The end of the semester is a magical time filled with cramming for finals, college football bowls and drunken Christmas parties.
It’s easy to get lost in the commotion and find yourself doing frantic, last-minute gift shopping for your loved ones.
Don’t be stuck buying socks for Christmas — or even worse, a Windows Phone 7 device. Take a look at my third annual holiday buyer’s guide and get them something they will truly enjoy.
While the tech world is filled with fun gadgets and gizmos, there are two main categories topping the list of must-haves this holiday season: tablets and video games.
The former starts with a device that impresses me more every time I read about it — the Amazon Kindle Fire.
Released last month, the Fire is Amazon’s first full color device under the Kindle line. Unlike its brothers, the Fire boasts a gorgeous seven-inch, multi-touch color display as opposed to other Kindles’ eInk display.
The Kindle Fire runs on a heavily modified version of Google’s Android OS and gives users full access to Amazon’s book and app library, as well as the company’s cloud service for streaming movies and music.
Partner that with Netflix and Hulu Plus support, shoppers can’t go wrong with this tablet priced for only $200.
One downside of the Fire is the seven-inch display seems a bit small for viewing magazines and comic books. A nine or 10-inch screen would have been much better.
Speaking of larger screens, an impressive tablet supporting a high resolution 10-inch is the Asus Eee Pad Transformer.
Running Android 3.2 (aka Honeycomb), the tablet has a snappy and responsive user interface.
What makes the Transformer so distinctive is its ability to do just what its name says — transform. Aside from being a multi-touch tablet, it can also be plugged into a keyboard dock and used like a laptop.
This helps with typing long papers or blogs while giving users the option of easier portability.
The Transformer also features a dual-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras, two USB ports, an SD reader and a decent battery.
The Transformer runs around $400 and an extra $150 for the keyboard dock.
But a fair warning: when buying an Android tablet, be sure to confirm it receives an update to the new 4.0 version (a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich) before you buy it. You don’t want to be left with an out-of-date tablet only a month after purchase.
Of course, the grand-daddy of tablets is the iPad 2. But do you need me to tell you anymore about Apple’s Jesus Tablet?
It’s clearly the most impressive tablet on the market, as much as that pains me to say, its price starts at $500.
While all of the aforementioned tablets on the market can play games, real gaming takes place on the big screen. And I have a few good suggestions to make your loved ones happy while simultaneously causing them to never leave the couch again.
Arguably the biggest game of this year is Bethesda’s “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.”
“Skyrim” is a fantasy RPG with unlimited quests, deep character building and enough content to last forever. The game hasn’t even been out a month yet and many gamers have already spent more than 100 hours exploring the lands of Skyrim.
Another gorgeous game every PlayStation 3 owner should have is “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.” With stunning cinematics and fantastic gameplay, developer Naughty Dog continues to strike gold with its “Uncharted” series.
Lastly comes a game I unfortunately have not had a chance to play, but I hear nothing but great things about “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.”
Utilizing the enhanced motion control of the Wii Motion Plus controller, “Skyward Sword” pushes the envelope of what the Wii can really do. It received high marks from both critics and gamers around the globe.
Now that I’ve got you covered for holiday shopping, good luck on finals, traveling safe during the break and have a Merry Christmas!
 
Adam Arinder is a 22-year-old communication studies senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.
 
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Contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]