Gear up -- with confidence

<p>This year's gift guide for tech toys is about empowerment of the people.</p><p>Don't just buy electronic gear this holiday season. Buy it with the confidence of a well-researched consumer.</p><p>So whether you're in the market for a digital camera or a GPS locator -- two of the hottest tech gifts this year -- here's a list of Web sites intended to make you the most informed consumer at the cash register.</p><p>Consider it a shortcut to the best places on the Internet to check prices and find reviews by experts and ordinary people alike who have already tried out the gadget on your holiday shopping list.</p><h3>THE BASICS</h3> <p>www.cnet.com: The original tech review site for gadgeteers, it still is a great jumping-off point for anyone looking to buy something that runs on electricity.</p><p>Its reviews cover a huge swath of goods and include ample photos and videos. And it is a great place to read user reviews.</p><p>Cnet makes it easy to compare prices from a variety of online retailers such as Dell, Amazon, Newegg and others.</p><p>www.amazon.com: Amazon doesn't always have the cheapest prices -- although sometimes it does -- but it usually has the most comprehensive list of user reviews.</p><p>The site is a great resource for reading other people's feedback, seeing what similar products people have purchased, and seeing where the item falls in Amazon's list of best-selling electronics. The site also makes it easy to compare prices from other retailers.</p><h3>HOME AUDIO &amp; VIDEO</h3> <p>www.ultimateavmag.com: The site provides a buyer's guide and extensive product reviews for home-theater buffs -- or those looking to become one. Ultimate AV magazine will help you choose between plasma, LCD or the latest and greatest technology.</p><p>For people looking to get a new system, the site can teach you the language of the AV world, and give you confidence when scooping up a sweet open-box deal or haggling with a store manager for a better price.</p><p>For those just looking for a gift recommendation, the site has three best-of-class lists based on prices. Hometheatremag.com also provides a wealth of information.</p><p>www.soundandvisionmag.com: This is another home entertainment site that will overwhelm you with information but also make you the most educated buyer at any big-box store.</p><p>The site, Sound &amp; Vision magazine, includes reviews on one-offs, such as headphones. And when buying a portable music player such as an iPod, the first upgrade should be a new set of headphones.</p><p>The site also has a "Best of" list, and can make visitors hip to special retail deals. It analyzed the Black Friday deals at major retailers and graded them, A through F. Surprisingly, Sears got the best mark with a B+. Wal-Mart only scored a C.</p><h3>DIGITAL CAMERAS</h3> <p>www.dpreview.com: Digital cameras pass through the national spotlight faster than "American Idol" contestants. It's hard to keep track of which one is this season's star performer.</p><p>Digital Photography Review helps sort through it. Like other sites on this list, it will easily overinform you. But it does have a simple buying guide with recommended cameras in different categories. It also has a nifty graph showing you which cameras are most often viewed by visitors to the site.</p><p>www.dcresource.com: What won't this site tell you about your camera? Well, to start, it can't predict how good you'll be at using it. But Digital Camera Resource will tell you just about everything else. It has a nifty buyer's guide and a list of recommended cameras based on cost.</p><p>Bottom line: When you home in on a few cameras to buy, check out the reviews on this site to help make your final decision. It's well laid out and easy to search.</p><h3>GPS</h3> <p>www.gpsmagazine.com: Click on "Buyer's Guide" in the tab menu and up pops a huge list of GPS units listed top down from best to worst. GPS magazine has a huge catalog of products it has reviewed and breaks it down into an easy-to-compare format. It not only tells you its favorite products, it tells you which ones are the best deals.</p><p>www.gpslodge.com: GPS Lodge scours the Internet to find you the best daily deals for GPS units. The site also breaks down the top-selling products, and offers a warehouse of reviews.</p><h3>CELL PHONES</h3> <p>www.phonescoop.com: A combination news site and buyers guide, Phone Scoop lets a person really geek out. It's one of the few places you'll learn that Texas researchers claim to have developed a device that will power cell phones simply by the sound of your voice, and also give you a glossary of terms so you can figure out what "3G" means.</p><p>www.letstalk.com: If you don't want the latest and greatest smartphone, and would rather just get a great deal, then Lets Talk is the site for you. The site lets you choose which carrier you want, and then shows you which phones you can get for free -- or even get paid to use.</p><h3>MISC. GEEKY GIFTS</h3> <p>www.thinkgeek.com: Looking for a geeky -- not necessarily electric-powered -- gift for that special someone? Think Geek has some of the funniest, most clever gifts around. And most cost well under $100. Take for instance the USB-controlled rocket launcher. From any PC, you can rotate the rocket launcher's turret 360 degrees, and then launch a foam dart at a co-worker located 20 feet away. Cost: $29.99</p><p>The site's holiday gift center is a paradise of quirky gadgets.</p><p>www.makershed.com: Forget staring at a TV, or listening to directions from a GPS, it's time to get lost in the heady world of geekdom. MakerShed, a site run by Sebastopol-based Make magazine, will show you how to make a rocket-powered skateboard. And for parents who want to encourage creativity in their children, the site has a wide range of kits -- from your standard robot to a vacuum tube radio kit.</p><p>(You can reach Staff Writer Nathan Halverson at 521-5494 or nathan.halverson@pressdemocrat.com.)</p>