12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 12)

In the last day of this 'mini-series', probably the only thing I can think of that can make a really good gift is pretty much the device that has served me so well throughout the past year:



Indeed, it is the iPod touch.

So when one thinks about the iPod touch, one immediately thinks of the word 'expensive' and 'unnecessary', but before you speak, I must say that this iPod is simply much more than a glorified MP3 player.

For crying out loud, it can also play games, surf the web and even make calls. Especially under a Wi-fi connection, this little thing will ALMOST replace a netbook what with the multitudes of apps, avant garde web browser (whose only weakness is probably the lack of plug-in support in general), and the primo user experience you can find in any MP3 player.

Also, as a bonus, it comes with the headphones with mic so you can create Voice Memos and even control music playback through your voice commands.

So maybe this post is already looking like something Apple paid me to do, but it's simply something I wrote out of love. This device is too damn good, even if sometimes, the battery feels like it STILL needs improvement (and it frigging needs a better blogging app that does rich text... it's not exactly pleasurable to type HTML to bolden, italicize or underline the text)...

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 11)

This next gift idea is a cheapie but a goodie: the DVD of District 9.

I just perused the DVD shelves of the department store of Mall of Asia and I saw this little flick, and unlike Up or Star Trek which were released on DVD a month before, District 9 does not cost as much as 850 pesos, in fact, it's selling for a mere 400 pesos, and it's even a good film.

I'm not sure if it's only the one-disc edition, but seriously, compared to Up which is only on one disc but costs as much as a 2-disc edition of Star Trek, this DVD is a great buy.

And oh, it has a good movie inside it, didn't I mention? Still, not everyone may like the documentary style director Neill Blomkamp employs.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 10)

Maybe you keep asking about a Halo for the PS3 or a Ratchet and Clank for the 360. You know what, those things are non-existent, so perhaps you may need to look for some games that are multiplatform.

Multiplatform means that a game is present throughout various consoles, and what better multiplatform game to purchase than...

Batman: Arkham Asylum?

What, you thought I was gonna say Modern Warfare 2?

Well, with such a saturated market for first person shooters, the odds that someone who likes to play games already has Modern Warfare 2 is probably huuuge. But sometimes, people need an experience that doesn't have to hinge on its multiplayer to be awesome, and that's where this game comes in.

Fine, it's a licensed game, but I'll be damned if anyone said that it was a very sh*tty one, because it is far from sh*tty. In fact, it's the opposite: it has an accessible but immersive world that's chock full of collectibles and extra goodies, and what's more is that the fight system is simple yet satisfying.

Not to mention, the Batman this game has is not voiced by Christian Bale, which is always a plus.

If you can't already tell, I'm in love with this game. Atmospheric, fun, exciting, the whole package. Hell, it might just be the thing that will make those anti-Batman friends of yours like the deep, mature lore of the caped crusader.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 9)

Knowing me and the bundles of posts I make, if you forced me to pick a laptop, it's gotta be a Macbook. Not only a plain ol' white Macbook though, but a Macbook Pro.

And while at first it seems expensive, the user later finds out how much better the Mac is than Windows. While Windows 7 has narrowed the "ahead-ness" the Mac has features-wise, I think a lot of the features of Apple's operating system is implemented better than that of Windows'. Still, the hardware is also very capable, and it even has not one, but two video cards when you opt for a 15-incher or a 17-incher.

Frankly speaking, Apple has gone a long way to ensure that their computers are actually competitively priced, and this Macbook is no different. The 13-incher is actually 55000 pesos converted, the 15-incher is a pretty steep 80000 pesos converted, and the 17-incher? Well, it's overkill. Don't mind that model (and it's expensive at 117000 pesos, which basically makes my statement of "competitively priced" hypocritical).

Design is a given, operating system is a given, hardware is a given, so what else can you ask for?

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 8)

Say the person you want to gift already has a PS3, but he doesn't have enough cash to buy more games dice there is virtually zero availability of any fake games. So what to buy him/her?



Was it really anything to think about?

The generation's very own Raiders of the Lost Ark, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a cinematic action game that significantly improves upon its predecessor in every way (at least, that's what the reviews say) and personally since E3, I've said about how damn awesome it looked and felt and played. I'll be envious of PS3 owners, if only because of this game. Expect it to win several Game of the Year awards.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 7)

I kinda like Samsung as a display maker. At least they provide some decent picture quality while staying relatively affordable (the Korean way, I guess?). I mean, the Samsung monitor I have at home doesn't automatically conform to changes in resolution but hey, it does well and looks good inside and outside.


Pictured here is the Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW, but I'm not really endorsing any specific model... I just like Samsung monitors in general, even if the usability issues made through the design will show up time and time again.

