Hi-tech gadgets and games seem to be on the menu for Christmas stockings again, as major retailers go head to head for consumers who can't get enough of the many playthings on offer.
The list is seemingly endless.
I am particularly impressed by the Philips all-in-one home cinema, which has an integrated dock for an iPod. It is small and portable, too, but produces cinematic sound thanks to a subwoofer. It almost brings audio and video to life and is easy to set up and use, connecting to a variety of sources at high speed.
Continues Below↓But it is on the cellphone front where the fiercest battles will be contested. Brand loyalty counts for nothing as the flood of sexy gadgets tease and tantalise. They include the reed-thin BlackBerry Curve 8520, a wonderful smartphone offering email, messaging, social networking, music and entertainment for people on the go.
The smartphone provides easy mobile access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and popular social networking sites, and features a highly tactile full qwerty keyboard.
"It is both affordable and easy to use, making it the ideal first smartphone for the millions of South Africans who have yet to make the switch from cellphone to smartphone," says Deon Liebenberg, regional director for sub-Saharan Africa, Research In Motion.
I loved the previous dark brown Chocolate phone - sometimes I just wanted to bite it - and it is said that the new one, less known by its name LG-BL40, will reinvent the way consumers perceive and use cellphones.
Sleek and sophisticated, the strikingly unconventional four-inch screen opens up an enlarged space for "on-the-go" computing, for a mobile experience that raises the bar.
Users will see things differently with the widened 21:9 panoramic display that establishes a new level of visual comfort for the reading of web pages and e-mail and dramatically brings videos and games to life.
Going wide also allows for the dual screen era to finally be brought to handsets for enhanced usability which, when combined with LG's upgraded and intuitive S-Class UI, brings a whole new meaning to the phrase user-friendly.
In time for Christmas, Microsoft has launched its collection of new Window Mobile 6.5 phones that sport an easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to Microsoft My Phone, which allows you to save your phone settings and info into the cloud, and download them quickly and easily on to any new device.
That takes some beating.
"A Windows phone gives people a single phone that works for their whole life, keeping them connected to the people and information they care most about by harnessing the power of the PC, phone and web," says Todd Peters, of the mobile communications marketing group at Microsoft.
Speaking at the launch of Windows last month, Colin Erasmus, the head of the Windows business at Microsoft South Africa, said the new range of Windows phones would further boost the company's growing presence in the local cellular sector.
Among other features, the new phones provide greater usability, a better transactional browsing experience, and online back-up for personal data, pictures and videos.
"Microsoft is leading the charge to create experiences that transcend individual PC, notebook, television and phone screens to create a connected experience across each of these routes to the web," he said.
"The new line of Windows phones is all about tapping into this connected experience through an easy-to-use interface, great browsing capabilities and access to valuable services."
It is impossible to talk about Christmas without casting an eye on the gaming on offer, with Playstation, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii raising their marketing game for the hearts and wallets of consumers.
Microsoft stole the march on its rivals by dropping the price of an Xbox 360 Elite console with 120GB hard drive by R1 500 to R3 399.
"With Christmas around the corner, it's time to start looking for gifts and entertainment that everyone will enjoy," says Chris Lewis, the vice-president of interactive entertainment business at Microsoft Europe.
"We have a goal over the next 18 months to reinvent entertainment in the living room, and we want to ensure we have the right foundations in place for our consumers to make simple, informed choices around their entertainment platform.
"We know price is a critical factor in consumer choice, but we also know that consumers are looking for value, benefit and entertainment experiences, so we need to address all these to continue to grow and be successful.
"Having an Xbox 360 at the centre of your living room provides entertainment for any occasion. Whether you're a gamer playing single player or with your friends, you can enjoy hundreds of titles that fit your gaming style.
"Watch movies, interact with the friends and view photos in the comfort of your home. Games for everyone. Families and friends can get together to build a famous foursome and relive the music of the Fab Four with The Beatles: Rock Band.
"For those who crave action, players can tear up the tracks of Forza Motorsport 3; jump back into the Halo universe as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper in Halo 3: ODST; or deploy for combat with this year's highly anticipated title from Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 2, the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game in history, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
"With all of these experiences available and the future addition of Project Natal, which will work with every Xbox 360 sold today and tomorrow, the Xbox 360 system provides more fun for less."
Another Christmas favourite is bound to be PlayStation's Need for Speed Shift, which brings a true driver's experience to some of the world's most iconic racing tracks, including the famous Brands Hatch in the UK.
The game also features the largest roster of high-performance cars in Need for Speed history, including racing cars such as the Pagani Zonda F, Porsche 911 GT2 and Lotus Elise.
"With Need for Speed Shift, we set out to create a racing game that pushes the genre and delivers something never before seen in a Need for Speed title," says Patrick Soderlund, a senior vice-president at EA Games Europe.
"By focusing on the driver's experience through the first-person view, we are able to capture the high-speed intensity and gripping emotions of racing."
Players are thrust into the loud, intense and athletic experience of racing a car from the driver's perspective through the combination of perception-based G-forces, the hyper reality of the cockpit view and the all-new brutally disorienting crash dynamic.
Need for Speed Shift features an accurate, physics-based driving model that allows you to feel every impact, every change of track surface and every last bit of grip as you push yourself to the edge. The Need for Speed Shift mobile game is available on Vodafone live! from Vodacom.
