouldn't go suggesting you buy a DVD boxset that's been around for years, would we? Nor would we recommend a Tauntaun sleeping bag as being conducive to a love life. [Star Wars DVDs $25.99 and Tauntaun bag $99.99]

PSPgo and $50 PlayStation Network gift card Giving a gift card isn't the most thoughtful present, true—but how else would you give digital downloads to someone, hmm? They should be so happy with the latest generation of PSP, they won't even notice that $50 only gets them a couple of games. [PSPgo $249.99 and PlayStation Network card $50]

Sony BDP-BX2 Blu-ray player and Battlestar Galactica Blu-ray boxset I've just finished watching BSG on Blu-ray, so can vouch for how incredible it looks in HD. Coupled with a Sony Blu-ray player, you're giving any sci-fi nut the perfect viewing experience—provided they have an HDTV, of course.

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite gift ideas for people with birthdays in December in the comments—include pic and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Under $400

Acer Aspire 1410

Starting Price: $399
This 3.2-pound ultraportable is such a sweet deal it makes us question whether netbooks are long for this world. Acer stuffed a dual-core Celeron processor (about double the performance of Atom), 2GB of RAM and Windows 7 Premium inside a 11.6-inch system with a full-size keyboard—all for just $399. Plus, you get 6.5 hours of battery life. Sure, the 160GB hard drive is a bit skimpy, but the 1410 is a real PC you can take anywhere. [Review]

Under $700

Gateway NV

Starting Price: $599.99
The NV proves that you can get a good-looking budget laptop that performs. In addition to four color choices (blue, brown, read, and black), this 15.6-inch notebook sports a fashionable metal hinge and glowing LED controls. Under the hood the NV satisfies with the combination of an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. Our only nitpick is the narrow touchpad button. [Review]

Asus UL30A

Starting Price: $649.99
If we had to pick a notebook of the year, the UL30A would be it. Why? Because this 13 incher is light enough to take anywhere yet offers enough pep to be your primary machine. This 4-pound ultraportable lasted nearly 10 hours on a charge in our tests (continuous surfing over Wi-Fi), and its ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo processor can easily handle Windows 7. Bonus: 500GB of storage is nice for the $650 price. [Review]

Under $1000

Dell Studio 14z

Starting Price: $749.99
Think of it as the poor man's MacBook—with better specs and sound. Dell's 14-inch thin and light notebook weighs in at just 4.4 pounds and features Nvidia 9400 graphics for extra multimedia punch. But unlike the entry level $999 Mac, the Dell offers 70GB more hard drive space, superior speakers, and a backlit keyboard for $160 less. The only trade-offs are the lack of a DVD drive and the need for an adapter for plugging in memory cards. [Review]

Under $1500

Toshiba Qosmio X505

Starting Price : $1399
Ideal for multimedia mavens and good enough for gamers, the 18.4-inch Qosmio X505 brings serious muscle in the $1,499 configuration, including a blazing Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GTS 250M graphics (with 1 GB of dedicated video memory). We also dig the classy glossy black design with metallic red accents, integrated Blu-ray drive, and booming Harman Kardon speakers. If you want to step up from the 1680 x 945 display to a full HD screen, splurge for the $1,899 model, which also sports 6GB of RAM and an SSD. [Review]

ThinkPad T400s

Starting Price: $1599 ($1359.15 after coupon)
If BMWs are the ultimate driving machines, ThinkPads are the ultimate business machines, and this is the flagship vehicle. The T400s measures just 0.8 inches thick and weighs 3.9 pounds, and it's decked out in supersturdy magnesium (for the bottom and deck) and carbon fiber (for the lid). More important, this 14-incher blows away the competition in terms of ergonomic comfort and performance—when you spring for the 2.53-GHz processor and 128GB solid state drive. [Review]

To see all of Laptop's top picks of the year, click here.

Well, part of the somehow is that the default $450 configuration uses a Celeron processor and comes with Ubuntu. You don't play in Windows land 'til you hit $600, and don't reach ULV Core 2 Duo brains—which ain't exactly heavy duty—until you drop $650.

The V13 is a collision of high end—the design, angled and thin, heavily echoing the original Adamo's silhouette, and build quality, as sturdy as any non-unibody laptop we've tried to bend—and low rent—the keyboard is straight off Dell's budget Inspiron line and well, I already told you what's inside (there's other spec sparseness as well, like 2GB RAM, VGA out and 2 USB ports, one of which is a combo eSATA number). The 13.3-inch, LED-backlit, anti-glare display is nice enough though, at a resolution of 1366x768. The 6-cell sealed battery is rated for 4 hours and 42 minutes, according to Dell, but expect less actually using it, obviously.

Still, at $650, let alone $450—netbook level—you expect some compromise, and if it wasn't at the expense of the design and materials, it had to cut somewhere. (Conversely, you can buy raging monsters from Asus, filled with blistering silicon, but it's powering machines that are ugly, bloated plastic.) Un-compromise is expensive, but the V13 straddles the line fairly skillfully, erring on the side that most don't, and that's something that's commendable. If the Adamo was Batman's laptop, this more human and vulnerable rendition for suits is Bruce Wayne's.

