Said Heins, “There’s one new product I’m really excited about, but I can’t really share it.” He went on to state that the phone’s launch is planned in time for the year-end holidays, but that he cannot say with absolute certainty that it will roll out in time. What he does say, however, is that the device “takes Blackberry 10 to another level in terms of the user experience.”

A statement which, given the relatively near release date, might give pause to those who were planning on the grabbing the Z10, which went up for pre-order earlier this month and will be available from multiple carriers in just a few days. While the Z10 has been getting all the attention, Blackberry also unveiled the Q10, which features a physical QWERTY keyboard and will be available next month or the month after.

Speaking of a physical Blackberry keyboard, Google’s Eric Schmidt revealed this week that is he a Blackberry user, and his reason for using the non-Android handset is because he likes the keyboard. He should be happy to hear, then, that Blackberry’s CEO said the company will roll out three tiers of devices, each one offering both touchscreen and QWERTY options.

[via CNET]

Google Doodles are always a fun surprise during the holidays, or other celebratory events. The idea of Google Doodles existed even before Google went corporate. The first Google Doodle was unveiled in the year 2000 for Bastille Day by Dennis Hwang, an intern at Google. The doodle was so well received that Hwang was promoted to “Chief Doodler” (not kidding). Doodles has gone a long way since then, and there is now a whole team behind the division. The team has already created over 1000 doodles.

St. Patrick’s Day comes around every March 17th. It originated back in the early 17th century as an official Christian Feast Day. It celebrates St. Patrick and him bringing Christianity to Ireland. He’s said to have established around 300-350 churches in Ireland. However, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t strictly a religious holiday (as well all know), but also a celebration of the Irish culture.

People all around the world celebrate by wearing green and drinking as much as their wallets (or their alcohol tolerance) allow. Drinking starts in the early afternoon until late night, and there are usually parades and festivals happening all around the world. If you’re going to go out drinking today (on a Sunday no less), make sure to stay safe and never drive drunk. Spending $10-$20 on a taxi is much better than getting yourself a DUI.

According to Flurry’s data, about 4 million iOS and Android devices were activated per day between December 1 and December 20. That formed the baseline for activations in December, and it was one that the data for December 25 shattered. Activations on Christmas Day skyrocketed to 17.4 million, climbing 332% over the December 2012 baseline of 4 million and topping the previous single day record set on Christmas Day 2011, which was a mere 6.8 million activations.

Of course, with the surge in device activations also comes a surge in app downloads. The baseline for app downloads in December came in at 155 million per day, which was again determined by watching downloads over the period spanning December 1 to December 20. On Christmas day, app downloads jumped to 328 million, doubling the baseline and once again breaking records set by any previous day.

Interestingly, a surprising number of people received tablets on Christmas day. Flurry’s data shows that smartphones accounted for 80% of the activations between December 1 and 20, but on Christmas day, only 49% percent of the devices activated were smartphones. Be sure to take a few minutes to check out through Flurry’s full report, because it proves to be a very interesting read!

AppSales rounds up all of the price drops and discounts on Android apps in the Google Play store, and presents them in any to digest fashion that makes it easy to follow all of the holiday sales this year. The app seems to be really easy to navigate, and it actually looks and feels like an Android app, so users will have no problem getting accustomed to it.

However, one of the biggest features of the app is how it separates the good apps from the bad. It won’t show all the terrible apps that you’ve probably never heard of, and instead will show only the popular apps from reputable developers. This is a huge weight off of users’ shoulders, since there are literally hundreds of thousands of apps in the Google Play store.

The app also notifies you of price drops and allows you to like or comment on apps. Plus, it will even let you create your own custom filters for what kind of apps you’re interested in, and what kind of notifications you received based on that information. You can also look at detailed price history of an app to get an idea of when it usually goes on sale throughout the year.

AppSales is a free download and it’s available now in the Google Play store.

[via Android Community]

I mentioned earlier this week that the official NORAD online search destination for tracking Santa this year is Bing rather than Google, which has held the contract for the last few years. OnStar will be tracking Santa from 7 AM on December 24 until 5 AM on December 25. Anyone with an active OnStar subscription can press the blue OnStar button and request a “Santa Update” to find out Santa’s current location.

This year owners of vehicles made by manufacturers other than GM can also use the service if their car has one of the OnStar accessory mirrors that are available. There are many ways to keep track of Santa this Christmas eve. You can use OnStar, or you can go online for the official NORAD tracking with Bing. While Google is no longer the official NORAD tracking partner, it is also keeping track of Santa using Google Maps.

There is also an official NORAD Track Santa mobile app for various platforms. The only downside to tracking Santa with OnStar is children are likely to have parents running back and forth to the car constantly on Christmas Eve.

Users can download the plugin from the Google Chrome Extensions page. Once installed, a small button featuring a jolly ol’ Saint Nick will appear to the right of the URL field. When clicked, a nicely designed banner will fold down over your browser window and display a countdown ticker and festive artwork. The best part are the three buttons along the bottom that pull up interactive items on your desktop.

Clicking the center button causes a star, Christmas tree, and bus to overlay on your desktop. The bus slowly drives from the left of the screen to the right, and honks when clicked. The snowflake button causes Christmas music to start playing and snow to fall down over your desktop as the screen slowly frosts over. Lastly, there’s the blimp button, which is like the train button minus the Christmas tree.

Until Santa departs, kids can explore Santa’s village, which opens up in the browser and gives kids a variety of fun things to click on. When the timer reaches 0 and Santa takes off, viewers can then track his whereabouts with NORAD. The extension is only available for Google Chrome users, and can be removed by right-clicking after the holiday is over.

[via Google]

Next it only makes sense to thank our sponsors, without whom we’d still be able to write, but we’d have a lot less food at home to keep our stomaches full. We thank you for continuing to see the tech and gadget publishing world as the strong force it continues to be today. You remain one of the vital connections we make each day and we’re glad to help you reach your consumer base as well.

We’d like to thank the PR teams we get to work with on a consistent basis as well – you’re the unsung heroes that keep us connected with the gadgets and technology we love so well – while under the hood we’d like to thank the UK2Group for sponsoring our CDN for the past 2 years. Thanks too to the companies which have supported us with giveaways; we’re hoping to have more of those soon too.

