Cool tools: last-minute gifts that are sure to please - Holiday Guide

Black Enterprise, Dec, 2002 by Sonya A. Donaldson

Nikon Coolpix 4300

Sporting 4.0 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom, the Nikon Coolpix 4300 digital camera is a sleek sharpshooter. Based on the design of the Coolpix 885, the 7.9-ounce camera features one-touch upload and uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. (www.nikonusa.com; $499)

SongPro

You might be too old to play with a Nintendo GameBoy, but you're never too old for SongPro. Simply plug in the multimedia device to listen to music (WMA and MP3 files) from your favorite artists, view photos, slides, and storybooks. (www.songpro.com; $99)

Motorola v70

Nothing screams cool like Motorola's v70 phone. It features a 300-degree swivel display and blue electro-luminescent light under a translucent keypad. It also offers 32 customizable ring tones, talk and text capabilities, and voice activation (www.motorola.com; $400)

Microsoft Mouse

If you're bound to your desk for most of the day, you know how important it is to have a good mouse. The Microsoft Optical Mouse Blue should add more than comfort to any desktop. It features a wide scroll wheel and accurate optical sensors, and runs on Mac and Windows-based PCs the astral blue finish adds a nice touch, too. (www.microsoft.com; $34.95)

DataPlay

Need to store more music, photos, and files? Check out DataPlay digital storage media. With up to 500MB of capacity. DataPlay lets you store hours of digital entertainment. (www.dataplay.com; $29.99 for a 3-pack)

T-Mobile Sidekick

Starsky had Hutch. Crockett had Tubbs. We alt need a good sidekick. The T-Mobile Sidekick from Danger is a cool device that's priced just right: a mobile phone with Internet capabilities such as Web browsing, e-mailing, and instant messaging. (www.danger.com; $200; service from T-Mobile, $39.99 per month)

Canon i850 Photo Printer

It might not be a stocking stuffer, but the Canon i850 photo printer will definitely fit on four desktop. With print speeds of 22 pages per minute (ppm) for black and white and 14 ppm for color, the speed demon also features a 2 picoliter ultrafine droplet for photo-realistic images at up to 4,8130 x 1,200 dots per inch. (www.canonusa.com; $199.95)

Iomega 750MB Zip Drive

If your business is growing, you've likely outgrown your low. capacity storage media Enter the 750MB Zip drive from Iomega. It transfers at rates up to 75MB/second (or 50x50x50 in CD-R terms). It's also backward compatible with 250MB and 100MB disks (read only). (www.iomega.com; $179.99, USB 2.0 version: $199.99, FireWire)

Jupiter PC Case by Skyhawk

Tired of that plain-old beige box? Consider the Jupiter PC Case from SkyHawk, which doesn't just put a prettier face an your PC (with lights and an optional side window)--it also includes a display that gauges your computer's temperature. It's perfect for those who prefer to build their own PCs and show off their handiwork. (www.skyhawk.usa.com; $99.95)