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Last minute tech gifts - what you'll find online

While it's always nice to unwrap a present, it's the thought that counts.

While it's always nice to unwrap a present, it's the thought that counts. You can run to a store on Christmas Eve like you usually do, but the truth is that a lot of people will be just as happy to wake up on Christmas morning to virtual presents on their consoles, smart phones and computers.

That's right. All you need to play Santa these days is a credit card and a few minutes online.

For the Apple Aficionado - If you go onto the iTunes Store there's a link on the right navigation bar titled "Buy iTunes Gifts." You can give e-mail gift certificates, print out your own gift certificates to stuff into cards, or give specific gifts - music, movies, games, TV shows and books - that you think a person would enjoy. Be creative - you can give the teenage girl in your life the complete Twilight saga in ebook form, as well as the movies, or a complete discography to a family member of their new favourite band. You can even download a whole season of their favourite television shows. And you can give a gift that keeps on giving by setting up an allowance account that will dole out cash every month through the rest of the year.

Two of the Apps I've enjoyed lately and recommend picking up or giving are:

Infinity Blade - At $6, this is probably my favourite iPod/iPhone game so far. You play a knight attacking a god in his fortress, dueling his minions as you go while leveling up your character, armour and weapons. You're not meant to win, but to get as far as you can before you die - then come back 20 years later as the son of the previous character with all his fathers' weapons and experience. The controls are amazing, and without question this is the best-looking - as well as the fastest selling game - in Apple App history.

TuneIn Radio - If you've got decent WiFi at home and a good iPod/iPhone dock, this App is a must have for $2. You can browse through literally thousands of radio stations and bookmark your favourites for easy access. My list includes CBC Radio 3, CBC Radio 1, 3WK Underground Radio, BBC 1, BBC xTra, Indie 103.1 - the list is long and getting longer as I explore.

For the PC Primo - If the PC lover in your life is a gamer, then consider buying credits at Steam (http://store.steampowered.com), Good Old Games (www.gog.com), or Games for Windows (www.gamesforwindows.com). You could also spring for a year of EVE Online (www.eveonline.com) or Warcraft (www.blizzard.com).

If your giftee is into movies and television, you could also purchase them a one-year Netflix account. The Canadian selection (www.netflix.ca) is pretty rough still, but getting better as new titles are added every week. At $9 per month that's $108 for a whole year of entertainment.

If the gift is for someone with a massive music collection, then consider purchasing them Media Monkey Gold - widely considered to be the best music organizer out there. The free version is pretty good, but a serious audiophile won't mind spending $20 for features like the file manager and automatic leveling when burning music to disk.

If the gift is for a practical person, consider getting an upgrade to Windows 7 or purchasing the latest Microsoft Office. Or upgrading to Snow Leopard and purchasing iWork if the person is a Mac user.

For the Console Crowd: all three of the major consoles offer Netflix streaming, as well as the online purchase of games. You can also preload an account with dollars or points, whatever system is used, so players can choose their own downloads.

For Xbox 360, I recommend popular Xbox Live titles like Super Meat Boy, Limbo, Deathspank, Quake Arena, Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, Bomberman, Worms II, Family Game Night, etc. You can also purchase entire games, providing you have the hard drive space and a bit of patience.

For Playstation 3, the PSN network also offers a wide range of games for download. Some of the top-rated titles include Dead Nation, Pain, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Trine, Wipeout HD, Comet Crash, Joe Danger, Flower, and more. You can also download full games.

For the Wii Virtual Console, the top game downloads are the original Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Paper Mario, Super Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Bit Trip Runner, World of Goo and Pokemon Rumble.

For the Last Minute Romantic: Your wife or girlfriend is probably not going to want Super Mario Kart on Christmas day, but there are other options. Like tickets to a concert or sporting event (www.ticketmaster.ca). Or a vacation to hang out on a beach somewhere (www.cheaptickets.ca, www.flightcentre.ca, www.expedia.ca, www.westjet.ca, www.aircanada.ca) - just cut out a picture of a beach and put it in a card, along with a copy of the travel itinerary.

Most online retailers offer e-mail gift certificates, including www.amazon.ca, chapters.indigo.ca, futureshop.ca, bestbuy.ca and more.

It should also be said that most of Whistler's retail stores offer gift certificates, and that everybody in town could probably use some new gear of some description or other. Support local stores when you can, and they'll be there for many Christmases to come.