Tech Gadgets: The Top 11 Stocking Stuffers

'Tis the season to be jolly and to find interesting gifts for your tech-minded friends and family. I set myself a budget of up to US$80 per gift (fortunately, only one product here costs that much; most are a lot less) and scoured the Internet to find fun uses for your precious dollars.

I came up with new ways to charge mobile devices, use digital photos, and cool and pamper a hot laptop; I also found gift cards with fun technologies built in, and much more.

If you don't find what you need here, we have other good holiday slide shows for you to check out. Try "Video Games: The 12 Best Holiday Bets" and "Celebrity Tech Gift Guide 2008."

eTape Digital Measuring Tape

Need a stocking stuffer for a tool lover? I'm a tool hound, and I'm lusting for this battery-powered eTape Digital Measuring Tape ($25). (Note: At posting time, the Web site said you may have a waiting period of one to three weeks, until the device is back in stock.)

After you take your measurements, you just push a button on the device and it will "memorize" and display the figure on its easy-to-read display. That makes it so easy to grab the pencil and write it down!

The Digital Measuring Tape turns on automatically when the tape is extended, and off when fully retracted back into the case. It can measure up to 16 feet, and will display the results in five different formats.

This is one gift that really measures up!

Belkin Flythru Laptop Case

If you're looking for a gift for a techie who travels a lot, the Belkin Flythru Laptop Case ($60) may be just the ticket. Nothing is more irritating than pulling a notebook out of its case when going through airport security--while whipping off your belt and juggling your shoes.

This case would spare you at least part of the TSA shuffle. The bag isolates your laptop on one side and all of its accessories on the other. The notebook side has a clear window, so when you unzip the case and put it flat on the checkpoint belt, the TSA agents can easily see your PC. There's no need to remove it from the case. The Flythru also is built with a minimum of metal hardware and zippers to be more security friendly, and it fits most standard and wide-screen laptops up to 15.4 inches wide.

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