The teams running both Pepcom and ShowStoppers continue to deserve props for bringing us a more personal experience to the tech event world during gigantic events like CES (coming up again in just 46 days from now) and during the year in-between larger conventions. And every company that has launched a new product this past year, and kept us curious about the consumer electronics world as a whole, today’s the day we toast you!

Of course I’d like to thank my teammates – bosses, new recruits, and everyone in-between – for continuing to create a unique environment in which my unique set of abilities – and your unique set of interests – can match up on the daily. Let us know what and who you’re thankful for as we load up on the only thing we love more than electronics – massive amounts of food!

First up, the 360-degree product view allows users to pull up a larger image of a toy and see it from all sides using grab-and-swivel. The product spins smoothly, and is in addition to a variety of pictures for the product, which give you a view of the top and bottom as well. Not all products have 360-degree swivel, however, so don’t get your hopes up about seeing crockpots in 360-degree goodness.

Next up are the shortlists, which give the shopping experience a social-networking kind of feel. Users can click a button next to a product that says “Add to Shortlists,” at which point the item will be placed in a consolidated area with the other products you’ve nabbed. You can then share the shortlist with your family or friends.

Alternatively, you can create a shortlist by heading over to the Google Shopping Shortlists page, where you’ll be presented with a red button titled “Create a Shortlist.” Click the button, enter a name for the list, then click “Add a Product” and enter a search term or URL. Once a product is added, you can then attach a note to it.

[via Google]

The Vector Holiday Edition was designed and built in the US, and it starts at a base price of $599, which will get you an AMD A6-5400K dual-core processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, AMD Radeon HD graphics, 1TB of hard drive storage, and the buyer’s choice of either Windows 7 or the new Windows 8. Plus, the purchase comes with a one-year warranty and lifetime phone support.

The VMultra Drive peripheral will be separate purchase, and it combines four different peripheral devices into one single hub. Features include an external DVD±RW drive, a USB 3.0 hub, a SD card slot, and a 500GB hard drive as a backup storage solution. The VMultra Drive will begin shipping November 12 for $199.

The Vector Holiday Edition is available now for configuring and ordering, and will ships as soon as possible. If you’re wanting to get that special someone a custom-built machine, but don’t want to risk building it yourself, the Vector Holiday Edition may be a good choice come this holiday season.

This particular box is perfect for people who like gaming and video game accessories. The box shows a gigantic controller on the outside called the GameMaxx Hydrating Game Controller. The box notes that the product was voted the “Largest Gaming Device” by the National Gaming Convention in 2011.

The prank package promises a gigantic controller featuring a five amp adjustable speed fan with mister, a 24-inch flexible drinking tube, and a neck strap. The device promises to hold about a gallon of whatever drink the person wants to put inside. The image shows a surface festooned with buttons and sliders for controlling your favorite video game.

If you’re the sort of gift giver who likes to mess with people, this box might be just the ticket. The downside is that it costs eight dollars just for the box. There a lot of people out there who won’t mind the eight dollar price for a box in the least. I can just see this PrankPackage being used to give someone socks.

What we’ve got for you to celebrate with is nothing less than the everyday barrage of good tidings from the gadget world, everything being good as we continue our journey past the singular person and into the cloud-connected singularity of our one society. In that each person reading the post you’re in now is almost certainly reading it from a different device entirely from the next person reading it, you can bet we’re in the everyone connected future already. Because of this, we hope that the supernatural nature of the Dragon will guide us on a positive path through the year so that what we’ve got doesn’t turn into what we wish we’d never produced.

So happy new year, all of you around the world, but especially those of you deep in the world of Feng Shui and the predicting of the future inside this year of what we hope will be positive moves on the parts of citizens and leaders alike. As a treat, we look to the International Business Times quoted Celebrity astrologer Peter So who, when asked in this new year what the USA presidential campaign would hold said,

“Sometimes luck depends on the country itself, rather than an individual president. For the U.S., they are starting to have luck on their side again, so it is going to be a good year no matter who’s elected.” – So

Good tidings!

And you boyfriends and girlfriends out there – don’t you DARE ignore the fact that your significant other just spit in your face because you didn’t pick them up the gift they say they very obviously deserved, having gotten them the wrong color iPod instead. Take it back and return it, or take it back and toss it down a flight of stairs. You’ve only got one choice for the start of this response. It’s almost too unbelievable that these people exist, but there they are, all of them retweeted by Jon Hendren [@fart] and made into a song by Jonathan Mann here — NSFW by the way:

Are you effing kidding me? Christmas should be over for everyone who made those messages public, plain and simple. There’s no reason, first of all, to let any thought like the ones these maniacs are thinking get beyond their minds, much less to their friends ears, much less still that they send them along the Tweetwaves to the whole world. Impoverished children in Africa: please do not watch this video, you’ll just want to end it all on the spot.

Everyone who made these Tweets: shame on you. Shame on you forever.

UZU

An app that’s been the #1 app in the App Store and was voted 2010′s Best Generative Art and Sound App, this magic creation machine never gets old. Touch your screen and let the magic flow, lines of color spinning and exploding in front of your eyes, all controlled by your fingertips. There are several versions of this app, free and pay, the one we’re most interested in is the plain ol’ Uzu. [Uzu on iTunes App Store] $1.99 USD

AC/DC Pinball

There are several pinball games available for the iPad made by the same group: Gameprom. This AC/DC pinball machine is hosted by a the same group that shows off SLAYER Pinball, an equally epic game, then the rest are hosted by Gameprom (shown in the iTunes App Store here). The AC/DC table is a great example of one that’ll instantly appeal to vast hoards of users because not only does it feature some excellent classic rock tunes, it’s one dern good pinball table as well. Gameprom is the current king of pinball in the mobile environment, no contest. [AC/DC Pinball on iTunes App Store] $2.99 USD

BONUS: Hands-on from launch day:

Soundrop

This absolutely impossibly simple application is so good, the developer was tapped to work with Bjork on her newest album because she wanted an app of her own. There’s nothing better for creating gravity-based beat music based on the dropping of digital balls and watching them bounce as they hit tune bars you place. Colors and sound assigning galore for one heck of a fun time for anyone and everyone. [Soundrop on iTunes App Store] FREE

