Every holiday season new gadgets and gizmos appear to entice buyers to purchase. Of course, One of the hottest gadgets this holiday season will be the Apple iPhone that lets you make and receive phone calls, listen to music and surf the Web, all with the flick of a finger on its touch screen. At $399 plus two years of AT&T service, the iPhone is a pretty pricey present. It you want the latest and the greatest at a slightly cheaper price, look at the iPod touch, starting at $299, with no additional fees. Although you cannot use it for phone calls, it has many of the other slick features of the iPhone.

Want an even less expensive present that can bring the whole family together? If everyone in the family has a computer, you should consider purchasing a webcam for each. This will allow you to talk to and see each other over the Internet. Most webcams have a built-in microphone so one device handles both the audio and video. Each user simply downloads and installs free software from Skype on their computer. You then use Skype to place a call from computer to computer. Everything is free. Using Skype video and the webcam is not only fun, but if you have family members who live far away, you can really save on long distance telephone charges. 

Most webcams are in the $30 to $50 range. You can get a webcam for as little as $10 or you can spend as much as $200. Just remember that with webcams, you get what you pay for. The better quality cams will give you clearer pictures and better audio.  You may, however, want to start with a cheap webcam. If you like it and use it a lot, you can upgrade to a more expensive model.

Another great gadget that you will see everywhere this season is the digital picture frame. While these digital displays have been around for years, this year they have finally become useful and affordable. Pandigital, Mustek, Kodak, and many others have digital frames available as low as $69. Some even have the ability to play music and hook up to a wireless network. Most have media card slots so you can take the picture card out of your camera, slide it into the frame, and have an instant slideshow. These make great presents for grandparents. Even if grandma doesn't have a computer, you can send a media card with pictures of the grandchildren and she can watch a digital slideshow of her little darlings. Luckily media cards have become so cheap that you won't mind purchasing an extra one for the picture frame.

Before you purchase a digital picture frame, be sure to check out the viewing angle of the screen. Look at the screen from the side to see if the picture is still clear. Remember that most picture frames will sit on a desk or table top. So place the frame at that level, then make sure it has a good, viewable picture whether you are looking at it while sitting or standing. If you get a good view from the side and from the top, you will be happier with your purchase.

This year you will even see digital picture frames that can be used as stocking stuffers. For as little as $15 you can find small devices that hold 10 or 20 pictures. These come in all shapes and sizes. Some can be hung on a keychain. Others are shaped like a credit card and can be carried in a wallet. Most come with a cable that hooks up to the computer and lets you download the pictures to the device. This allows you to load the frame with pictures before you stick it in that stocking.

If you have a youngster on your holiday list, check out the amazing high tech toys of the season. You are sure to have fun just looking at them. Many stores have demo units where you can try out the Wii, the hottest selling game console this year, or Halo 3, the hottest game for the Microsoft X-box. Don't miss the Oregon Scientific's talking globe, WoWee's robotic toys, and LeapFrog's many high tech educational toys for all ages.

There is no doubt that technology has become an integral part of our holidays. This year, both giving and getting high-tech devices is sure to be more fun than ever before.