By Richard Park
7 November 2008

The economy sucks. The retailers are shaking in their storefronts wondering how they’ll survive. And even though you’ve probably been cutting back on, well, pretty much everything, that doesn’t excuse you from having to buy at least a few gifts. So if you’re feeling lost, let us guide you. This week starts our Holiday Gift Guide.  We’ll bring you some must-have gifts that won’t launch you into the stratosphere of debt.

Shure Headphones. Sure they are headphones, but these are no ordinary headphones.  These are the most noise canceling, best sounding, comfortable headphones that man has ever created to enhance our listening pleasure.  You can now hear just about every instrument from your favorite artists like the ear bleeding perverse poison of Akon to the hillbilly uneducated lyrics of Nickelback.  Shure Headphones are created from studio-grade components to make sure you have the best sound possible. It’s as if you were there with the band recording their tracks.  Shure headphones come in various styles and range from $50 to the mid $300’s. 

Apple iPod Nano Chrome. To go along with your Shure headphones, the iPod Nano Chrome is the newest addition to the iPod family.  It’s a little bit bigger than the predecessor but it still has all the features from before and more.  With a built in Accelerometer the screen will now turn in whatever direction you turn the iPod.  The shuffle option still exists but now the idea of a shuffle comes to life when you shake your iPod and it shuffles to a different song.  The iPod comes in two types the 8gig ($149) and 16 gig ($199) versions.  They also come in with nine different colors.  This should be a popular stocking stuffer for the Holidays.