Gizmo: The hottest festive kit

In the next five pages we bring you a sample of what’s on offer. From phones and cameras to outdoor accessories, boy’s toys to computer gaming and audio-visual equipment, from £20 to £130,000.

Sony Ericsson W850i
From free to £190 with contract, or £275 from www.expansys.com

Most music-oriented mobiles are stymied by poor software and sound. However, Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range excels in both regards, and this slide-opening 3G phone is its best handset so far. A dedicated button activates the Walkman functions even if the slide is closed, and the phone is supplied with a generous 1GB Memory Stick plus good in-ear buds. The navigation buttons are fiddly and playing music drains the battery, so expect daily recharges. Still, this is a fine handset with a decent 2Mp camera too.

Nokia 5500 Typically £20 with contract from www.carphonewarehouse.com

Treat the outdoors-lover or skateboarder in your life to this ruggedised phone, which is surprisingly slim and also easy to use. The 5500 features a decent back-lit, albeit spongey, keypad. Gym-goers can enter their vital statistics and the phone’s built-in pedometer will then loosely estimate their performance in activities such as rowing or step, though the handset must be worn on the provided belt clip for this to work. The basic sports software will even create a crude training programme, too. The 2Mp camera takes decent shots, but only while outside, as there’s no flash. This Nokia includes an emergency torch that can be easily accessed by pressing the * button, and it has a reasonable music player as well. Fun.

Sony T50 digital camera
Typically £349, or £242 from www.rankhour.com

Sony’s super-slim T30 won InGear’s recent group test of compact cameras (tinyurl.com/yf3lr5). The T50 builds on the formula, but adds a larger (3in) screen that is now touch sensitive. It retains the same virtues of 7.2Mp, a 3x optical zoom that doesn’t protrude beyond the case, a superfast autofocus to help prevent shutter lag, and the ability to shoot without flash in gloomy conditions. With a touchscreen there are fewer buttons to clutter the rear. Instead, you poke the screen to change settings, but fingernails work better than the supplied stylus. However, with good antishake features, this is another class-leading camera.

Samsung NV7 OPS digital camera
Typically £299 or £250 from www.comet.co.uk

This 7.2Mp Samsung snapper is both slim and determinedly retro, with a smart matt-black metal finish. The outsize lens grows further when you switch the camera on and its 7x optical zoom is uncommonly large for a compact. It is simple and enjoyable to use: a series of tiny square buttons near the 2.5in LCD screen requires the lightest of touches to operate. Applying your thumb on these buttons either scrolls through your photos or deletes them, though the latter proved a bit fiddly.

In tests the optical stabilisation, which uses a moving sensor to compensate for camera shake, worked well. The image quality is decent, if unexceptional. Overall this is a top-notch and very versatile camera that is stylish and handles well.

Specialized Allez Triple road bike
Typically £530, or £480 from www.evanscycles.com

This bike is ideal both for long-distance commuting and stylish exercise rides. The secret of its impressive performance lies in a light yet stiff frame and in the gears. There are 30 in total, enough to cope with any British hill, and the controls are mounted on the brake levers, so you can swiftly change up or down without having to shift from your peloton-beating stance. Carbon-fibre front forks and seat post further reduce the overall weight and also help to absorb the vibrations from the tarmac as you burn up those miles en route to your destination. With a quick upgrade to some narrower and firmer tyres, it’s good enough for amateur racing. For InGear’s recent group test of this season’s best mountain bikes, visit www.tinyurl.com/yyn8p6

Adidas Predator Absolute
Typically £120, or £60 from www.newitts.com

Despite the much-hyped new Adidas Tunit football boot, the older model — last year’s Predator — remains the better choice for Sunday league stars. True, the Tunit is more adaptable but its synthetic material makes for sweaty feet. Not so the

Predator: this boot’s kangaroo leather uppers provide a soft and light fit. The foot-hugging shape aids ball control, while special rubber pads supposedly help generate spin for swerve shots.

For a premium boot, it’s also a bargain. However, though stylish, opt for the black-and-white version over the garish “look at me” colours. Otherwise your weekend warrior will be kicked to pieces.

Gerber Meridian LED headlamp
£40 www.shop4gerber.co.uk

A hands-free lamp is always handy, and this one provides three different colours of light. In tests the strong white light provided night-into-day vision up to 100ft, while the other colours proved useful too. The red light preserved night vision and prevented spots before the eyes, while the green was soft enough not to spook the local wildlife. There’s also a strobe mode for attracting attention during rescues. Powered by three AA cells (supplied), it has an adjustable over-the-head strap for stability.