Last time I checked, a 23 inched cost about 8000 in PC Express, but the price will most likely vary.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 6)

If you think your computer needs a refresh or a drastic reformat, then you might want to consider getting Windows 7 to get this job done for you.

It's great, it's pretty, and best of all, it's damn fast, especially on a clean install. Just hope that you get anything but Starter or Home Basic, now that's just playing dirty.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 5)

Some gifts can go dated, and this is one thing that'll get dated unless the recipient takes action: movie tickets.

But this set of movie tickets in particular is probably gonna be something your recipient will thank you for, and these tickets are tickets for an IMAX screening of Avatar in MOA.

I have yet to watch Avatar myself, but based on the reviews, everyone is agreeing on one thing: it's a whole damn new experience that lives up to the hype of "something you've never ever seen before". It's 3D so there's glasses, but as the critics say, there's something even better about the special effects the James Cameron flick employs. Hell, Ebert even compared his experience with the movie to his first experience watching the original Star Wars. That's high praise indeed, but you may have to observe a bit of caution: the story is not the best and the running time! The running time!

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 4)

If you like music, and have a deep appreciation for the noun in general, then you simply must listen to the Beatles. Hell, if you don't know a Beatles song, then you're either a toddler or a living corpse.






Featuring a very fancy piece of non-environmentally-friendly but oh-so magnificent packaging, the Beatles Remastered discography collection is a purchase that any true music fan will surely love. From 'I Saw Her Standing There' to the bickering days of 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', it's all there and at the best sound quality ever to be heard on a Beatles record yet.

This amazing remastered set is worth the hefty price, as it features classic albums of what is arguably the world's most influential band ever.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 3)

Apple stuff is expensive. That’s undeniable. So it’s quite refreshing to see Apple pursue a software deal that’s, frankly, quite irresistible.

It’s the Mac Box Set.

Perfect for the cheapskate Mac user who’s still stuck (and content) with just Tiger, the Mac Box Set not only includes the latest $30 OS release Snow Leopard, but it also includes the latest versions of iLife and iWork, which are both usually $80 separately. The Box Set is $169, so if you add the 3 items included inside, you get a 30 dollar discount, that’s 1500 pesos saved!

Granted, it’s a ton more expensive in the Philippine online store at 12990 pesos instead of the 8500 pesos it should cost, but people have their ways…

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 2)

On day 2 of our little random Christmas "special" comes a simple DVD: Star Trek.

If you didn't notice: Star Trek is arguably the 2nd best summer blockbuster this year, and J. J. Abrams' reboot is good enough to own even on Blu-ray. But since Blu-ray is not exactly very popular over here, one can settle for a DVD. And what's better than a DVD? An original one.

Be it sci-fi geek, action junkie or story craver (story craver?), this movie is truly an accessible piece of smart popcorn filmmaking. And if he/she already watched it, there's also a ton of interesting deleted scenes that actually put much more depth to Nero's (played by Eric Bana) character.

12 Days of Random Gift Ideas (Day 1)

Starting from now till the 24th, I'll be giving out random gift suggestions you can give (or receive, if you're into that kind of thing), that'll surely make a person go nuts. They'll range from the outlandish to the budget-friendly, because as I said, these suggestions are random.

So the first thing that popped up in my head was the PlayStation 3 Slim.

Ever since it was leaked, there was not enough reason to care anyway. People said, if Sony upped the hard drive and got the price down, then they'd care.

And care they did.

Not only does it retain the core PS3 functionality (minus the PS2 emulation and the Linux OS installation, which not many care about), it also ups the hard drive capacity, not to mention possess a very affordable price tag.

Now there's no excuse to not get a PS3, what with all the new games coming out for it.

In fact, the library already has some really great exclusive titles like Infamous, Uncharted 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 in its arsenal, and while you're playing those games, you can be rest assured that the titles will keep on coming what with Heavy Rain, God of War 3 (which looks damn awesome) and Final Fantasy XIV.

There's so much to like about the PS3 that I'm considering beating up my Wii and getting that instead. At least it actually has a Blu-ray player!

Now, there are a lot of hiccups with the PS3: some titles, like Assassin's Creed 2, look plenty worse than its 360 counterpart, the PSN is not the most robust online experience (but at least it's free), and I'm willing to bet that the Philippines won't be able to taste the benefit of getting the PS Store which lets you download indie games or demos.

Still, if we're gonna talk 360 vs. PS3, I'm PS3 all the way. Why?

NO RED RING.

Oh, and when converted from its US price, it's a mere 13800. That costs less than an iPod classic, FYI. In Hong Kong, it's even less: 12500 pesos converted.