The Season's Hottest Tech Gadgets for Tween and Teen Girls

With Christmas and the holidays just around the corner, you may be struggling to find the perfect gift for the teen or tween girl on your list. Look no further than the electronics aisle. These smart gift ideas will have your tech-savvy girl singing your praises -- even if you need her to tell you how they work!

HOT ITEM:
Digital Video and Photo

Why she'll love it:
For the drama queen, director, budding actress or photographer, a digital camera or digital video camera is an essential. Whether they're just sharing with friends, posting on YouTube or developing the next reality hit, they're ready to step behind the lens. And maybe she'll capture a few special moments for the family archives along the way.

What to buy:
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The Flip Video and Flip Ultra make capturing memories easy. The small size of the Flip makes it a portable, take anywhere solution, and its built-in software makes it easy to view, edit and share video. Upload videos to share with friends or use the included cable to watch your videos on TV. Compatible with Windows XP and Vista as well as Mac OSX. The Flip Video offers 640x480 video resolution with 280x120 pixels screen resolution -- starts at $119 for 512MB of storage (30 minutes) in basic silver only or $149 for 1GB of storage (60 minutes), with an option of silver or black. The Flip Ultra offers 640x480 video resolution with a 528x132 pixel screen resolution - starts at $149 for 1GB (30 minutes) in black or silver and $179 for 2GB (60 minutes), available in silver, black, orange or pink. (Other colors and configurations available depending on retailer and model.)

The Nikon Coolpix L14 7.1MP Camera with 3x Optical Zoom comes in a girl's signature color -- pink. And this camera is not just a watered-down version of mom's and dad's high-tech gear. She'll be able to take archive- and print-quality photos. Retailing for around $119 (in some retail outlets). And if pink's not her thing, try the HP 7.2MP Photosmart R742V, which comes in hot lime green and retails for around $129, or the Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2 MP, which comes in blue (or hot pink), and retails at around $139 (on Amazon.com). You'll want to have your camera ready when she opens this gift!

Getting Tech-y:
Any digital camera or video camera will likely require at least skimming through the manual, but these are user-friendly and, for the most part, ready for action. She'll be using her new gear within a few minutes out of the box. You may want to look into buying additional memory, tripods or other accessories.

HOT ITEM:
LeapFrog FLY Fusion Pentop Computer

Why she'll love it:
Not only is this a fun little gadget, it's actually a powerful hand-held computing device. As a personal assistant for helping with homework, the FLY stores everything you write (on its special paper), can upload it to your computer and then convert your text into a document. For tweens, this means notes taken at school can be automatically transformed into word processing documents. Other available features include spell check, step-by-step help with homework, translation tools, games and trivia. It can also download and play MP3s and additional software packages expand the capabilities.

What to buy:
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The FLY Fusion Pentop Computer retails for around $79 and comes with a Fusion notebook, World application, 13 FLY fusion games and USB cable. Optional learning programs, including Spanish, Music Studio, Algebra, Writing, Journal, Brain Teasers, Multiplication and Division and more, retail for $10 and up. Also available is a memory expansion cartridge which provides an extra 64MB of memory. Fusion notebooks are required for some functionality -- a 160-page notebook retails for about $8.

Getting Tech-y:
The FLY Fusion is currently not compatible with Mac operating systems and only works with compatible FLY Fusion software and accessories (FLY 1.0 products are not compatible).

HOT ITEM:
MP3 player

Why she'll love it:
Teens (and tweens) and music, well, they go together. Music is a part of her self-discovery. She'll love an MP3 player because it's a tech gadget must-have -- it puts her in control of her musical destiny. She chooses her music, builds her playlists and can take it with her just about anywhere.

What to buy:
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The hottest MP3 player, according to tween buzz, is the iPod touch -- hands down. Featuring the touch screen originally unveiled on the iPhone, the Touch has a 3.5" multi-touch interface screen and lets them store music, videos and photos. With built-in Wi-Fi, they can browse the web and download music directly from iTunes. At around $299 for an 8GB model and $399 for a 16GB, this gadget is a significant purchase by most standards.

An alternative to the Touch, the 80GB Zune - yes, that's up to 10 times the storage of the Touch -- retails for around $250 (at specific retailers), has a 3.2" color LCD screen and stores music, photos and video.