TomTom GO 910
Typically £400, or £357 from www.amazon.co.uk

Portable sat navs are 10 a penny but the TomTom GO 910 is the pick of the bunch. Maps of Europe and North America are pre-installed and it is mercifully simple to operate because the intuitive controls are easily accessible on a wide (4in) colour touch screen. However, the TomTom also has powerful tools for serious road warriors. Built-in Bluetooth offers hands-free calls and it will upload your mobile phone’s address book. Once the unit is paired with a phone, it can receive real-time weather or traffic information for a small subscription. The text-to-speech function announces street names en route and it will read incoming SMS messages.

Pioneer DEH-P75BT Typically £400, or £250 from www.caraudiosecurity.com

In-car Bluetooth kits enable you to make hands-free mobile phone calls as you drive. This Pioneer stereo has one built in, which saves space and money. In tests, making calls on a mobile wirelessly connected to the stereo proved straightforward. The Pioneer paired up to the Bluetooth-enabled mobile without fuss and then showed the phone’s address book on its screen. Callers could be heard clearly through the speakers, as the unit mutes whatever is playing when your phone is in use. The electric-flip front panel has a choice of screen savers, or displays the incoming caller’s ID when in phone mode. The stereo will play a wide range of audio data CDs (including the MP3, WMA and AAC music formats) and has several upgrade options, such as a basic iPod adaptor for another £50. The DEH-P75BT represents outstanding value and plays music well too.

Denon S81-DAB mini hi-fi
Typically £580, or £550 from www.hughesdirect.co.uk

This is the stereo hi-fi version of Denon’s successful living-room friendly S-series home-cinema range (see InGear reviews at tinyurl.com/yxrq5d). With its soft edges and black metal finish, this compact hi-fi exudes far more sophistication than you’d normally expect at this price level. The twin-speakered Denon is simple to set up and operate with well-thought-out controls, front-mounted iPod connector and a good DAB/FM radio. Sonic performance is rock solid, albeit unexceptional, but it does go surprisingly loud. Seeking a classy mid-priced music system to blend with your designer decor? Look no further.

Casino Royale Aston Martin limited edition boxed set
Typically £250 from www.modelenium.co.uk

Bond enthusiasts won’t need telling that the man is back and his preferred choice of car is once more an Aston Martin. For most of us, owning the real thing is a dream but Corgi is offering fans the James Bond Casino Royale Aston Martin limited edition boxed set. Just 300 have been produced and include 1:36 scale models of the Aston Martin DBS, as used in 007’s latest adventure, and the famous DB5, which first appeared in the film Goldfinger. Both are signed by the modeller responsible for their recreation. The set comes in a mahogany box.

Nintendo DS Lite
Typically £100, or £97 from www.johnlewis.com

Any games console is only as good as the titles available. Whereas the Sony PSP’s catalogue largely consists of cut-down versions of full PS2 games that suffer slow load times and are often almost unplayable, Nintendo’s recently redesigned handheld has a slew of genuine portable classics. The DS lacks the PSP’s glitzier multimedia features, but does include built-in Wi-Fi — for wireless gaming action — and is by far the better choice.

Thule Ranger roll-up roofbox
Typically £165, or £154 from www.roofbox.co.uk

Storing a roofbox is a real bind, because it clutters up the garage — unless it’s the Thule Ranger, the world’s first collapsible roofbox.

The strong, water-resistant soft-box is easy to mount. It uses snap-on fittings and fits most standard roof bars. Once in position, it offers 340 litres of load space, and when off the car it folds into a carrier about the size of a golf brolly.

Ferrari F430 Spider
Typically £130,825 from www.hrowen.co.uk (to buy) or www.ferrari.co.uk (for dealer outlets)

Over the years Ferrari has tried to build the perfect car and with the F430 Spider some say it has finally succeeded. This is arguably the best convertible sports car that you can buy, and maybe the best soft-top performance car ever. Viewed from every angle it’s the perfect blend of aggression and grace with a hint of the raw power that lurks beneath its bonnet. This is not a car for the faint-hearted — it reaches 62mph from standstill in an eardrum-bursting 4.1sec and boasts a top speed of 193mph — but it remains easy to handle around town, especially in automatic mode. The Italian designers have created a classic Ferrari interior complete with racing-red leather seats, a big red rev counter and big a red starter button so you don’t even have to turn a key.

