The Real Estate Techie Holiday Gift List 2008

This year’s MTO Holiday Gift List is as diverse as our readers…we hope! Chad, Reggie and I usually share our top real estate technology gift picks. This year is more of the same but infused with our individual flavor. So here are some of our best holiday gift suggestions for your 2008 holidays!

Gifts Under $50
	Chad’s Pick: Bluetooth Micro Adapter – Use your cell phone’s Bluetooth headset with your computer. Once connected, Skype, Google Talk or Oovoo calls are completely wireless.
	NikNik’s Pick: Coffee Cup Power Inverter – Of course Starbucks is a great gift for this gal, but this is not your average cup of Joe. This 200 Watt Inverter sports 2 AC plugs and a USB port, will fit in standard cup holders and power 3 devices at once!
	Reggie’s Pick: Target Gift Card Camera w/ 40 Free Prints – It’s Target Gift Card with a technical twist. The twist being the card is actually a 1.2 megapixel digital camera. You can load $50-$1000 worth of Target shopping on these cards that never expire.
Gifts Under $100
	Chad’s Pick: The new Microsoft Explorer Mouse – A decade ago, the Microsoft Explorer mouse was all the rage. It is back and can now work on carpet, glass or wood! How sweet is that?
	NikNik’s Pick: Fastmac Extended Battery & Portable Charger for the iPhone! Give the gift of longer talk and play time, 750 hours of standby, built-in flash, and portable charging. This one is a no-brainer when you can find it in stock, so if you run into an issue also check Mophie.com.
	Reggie’s Pick: Novo Minoru Webcam, the world’s first 3D Webcam that is compatible with msn, Skype, YouTube, etc. The only catch is that it’s not available until December 19th, but you can set a reminder for yourself right on the Novo site so you can be one of the first to purchase!
Gifts Under $200
	Chad’s Pick: LINKSYS WRT610N wireless router. This router transmits both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz signals simultaneously. This means that older 208.11B and G devices won’t slow down your newer 802.11N devices.
	NikNik’s Pick: FreeAgent Go is the best portable storage solution coupled with the first ever hard drive docking station. You can even coordinate this tech gear with your office or favorite suit, as it comes in 10 delicious colors (pink too!).
	Reggie’s Pick: Eco Media Play Revolution is an environmentally friendly media player powered by you winding the handle and will reward you with 24-bit Hi Fidelity playback of all major music formats.  This is a great backup device when you don’t have batteries handy.
Worth Every Penny!
Chad’s Wish List: (1) Bose Portable SoundDock for your iPod, (2) Epson Artisan 800 all-in-one with touchscreen or (3) Acer Aspire One mini notebook.
NikNik’s Wish List: (1) Custom Flip Mino HD, (2) iBikeConsole (so I can dance while riding) and it would be even better if accompanied by (3) the Cervelo P3 -2009 (I just need a sponsor now for my first triathlon).
Reggie’s Wish List: (1) SlingCatcher as a universal media player for TV, (2) SONOS w/ iPhone Control provides great sound throughout the house and (3) Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet as an Internet Media Tablet. (You thought I was going to say iPhone didn’t you.)
Giving Back

If these suggestions don’t meet your receiver criteria, then perhaps you should consider making a donation. There’s a reason why you are seeing people asking for donations everywhere this season. Give a gift that helps others in need. If you’ve ever been stuck with purchasing a gift for a group of people with a small budget and didn’t just want to get them something they may or may not consume or re-gift to others, then you know what I mean. So why not make those small gifts be small donations (= 1 large donation) to the charity of your choice. For example, every $20 donation made at foodbanknyc.com translates into 100 meals! Epic Change is a Website that connects real people with real stories and work toward positive change.  What local charity needs your help this season?

Gifts are fun and I’m always thankful for what I receive. But this economy provides a heartfelt reminder that we are lucky to have what we have. Many of our friends and colleagues have lost their jobs, their homes, and loved ones this year. This girl usually won’t say no to a new pair of shoes or matching bag, but this season I’m happiest to just hold tight to what I have…my family, friends, and loyal MTO readers!