Julia Hardy
Arts, Entertainment & Technology Editor
‘Tis the season for new gadgets. Ask Santa to put these top ten tech items under your tree this holiday season.
1. Wii U- Sorry old Mario Kart, the Wii U comes with a whole new experience for Mario lovers everywhere. Packed with innovative ideas, the Wii U sports a controller called the GamePad that allows one player to use the game on their individual screen while still interacting with the other players using the TV. The result is a new and different way to experience video games; this Nintendo can have up to five people playing at once and even allows players to play their favorite Wii games without the TV by just using the GamePad. Oh and Mario Kart can stay, because the Wii U is compatible with all old Wii games. The system is available in a basic set for $300 or with all the accessories, such as a controller stand, for $350.
2. Nikon CoolPix S800C– If you can get past Ashton Kutcher’s dreamy face in the commercials, the Nikon CoolPix
S800C is every social networker’s dream camera. Besides producing a higher quality shot than most point-and-shoots, the CoolPix S800C is the first camera built with Android technology, meaning it has the unique ability to instantly upload photos and videos to Facebook and Twitter. In addition to Android software, the S800C comes with wifi and GPS, This camera is available in white and black for $297.
3. iPad Mini- It’s the iPad you love with a size that’s more comfortable to use. Unlike the original iPad, which is 10”, the iPad Mini is only 7” and even thinner than an iPhone 5, making the discomfort of using the tablet with one hand a thing of the past. Despite the smaller size, this iPad still includes the fast iOS 6 connection and long battery life of the latest Apple products. Although it doesn’t have retina display, this tablet has the functionality and design that any high-schooler would love with a starting price of $329.
4. Halo 4- It’s time to defeat more aliens. After a five-year hiatus the new Halo game has been released, boasting the
same great vehicles and storyline of humans vs. the Covenant aliens, while also adding new weapons and battles. T3.com describes the single player mode as “exactly the right mix of classic Halo point-to-point gameplay, with a battlefield dynamic that feels new.” And, of course, no Halo experience is complete without the signature multiplayer component, which has remained unaltered. Halo 4 costs $50 to purchase.
5. Samsung Galaxy Note 2- This Samsung phone has tech reviewers (and apple haters) raving. With its large size comes a large, roomy screen with vivid coloring and an S stylus to accompany it. Like other phones, the Note 2 has front and back facing cameras, but it stands apart with its fast loading time and long battery life. Techradar.com says “there is no clear rival” to this new Samsung phone. The one rival you may find is your parents when they find out it costs $700, excluding the contract for data.
6. Olloclip Photo Lens– iPhoneography is more than a hashtag in the world of artsy phone photographers. The Olloclip
Photo Lens snugly attaches to your iPhone to give you a more advanced phone camera. Some of its features include taking photos in macro mode and fishbowl mode, getting wider angle shots, and having greater zoom. Besides being easy to attach the designers just released a new lens that works with iPhone 5, so all iPhone users can enjoy this great buy. With Olloclip, it’s like having a $600 camera with the $70 price. #happydays #iphoneographylikeapro
7. Kindle Paperwhite- The Kindle Paperwhite is the perfect way to keep “Catcher in the Rye” and “Brothers of Karamazov” in a single easy-to-use location. The Paperwhite model is lighter and smaller than past models. The biggest new feature, a brighter built-in light, has 24 different settings to make the words crisper. This helps to make reading comfortable at night…which is when most reading happens for students anyway Although the Kindle Paperwhite no longer has audio features like past ones did, it is the latest step in e-readers. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is available for $119 with ads and $139 without them.
8. Microsoft Surface Tablet– Step aside iPad and make room for Microsoft’s entrance into the tablet industry. Out just
in time for the holidays, the Microsoft Surface Tablet comes complete with Windows 8, a rear kickstand, and USB compatibility. Fancy add-ons like the colorful keyboard Touch Cover help the tablet to crossover into more of a laptop when desirable. Microsoft Surface has a starting price of $499.
9. Assassin’s Creed III- War games get historical with the video game Assassin’s Creed III. Gamers take on the role of an assassin, who must fight tyranny that spans the length of the American Revolution. With extensive single-player and multiplayer content, Assassin’s Creed III provides hours of gory and addicting entertainment for all who play it. Assassin’s Creed III is available for purchase for Xbox and PS3 (Play Station 3) for $60.
10. MacBook Pro with Retina Display– Photos and webpages are so much more
appealing on a retina display. That’s why the MacBook Pro, which comes in 13” and 15” sizes, is the latest must-have item. Just like the MacBooks before it, this MacBook Pro has all the same apps, memory, backlight and software you love. Yet the vividness of the screen with the retina display makes it stand out as the superior model. The MacBook Pro costs about $1699 for the 13” version and $2199 for the 15” version.
