There are plenty of options for that gizmo-loving gadget-head on your list

With the holiday shopping season looming, high-tech gifts are a good option. And there are plenty of possibilities -- from the expensive to the really, really cheap. Here's a look at some of the gadgets, gizmos and accessories that are suitable for gift-giving this year:

□ This may be a Blu Christmas. With more people getting big-screen, high-definition TV sets, the difference between a DVD image and an uncompressed Blu-ray image is more striking than ever. More movies and TV shows are becoming available in Blu, and this year has seen the Blu-ray debuts of such classics as The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca, as well as such recent hits as Star Trek and Watchmen.

Disney is encouraging buyers of such movies as Up and Monsters Inc. to make the leap by providing both the DVD and Blu-ray versions in the same package, and some other studios are releasing their movies bare-bones on DVD and loaded with extras on Blu-ray. Prices of players are expected to drop lower than ever this holiday season, possibly even getting under the $100 mark.

□ The Cyberus Smart Info Engine ($249.99, in stores or at Buy.com) is a digital multimedia player with a large 7-inch, LCD color screen and a touch-screen interface that combines eBook reader, audio and video player, photo displayer, and more, all without having to squint at a small

screen. It also has Wi-Fi applications for weather, news, YouTube, driving directions, and a wide array of tools, all packaged in a stylish leather case.

□ The Unotron Washable Keyboard ($45.99 for corded, $79.99 for wireless, www.unotrononline.com) is a good option for the spill-prone, or those who are worried about germs. The "SpillSeal Technology" allows users to rinse and clean their keyboards in the sink without ruining them. Washable versions are also available for mice ($49.99-69.99) and Smartcard readers ($24.99).

□ Hasbro's Clue: Secrets & Spies ($24.99, in stores) takes the classic board game and adds an espionage theme with a high-tech twist. Players take on the roles of undercover agents trying to thwart the dastardly Criminal League for Ultimate Espionage (C.L.U.E. for short). The board game includes a "spy light" that illuminates hidden clues on cards, and players punch in their cell-phone numbers to get game-changing text messages during the course of the game.

□ Fans of The Simpsons who follow all of Homer's shenanigans can now follow his directions as well. The Homer Voice GPS System Download (Tom Tom, $12.95, www.tomtom.com/simpsons) is a download that changes a Tom Tom GPS system to speak in the voice of the animated sitcom star.

□ Looking for a cute stocking stuffer? Make organizing loose cables a little more fun with Animal Utility Clips ($0.55 each, www.cableorganizer


.com), little cable holders designed to grasp wires and keep them in place. There are 30 designs, including gators, dinosaurs, sharks and plenty more.

□ Lionel Trains has a new toy train set devoted to the film A Christmas Story ($139.99, at Target stores). The G-Gauge train set has a locomotive, two boxcars, a remote control ,and even a miniature reproduction of the film's famous leg lamp.

□ Customize your laptop, phone or gaming device with DIY GelaSkins ($14.95 to $29.95 depending on the device, www


.gelaskins.com) vinyl protective covers with anti-scratch, anti-UV coating. Users go the Web site, select a device, upload the art (photos of family, pets, art you've done; but no copyrighted images, please) and lay out the image. The GelaSkins are mailed one to two days later. Custom designs can also be shared on Facebook and Twitter. If you're not feeling creative, the site has plenty of cover designs by artists.

□ Remember Pleo, the gentle interactive robotic pet dinosaur? She's got some fierce competition in Mattel's D-Rex ($140, in stores), a cartoonish little beast that roams around, responds to its user and performs up to 30 different actions, adapting its behavior patterns based on how the user plays with it. Looking for something a bit cheaper? The Screature interactive dinosaur ($35, in stores) snaps, coos, growls and spits water at his prey.

tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.



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