[Dell]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Vinturi Wine Aerator: For wine to reach its full potential, it needs to breathe. For centuries, people have been doing this with decanters, letting the wine sit out of the bottle to release its aromas and flavors. That's great if you've got the time, but more often than not when you crack open that bottle you just don't... want... to wait. Or maybe that's just me. Pouring your wine through an aerator gives you the full effect of a decanter, just without the agonizing wait. They can be ordered directly from Vinturi for $40, but you can get them a little cheaper on Amazon. [Vinturi, Amazon]

Dripless Wine Pourer: Not only is every drop of alcohol precious, so is the easily stainable wood coffee table your drink sits on. This dripless pourer makes sure your wine ends up where it belongs: in the glass. For just $3, you can even spring for a multitude of these for your next dinner party. [Crate&Barrel]

Knuckle Duster Corkscrew: A straightforward rebuttle to those who think wine is for sissies. This may not be the most practical corkscrew in existence, but it's undeniably the most manly. It will no doubt come in handy the next time someone favorably compares a Rioja to a Beaujolais. $13. [ThinkGeek]

A home brew kit: This site has already gone on record as being serious supporters of brewing your own suds. The short version, if you need one: it's cheap, it's easy, it's fun. There are a lot of options out there, but I'd recommend the Brooklyn Brew Shop for its ease of use and adventurous seasonal flavors. For $40 you can get a one gallon kit and a supply of any one of their nine grain varieties, ranging from Eggnog Milk Stout to Grapefruit Honey Ale to to a more straightforward Tripel. For serious home brewers, a five gallon kit is also available for $125. [Brooklyn Brew Shop]

A covert alcohol storage and transportation system: You may laugh now, but you never know when you might have to smuggle beer into a situation where it's not generally socially acceptable. For whiskey, there are flasks. For more pedestrian potables? The Beerbelly and the Winerack. For stealth you'll want to go Winerack, but for sheer volume and the odd experience of displaying reverse-bloat the more you drink, you can't go wrong with the Beerbelly's 80 oz. bladder. Perhaps not surprisingly, these are made by the same company. One stop shopping! $30 for the Winerack; $35 for the Beerbelly. [The Beer Belly]

Bad Decision Blocker: Perfect for those who have that someone (or someones) in their lives that they can't help reaching out to when they've had a few too many. Bad Decision Blocker is an app that lets you deny yourself access to certain numbers at previously designated hours. Which, let's be honest, after 3 am should be your whole phone book. $1. [App Store Link]

Space beer: It's a long shot, since only 250 boxes available and you have to win a lottery to be eligible to taste or buy one. But if you happen to be one of the lucky few, what could be better than beer brewed from barley that's spent five months in space? Well, not necessarily better-taste wise. But you can't beat it for uniqueness. [Sapporo Breweries]

Coors Light Cold-Activated Cans: Let's be honest. The only reason it needs to be so cold is to freeze your tongue so you can't actually taste this pisswater. Get them a nice cask ale instead.

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite drinking gadgets in comments-include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

According to a new report by Jeff Orr, an analyst at ABI, Linux preinstalls represent 32% of the 35 million netbooks shipping this year (a number consistent with Dell's own reports). And it makes sense. Pretty much any variation of Linux is lighter weight than Windows (even the improved performance of 7 over Vista is paid for in battery life). And in the lowest end of the hardware market, I'd bet consumers are a lot more cognizant of the impact an OS has on the final price of a computer. [Computer World via Slashdot and Awesome Image]

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the you hate Japan-only gadgets, click here.

Without a doubt, 826 National's line of quirky stores and products offer the biggest and nerdiest bang for your charity buck. For example—at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply company you can purchase a set of vacuum suction cups for scaling the exterior of buildings. If the whole Spider-Man thing isn't for you, how about the power of invisibility? An "invisible" suit is available for the low price of $20,800. Of course, these products are meant as novelties only, but the proceeds benefit 826 National—a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization for kids. The Suction Cups are priced at $19. [826 National Stores]
The Smithsonian museums are some of the best in the world—the storehouse of our nation's treasures. The products the Smithsonian Institution offers through their stores directly support the museums, and are patterned after artifacts in their archives. Designed to look like a classic car dashboard, this weather station includes dials for a clock, thermometer and hygrometer. $45 [SmithsonianStore]
If you have a love for modern art and design, you have probably paid a visit to the MoMa gallery in New York. In addition to their collections, MoMa also has a top notch retail store with thousands of unique gifts. The Icon Watch pictured here would be great for fans of classic gaming. All proceeds from purchases benefit the museum. $75 [MoMa]
It seems like the vast majority of products tied in with Susan G. Komen for the Cure are offering half-assed donations at best. At least KitchenAid is taking it seriously by donating $50 for each pink stand mixer sold (and there is no "charity premium" tacked on to the price). A bit tacky, but this is probably the best countertop mixer you can buy, making it a great gift for anyone that loves too cook. And I'm sure they can look past the pink when you tell them that the proceeds benefit breast cancer research. $300 [KitchenAid]
The (Product) Red movement has endured its fair share of criticism, but if you prefer to have part of your gadget gift purchase go to an organization raising awareness about AIDS in Africa instead of Apple or Dell, the option is there. Just make sure that the manufacturer isn't charging a premium for RED products. The RED iPod nano starts at $149. [Apple]
If you are going to get an indoor cycling bike for you or a chubby loved one, it only makes sense to buy the one endorsed by the greatest cyclist of all-time. Plus, proceeds from the sale go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research. $1000 [Dick's Sporting Goods]
If you are a fan of NPR, you can show your support by purchasing their exclusive internet radio from Livo. You can listen to NPR member stations from around the country, to the 16,000+ radio stations streaming on the internet, or to the music on your MP3 player. Plus, built-in NPR menus allow classical music fans to easily find, search and bookmark NPR stations, podcasts, and content, by topic or by program. $200 [NPR]
Zambi the baby elephant "responds to your voice and touch with trunk curls, ear wiggles and baby elephant trumpeting and chewing sounds." It also giggles and blows kisses. Surely, your kids will love it, and a portion of the proceeds go to benefit children in Africa that have been orphaned by AIDS. $34 with free shipping [Amazon]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite charitable gift ideas in the comments—include pic and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Teo en Ming, the ChromiumOS64 project lead, says of the download:

