WITH Christmas fast approaching, and just days to decide which gadgets are worth the money, it’s time to make the right choice. Fortunately, I’ve been thinking about that all year. Of the dozens of consumer ‘tech’ products I’ve tested in the past 12 months, here are the ones I’d consider.

Tablets: It’s been a great year for Tablets, and not just for iPads. Yes! Apple Inc. continues to dominate. All hail the ‘Apple’! The newest full-sized iPad came with better cameras, a sharper screen, and a faster processor. Its follow-up, the downsized iPad mini, is an even better value for money. It runs all the same apps, but is lighter, easier to handle, and, evidently, much cheaper.

But these days, there’s plenty of credible competition. Amazon.com upgraded last year’s Kindle Fire Tablet. The Kindle Fire HD offers a brighter, sharper screen, and a front-facing camera for video conferencing. Bookseller, Barnes & Noble Inc., offers the Nook HD Tablet for almost the same price. It’s got a better video screen than the Kindle Fire, and smart software that lets up to six users customize it to suit their own tastes, making it a fine Tablet for families. My family enjoys using their Nook while swinging away on weekends.

Google Inc’s Nexus 7: It’s got a very fast quad-core processor, a vastly superior video screen, built-in GPS navigation, and Google Now, a superb personal assistant program with outstanding speech recognition. This is one of my favourites.

I’d also have to mention the Surface, Microsoft Corp.’s daring bid to create the ideal Tablet for its new Windows 8 operating system. Indeed, the $499-and-up Surface is an impressive piece of hardware: A tough, elegant machine with good performance, crisp video, and that clever optional snap-on keyboard.

A few smartphones made a lasting impression. Apple finally launched its iPhone 5, with a larger video screen welded to a wondrously thin body. Meanwhile, Samsung Corp. cemented its role as Apple’s smartphone rival. The company’s Galaxy S III Android phone, with its big, beautiful screen and dazzling performance, was an excellent iPhone alternative that sold in the millions. And Samsung has followed up with the superb Galaxy Note Iphone/Tablet. The Galaxy S III is probably my gadget for the year.

The new Windows Phone 8 operating system is excellent, and it’s running on some impressive new phones like the Nokia Lumia 920. This big, powerful phone stacks up well against anything else on the market.
Samsung has done it again! A simple machine that runs the Chrome operating system by Google. It can’t handle standard Windows or Mac software, and is mainly for use with a wireless Internet connection. But the new Chrome-book lets you surf the Internet, watch videos, write documents, and check e-mail. And unlike the first-generation Chrome-book, you can use it even when not connected to the Net. As a cut-rate computer for casual use, it’s an excellent choice.

As Lenovo’s first ‘multi-mode’ notebook, the Ideapad Yoga is a 13” laptop that deserves a place in my best gadgets of 2012, due to its ability to perform as its name suggests: Bending and folding into an array of positions so you can enjoy it in different ways.

Available in two sizes of 11” and 13”, we really like how both models’ high-definition IPS touchscreen displays and stylish designs are built with a special hinge that allows them to tilt 360 degrees, folding from a Laptop to a Tablet in one satisfyingly smooth motion.
But the Yoga isn’t just all style and no substance; it is also quite the powerhouse, with the larger 13-inch model running the full Windows 8 operating system, and powered by an Intel Core processor with up to 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD hard drive, and eight hours battery life. So, it’s time to put some yoga in your life!

Notice how I keep mentioning Samsung products? The South Korean company is neck-and-neck with Apple as the most innovative consumer ‘tech’ company on earth, and is a player in the camera market. I loved the EX2F, a camera that takes excellent pictures in low light, and can automatically transmit photos to the user’s smartphone. Even more remarkable is the Galaxy Camera, a 16-megapixel camera with a huge 21X optical zoom lens bolted onto a 4.8-inch Android mini-Tablet. It takes fine photos, but just as important, this weird, wonderful mash-up of a gadget puts a grin on my face every time I pick it up. It’s just fun! And I can’t think of a better recommendation for a Christmas gift. But wait! I’m not done yet!

The Wii U will be the first next-generation console from the big three, just in time for Christmas. Nintendo is well known for family fun, and the Wii U will bring in tonnes of multiplayer fun. It’s HD; it’s got smart features and on-demand content from the likes of Netflix and YouTube; and there’s even the new Call-of-Duty game ready to play upon launch.

The innovative touchscreen GamePad controller lets you play mini-games while others watch the TV too, so you won’t have to stop Dad watching the President’s speech while you smash up some zombies on the release title, Zombi-U.

There you have it, my fellow Guyanese! Enjoy! But don’t destroy! HAPPY TECH-MAS!