Evel Knievel Super Stunt Set
Typically £30 from www.firebox.com

Thirty years ago this set was a hugely popular toy made in honour of the classic American daredevil. This reissue is your chance to recapture your childhood. The makers claim it is made from the original moulds and consists of an Evel Knievel posable doll with removable helmet, a motorcycle powered by winding an energiser, and stunt props. Wind up the bike and watch it speed suicidally down stairs, through the hoop of fire (flames only simulated), or over adjustable ramps to knock down the 14-piece brick wall. Children will enjoy scaring the cat, if they manage to prise the set from their parents on Christmas Day.

Samsung YP-U2
MP3 player Typically £40, or £35 from www.amazon.co.uk

It’s tempting to plump for a no-name MP3 player as a stocking filler, but don’t waste your money — most are tat. On the other hand, the Samsung UP-U2 is a smart, well specified and highly capable MP3 player that’s eminently affordable. This entry-level model contains 512MB of memory, enough for around eight hours of music at sensible compression rates, though larger capacities are also available for slightly more cash. This Samsung, crucially, also boasts a three-line LCD display, so you can see what album you are listening to, along with an FM radio and a voice-recorder. Nevertheless, by far its most salient feature is the tremendous sound quality. All-in-all, a budget-priced gem.

Canon Selphy CP730 portable printer
Typically £110, or £103 from www.morecomputers.com This pearlescent white photo printer is ideal for instant Christmas memories. Not only is it barely larger than the 6x4in photos it emits, an optional battery pack makes it portable too. The Canon will print photos transferred from camera or phone to a built-in infrared port, a Bluetooth adapter (£44 extra), or from a memory card. The bright 2in screen is handy for previews, and adding effects, such as sepia, is easy though more advanced photo-editing requires a computer. Prints take about 55 seconds, and look impressive. Other models produce better skin tones, but this Canon cannot be beaten for versatility.

Apple MacBook Pro 15in
Typically £1,349 from www.apple.com/ukstore

For many years Apple’s upmarket PowerBook laptops were a designer statement. When they switched to Intel processors and were renamed MacBook Pros they became even more attractive because they could run Windows alongside Apple software. This latest version is the best yet. A recent upgrade to the Core 2 Duo processor makes them roughly a third faster and more powerful. For some, though, it’s the details that appeal: the back-lit keypad, or the magnetic connector that won’t yank the laptop if the power cable is tripped on. To be picky they’re not overly light, and there’s no memory-card reader. The next version of the Apple operating system, Leopard, also doesn’t emerge until early next year, but this is a real treat for a tech lover this Christmas.

Pioneer HTP-GS1 gaming surround sound system
Typically £300, or £268 from www.digico.co.uk

This gutsy Pioneer surround-sound package is styled to match an Xbox 360 console and is ideal for a teenager’s den. Pioneer’s reputation in home-cinema systems is enviable and this neat 5.1 package consists of a surround-sound decoder, five compact speakers and powerful subwoofer — you need only add a games console or DVD player. Sonic performance is aided by a sophisticated yet simple to set up auto-calibration system. The claimed 600W power rating is optimistic and its hi-fi credentials are moderate. However, this is a barnstormer of a system and until January is supplied with two free Xbox 360 titles.

Radio-controlled K-9
Typically £50, or £40 from www.argos.co.uk

Meet K-9, the remote-controlled dog that waggles its ears, spins round on command and won’t make a mess in the living room. This 10in-high replica of the Doctor Who character is tipped to be this Christmas’s bestselling toy, but its plasticky body probably wouldn’t survive a head-on clash with a malevolent eight-year-old, let alone a battalion of Cybermen. Pressing an array of buttons on the chunky remote control makes K-9 utter trademark phrases such as “Affirmative master” or extend a blaster weapon concealed in its nose (with acompanying sound effects). Controlling K-9’s movements with the pair of control sticks takes some getting used to, but they are oddly intuitive once you get the hang of them.

Apple iPod Nano 8GB
Typically £170, or £150 from www.savastore.com

The entire iPod range has recently been refreshed, but the redesigned Nano is the pick this Christmas. The Shuffle lacks a screen and the full-sized Video model is likely to be updated early in the new year. Besides, the Nano offers the ideal compromise between super-pocketable dimensions and decent capacity, especially so in its 8GB incarnation, which is available in black or a suave red charity edition. The new metallic body is more scratch-resistant and the battery life has been boosted. Yes, the headphones are junk and Apple is too tight to include a proper mains-power adaptor, but as an MP3 player this is the daddy.

gear@sunday-times.co.uk