"The original Chromium OS project does not support 64-bit platforms. This is because the majority of the netbooks in the market are based on Intel Atom processors, which are mostly 32-bit."

With Chrome OS launching properly at the tail-end of 2010, we've got a full year to wait before we see anything more solid become available. And even then, it'll only be available on Google-branded devices, with Acer hoping to launch the first official netbook running it.

Let us know how you get on with the 64-bit Chromium browser below. [ChromiumOS64 via TechRadar]

That's the DVD player, modded to look like it's spinning one of the original LPs.

More DVD player, now with more lights!

And more lights...

And the internals. Inside is a Core 2 Quad CPU and a RAM cooler to counter overheating. [Case Mod Blog via Technabob]

HDTVs and Monitors

This is the number one cleaning question I get from friends and family, and it's one of the simplest to answer. HDTVs and monitors are the worst kind of dirt magnets, begging to be touched—by your boss who wants to show you something on your computer screen, by your greasy little cousin who's getting restless during his umpteenth viewing of Finding Nemo, by your drunk old buddy from college who somehow still thinks it's funny to grope actresses onscreen on his way to the bathroom—and sitting in total vulnerability: in the case of your LCD screen, within sneezing range; in the case of your flatscreen TV, in your dusty living room.

The tempting, nearly instinctual response to a oily, dusty, mucousy panel of glass or glasslike material is to reach under the sink, grab that bottle of Windex and the paper towels and spray that stuff down. Do not do this. There are some TVs and displays for which Windex will do the job—CRT televisions, for example, and some glass-paneled screens—and if you've been using Windex in the past without incident, don't worry too much. But also, stop.

Spraying any kind of cleaner onto a screen isn't a great idea. These panels aren't weatherproof, so if your sprayed solvent runs into the crack between the panel surface and the display bezel, there will be tragedy. Furthermore, Windex is a glass cleaner: a lot of your screens' outer layers aren't glass, or have some kind of delicate coating. Ammonia-based cleaners, for example, can microscopically abrade some plastic surfaces, causing your screen to become slightly foggy over time. And for your cleaning tool, paper towels aren't terrible, but they're also somewhat risky—screen coatings can be extremely delicate, and paper towels can sometimes be a little rough. Plus, they're prone to leaving streaks, no matter what liquid you're using.

So, what's the trick? Water. Water and a soft, lint-free (ideally microfiber, which is better at picking up greasy smudges) towel. To clean your panel, dampen your cloth and strain it out as best you can—you don't want any drippage here—then run it, folded, gently across your screen, repeating until the screen has been thoroughly covered and any sticky residue has been removed. (For larger displays, perform cleaning in sections, so as not to let the water dry or collect and run.) Now do the same with a dry cloth, applying slightly more pressure, to lift away the dirt and moisture. Repeat if there are still grease deposits. That's it! A few bucks for some soft cloths, a little bit of water, and your screen is as good as new.

And those specialty cleaning kits? They do work, for the most part, but they're not necessary.

TV and Game Controllers

By the time your TV is in need to a deep cleaning, your remote—or your videogame controller—is probably in even worse shape. The kind of dirt a remote gathers is an order of magnitude more disgusting (and more human) than your panel, so you're not just cleaning, you're disinfecting. Interestingly enough, the cleaning method isn't too far from the one above: A damp cloth, with some water. This time, though, you'll want to throw a little isopropyl alcohol in the mix—a 40/60 booze and water split works—to help disinfect the buttons, and remove the oily brown buildups you can get between buttons. Again, soft cloth is better than paper towels, this time it tends to be a bit better at reaching between buttons than stiff, thin paper. Use wooden toothpicks for reaching into cracks, but nothing harder.

These are unique in that they're shared gadgets. And shared gadgets are, almost without fail, fantastic vectors for germs. So what I'm saying is, clean them or die.

Cameras

Body: Cleaning your camera body is like cleaning almost any other gadget—a very slightly damp towel will do the trick. (Though be gentle around openings, since point-and-shoot camera guts lurk awfully close to the surface, and any intruding water can wreak serious havoc.)

