Flip Mino HD: We tested basically every pocket camcorder in existence, and this was one of the best. It shoots 720p HD and is easy enough for your grandma to use. If you’re buying a gift for someone looking to experiment on a budget or simply shoot vacation videos, this is a great little cam. $AU298 [Flip]

Clapboard: No, I’m serious. Though this might just look like a cheesy prom prop (and that’s what it is), little has changed about the most recognised icon of the film industry. And for filmmakers, it’s still extremely handy in tracking good takes, and syncing sound, if needed. The novelty ones are cheap (and many are probably more for show); but splurge on a fancy dry erase version if you really love the recipient. $US2 to $US30 [Prom Wishes ; B&H]

Vintage Hollywood Photographs from Life Magazine: Vintage posters are neat, but I’d contend that these Life prints feel a tad more heart-felt. From Kubrick working on 2001 to Marilyn Monroe doing her thing, there are many gems to be found in Life’s archives. About $US100 [2001 Series; More Life Photos]

Iron Man Arc Reactor: Most people’s latent super powers are still off in hiding, but you never know when a nemesis will rip out your power core, forcing you to crawl across your home for a spare. Don’t look at the Iron Man Arc Reactor as a superfluous purchase; see it as an investment your loved one’s health. $US150 [Museum Replicas]

Sony UWP-V1 Wireless Lavalier Mic: During my tenure in broadcast and commercial production, I found a good, wireless lavalier mic to be the most versatile tool in my bag. It can be hidden anywhere on a body/prop, and the pickup frequencies are surprisingly decent for foleying. Sony’s entry level mic, the UWP-V1, should serve any young filmmaker well. $US485 [B&H]

Kodak Five-Day Cinematography Workshop: Few of us will ever have the chance to shoot on real 35mm film. But Kodak’s boot camp will teach you the basics of 35mm cinematography and give you a chance to burn some 35mm stock while experts hold your hand. The tuition is by no means a non-factor, but come on, it’s pretty much the coolest fantasy camp without Michael Jordan or spaceships. The workshop is only offered in LA… $US2000 [Kodak]

DON’T BUY Back to the Future 2 Hat: I know, it’s neat you can buy this hat. But it looked dumb on Marty McFly and it will look even worse on whoever you give it to. [Amazon]

4K Red One Camera: Yes, the body itself starts at nor far under $US20,000 — without lenses, mounts, CF modules or pretty much anything you’ll need to use it. Yes, this camera is just as hard to shoot with as any full-fledged film camera (if not even harder). But it’s also the cheapest 4K camera you can acquire, and for the price of one extended 35mm camera rental, you’ll have a system that’s “free to use” again and again. Just make sure to gift those cinematography classes first. From $US17,500 [Red]

Don’t forget to recommend your own favourite gift ideas for movie buffs in the comments.

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favourite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We’ll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

Fact: 99% of holidays were invented by Hallmark back in 1623, and since then, yearly life has been punctuated by needless festive ceremony. Well here’s the stamp They Don’t Want You To Know About.

The “All-In-One Card Stamp” is, sadly, just a concept by Ji Lee. But hopefully there’s a good Samaritan out there who’s willing to poach this design for the good of humanity, preferably incorporating a forlorn Maxine into the design. [Please Enjoy via The Daily What]

Sergeant Kuffer Kaltenborn explains that “Heath Blom wanted a remote-controlled aeroplane for Christmas, and not the Wii,” unlike every other person on the planet under 30. The paper isn’t too clear on what exactly went down, but it appears that Blom acted like a real asshole in front of his grandparents and his girlfriend called him on it: “When he didn’t get the plane, he got really upset. He acted like a 10-year-old kid.”

One thing led to another, and she alleges that “He dragged me down two flights of stairs, by the hair,” Young said. Blom, on the other hand, says that he “stood in the doorway trying to block her. She punched me in the eye. She punched me three times. I said ‘That’s it.’ And I pulled her hair.” However it happened, both were hauled off by the cops and booked on misdemeanor charges of “domestic-related” simple assault.