Photo Transfer App

You can either go through the relatively laborious process of uploading all your photos taken with your iPad 2 to your computer with your cords and your apps and your waiting, you can connect both your iPad 2 and your computer to the same Wi-fi network and let it all work its magic with the amazingly simple titled “Photo Transfer App.” It has literally never failed to work for me and I use it all the time. [Photo Transfer App on iTunes App Store] $2.99 USD

Multiponk

In this game you’ve got a multi-player interface and high definition graphics combined with simple gameplay and a host of challenging computer opponents. Basically it’s PONG but with a slightly more 3D interface and it’s on the iPad. Because the iPad, like most tablets these days, has multi-point touch compatibility, you’ll be able to play with up to three friends in a four-way tournament, best bumper wins! [Multiponk on iTunes App Store] $4.99 USD

Asphalt 6 : Adrenaline HD

This is the greatest racing game to be released for the mobile platform thus far, no contest whatsoever. The only thing that comes close is Asphalt 5, and that’s not got nearly the fun we’re experiencing here. Race your favorite high-class car copied straight up from the real world, except for extraordinary details such as Adrenaline afterburners, and decide for yourself who will be your worthy opponent and who will be run off the road by your mighty hand. Crashing into your opponents encouraged! [Asphalt 6 : Adrenaline HD on iTunes App Store] $0.99 USD

SampleTank

When it’s time to get going with music making on the iPad, there’s nothing more diverse than SampleTank. And now that you’re fully functional on the iPad at full HD resolution, taps become hits on instruments of so many kinds your head will spin. Pull out the pads if you like patterns, key the keyboard if you’re an ivory superstar. Combine this with a variety of SampleTank associated hardware for a full concert-quality performance. [SampleTank on iTunes App Store] $19.99 USD

Google Currents

For reading blogs, there’s really nothing better than a brand new project created by Google and a host of partners that included SlashGear! Check in the Tech section for SlashGear sitting front and center, and be sure to search for Android Community while you’re at it – unless you’re a straight up Apple addict, of course, that’s your prerogative! [Google Currents on iTunes App Store] FREE

Shadowgun

There’s a third-person shooter adventure game on the mobile platform by the name of Shadowgun, and it’s the current benchmark in gameplay, controls, and graphics, to which all other similar games are compared. At the moment there’s no greater shooter game in the mobile world than Shadowgun, and it’s one whole heck of a lot of fun. Beware the zombie mutants around all corners. [Shadowgun on iTunes App Store] $2.99 USD

SlashGear

We’ve got our own app for the iPad and iPad 2 and yes, it does look and work pretty cool. You can get all your required reading in from an easy to navigate interface as well as check in on any new reviews we’ve done with futuristic projects from the gadgetsphere! Best of all, this whole situation is free of charge, of course! [SlashGear on iTunes App Store] FREE

Minecraft

A cult-classic game which only recently came to the mobile world, here on Android tablets and smartphones alike looking fantastic and bringing a whole new level of fun to the game. All you do in Minecraft is explore a pixelated world of blocks that you can either add to with your own or destroy by holding down on your display. Digging tunnels is the best! Beware though: you might never come back out of your bedroom, as this game is pretty dern addicting. There’s a demo version you can get for free to try out as well as a premium edition if you can’t get enough. [Minecraft - Pocket Edition / Pocket Edition DEMO on Android Market] $6.99 USD / FREE

Riptide GP

It’s the premiere water-style racing game on the mobile platform, you blasting through the tracks with your jetski of ultimate supremacy. Turn your tablet or smartphone back and forth like a steering wheel and do fabulous tricks in the air after you hit a jump, thus is the extent of awesomeness in Riptide GP. This is the game I personally use to show off graphics for new hardware, the water effects showing the goodness (or lack thereof) of new machines without mercy. [Riptide GP on Android Market] $2.99 USD

Google Currents

Google’s newest app effort is a news reader that allows you a perfectly readable and aesthetically lovely way to go through your favorite blogs. Check out SlashGear as a featured partner of Google Currents here in the Tech section and tap away! [Google Currents on Android Market] FREE

Shadowgun

If there’s one third-party shooter for the Android platform that’s worth playing, this is it. The folks who made Shadowgun knew exactly how to design an interface compatible with your two thumbs, simple enough to be worked with your fingers but able to have you picking up new guns and blasting grubby monsters in the head with the greatest of ease. Again beware though, this game is just challenging enough to keep you playing from start to finish: graphics, gameplay, and storyline included. There are two versions: both look fantastic, but the THD version is made to blow your mind just a BIT more if you’ve got an NVIDIA Tegra processor. Read the Pinball HD text for more information on that. [Shadowgun and Shadowgun THD on Android Market] $4.99 USD

Pinball HD

This is an app you’ll only now be able to get if you’ve got a tablet or smartphone with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor inside. The list of tablets that have a Tegra processor reads like this: Acer Iconia Tab A500, A501, A100, ASUS Eee Pad Transformer (and Transformer Prime), Dell Streak 7, Lenovo IdeaPad K1, Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, Motorola XOOM, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Sony Tablet P, Sony Tablet S, T-Mobile G-Slate (LG), and the Toshiba Thrive. For smartphones, that’s Motorola Photon 4G, Motorola Electrify, Motorola Droid X2, T-Mobile G2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Samsung Captivate Glide. If you’re not sure one of these matches up with your tablet or smartphone, just take a quick look in the Android Market for this app with your device – if you can’t see it, you can’t play it! Good luck! For those of you WITH a Tegra 2 processor, Pinball HD is quite simply the best pinball game for the mobile platform, no holds barred: high definition pinball for the win. [Pinball HD for Tegra on the Android Market] $2.99 USD

Asphalt 6 : Adrenaline HD

Though not yet available on every single Android device, likely any new top-tier tablet or smartphone you get will be able to run this best-in-class racing game. Check your compatibility by attempting to locate Asphalt 6 : Adrenaline HD in the Android Market on your device – if it’s there, it’ll work! You’ll be rolling out in a vast collection of massively impressive high-powered vehicles from the real world that you’ll be able and encouraged to smash into your opponents, full adrenaline included! [Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD on Android Market] $6.99 USD