Lenses: Lenses are dirt magnets, and if they're dirty, you simply don't get good pictures. They're also delicate and expensive, so you can't just reach in there with a paper towel and be done with it. Lens cleaning kits are available at every camera store, and include a light cleaning solution and microfiber cloth. These are safe bets, but don't spend more than $15 bucks on them. Lens pens also work, but they're a riskier proposition—there's such a limited cleaning surface on those things, and I always get the sense that after a few uses, the cleaning element has been sort of tainted.

Again, though, stay safe with this one: Buy a microfiber cloth, and simply rub the lens with a circular motion until all visible smudges are gone. Never apply too much pressure—any dust or dirt on the lens can get picked up in your cloth and scratch your lens—and fold/refold your cloth to ensure you're using a fresh surface at least once during a lens cleaning.

Two small notes on lenses: Don't forget the clean the rear glass on any DSLR lens. There's a lot less surface area there, and since it spends most of its time inside the camera or a locking lens cover it probably won't be as dirty, so this should take much effort. And if you can, treat each of your DSLR lenses to a UV filter. While this is called a filter, it only block light that humans can't naturally see, meaning that in most photos, the effect will be generally unnoticeable. (More on that here) Point is, you don't have much to lose by buying one of the dirt-cheap filters, and it will provide a layer of transparent protection from dirt and scratches over your lenses at all times. And since they're flat and thin, they're easier to clean than convex lenses.

UPDATE: I've gotten a couple of emails from photo pros about this, and I think it bears mentioning: Before rubbing your lenses, it's good practice to blast them with a little air. Air pumps (like the one mentioned in the following subsection) and canned air will do the job, as will, in a bind, your lungs. The thinking here is that you should remove any potentially abrasive particles from the lens before rubbing it, so as not to drag them around, causing permanent damage. —Thanks, Jody and Ned!

Sensors: Point-and-shoot and bridge camera users don't have to worry about this, but DSLR users, who provide a chance for dirty to enter their camera bodies every time they change a lens, may need to clean a sensor one day. It's not as scary as it sounds!

First of all, you'll never have to actually clean a sensor, since DSLR sensors all have some manner of filter, either IR or UV, built in. But still, the surface is delicate, so you'll want to be cautious. Most cameras include some kind of sensor-cleaning function in their software; since most sensor taint is comprised of a stray speck of dust or two, a quick, severe vibration will usually do the trick.

If that doesn't work, and your photos are showing persistent, faded, unmoving spots in every photo, it's time for phase II: air. For this, I defer to Ken Rockwell:

After 17,000 shots I finally got a speck on my D70. Remember I also change lenses a lot. The Shop Vac wasn't enough. This time I used an ear syringe (blower bulb) from the drug store which you can get here. I put the D70 on BULB and pounded the bulb with my fist to create a jarring blast of air. That worked.

Rockwell advises to use an ear syringe; I'd say go with a purpose-design lens blower, since they're still only about $10, and you'll get better results without running the risk of pulverizing your DSLR's guts while trying to get muscle enough airflow through a hard rubber earwax remover.

Beyond built-in sensor cleaning and a few blasts of air, there are plenty more methods for cleaning a sensor, but they're all risky to varying degrees. Unless you're supremely confident (and careful) it may be best to leave this one to the guys are your local camera shop, assuming you still have one. A ruined sensor, in most cases, is a ruined camera, so tread carefully.

Laptops

Screen grime is the most common cleaning problem with laptops, and with the display cleaning section of this guide, we've got that covered. That said, laptops collect filth in a variety of other ways, and they can get real microbial, real fast.

To clean a typical keyboard—that is, a non-chiclet design—you've got three steps to try. First, use a damp cloth with the aforementioned 40/60 alcohol/water mixture, turn off the laptop, and run it across the keys. Fold it a few times and use the edge to reach between the keys. You can use this same cloth to clean the rest of your laptop as well, excluding the screen, but including the touchpad. If that doesn't do the trick, and you can spot some dust or hair in between keys, it's time for some canned air. You can pick this stuff up at most big box electronics stores or online for $10 or less, and using it is as simple as tilting your laptop sideways, and blowing air in the cracks.

If this doesn't work, it's time to start popping off keys. Since you're disassembling a keyboard that really isn't meant to be taken apart, there's a definite inherent risk here, but the results are practically guaranteed to be good. Here's an extremely thorough guide, if you're game for it. To give you an idea of what this entails, there's a point in this tutorial at which all your laptop's keys are swirling in a cereal bowl full of soapy water. It's gruesome.

Another problem area for laptops is fans, air intake vents and heatsinks. These all stand in the pathway between outside air and your processor, which needs said air to keep cool. Any blockage can cause your laptop to run hot, your fans to run high, and consequently, your battery to run low. Disassembly instructions will vary from laptop to laptop, and typically will involve removing your entire keyboard. Once you've done this, though, removing the dust is a matter of blasting with air, scraping with a clean toothbrush or even just wiping with your finger. It's not about total cleanliness here, it's about clearing your computers' windpipe.

