Gift rap

Whether giving or receiving this holiday season, check out Anthony Fordham’s presents with presence

GadgetGuy.com.au can be a hard read at Christmas time. All these fabulous products you’d love to give to your nearest and dearest, but can’t because cumulatively they’d cost more than your mortgage.

Is it time to accept that being an audio-visual enthusiast means you can’t afford to buy people gifts? Not at all. There are plenty of innovative products priced just right for the giving season. Sure, these aren’t exactly Secret Santa material, but if you’re looking for something for a husband, wife or favourite child, here are 13 ideas for each of the 12 days of Christmas – a baker’d dozen – any of which are more than worthy as the bulk of any serious stocking.

In fact Christmas is a time to remember that home entertainment is about more than just a giant LCD TV or high-spec AV receiver. It’s also about some of the greatest gadgets in the world. It’s about games that push the boundaries of what videogames are all about. It’s about new ways to buy and distribute music and movies. And it’s about taking your entertainment on the road with you, and escaping the lounge room.

Most importantly, this Christmas is about affordable, powerful technology that can completely change the way you think about home entertainment.