Android Community

Just as any fabulous Android device should, you’ve got an unending source of news, tips, and hands-on demonstrations from none other than our very own sister site Android Community. This site has its own application for Android devices and allows you portals to both the main news feed and the forums where you can ask questions, get answers, and chat the night away! [Android Community on Android Market] FREE

SlashGear

Your favorite source for news and reviews of everything tech and gadget related is also represented on your Android tablet or smartphone! You can download the app which brings you the SlashGear content of your dreams in ultra-quick mobile form. Just like the Android Community app, this one’s FREE as well! [SlashGear on Android Market] FREE

Swiftkey

There are a few different iterations of Swiftkey out there in the wild right now, all of them made officially by the developers at TouchType. What Swiftkey represents is the most advanced 3rd party on-screen keyboard solution you can get. This means that if you don’t like the keyboard you’re working with right now on your tablet or smartphone, Swiftkey is your best bet. [Swiftkey family on Android Market] $4.99 USD, $2.99 USD, FREE

AirDroid

Beyond simple to activate and utilize, AirDroid is the newest and best way for you to access your Android device from your desktop or laptop computer. Connect both to the same Wi-fi signal and pop your Android device open with a web browser. It’s as simple as that. And surprisingly, the whole thing is free! [AirDroid on Android Market] FREE

The Android Market also has a special [Features Android Apps for Tablets] section if you want to dip into their suggestions too – grab em all!

That said, the questions keep on coming: did you get anything neat you’d like to share for Christmas? Did you spend this national holiday outside of the home, or did you spend it tinkering with your Android device to make that perfect kernel for the New Year? Will you be celebrating the new year with an iPhone in hand, or at the keys of a brand new Windows machine? What will you make of this next week?

And what do you look most forward to for the upcoming year in technology and gadgets? This year certainly seemed to be short when it came to reporting the news, did you get everything you expected from the manufacturers that create the toys we work with on the daily? Or is it all about what you’ve got already? What was your favorite device of the year?

We’ll have our own answers to all of these questions in the coming week – meanwhile feel free to answer them one-by-one right here in this post!

You’ll find Android figurines galore, the Galaxy Nexus showing off Santa making a call, the original Motorola XOOM making the rounds in the offices of our friendly Android developers. Inside the Santa’s Loot frame you’ll find no less than the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 sitting behind glass, the special edition Snowman Android figurine holding on tight, and a subsequent scene with two fellows in blue and white pod seats have them using Lenovo ThinkPad notebooks. Strange choice there fellas!

Those same two dudes are also using Android Beam, mind you, and the final scene has Santa using the panorama ability of the Galaxy Nexus (on stock Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) to capture a lovely scene of the whole Android family. Half of them aren’t wearing coats because, believe it or not, it’s not really that cold in California right now! Happy holidays from the Android Community — and don’t miss our full review of the Galaxy Nexus coming up later today, straight outta Verizon!

Why not stock up on your cement-laden Atari controllers for the low low price of only $65 USD apiece? Truly this is the dream you’ve been dreaming of ever since your auntie Agnes told you that your glass case full of calculators was terrible to behold. Also included in this series is an Opympus 35mm still camera, a Technics turntable for all your stone records, and a 16mm movie camera without a brand — can you identify it?

Each of these will cost you a pretty penny to ship, but what price can you put on a cementified version of your favorite gadget? For a great trick, pick one of these up and switch it out with your best buddies still-functional version. You’ll have a great laugh and a memory both of you can enjoy until your gadgets really do turn into stone in the distant future. That’s what happens to plastic and metal when it gets old, right? It turns to cement, correct?

[via Unplggd]

Best Buy‘s sale has a big selection of laptops under $500. The cheapest laptop on Best Buy’s Cyber Monday special is the Toshiba C655D-S5302 AMD E-Series based Laptop at $279.99. Best Buy also has deals on Apple 13″ MacBook Pro which is discounted by $150 at $1,049.99, and the 15″ is priced at $1599.99.

Those who are wanting Amazon’s Kindle, now is the best time to head over to Amazon‘s page. They have the Kindle DX 9.7″ 3G marked down from $379 to $259!

Dell has a section of their Inspiron notebooks discounted by at least $50; with Inspiron 14R starting at $399.99. Monitors, and accessories like cameras and TVs also marked down for a limited time. Dell has a Wii bundle with new Super Mario Bros for only $134.99.

Verizon Wireless has the Motorola Xoom 4G LTE tablet marked down to $299.99 only online. Also marked down is the LG Revolution at $99.99, and the Motorola Droid Pro and Samsung Illusion are both free with two year contract.

If you found great deals around the web for Cyber Monday, feel free to share on the comment below.

1. The world as our office.

As the internet can now be accessed by anyone essentially anywhere on our cool connected planet these days, so too can we write up the news on technology, gadgets, and everything in between from any ol’ place we deem perfect for the job at the time. Have a peek at this video from earlier this month where I’m taking a look at Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on a Galaxy S II, but pay close attention to the sounds you hear in the background. I’m in the comfort of my own home in the company of my lovely daughter who is giggling with glee seeing her papa filming a video for all of you readers out there:

2. Unlimited mobile data.

Because most of us switch through devices so often as the review units come and go, we’re connected 100% of the time as we wish. This is fun as there’s no reason to worry about streaming music from our newly loaded Google Music libraries, and allows us, again, to remain connected no matter how often we’ve been using our smartphones during the month. Even in the airport, even in the middle of the night in a taxi, on the way to and from events, always.

3. Unlimited media collection.

With all of these devices comes the ability to collect everything in our lives for later viewing and listening – most often this coming in the form of something so simple as a smartphone camera. I remember back less than 10 years ago how awesome it was to be able to have a point and shoot camera in my pocket and snap photos and videos 24 hours a day. Now it’s even easier as this is combined with the ability to share the media we’ve collected to social media networks like Facebook and Google+, the latter having just been released inside the last year as well. The following example is from Vince’s recent review of the Galaxy Nexus from Samsung.