Another helpful trick: Those white, last-gen MacBooks have a disgusting tendency to accumulate a beige (then brown, then black) residue where users' palm touch the laptop. This discoloration is more of a stain than a buildup, so you can't fix it with water or alcohol. The fix? Acetone. Seriously, the best way to wipe that crap off is with nail polish remover.

Desktops

We've covered how to clean most of the external pieces of a laptop already: any plastic surface gets a moist wipe-down; keyboards get compressed air. That's it! Your desktop is sparking clean! This feels so good! Now slide of your desktop's side panel, and weep. If you've had your desktop for more than a few months, and particularly if you keep it in a carpeted room, it's probably an absolute horror show.

The first thing to do is, you guess it, pull out that microfiber cloth. Wipe down every surface that's finished, which is to say covered in rubber (wires) painted (the inside of the case, and the plastic shell of an internal optical drive, or the decorated exterior of a video card) or inert (the blades of a fan, or the exterior of your heatsink). You can slightly dampen the cloth to help pick up dust from the corners of the case, but your probably don't need to, and it's best to keep this a dry operation, beginning to end. Next, whop out that can-o-air, and have at it. Pay special attention to dust buildup areas, like the heatsinks on your processor and video card, and the fan inside your power supply. This will likely cause some dust to resettle elsewhere, so you may need to repeat your wipedown/blow process once more. Again—cleaning the inside of your tower is less about maintaining a spotless appearance than it is making sure dirt, dust and hair buildup won't negatively affect your computer's performance, so don't get too anal about it, cosmetically speaking.

[image via]

Cellphones and Media Players

Cellphones, iPods and other media players are designed to be pocketed, so you can be a little rough on them during the cleaning process. A very slightly damp cloth or paper towel will remove whatever fingerprint or residue your shirt or jeans won't.

As much as these gadgets are intended to live in pockets, they have an irritatingly high number of places for dust to hide itself. Cellphones have keypads, or, increasingly, sets up buttons at the base of a touchscreen or on the sideof the handset, all of which give dirt a place to accumulate. The grilles over cellphones' mics and speakers is another refuge for sludge, and they're totally immune to simple wipedowns. For this, you've got to go one step further. Luckily, you've probably got all the supplies you need in your house already.

Wooden toothpicks and old toothbrushes help reach into cracks and crevices, like those around buttons or running around the perimeter of some display panels. (Samsung and HTC are particularly guilty of leaving spaces in places like that.)

Sometimes, as in the case of the tiny little mic/speaker grilles on some phones, you don't want to push dirt in, but rather pull it out. For those situations, lay a strip of scotch tape over the afflicted area, run your finger over it a few times, and pull it off. If that doesn't work, upgrade to duct tape—though you'll want to be a bit more gentle with that, since applying too much pressure can leave adhesive on your device, which is a pain to wipe off.

Your Tips and Tricks

If you have more cleaning tips and tools to share, please drop some links in the comments-your feedback is hugely important to our Saturday How To guides.

And if you have any topics you'd like to see covered here, please let me know. Happy housekeeping, folks!

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the you hate Japan-only gadgets, click here.

Bandai Tokyo Diorama Speakers: Do you know someone who is fascinated by Tokyo's Ginza district circa 1950? Or someone who constantly listens to the Godzilla Original Motion Picture Soundtrack? These speakers are the perfect gift for that person. Packed with LED lights and all sorts of moving parts, this is not your Kindergartner's diorama. $2000 [Bandai]

Bandai Gyoza Maker: Rolling a gyoza—essentially a Japanese dumpling—can be tough and is an art that is best mastered with practice. But who has time for practice or mastery? If you want to crank out neatly sealed gyozas every time, there's no better way than to do just that: crank them out. With Bandai's gyoza maker, perfect gyozas slide out a chute for your snacking pleasure. It's not the most authentic way to serve up this traditional treat but definitely the most efficient. $55 [GeekStuff4U]

Yamanote Line Watch: Is there someone close to you whose life is a little too stress-free? Who wishes they felt like they were doing something? Going somewhere? Get them the Yamanote Line Watch, a replica of signage on Tokyo's busiest commuter line, and give their life some hair-pulling purpose. [Seahope]

Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks: If you know someone who is proud of having recently mastered chopsticks, throw them a curveball by gifting them this sauce dispensing pair. They have the dual benefit of taking your chopstick game into the 21st century while also eliminating table clutter. This is a perfect gift for the person in your life who is defined as much by their laziness as they are for their love of Asian cuisine. $21[Oh Gizmo]

Fantasy Gift: 9h Capsule Hotel Pod: It's always nice to curl up in a nook (if not necessarily with a Nook) to take a nap, and the 9h luxury capsule hotel in Tokyo provides the nook of all nooks. Each pod is equipped with Panasonic control panels for setting the ambiance—presumably one that lessens the feeling that you paid money to nap in a coffin. Still, having one of them in your house virtually guarantees that no one jumps into bed to bother you while you sleep. [9hours]

