To make life easier for digital shutterbugs, consider Lexmark's new P450 photo printer. This $299 device can print photos directly from iPods, digital cameras, and flash cards/ memory sticks without the need for an intervening PC. The P450 also has a built-in CD-RW burner, so that you can create photo disks on the spot. It even has a flip-up LCD screen, so that you can see the photos before you print them. For more info, go to www.lexmark.com.

A good quick-pick gift is extra RAM memory for a computer. Few geeks ever have enough of the stuff. Adding additional RAM gives virtually any computer the ability to handles its tasks faster and more smoothly. Before you buy, it's crucial to learn what format of memory your target's computer runs. To do this, call up the system specs on their PC, so that you can learn how much and what kind of memory the motherboard uses and how much they've got. A faster and safer way to find out is to complain to your 'giftee' about your own system's inadequate memory, and wait for them to bemoan their system's shortcomings in excruciating detail. Trust me. This tactic usually works. Some manufacturers that I rely on for memory strips are Corsair Memory (www.corsairmemory.com), Crucial Technology (www.crucial.com), and SimpleTech (www.simpletech.com). Corsair's XMS Xpert series modules are designed to be seen through a gaming case's clear side window: They come with programmable LED displays on their ends that allows you to create customized 'message crawls' such as "Danger, Will Robinson!" or whatever suits you. Crucial's gold-encased Ballistix DDR2 memory strips offer high-end performance and good looks, while SimpleTech's memory upgrades offer cost-effective improvements that fit most Christmas budgets.

Then there's USB keys -- surely one of the hottest trends to hit the quick-pick gift category. By providing up to 1GB of memory capacity or more on a keychain-carryable piece of memory, USB keys are a great gift option.There are lots of them out there, so shop around. If you need a suggestion, consider the SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Smart Drive. About the size of a stick of gum -- a bit shorter, and two times as wide -- the U3-powered Cruzer Micro stores files and data for easy carriage. Better yet, this password-protected USB key can hold all your web browser permissions and settings. When you disconnect it from whatever PC you are using, nothing is left behind.The Cruzer Micro comes with CruzerSync software which captures your Outlook e-mail settings. This allows you to access your e-mail on any web-connected PC, then update your own Outlook file back at the office by plugging the Cruzer Micro into your PC. The 1-GB Cruzer Micro costs $120, and the 512 MB model costs $65.

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