4. Processing power.

Each year the chips get smaller and the power gets better, and the ability to use that power more effectively gets better as well. Take a look at your humble narrator’s best attempt at making one of the newest processors’ abilities and functions understandable by the common user: NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 Variable SMP, the brain of quad-core mobile computing, and NVIDIA expands on project Kal-El (Tegra 3) and adds a fifth core, and of course NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-core Mobile Processor Revealed and Detailed. Get to know what’s about to be inside your everyday awesome mobile devices.

5. Massive variety.

I’m thankful for the year that’s about to unfold as we’re about to get a whole lot more diverse in the products we review. We’ve been relatively heavy on the mobile end over the past year or so, but have a look today in our review portal, for example, at the spread we’re starting to reveal and prepare yourself to be drown in gadget goodness!

What in the world are you thankful for?

Laptop

Affordable: Lenovo ThinkPad X120e The smallest of several laptops introduced back at CES 2011, this one with a 11-inch 1366 x 768 pixel display with anti-glare and starting in at under three pounds. This laptop integrates an AMD Fusion E-Series APU, comes with a single HDMI port that allows you to connect to a much larger monitor or HDTV screen. You’ll be blasting visuals out with AMD Radeon HD 6310 Graphics chip and your battery should be good for at least 6 hours of uptime without plugging in. [Buy one here!] Starting at $399.00

Mid-Range: Toshiba Satellite P745-S4250 This lovely 14-inch HD widescreen laptop has a fat Intel Core i5-2410M processor, a giant 750GB hard drive, and can work for around, just like the Lenovo, 6 hours of uptime. Harmon/Kardon speakers are built-in with Dolby and Wave audio enhancements, and once again yes, there is a full-sized HDMI port. The only thing this device is missing is Bluetooth support, but there are some oddly enticing features like the ability to plug in your MP3 player to the speakers in the laptop and play music without turning the laptop on.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $799.99

Premium: MacBook Air 13-inch While the first two notebook computers on our list run Windows, this device stands on its own running Mac OS X 10.7, also known as Lion. This notebook packs a 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, starts with 4GB of memory, and has 128GB of flash storage. For your 13-inch HD display, you’ll be working with Intel HD Graphics 3000. This device gets 6 hours of work time – just like the rest of the laptops on our list, and it’s got the brand new Thunderbolt port with which you’ll be able to use to transfer data and play video – if you’ve got the right cords and equipment. Also the whole device looks gorgeous.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $1,299.00

Smartphone

Affordable: iPhone Upon the release of the iPhone 4S, a new price model hit the many versions of the iPhone that are out today. While the iPhone 4S may still be at a mid or premium price starting at $199, the iPhone 4 can be had for as little as $99 and the iPhone 3GS can be picked up for free. They’re all attached to a 2-year contract on their respective carriers – but so are the rest of the smartphones in the US unless you want to dish out one whole heck of a lot of dollars. They’ve all got the most updated Apple mobile OS as well, iOS 5.
[Buy one here!] Starting at FREE

Mid-Range: T-Mobile G2X This device is one of the rare few found worthy of carrying the first dual-core mobile processor in the world, the NVIDIA Tegra 2. In fact, the international edition of this device (known as the Optimus 2X) actually was the first smartphone on earth to carry a dual-core processor. And LG made the experience awesome, adding little to no changes to the stock version of Android on it and currently running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. PLUS with stock Android (aka vanilla) you’ll have what’s very likely a quicker update to Ice Cream Sandwich than with other custom-UI smartphones. This device has a 4-inch WVGA TFT LCD display and a lovely piece of curved-edge-having Gorilla Glass across the front. There’s a fat 8-megapixel camera on the back, and no frills. For frills, check out the original ATRIX 4G – same dual-core processor with so many accessory options your head will explode, and now that there’s an ATRIX 2 in the mix, you’ll be getting the ATRIX 4G for cheap!
[Buy one here!] Starting at $99

Premium: Samsung Galaxy S II (AT&T) Sticking with the set of three, you might expect a device to be sitting here with a price at more than $150 – truth be told, you don’t have to pay that much to get a true quality device these days, with so many smartphones popping up by the week, you’ve only to find the one with the specs you like best and wait for the price you like. As it is, this device is brand new and is still priced amazingly affordably. Though this device is available on several carriers in the USA in slightly different configurations, we’ve got to go with the one that’s closest to the original international Galaxy S II, and the one that’s up for sale right this moment on Amazon.com for, again, less than $150 USD. This is the current hero device for Samsung (if you don’t count the yet-unreleased Galaxy Nexus) and with its lovely 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos processor, Super AMOLED Plus display, and Samsung TouchWiz interface in its most up-to-date state, this device (in either its original international state or this AT&T state) is literally one of the every-day devices for several on the SlashGear team.
[Buy one here!] for $144.99 at Amazon.com

Tablet

Affordable: Kindle Fire Amazon’s next generation tablet has the rest of their Kindle-branded line of mobile computers feeling a bit left out, as its ability to check email, browse the web with a brand new cloud-based functionality Silk Browser that’s set to make the whole experience faster, play games and yes, read books and magazines, sets it in a whole new class of appeal. The $200 price point and the full access to the entirety of Amazon’s vast library of media will likely be a double-whammy for this winter’s holiday season. This tablet has a 7-inch display and is made for entertainment purposes primarily – want to get work done? Look elsewhere.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $199

Premium: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 You might notice that there is no mid-range category for tablets in our guide here – that’s simply because the market hasn’t been fleshed out to a level where there’s a tablet that’s both sitting in the middle with price and still has the ability to wow us with quality. Instead the only safe bet if you really want a tablet at this point is to go big or go home. Thusly here is the $500 Android tablet in all its glory: the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Without a doubt a doubt one of the thinnest tablets on the market (including the iPad 2, mind you,) this device did wow us when it was first released earlier this year and continues to wow us as several other tablet competitors have come to challenge it. The only thing we’ve not especially enjoyed was the first version of Samsung’s special user interface, TouchWiz UX, but only in its infancy. What you get from the store today, complete with the awesome NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core chip under the hood, is the current hero tablet from Samsung. Watch out for the upcoming Galaxy Tab 7.7 for another big bang in the coming weeks.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $499