Humping Dog USB Drive: Dogs always hump things—it's their nature—so why shouldn't they hump your USB drive? "Because they're too small!" you say. Real dogs may be, but this humping dog USB drive from Digital World Tokyo is a perfect perverted match for your Universal Serial Bus. In the end, though, do you really want to subject your ports to this little dog's dongle? We must urge you not to buy, unless you have a friend who really likes weird stuff. $32 [Digital World Tokyo]

Tuttuki Box: Are you or a love one embarrassed to prod and poke at things in real life? The Tuttuki LCD box lets you jab at miniature pandas, guys, and girls with a digital version of your index finger. If you know someone who is prone to stick appendages into holes, this is surely more adorable than the alternatives. $46 [Amazon]

Gundam Robot Slippers: Everyone can dance the robot. But for some people that's just not enough. Gundam Robot Slippers are the perfect gift for the hardcore robot enthusiast. Not only do they make your feet shiny and big, like a robot's, but the slippers emit a robotic crunching noise with each step. This benefits everyone: you sound more like a robot and the maker you've turned against is alerted that you're coming to destroy them. Gizmodo]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite gift ideas for weird relatives in comments—include pic and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Maybe we'll finally see a Zing now. [WSJ]

Netbooks with Intel's next-gen Pineview Atom N450 CPUs arrive in January, and the faster N470 chip may hit in March. There are also more netbooks with Ion graphics coming down the pipe, including the first Ion-based Eee PC. AMD is still kicking around the netbook space, too.

Little netbook keyboards will still make you feel like a basketball player driving a Mini Cooper, but the damn things are just so cute and cheap we can't stay away. (It's a love / hate relationship). And though HD video is most definitely a reality for netbooks, not all the new models will give you that smooth HD Hulu loving you crave.

Next-Gen Intel Chips

As our break down of Intel's line-up explains, "Pineview" Atom processors (like the single-core N450 or the eventual dual-core 510) integrate the CPU, GPU, and memory controller on the same chip. The benefits: Better graphics, and according to MSI, at least 20 percent better power consumption.

MSI previously gave us the scoop that Pine Trail-M netbooks, using Pineview processors, are slated for a big CES debut. Their upcoming 10-inch convertible touchscreen U150 with Windows 7 will use one. Though Intel still hasn't set an official date (publicly at least), DigiTimes is reporting today that the launch date will be January 10. That means Asus, Acer, Lenovo and MSI, which had planned to launch Atom N450-based netbooks in December, are all now expected to make their new models available from January 11 onwards. As mentioned, we expect to preview them at CES the week before.

DigiTimes goes on to say that the follow-up N470 chip (likely 1.83GHz) is expected to land in March. That syncs with apparent leaks of the Pine Trail-M roadmap that have floated around. And even though netbook makers already ship machines with more than 1GB of RAM, word is that Intel will actually encourage 2GB of memory for the N470. An upgrade over previous Microsoft/Intel limitations imposed to prevent cannibalization of ultra-portable notebooks.

So will N450-based netbooks handle HD video? According to Engadget, not without an extra chip like the Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator, which should add about $30 to the overall price. Apparently, native HD video is still a little down Intel's roadmap path.

So What About Nvidia Ion Netbooks?

I'll be very interested to see just how close Pine Trail-M netbooks get to Ion performance, and for those with an HD video chip, how well they handle high-definition video, too. The integrated nature of Pine Trail-M could give it an advantage in price. But will the price/performance ratio be enough?

Nvidia also has a little ace in the hole called Flash video acceleration. They recently demonstrated an Ion-powered HP Mini 311 playing stutter-free YouTube HD video on an external monitor. Watch the demo below. The final version of Flash 10.1 will make this an everyday occurrence sometime mid-next year. And you can try the Beta now.

News also dropped today that Asus' 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201N, its first Eee PC with Ion graphics, is finally up for pre-order over at Amazon for $500. It'll be available in January, and join existing Ion-based netbooks like the HP Mini 311 (11.6-inch), Lenovo IdeaPad S12 (12.1-inch), and the Samsung N510 (11.6-inch). But here's the thing: they all use existing Diamondville-class Atom processors.

The good news is that Intel has actually pointed out that despite having integrated graphics, Pineview processors are compatible with Ion. We've not seen such a netbook with both yet, but CES is just around the corner. Nvidia has also reportedly said that its Ion 2 (yep, gen 2) chipset for Atom netbooks will arrive by the end of the year. I'm betting we'll see some Ion 2-based netbooks at CES in January, but my guess is we won't be able to buy one until March or April at the earliest.

A netbook with Ion graphics and an Intel Pineview processor like the N450 sounds pretty sweet, right? Hopefully that's what we have to look forward to.

Next Gen Flash Runs 720p Movie Smoothly on a Netbook, Demo -

Distractions, Distractions

Real quick: I'm not ignoring AMD. Having left it too late to join the netbook fray, their upcoming Congo platform will instead mostly complete with Intel's ultra-low voltage processors. We're talking about notebooks with 12 to 13-inch displays. I say mostly, because Asus is readying an AMD Congo-based version of that 12.1-inch Eee PC I mentioned above. The unit's ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics will handle 1080p video.

