The Best Gadgets of 2008

Wii Fit

Earlier this spring, I remember standing outside of my local K-Mart at 5:30 a.m. hoping to get my very own Wii Fit. Long story short, the store lied. They received Wiis, not Wii Fits, and after standing in line for two hours, we went home. Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending! Next week they received a shipment and I was the first to get one!

iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G hit stores back in July. Two years after its initial release, many were stoked about this newer model. It’s a little bit sleeker. It’s a whole lot faster. But anyone who’s used it knows why his phone is so great. It has nothing to do with looks; it has EVERYTHING to do with the App. Store.

The applications you can download (and many for free!) make the phone. I recently purchased an iPhone and while I’m not sold on the phone itself, the apps are the reason why Verizon is losing one more customer.

BlackBerry Bold

The BlackBerry Bold is my favorite out of the BlackBerry family of phones. It has a very elegant design and RIM boasts that it doesn’t sacrifice features or function for the beautiful interface.

With WordToGo and SlideshowToGo, you can work on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint slides while on the go. Copy and paste, adjust font formatting and more. Is it sad that this makes me excited?!

Google's Android

Google’s Android was introduced to phone-buyers back in September. T-Mobile’s G1 didn’t seem to grab interest the same way the BlackBerry Storm or new iPhone did, but enough interest was drawn up to make it one of the top gadgets of 2008.

It’s similar to the iPhone, but the touchscreen can swivel out to show off the full QWERTY keyboard.

Access to the Android market for new apps and Amazon MP3 for music purchases.

The G1 comes with a trackball for one-handed navigation.

Flip Mino HD

The N.Y. Times refers to it as one of the year’s most significant electronic products. This lightweight device is a must have for anyone. It records up to 60 minutes of “720p high definition video encoded in H.264 MP4 at 30 frames per second on its 4GBs of internal storage.” I think a fellow Tweeter said it best, “[It’s] HD video in your pocket. WANT.” (Thanks Jared for your suggestion!)

MacBook Air

The World’s thinnest notebook was announced at MacWorld back in January. Thanks to that catchy commercial with “New Soul” playing in the background everyone knew about the Mac Air.

“The super-thin silver device comes with an LED backlit display, a 13.3-inch widescreen display, a built-in iSight camera, a full-sized keyboard, and a trackpack that supports multi-touch gesture support. The best part: The MacBook Air has an aluminum case, a mercury-free and arsenic-free glass display, and the circuit boards are BFR free and PVC free—making it environmentally friendly!”

In fall of 2008 the new and improved Airs got a big boost in hard drive, better graphics, and are now only $1,799.

New iPod Nano

I think these are my favorite yet. Last year’s Nano was short and chubby, these lovelies are sleek and colorful! They provide a more personal touch I think.

What else is new? Now you can view album art in Cover Flow, shake and shuffle and the new Genius feature.

New MacBooks

The MacBooks received a makeover inside and out in 2008! They are cheaper, lighter and they have a one-button glass trackpad plus a black glass display!

The Peek

The Peek ($99) is an email-only device that attracts the less-is-more consumer. It’s marketed toward the people who don’t want to sign up for a 1- or 2-year contract for a smartphone. Many features go unused on their phones. The Peek allows them to keep their current phone and plan while still keeping them connected to their inboxes.

BlackBerry Storm

The BlackBerry Storm is the first touchscreen BlackBerry released by RIM. Exclusive to Verizon, this BB hit the market only a month ago.

Originally priced at $499, the BB Storm’s release was delayed to a software glitch. During that time RIM decided in order to compete with the iPhone that the price needed to drop. And so it did, to $199.

Personally I haven’t heard too many great reviews from people who have this phone, but what do you expect from a first generation BB touch? The awesome thing is that RIM and BlackBerry are finally moving ahead and creating the touch phone at all. I imagine the second generation phone will be a pretty big deal.