Premium: iPad 2 While it’s not the least expensive choice in the bunch, there’s no arguing that there’s more than one reason why the iPad name has become synonymous with the idea of a tablet computer. Apple did it right the first time with the iPad, and they certainly did it right the second time with the iPad 2. It’s thin, it’s light, it’s made of metal and glass, and it’s the only tablet on the market running Apple’s iOS 5, just like the iPhone. Pick up an HDMI converter cord from the Apple store while you’re at it to use this device as a perfectly capable Netflix machine for your HDTV – plus get an iFrogz iPad 2 Summit Case while you’re at it for good measure. OH and don’t forget your Griffin DJ Cable for iPad-based music parties.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $499

Camera

Affordable: ContourROAM hands-free camera This is certainly a non-traditional piece of equipment, and the video below should show you so. This device is a rugged hands-free camera that can essentially mount to anything and take videos that no other camera can (for the most part.) A splash of water here, a rock tossed at it there, and what do you know, you’ve still got HD video in the end. Try out the Looxcie ear-mounted Bluetooth Video Camera for another even tinier use-everywhere method of recording your world.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $199

Mid-Range: Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF2 This fire-red (or black, or silver) piece of high-quality camera has a 12.1-megapixel 17.3 x 13 mm sensor and decreases the weight and bulk of its predecessors. Not only is this device packed with an integrated flash and a fabulous little pancake lens that makes this device ready to pop in your coat pocket at a moment’s notice, it’s been SlashGear’s camera of choice for a large portion of 2011. A fair portion of the reviews and event photos and videos you see here on SlashGear have been captured by a Panasonic GF model camera, either the GF1 or the GF2, both of which can be seen in the image below. Choose your destiny.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $499

Premium: Samsung NX200 DSLR Since the onset of the mobile age and the dawn of the perfectly legit cameras sitting on smartphones, there’s been a fairly radical divide between inexpensive cameras and their high-cost DSLR counterparts. The way a camera gets eyes the quickest is to offer fantastic qualities such as the Samsung NX200′s 20.3 megapixel rating and high-speed 7fps image capture. Not to mention full HD video recording and the most gigantic pile of interchangeable lenses in the history of piles or interchangeable lenses.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $899.99

Home Entertainment

Affordable: Zumba Fitness dance exercise video game is not the only product on the list here that will get you moving, but it’s certainly the most obviously healthy choice for you couch potatoes out there. Have a look at the video below and find out for yourself how you’ll be grabbing some hip-swinging action this season. Next check out the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac for a unique way to access your computer without the pain of using batteries or needing actual natural light for the solar energizing of your wireless keyboard. Finally have a peek at the Samsung T27A950 Monitor / TV to find the simplest way to project your computer’s contents to a bigger screen. All winning options!

Mid-Range: Orbitsound T12v3 soundbar This long piece of equipment is a speaker system, believe it or not, and one that is meant to take the place of your everyday average multi-speaker systems while it delivers just as high quality sound as any of those jokers can. There’s an iDevice dock on top that can handle any of the handsets, and the entire bulk is meant to sit under your television to act as a single spot from which all stereo sound comes in your entertainment room. As Chris Davies explains in his review of the device, “What Orbitsound has managed to do is extend that sweet-spot so that it basically fills the room. No matter whether we stood in the center, off to one side or anywhere else, the experience was pretty much the same. For a room full of people watching the same movie or TV show, that means equal sound for all; we also found that we could listen at a lower volume and still pick out the detail.” Sounds great!
[Buy one here!] Starting at $428.98

Premium: Samsung UN55D8000 55-Inch 1080p 240Hz 3D LED Smart TV The current king of our home entertainment dreams is this gigantic ultra-thin Smart TV running Samsung’s newest television-based software that’ll make all your internet streaming content come to life through any amount of third-party media input. And it’s 3D capable, too. You’d better believe this beast is delivering 1080p video on one of the most impressive panels on the market today, and with full support from Samsung, who are calling this their hero device for Smart TV architecture, if you can afford it, it’s a winner.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $3,499.99

Gaming

Affordable: Nindendo 3DS is the gaming company’s pocket-sized next-generation Gameboy, essentially, complete with internet access, 3D photography, and an online game library that includes quite a few games that are completely free. This device has been the subject of some controversy since it was first released, and has even been called to die by none other than Don Reisinger, but the fact remains: it’s been a hero device for Nintendo for many moons now, and it’s not going away any time soon. Firmware updates before the end of the year will add Netflix, Hulu Plus and 3D camcorder support.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $169.99

Mid-Range: iPod touch While the newest generation device has a fun little camera and a white option, this fun device remains basically the same app machine it was back when the iPod touch 3rd generation was released. Now with a mere $199 pricetag on access to the largest apps, games, and multimedia libraries in the world on tap, it’s nearly a no-brainer for those looking to have a bit of mobile fun without the whole “smartphone” set of features attached. It’s Early 90′s Gaming all over again with iOS gaming and the iPod touch is your least expensive ticket in.
[Buy one here!] Starting at $199

Premium: Xbox 360 Even after asking ourselves What Console could you not live without? and finding that we might just have to keep all of them, it’s the Xbox 360 that seems most appealing given the brand new Xbox 360 TV expanded experience offering us a whole new level of interactivity with our online set of video streams. Xbox 360 also offers the Kinect, a fully interactive sensor that sees your body and has you working it to get those points. What better living room experience is there right at this moment? None, we say!
[Buy one here!] $299.99 with Kinect included

(photo credit: Daniel Lim)

My daughter’s too young to buy me a present so mom stepped in to help out. Unfortunately for her, I’m possibly the hardest guy to buy present for simply because I have nearly every single electronic devices made. There’s this one picture of Allie and I that I love, and luckily my wife Lynnsie knew and had a copy. She also knew I have a passion for phones and my current phone happens to be a Galaxy S II. In her research she discovered Geleskins offers customized skins for all sorts of handsets.

So it begins, she decided this would be the best present ever – and indeed she was right. No other present could have touched the way this one did. Looking at what was once nothing more than a sheet of plastic is now etched with a picture of me, and the one person I love more than life itself, my daughter. I inadvertently gave Lynnsie a minor heart attack earlier this week, when I dropped the Galaxy S II and managed to crack the Gorilla Glass display; luckily the replacement arrived in time for my Father’s Day surprise!