It's going to be one hell of an interesting Consumer Electronics Show. ARM and VIA are still trying to get inside netbook trousers: Asus has an Android-based "Smartbook" planned for early next year, and Nvidia is pushing its competing ARM-based Tegra chip. Asus also wants to be first with a Chrome OS netbook when Google completes it in the second half of 2010. Finally, there are a ton of interesting eReaders and touchscreen tablets on the horizon...and don't even start me on the Apple Tablet.

A number of these devices might replace what you thought would be your next netbook. Either way, whatever we see, you'll hear about them here in almost pornographic detail. Personally, the tech behind my next $500 netbook—still no small investment—will almost certainly be something we first see under the bright lights of Vegas. Hopefully they'll be better-looking by then, too.

BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the you hate your relatives, click here.

DON'T BUY: Monogrammed or Personalized Gifts: It's so tempting to stop by one of those mall kiosks and pick up some sort of desk trinket to be engraved with your weird relative's name. You think that it'll make it seem like you put some effort into it, since it's a personalized gift. But let's be realistic, you'll pay more than you should for that trinket and your cousin will be left trying to figure out how to re-gift a monogrammed stapler.

Gallop! A Scanimation Picture Book: You've got a niece that's about four (or maybe five, you've never really kept track) and no idea whether she's into Barbie dolls or Bratz dolls. Before you make the mistake and get her the wrong doll, go for a book like Gallop!. Based on what I've seen while doing a stint in a bookstore, this particular book appears to be a fool-proof gift for the four to seven age group. It's just too darn fun to watch the animals racing across the pages and attempt to figure out just how the whole "scanimation" thing works. $11 [ThinkGeek]

DON'T BUY: Magazine Subscriptions: Unless your uncle has a bird or you're absolutely certain that he wants nothing more than to have a particular publication on his door step regularly, don't buy him a magazine subscription. (If your uncle does in fact have a bird, keep in mind that newspapers make for better bird cage liner than magazines.)

Photo by hectorir

DXG-125V Waterproof HD Camcorder: Every now and then one of those weird relatives gets you something halfway decent and you feel obligated to do the same. No sense in going overboard with it, so stick with a safe choice like the cheap, yet awesome DXG-125V camcorder. It's waterproof, shoots in 720p, and will make it look like you cared enough to pick out something neat. Just don't write anything about looking forward to seeing videos in the greeting card. You will find yourself suffering at the next reunion. $96 [Link; Amazon]

AlcoMate Breathalyzer: It's bound to happen every year: Grandma will get drunk at the family dinner and start ranting about the socio-economic structure of Japan while wearing boxer shorts on her head. Well, this holiday you can confront her about the issue and get her a gift all in one with a personal breathalyzer. Just make sure she understands that it's not a gag gift by making her use it. At every family event. $90 [Amazon]

Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool: It doesn't get more generic or safe than a multi-tool, but the Leatherman Wave is among the most popular and loved multi-tools and should please most odd relatives. It's got various knives, cutters, a saw, some bit drivers and a 25 year warranty that leaves enough time to figure out all of the tool's other functions. $59 [Amazon]

Isis Impossible Titanium Puzzle: Some relatives you really don't know well at all, nor do you want to. Yeah, we've all got those aunts. The best gift to get her is a ridiculously difficult puzzle toy like the Isis Impossible Titanium Puzzle. Tell her that you got it because she's such smart cookies and you thought she'd naturally love it. She'll be flattered and never announce that she hates the gift because then she'd have to blurt out that she couldn't solve it. Oh, and if you play your cards right and inquire about the puzzle often enough, she'll start skipping family reunions to avoid you. $174 [ThinkGeek]

Marshmallow Blaster: If you don't own a marshmallow gun, you need to order one right now. And one for every single one of your relatives. Because when the holiday stress gets to be too much, there's nothing better than battling things out in a sticky, non-lethal way. $27 [ThinkGeek]

Don't forget to recommend your own favorite gift ideas for weird relatives in comments—include pic and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Fudzilla's reporting that the Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN is going to be a beast, shipping with a Core i7 processor at 1.6GHz, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and the all-important ATI Radeon HD5850 graphics card. The other specs are equally over the top—18.4" 1980x1080 LED display, two 640GB hard drives, 8-cell battery—but what we're most excited about are graphics like this:

Expect it on the market in early 2010 for a whole lot of cash. It also weighs over 10 pounds, so make sure to lift with your legs. [Fudzilla]

If you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here.

Battling Helicopters: There's no better way to learn the mysteries of heavier-than-air flight than to spin up a few air hogs and have them shoot each other out of the sky—in your living room. Seriously, these things may be expensive but they're fun for everybody who doesn't catch one in the eye, and they're surprisingly durable. They come out of China under a few different brand names, so root around, and see if you can find a better deal. $170; Ages 8 and up [Amazon]

Crayola Crayon Maker: Awarded as a top "green" toy by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Crayola's crayon melter works a little like an EZ Bake oven, only with better results. The kid throws in used crayons, and out come shiny whole new ones, sometimes in new never-before-seen colors. And the best part—the new edition apparently doesn't pop open while the crayon wax is still molten. Safety first! $30; Ages 8 and up [Review; Amazon]