Today’s holiday lesson: Don’t act like an ingrateful prick when you get a Wii for Christmas, or you will go to jail. Anyone else think an appropriate sentence would be giving the Wii (or several) to charity? [Boston Herald via Game Politics via Kotaku]

Overcoming Your Physical Limitations:

HAL Exoskeleton: First thing is first. In order to outwit your opponent and score the last minute deals you desire, you are going to need a strength and speed advantage. Renting a Hal Exoskeleton from Cyberdine will increase your strength up to 10x the norm—making it easy to lift heavy gifts and intimidate the weak. Sure, a rental costs about $US2,200—but you have to ask yourself: how bad do I want to win? [Cyberdine via Link]

iShoes: As mentioned, speed will also be a key to victory. These self-propelled shoes will help you travel the store at a whopping 21.7kph. [iShoes via Link]

Secure Your Prize:

Sonic Alarm Grenade: Once you have located your prize, you will need to secure it from the grubby hands of the holiday horde. Wearing a set of earplugs and pulling the pin on this sonic grenade should buy you a little breathing room. It packs an ear-splitting high decibel blast that can cut through a crowd like a knife. [Firebox via Link]

R/C Skunk: Speaking of cutting a path through a crowd, sending this realistic looking radio-controlled skunk down the store aisles should help clear the way. It even has a flickable tail to strike fear in the heart of your enemies. [TYNKE]

Security Briefs: These dummy skid-marked briefs are intended to be a secure place to hide your valuables, but placing them on top of the HDTV you want while you shop elsewhere works well too. [Baron Bob]

Cyber Clean: Like the security briefs, Cyber Clean goo can be repurposed for holiday horde fighting. Under normal use, the substance helps clean your keyboard. But sneezing and throwing it discreetly on the product you desire should help you secure it. Licking it and / or putting it down your pants is also effective. [Expert Verdict]

Misdirection:

Excuse Me, I’m a Reporter with a Camera: People will do anything for someone with a camera. Picking up an old shoulder-mount VHS camcorder and a cheap mic from eBay will give you free reign of the store. Posing as a local reporter covering the last minute holiday shopping crowds will help you cut through lines and grab the items you need with no resistance. You can even add a microphone flag for added authenticity. Sure, a VHS camcorder is a poor substitute for a modern, professional video camera—but amidst all of the chaos and the thrill of being on television, people are unlikely to notice. [eBay]

Protect Yourself:

Defender Hoodie: As we have learned from the horrific incident at Toys R Us this year, it is important to protect yourself from insane, gun-wielding shoppers. The Defender Hoodie is made from 2mm of Type IIA bulletproofing—enough to stop a 9mm full-metal-jacket round at a velocity of 1,090 feet-per-second. [Bladerunner via Link]

Umbuster Umbrella: Finally, as a last line of defence, the Umbuster knuckle-dusting umbrella will help you beat down mother nature and crazed holiday shoppers that would trample over their own grandmother to score a deal. [Sruli Recht via Link]

[Image via Zorpia]

To kill off the last few hours of Friday afternoon, we want you to tell us exactly what gadgets you’re planning on playing with over your Christmas break. Are you planning an Xbox marathon? A session with PS Home (which should only keep you busy for about an hour, if you’re lucky)? A new phone? A new TV? Tell us what gadgets will keep you busy over the next couple of weeks.
I’ve got a pile of stuff that I’ve been meaning to get around to looking at. There’s an iPhone case/charger, another iPhone charger, an Apple TV, a Dosh Wallet, another portable iPhone charger, The Xperia X1, another Windows Mobile phone I can’t talk about, an Epson projector, a mosquito clicker, a few Xbox, PS3, PSP and DS games that I haven’t yet had the chance to play (and likely won’t get through), and more stuff than I can really think of off the top of my head. Plus, I’m hoping Santa will bring me a heap of new Blu-ray films to keep me entertained for a while.