When I asked if the ordering process was easy, Lynnsie told me “yep, it sure was. All I had to do was upload a picture and let Gelaskins know which phone you have.” Now normally, other than a clear Wrapsol skin or a customized StealthArmor, I would never use anything on any of my phones. This was different. I couldn’t apply it on fast enough! Installation was easy and painless. Once on, my Galaxy S II is radically changed and now personalized. I love it!

All in all, it’s not how much you spend on a present that counts (in this case, Lynnsie spent $15 for the Gelaskins and $15 for rush order), but the meaning behind the gift. To me, this present was the best ever.

Of course, as TSA would like to assure you, “like checked baggage, every package tendered at the airline counter is screened for explosives.” That’s true. It’s not quite as scary as it might seem, but it’s still wild. JetBlue says they’re cooperating with the investigation of course and that “the involved crew member is no longer employed at JetBlue.”

The SeattlePI broke this story, and they put it like this:

An undercover TSA agent told a JetBlue ticket agent that he needed to get a package to Boston that day and would pay the agent $100.00 for helping. The agent took the $100, put it in his pocket and proceeded to follow the unknown person’s instructions. The ticket agent chose a passenger’s name at random, which just happened to be an unaccompanied minor, and the package went through the screening process with no problems. Although the package was harmless, the TSA pulled the package just before being loaded onto the aircraft.

Oh TSA, you are forever touching our hearts and our private parts in a way I cannot fully describe. Surely this is an isolated incident, so no worries.

[Via The Consumerist]

If you want to be able to leave your Christmas lights up all year without making your neighbors hate you, the LiteLocker is what you need. The LiteLocker is a system that hangs under your eaves or gutters and when open the lights show and look like you hung them just for the holiday.

The thing closes and hides the lights from view. It’s a neat idea so you only have to hang lights one time. I generally just rip mine down, breaking most of the bulbs in the process and buy new strands the next year.

This bag o’ apps includes Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Vienna and Warsaw, and on December 23rd also the home of the guides: Amsterdam – this day is also the last of the free offer. Usually these each would cost $5.99 in the app store, so grab them all now, instantly!

[Via One More Thing]

In the scene you’ll find Jonathan Ive, Tim Cook, and Phil Schiller as three shepards, pundits David Pogue, Walt Mossberg, and John Gruber as the three wise men, and of course Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on a segway as Mary and Joseph. With a little baby Jesus – I mean iPad in the center! Behind all of this you’ll find the manger had been transformed into an Apple store, the Genius Bar right in the center under the guiding starlight of the Apple logo. Merry Apple!

[Via Tuaw]

The Boba Fett ornament is part of a collection of 20 geeky holiday decorations. I also really like the Star Trek centerpiece that shows Spock unboxing some Tribbles and Kirk getting a new yellow shirt. The Darth Vader nutcracker is also really funny and reminds me of Space Balls.

I could also get onboard with the Star Trek Stockings; though I suspect that red stocking will burst into flames at any moment since red shirts always die. If these decorations don’t tell Santa you are a geek, nothing will.

Via Neatorama

The site’s set up so you can either be a buyer (free) or a seller (15% fee) and work your skills to make a bit of cash. More than likely the people who run the site will be less than willing to host your “escort” services, but it appears that basically anything else is up for grabs. Want a San Francisco Architecture tour for $20? Yes! Want to learn how to twist balloon animals for $120? Maybe not. Take a peek if you live in Southern California (presumably open to more areas soon), or set up a request for experiences you’d like to see for sale in the future.

[Via Skyara]

Gorillaz co-founder Jamie Hewlett (artist and designer behind all the characters) said to Perth Now: “At the moment, we’ve got an Advent calendar on our website, and there is a daily door that opens to reveal a gift, … On Christmas Eve, a video for one of the new songs from the iPad album will be released. Then, on Christmas Day, fans get the whole album downloaded to their computer for free as a gift.”

Damon Albarn added: “If I left it until the New Year to release it, then the cynics out there would say, ‘Oh well, it’s been tampered with.’ But if I put it out now, they’d know that I haven’t done anything because I’ve been on tour ever since.”

Hooray! Can’t wait can’t wait!

[Via 9to5Mac]

The greeting isn’t interactive, but after your little ones hear the message, they can leave Santa a message and tell him what they would like for Christmas. That is much better from a parent’s perspective than waiting in line for an hour at the mall to have your kid sit on some old man’s lap.

After the message is left, a recorded message will be sent to the account holders email so they will know that the little ones want for Christmas. If your kids are anything like mine, they have been telling you what they want for Christmas since September. The attachment can be downloaded and sent to other family members. The same number will let the kids track Santa on Christmas Eve.

This new version of Angry Birds has not only a total of 25 new levels for your snowbound enjoyment, but the entirety of the Halloween expansion as well. After those, you’ve also got a (handy?) link to the Angry Birds official online store, a link to getting yourself signed up for Angry Birds newsletters, and a link to the “Original Angry Birds” in the app store.

The “Trick or Treat” levels are exactly what you’d expect if you’ve played the Halloween expansion before (because they haven’t changed), but the “Season’s Greedings” levels are unique. Unique in that not only do they have a few new blocks for your to be breaking in the levels like snow and presents, but each level is only accessible on the corresponding day of the month. Two days are available now, 23 to go. You know what that counts down to? Christmas. What are you waiting for? Go get pumped up and download instantly!

If you wish, please feel free to create this masterpiece in honor of our recently departed friend Irvin Kershner, director of the only original Star Wars movie without a Death Star, The Empire Strikes Back. Check out the list of legos you’ll need here, then check out the full instructions over at Chris’ blog Mint in Box. Furthermore, you can purchase other ornaments created by Chris over at Creations for Charity if you do so wish.

[Via Brothers Brick]

On the other hand, it was Android users who say they’d spent the least amount of money on their phones, while BlackBerry owners were in the middle and iPhone users said they were the biggest spenders.

Then it’s iPhone users blasting away the competition in all four categories when asked whether they had done the following: felt Fashion Aware, Bought Cases to Decorate their Phone, felt their Case is a Form of Self-Expression, and Would Spend More than $50 on a Case.