Rabbids Go Home: If you're tired of Mario and want to wipe that stupid mustache off his face, the gift to get kids is this crazy Wii title from Ubisoft, where the only guy with facial hair is Santa Claus, and he gets yelled at until he's... stripped down to his underpants... for some reason. OK, so it doesn't all make sense, but damnit if it's not a change of pace, and a way to keep the little troublemakers busy without learning to shoot, steal cars and price shop for hookers. Reviewed by kid-friendly Stephen Totilo over at Kotaku. $50; Rated E—ages 10 and up [Review; GameStop]

Nano Hexbugs: Last year, Hexbugs were all the rage, so it just makes sense that this year is all about Nano Hexbugs. As your finely tuned Jobsian brain already guessed, they're smaller. And they're cheaper. And they wiggle and jiggle and move fast as hell, and flip over and right themselves, and it's just bunches of fun for all ages (except for babies, who could choke on them). Shown here much larger than actual size. $10; Ages 3 and up [Hexbug]

Mosaic Stone Kit: What better thing to get a kid than a bag of cement mix and some broken glass? Just add water, colorful shards, and the feet of anybody you want to sleep with the fishes, and presto, you got art/revenge. Seriously, mosaics are good ways to teach geometry, history, spatial reasoning and chemistry all at the same time. Oh, and the website assures buyers that the glass "gems" are smooth. $16; Ages 7 and up [Constructive Playthings]

Leapfrog Musical Table: As a real live parent who had to put up with this thing nonstop for a straight six months, I can tell you that a) my kid never got sick of it, b) it was the least annoying of her chirping, chattering musical doodads, and c) there's a reason she could sing the ABC's before she could say anything else that resembled English. (She was fluent in Huttese, I am convinced, but that's another story.) The only bad thing about this classic is that so many new parents have it already, you need to ask before you buy. If they do have it, go with Leapfrog's My Pal Scout. $34 or find it used; Ages 6-18 months [Amazon]

Duck Duck Moose iPhone Apps: Again, take it from a parent, these musical baby games—based on the classic tunes "Wheels on the Bus," "Old McDonald" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider"—are colorful, interactive, distracting and not annoying. OK, so the opera singer occasionally wears down your patience, but that's why there are a bunch of different downloadable music options, and even vocals done in different languages. The visuals are cartoony and funny, with aliens abducting cows, pigs painting masterpieces and spiders like tripping acid and building webs on rainbows or something. My kid asks for each of them by name. Buy them all, and keep a look out for more. $1-$2; Ages 12 months and up [iTunes Link]

Lego Star Wars: Of all the shameless marketing crossovers in history, this is perhaps the most enduring and ultimately legitimate. I say this with a note of jealousy, as a guy (like Jesus) who cherished his non-movie-themed gray castle and rocket moon base. Yes, buy some kid a Vader TIE Fighter, if only so you can have the chance to crack it open and "help" build it. Ranges widely; kit shown above $33; Ages 8 and up [Toys R Us]

Settlers of Catan: Sure, the game has become a meme, but damn it if it didn't earn that status as the most engrossing yet welcoming board game since Monopoly. And there's nothing sexual or violent, unless you count a few hundred sheep and a handful of soldiers. Sure there are video game versions of it, but the flesh-and-blood edition lets you watch the board get torn down and remade over and over, leveling the playing field again and again. But when the kids finally learn to beat your ass, you definitely should sneak online to polish up your settlement-to-city conversion skills. $34; Ages 10 and up [Toys R Us]

DON'T BUY Elmo Robots: In the past, we were on the fence, but having lived with too many Fisher-Price Sesame Street toys, I can say that they're just not great. They're hard cold plastic things, not at all plush and huggable, and they're noisy—both because of their programmed sounds and because of their mechanical wheezing. If you have to go with with something robotic and Elmo-themed (and I do understand that pull), go with Elmo Tickle Hands. They don't make this "least annoying" list, because you have to keep playing the 3-minute DVD over and over again for the full effect, but they're cheaper ($22 vs $54) and are more entertaining for the youngins.

DON'T BUY Zhu Zhu Hamsters: Look, these things are the Cabbage Patch Tickle Me Furby of the year. You couldn't find them at a sane price if you tried. But since some reviewers have labeled them as potentially "annoying for adults," you can just skip the hunt. And while we're at it, don't buy "Screature" either. Do I have to explain why?

A Book: We usually reserve one spot for a magical fantasy gift, but kids these days have everything you ever had and one hell of a lot more. I don't want to sound like Captain OG Readmore or anything, but I have fond memories of reading with my dad, and now my kid already begs to sit down and read with me. (She can't read yet, but why spoil it with the truth?) Buy a book—track down one of your childhood favorites—out-of-print or in a new edition—on Amazon or Alibris, and then show it off to the kid you're giving it to. I am not trying to be sentimental, I just wanted to make sure you knew this was an option, one that doesn't make kids' hands sticky or dirty, doesn't emit loud noises or unexpected exclamations, and doesn't hum or vibrate mysteriously when you're trying to watch TV late at night. Any price; All ages [Wherever Books Are Sold]

This list is far from comprehensive, so don't forget to hit comments and recommend the least annoying toys you can think of, too—include pics and pricing if possible.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favorite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We'll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for some time, so keep looking it over.