Geoff Gasior

Corsair's Survivor flash drive
Everyone and their mother has a USB flash drive these days, but most offer relatively low capacities wrapped in flimsy plastic enclosures. Corsair's Survivor line of flash drives is a little different, boasting four, eight, or 16 gigabytes encased in aircraft-grade aluminum shells that are, for practical purposes, indestructible. I've run my Survivor over with a car, sent it off a high diving board into the deep end, and even put it through the wash with barely a scratch to the casing. Survivors aren't cheap, of course—they run from $37 for the 4GB model up to $160 for 16GB, with a high-performance 8GB Survivor GT selling for $142—but their bombproof excess puts a unique spin on an otherwise practical gift.

The Survivor at its best: taking abuse

Apple's iPod
The iPod is arguably the most popular gadget ever—a cultural icon whose market domination has endured for years with no signs of weakening. Just about everyone wants one, and among those who have already joined the iMasses, I'm betting most wouldn't mind an upgrade to one of Apple's latest models. That alone should validate the iPod's gift potential. The new nano is easily the most compelling, offering up to 8GB of flash-based storage for as little as $180 online. With that you get support for audio and video playback, games, and compatibility with programs like Winamp if you'd like to avoid iTunes. If the geek on your shopping list has a larger media library, try the 80GB classic, or if you want to ride the bleeding edge, the multi-touch-enabled, er, touch.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Premium
I'm a long-time PC gamer, and while I still prefer the platform for some genres, it's hard to argue with the ease of use, unique games, and overall value offered by the latest generation of consoles. Among them, Microsoft's Xbox 360 is my favorite. Not only does it have the horsepower to produce impressive—and more importantly immersive—visuals, it also benefits from a deep lineup of quality titles, a handful of excellent exclusives, and the best online service in the business. New "Premium" consoles are also equipped with HDMI output, and if you dig around, you can find plenty of interesting bundles with the latest games. If you're looking for a console for your mother, go with a Wii. For real gamers, however, an Xbox 360 should be under the tree.

American McGee's Alice Soundtrack
Looking for a unique stocking stuffer? Try the haunting soundtrack to American McGee's Alice. Composed by ex-Nine Inch Nails programmer Chris Vrenna, the Alice soundtrack is thick with atmospheric tracks as beautifully bizarre as the game itself. Even if you've never played Alice—and if you haven't, you really should—the soundtrack stands on its own as one of my favorite albums of all time. And hey, this isn't just the Alice soundtrack; it's American McGee's Alice, which, uh, adds something, apparently.

Warning: young children may have no idea what an audio CD actually is

Valve's The Orange Box
While I'm not crazy about having to pay for Half-Life 2 all over again with The Orange Box, the bundle offers value unparalleled by PC games released in recent memory. Just $45 gets you not only Half-Life 2 with both episodic expansions, but also Team Fortress 2 and Portal. There's a little something for everyone, whether you're looking for an engaging single-player experience, fast-paced multiplayer mayhem, or a first-person take on more cerebral puzzles. And unlike some of this season's AAA titles—I'm looking at you, Crysis—the Source engine's modest system requirements ensure that you don't need a bleeding-edge PC to enjoy The Orange Box's payload in all its glory.

Dell's UltraSharp 2407WFP-HC
If there's one thing I lust after this holiday season, it's Dell's UltraSharp 2407WFP-HC LCD monitor. Well, more specifically, two of them. Sure, Dell's 30" panel gets more attention, but I'd much rather have a pair of 2407s side by side—a setup that costs less than a single 3007WFP, I might add. With a 1920x1200 native resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 6 ms response time, true 8-bit panel, and HDCP support, it's hard to argue with the 2407's credentials. Heck, it even has an integrated card reader, integrated USB hub, component input options, and support for picture-in-picture. Yeah, I'll take two. Please.

Scott Wasson

Toshiba's Portege R500 ultraportable laptop
As a guy who runs a website, I have a keen interest in mobile devices that will let me work from anywhere other than my office. A couple of years ago, my search for the ultimate ultraportable led me to the Sharp M4000 WideNote, which I purchased sight-unseen on the basis of a juicy specs list and strong reviews. These days, I'm starting to get the itch to upgrade, and my current favorite ultraportable is Toshiba's Portege R500. Again, I've not seen this system in person, but the specs tell a wondrous tale. The ultra-thin 12.1" display has an LED backlight, and when outdoors, its transreflective screen uses sunlight as illumination. One configuration of the R500 has a 64GB solid state drive with no moving parts and no noise, and that config weighs in at just 1.72 lbs. Another configuration includes a DVD RW drive, which is uncommon in a laptop this small. How small? 11" wide, 8.5" deep, and just 0.77" tall. Toshiba bills the R500 as having the world's longest battery life in this form factor, too.

Pant, pant.

Oh yeah, and it has a dual-core processor and all of that jazz. The big catch with a fancy Japanese laptop, of course, is price. The R500's cheapest config weighs in at $1999 direct from Toshiba. If you're constantly on the go, though, this looks like one heck of a way to stay connected.

Apple's iPhone
Seems like everyone these days is jaded about nearly everything. All I can say is that when it comes to the iPhone, you should believe the hype. This is not just a phone; it's a little mobile computer that's a more-than-competent web client and media playback device. The multi-touch user interface is incredibly easy to use, a true revolution in mobile UI design. No other "smart phone" or anything else comes close, in my view. If you don't believe me, spend ten minutes playing with one. You'll be a convert.

Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
Several years ago, I was plagued by a number of health problems. I was overweight, on medication for acid reflux disease, suffering debilitating bouts of fatigue at the end of each day, and facing more serious potential health problems that worried my doctor. I was also planning to quit my job in order to work at TR full time, and I knew I had to improve my health if I was going to succeed. I decided to give the Atkins diet a try, and it worked incredibly well for me. Within days, my fatigue was gone, replaced by incredible reserves of energy. Shortly thereafter, my acid reflux problems ceased, and I was able to quit taking the medication. And the pounds started melting off—about 40 of them over the next six months. After that, my waistline shrunk even when my weight didn't, as I added muscle in place of fat. My doctor was very pleased. To this day, I stick to the basic tenets of the diet. The weight remains off, and my health is much improved.

Everything that worked so well for me flew in the face of conventional wisdom about diet, nutrition, and health, which raised some big questions. Science reporter Gary Taubes has now asked and answered some of those questions in his impressive book, Good Calories, Bad Calories. Taubes recounts how the conventional wisdom formed on a range of topics related to diet and weight loss, including saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, exercise, and disease. The story he tells chronicles a sad history of incomplete science, sloppy interpretations of data, and study results being misinterpreted to fit preconceptions.

It's a gripping story, but this is not light reading. The book's 400-plus pages are packed with dissections of study results and technical explanations of metabolic processes. Taubes' goal was obviously to present a well-researched and convincing antidote to the conventional wisdom, and doing so doesn't make for breezy prose. This is, however, an important book, especially if your health depends on it.

Crysis in all its system-crippling gorgeousness