Finally, when asked what accessories they’d buy for their phones this holiday season, headphones seemed to always be on top or certainly a competitor, cases and camera accessories trailing slightly behind or equal for iPhone and Android people, and BlackBerry Owners can’t seem to make up their mind, but more than likely won’t be accessorizing their cameras at all.

NOTE: As always, take these stats with a cup of sugar, as it is just simple percentages and no study is 100% accurate. ALSO: Let’s cross our fingers for enough of a pool of people using Palm devices to add them as a category next year.

[Via Retrovo]

Looks like it’ll be an evening event, three hours long, and right up over there in Mountain View California. Look at that nice chandelier! I bet it’ll be just such a nice night of warmth and hugs and super secrets. Keep your eyes peeled for more info (if we’re allowed to speak!) Maybe they’ll have some Gingerbread cookies, if you know what I mean.

If you still have family hanging around the house, as I do, you may need a coping mechanism ready at all times. I prefer video games and foul language, but if your idea of coping leans more towards alcohol, this is the perfect DIY project for you. A geek has taken a tin sort of like an Altoids can and used it to create a martini kit.

With this kit in your pocket, you are ready to drink any time your mother in law starts to get on your nerves. In my case, I’d be passed out in short order and lack the pocket space to carry enough of these things to drown out her gum flapping. Help me please. Construction video below if you need a Black Friday project.

Microsoft has unveiled a new and very cool holiday lights theme that you can download and install on your PC to make your computer festive. The theme has three wallpapers that all look cool; my favorite is the Christmas tree in the middle of the snowy forest. It looks really cold.

The official blog post announcing the new theme also mentions that next week Halo fans will get a glimpse into the process behind creating the cool game with a new Windows 7 theme with Halo Reach concept art. I bet Halo fans just jizzed in their pants right now.

The badge you’ll be getting is indeed called Baggage Handler and the message you’ll receive goes something like this:

Looks like you’ve had your baggage handled. Happy Holidays and have a safe flight!

Foursquare reminds you to stay funny and have a Happy Thanksgiving, plus makes sure you’re still in the system while you’re doing it. Love it!

[Via Foursquare]

The kit can be ordered directly from Lego.com via the digital Designer section. You will need the Lego Digital Designer 4.0 software and then you can get the design files from the source. The design has some options for a traditional sleigh or a rocket power sleigh.

You can get your Santa minifig at Toys “R” Us. Apparently, they are giving the Santa figures away with Lego purchases right now. This is pretty cool and perfect for your geeky Christmas tree. The kit will cost you about $35.

This lovely piece of cloth is about to be put on sale (right in time for you know what) for the ultra cheap price of $15. And guess what? Not only does this cloth block your hands with it’s loud lettering, it blocks phone signals to and from your device as it’s made of a smart material that does such a thing. Wacky! Wonderful! Go buy it starting November 25th at Uncommon Goods.

The app is cool in that you can put in details like the persons sex, age, your price range, and a list of the person’s lifestyle and interests and the app will suggest products that they should like. It’s pretty slick and should help you narrow things down.

Other features include social shopping with Facebook, Gmail, and integration with other services for showing lists. The app will also alert the user on both devices when prices drop on items and the user can create and share wish lists for holiday gifts. The app is available to download on Android and the iPhone right now.

Via Android Community

SlashSPACE
Today, Boeing has received first signals back from LightSquared’s SkyTerra 1 satellite after its launch at 12:29 p.m. Eastern time on November 14th on an International Launch Services Proton vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. What will this big momma do, you ask? It’ll bring us 4G connective capabilities, that’s what! When operating fully, the satellite will use and combine ground-based beam-forming equipment and ground stations to create LightSquared’s Space-Based Network, the company’s first. LightSquared plans on combining with a network of more than 40,000 base stations to offer both ground and satellite coverage for the entirety of the USA, offering a wholesale 4G LTE wireless network in “the first four markets” by Q3, 2011. Off blast!

[Via PopSci]

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
LG Vortex Heading To Verizon
Walmart Give Away $100 Giftcard For Purchasing a Smartphone

Android Community
Gingerbread Confirmed Today, Working on Nexus S, As Presented by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at Web 2.0 [TASTY]
Motorola MOTOPAD to be 7-inch Android 3.0 debut?
20+ custom Adam apps claim Notion Ink
Black Flyday helps you find shopping deals for holiday season
PC World yank Toshiba’s Folio 100 over poor buyer feedback?
Another Dual-Core Samsung Phone Confirmation (Plus More Anzu)
Sony Ericsson LiveView On Sale NOW in Several European Markets
ViewSonic ViewPad 7 tablet Now on Amazon for Pre-Order Price of $600
Pulse News Reader Goes FREE on All Platforms Today [FREE]
LG Vortex Announced by Verizon, Available November 18
US Cellular Announces Nov 19 Release of Their Version of Samsung Galaxy Tab
AT&T Unrolls Release Date of November 21 and Pay As You Go Data Plans for Samsung Galaxy Tab

SlashGear
Apple iTunes announcement “you’ll never forget” promised for Tuesday Nov 16 [FEATURED]
Android 3.0 MOTOPAD is Motorola & Google’s Honeycomb opener?
A Week with the HTC HD7: Hardware [FEATURED]
Verizon Ad Leaks Look at Pantech and LG LTE Modems
Jolicloud Jolibook Official Press Photos Now Available (2 Sizes?)
Why I can’t wait to get rid of my DVR [COLUMN]
DIY USB Floppy Disk Mixes the Best of Both Worlds [NOT MILEY RELATED]
Pillow Universal Remote Control Costs only $30 [SWEET GIFT]
Halo’s Master Chief Helmet is Wearable, Made of LEGOs
Holiday Gift Guide 2010 [FEATURED] [LOTS OF SWEET GIFTS]
Facebook Modern Messaging System Offers Full Social Integration and History [FEATURED]
Movie Review: Skyline [COLUMN]
T-Mobile Samsung Tab Review [REVIEW]
Verizon Galaxy Tab Review [REVIEW]
LG E2360V LED Display Review [REVIEW]

To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]