If you're a text messaging addict on a budget - and if you wear tight pants - check out the Pantech Slate. At less than 1 centimeter thick, the Slate is the "world's thinnest messaging device," so it just might fit in the back pocket of your skinny jeans. The phone's slim design, big QWERTY keyboard, and price point ($50 with a 2-year AT&T contract) are its main selling points, but it also offers a 1.3-megapixel camera, wireless Web browser, Bluetooth, and speakerphone. More AT&T phones.

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Getting directions from Point A to Point B does not have to cost as much as a cross-country plane ticket for the holidays. Sony now makes an affordable GPS unit that gets the job done nicely for under $200. Available in 3 colors, the Sony NV-U44 has a 3.5" touchscreen, text-to-speech functionality, and dual view mode with lane guidance. It's also got a photo viewer and what Sony calls Gesture Command, which sounds like what we do to drivers who cut us off, but is actually a feature that lets you "draw" on the screen. For example, making an upside down "V" (a symbol for a roof) on the screen means "take me home." More Sony GPS units.

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Pocket-sized camcorders have become quite popular this year, and thanks to the Kodak Zi6, they're now recording in HD. The new Flip MinoHD, a 3.3-ounce camcorder, lets you shoot up to an hour of 720p HD video on its 4GB of internal memory. Connect it to your computer using the built-in USB connection, and use its PC- and Mac-friendly software to you edit your masterpieces with your own music (and add titles and credits) before you publish them online. Have fun with it - make your own holiday greeting videos!

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PC Magazine calls the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5020FD 50" plasma TV "the best HDTV you can get," in part because the 1080p TV "delivers the best picture contrast of any HDTV available" and a "shoo-in" for their Editors' Choice award. CNET agrees, saying "Best-in-class black levels and excellent all-around performance places the Pioneer PDP-5020FD near the top of the picture quality heap." The TV has 4 HDMI inputs, 1 PC input, an antireflective screen, and lets you stream photos, music, and video over your home network. The MSRP is a staggering $4000, but you can get it for less than $2500 online. More Pioneer Kuro TVs.

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Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. Target now sells a gift card - for as little as $75 or as much as $1000 - that is also a functioning 1.2-megapixel digital camera. Or else it's a digital camera that's also a gift card. OK so that's not much resolution, but it might come in handy when trying to decide what to buy (at Target, of course). The card even comes with 40 free prints from the Target photo lab. The perfect holiday gift for the gadget lover on your list.

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