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For about half the price of the Touch, the new 4GB iPod Nano is available in an array of colors for $149 on Apple.com -- or opt for an 8GB model at $199. Like the Touch, the new Nano has a video feature, but at just 2", the screen is significantly smaller. A similar player, the Zune, with its 1.8" screen, also comes in multiple colors and in with either 4 or 8GB of storage. Prices start at slightly lower than the Nano; the 4GB model comes in at about $135.

Other options in this category include 8GB Sony Walkman Video MP3 Player -- with either a 1.8" or 2" screen.

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At just $40, Creative's 2GB MuVo V100 will make the kids -- and your wallet -- happy. At just under 2" long, this little player plugs into a USB drive, so you can move files and music directly from your computer. The MuVo also features a built-in voice recorder with playback and comes in a variety of colors. Of course, iPod lovers can still find a friend in the Shuffle for around $79. The latest generation iPod Shuffle features a clip so it can be easily attached to clothing.

You'll find there are many players on the market which fit comfortably between these two in pricing and features. They vary greatly in style, color and functionality.

Getting Tech-y:
Not all players are created equally, so be sure to compare and check specifications before purchasing a player. Apple's iPods generally support music formats: MP3, AIFF, WAV, AAC and the protected AAC from iTunes, among several others, as well as specific video and photo formats depending on the player. Zune supports the MP3 format as WMA and AAC. Video and photo support also varies.

HOT ITEM:
Alarm clock

Why she'll love it:
Love an alarm clock? Like the puppy that wakes you with a lick on the face or the cat that jumps on your head, these multi-functional gadgets will be the morning friend she'll love to hate and can't help but love. Whether she starts the day by hitting snooze repeatedly, buries the alarm under a pillow or simply refuses to be ushered by the blaring beep-beep-beep, this year's high-tech alarms will strike the right chord. And for those who simply desire a customizable awakening, these clocks that will get them moving to the beat of their own drum.

What to buy:
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Forget waking up to the radio or the annoying built-in buzzer, today's iPod-compatible alarm clocks let them start the day on their own terms. Among the top-of-the-line alarm clocks for iPods, you'll find the JBL On-Time. With its distinct "O"-shaped speaker, which provides 360 degrees of sound, the JBL is style, cool and functionality wrapped in one. Dock any iPod (according to the manufacturer's description) and wake up to your own music. It's loaded with many other features and charges your iPod when docked. The JBL On-Time retails for about $199 and up and is available in white and black.

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There are also iPod alarm clocks aplenty in the $99 and under category. Among those are the Timex iHome iH4P, which retails from around $49, and the iH8S, from about $99. The Philips Clock Radio with iPod Dock retails from around $69, and the iLuv iPod Alarm Clock, which if you have a video-capable iPod lets you connect to watch your favorite videos on your TV (also supports other iPod models), retails from around $89.

On the lower end, RadioShack carries the Accurian Alarm Clock for iPod. Compatible with most dockable iPods, the Accurian lets you snooze in 9-minute intervals while you wake to your music. With the look of a classic alarm clock (think round face, two bells on top), the low-tech look offers a high-tech alarm solution for just $19.97 (RadioShack online).

And finally, there's Clocky, a girl's best friend. Clocky doesn't hold your iPod and rouse you with pre-selected melodies. Instead, this cute as button little guy (or girl as you see fit) rolls and jumps away, scampering off of your nighstand for a place to hide. When the alarm sounds again, it's up to you to find Clocky! Clocky has a small "body" which displays the time and two multi-terrain tires that allow him to roll over floors, carpeting and other surfaces. Retailing for about $49, Clocky is adorable and effective at getting snoozers out of bed.

Getting Tech-y:
In this category, the technology is pretty easy to use. If you're purchasing an iPod-compatible alarm clock, be sure that your specific iPod model is supported. Some include dock adapters and may not be suitable for all iPods.

A Holiday with All the Bells and Whistles
Our tweens and teens love technology and there's no shortage of new and improved items on the market. Whether she's a bookworm, an artistic type, a music fiend or just a late riser, you're sure to find something on this list that will fit your budget and feed her need for cool technology.