At least I’ll be busy.

What about you guys?

For most of us, money is tight this year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate for the holidays. Here is how to deck the halls without breaking the bank.

Trees:

Christmas Tree Projector: Don’t have the cash to blow on a tree and decorations this year? No worries, there are a few clever solutions to help you save some cash. This DIY Christmas tree projector throws a simple image of a tree onto your wall using three LEDs, a Picaxe 08M micro, a 9V battery, a plastic tube and a little bit of plywood. [Make]

Christmas Tree Poster: This Christmas tree poster gets the job done for only $US19—and cleanup is a snap. [Firebox via Link]

Cardboard Tree: Is a poster tree a little too ghetto for you? Then step up to three dimensions with one of these cardboard versions. Available for $US23. [Cardboard Tree via Inhabitat]

Beer Bottle Tree: Drinking a lot to forget your financial troubles? Good, then you should have a lot of empties lying around. Collect them to form your very own bottle tree. Plus, when all is said and done, you might be able to recycle them for some extra cash (depending on where you live of course). [Unbound Edition]

Decorations:

Black Market Christmas Lights: Did you know that there is a black market for Christmas lights? The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) warns against buying these counterfeits for safety reasons, but it’s hard to turn down a super deal. [Link]

USB Christmas Lights: Instead of decking out the whole house in decorations, perhaps you should focus your budget on the area where you spend the most time. The computer seems like a good bet, and these USB lights will only set you back $US18. [Brando]

DIY Felt Ornaments: This $US20 kit will supply everything you need to make your own felt ornaments embedded with LEDs. [Makershed]

Ambiance:

Yule a Go-Go: No fireplace? No problem. No woman? No problem. This burlesque yule log DVD provides both in a very, very bizarre way. Available for $US20 (Video is slightly NSFW). [Yule a Go-Go]

Food:

Christmas Toaster: If you need to downgrade the Christmas feast a little this year, this holiday-themed pop art toaster will add a festive touch to each piece of toasty bread. Available for $US25. [Baron Bob]

Hanukkah:

DIY LED Menorah: Christmas not your thing? We have you covered too with this LED mini-menorah kits. Each kit comes with all of the supplies necessary to make your own—and it will only set you back $US10. [Evil Mad Science via Link]

[Images via azrainman and tristanif]

Today is Black Friday, a day dedicated to our basest and most pathetic inclinations. The day after giving thanks for all that we have, we turn around and jump through horrible hoops to accumulate more at the insistence of sleazy, desperate retailers. It’s a nice summation of everything wrong with this country and the holiday season, an appropriately named cancerous mark on our calendars. Our behaviour today is the sort of thing an alien race would use as justification for our destruction. Let’s run through the specifics, shall we?

AU: Just a note guys – even though we don’t have Black Friday (or Thanksgiving) here in Australia, think of the Boxing Day sales here and you’ll get the same sort of idea as to why we’re doomed.

1. Deals in Exchange for Dignity
You know what sucks? Not being able to afford something you really want, like an HDTV, unless you sacrifice your dignity by camping out in front of a mall in below-freezing temperatures on a night that should be spent with your family. The insane early-hour doorbuster sales force people, especially people with lower incomes who rely on discounts and sales, to physically suffer for their purchases. No cheap Blu-ray player is worth that.

2. May the Worst Man Win
Once you’ve spent the night camped out in line in front of a store, knowing full well there aren’t enough discounted plasma TVs to go around, you turn into an animal. After all, if you leave empty handed you’ve wasted your entire night. So when those doors finally open, you don’t have a line of shoppers—you have a line of bloodthirsty, vicious monsters that aren’t afraid to throw a few elbows to get to that pallet of merchandise first.

3. Everyone Stinks of Desperation
In previous years, it was the shoppers who were desperate on Black Friday, with retailers playing the role of sleazy opportunists. But now, with a financial crisis in full, brutal swing, both sides are equally desperate. The retailers need the shoppers as much as the shoppers need the deals, putting a lot more on the line for everyone involved this year. It’s a sad situation, one that lends an extra air of patheticness to the whole ordeal.

4. Bait and Switch
One thing that’s consistent throughout all the Black Friday ads we’ve seen is that there aren’t actually many good deals to be had. Every store offers up a handful of legit deep discounts, of which they have an inadequate supply. They get you into the store with these deals, but unless you slept on a sidewalk the night before, you were basically suckered into coming in for nothing, nothing but the retailer’s hope that you’ll stick around and buy stuff at full price, like an idiot.

5. You Don’t Really Want This Crap
Even if you do score what you came for, they’re probably not actually the things you want. They’re what you’ll settle for. You’ve had your eye on a Garmin with voice command or a Samsung with LED backlighting, but they’re not on sale. So you suck it up and instead buy the more gimped Garmin (or even a TomTom) or the Samsung with the crappier contrast CCFL backlight. You can’t justify buying the top product when the step-down is so insanely discounted. Black Friday has totally removed the satisfaction of researching a particular product and buying it because you really want it.

6. Seasonal Employees are Idiots
Every holiday season, retailers hire fresh meat to work for a month or two to help handle the rise in demand. Guess what? They don’t train them very well and these seasonal workers could give a shit about the company they’re working for. Bad combo! When you’re trying to buy something expensive like an HDTV, you want to ask questions from someone who both knows what they’re talking about and at least has a mild interest in you having a positive experience. Seasonal employees provide neither of these things.

7. There Will Be Blood
Every year boatloads and boatloads of people show up for Black Friday sales, and every year retailers can’t handle it. Maybe they won’t be set up for the line and it’ll be disorganised, leading people to fight for spots. Or maybe the registers will go down, leading to insanely long waits to check out. But something will invariably go wrong—very wrong—making your shopping experience even worse, if that’s even possible.

8. The Kickoff of the Advertising Clusterfuck
Nothing ruins the holidays like advertising. Every year it gets more cynical, with fat guys in Santa suits promoting everything from beers to debt consolidation. You can’t turn on the TV without being assaulted by some schmaltzy crap designed to twist your positive memories of the holiday season into an impetuous purchase. Nothing flushes my feelings of goodwill towards my fellow man down the toilet like seeing a line of Walmart cashiers playing Christmas songs with their register lights.

9. Buying Presents Sucks
This might be a dickish point, but come on. Deep down, you agree. Going out and shopping for other people is no fun. Sure, giving stuff to people feels great, but the actual act of going to a store, finding something and buying it and then not actually having anything for yourself to justify this sacrifice? It’s for the birds. Holiday shopping is a hellish, hellish experience, and the warm fuzzies you get from giving someone a gift don’t quite make up for the shitshow it requires you to put up with.

10. You’re Poor
Seriously, what the hell are you doing buying this stuff anyway? You don’t have any savings, you live paycheck to paycheck and if you haven’t been laid off yet you probably will be soon. Just because something is cheaper than it usually is doesn’t mean you have to buy it. You can go into debt just as easily buying shit when it’s on sale as you can buying shit when it’s full priced. Don’t get suckered by advertising. Give yourself the best gift of all this holiday season: being fiscally responsible.

The Mandarin’s top tier units feature Bang & Olufsen 65-inch plasma and 40-inch LCD televisions along with matching B&O 5-zone sound system, Creston TPMC-8X remote (ready to control your TV and air conditioning), LG Blu-ray/HD DVD combo player and an Xbox 360 to round it all out.

But to save some dough, we might “rough it” at the Elounda Peninsula in Crete, Greece. Starting at just US$630 a night for a junior suite (and peaking at around US$14,000 for the best rooms) they offer private beaches along with a 45-seat symmetrical shared theatre with Barco IQ-G300 projector. Hit the link for all of Sound & Vision’s top picks. [Sound & Vision]