New York Tech Christmas List

With the holidays upon us it’s time to tap into the latest tech for gift giving.

First, get the Listly browser plugin to create your wish list. This simple browser tool enables you to capture images and product details for anything you desire online. Unlike many other bookmarking and cataloging tools (e.g. ffffound, enjoysthin.gs, Listly creates lists of what you gather and creates a sort of gift registry.

When you’ve added a few items to your list you can share it with your friends and family by email, spread it online through social networks, then use Listly to update the list and easily send thank you notes to all of the adoring fans who lavish you with gifts. To see it in action (and get a look at the other products here), click here and check out a list I created in just a few minutes.

If you look closely at that list you’ll see a couple of items I discovered last night at the New York Tech Meetup. The first of those is a custom 3D product from Shapeways, a physical print-to-order platform that enables anyone to easily create custom prototypes and one-of-a-kind gifts using interactive 3D design tools right on the web site.

With accuracy down to .1mm, you can be sure that your vanity doll, Escher-inspired paperweight or gorgeous new line of jewelry will be faithfully produced by the Shapeways printers. Better still, many will be excited to know that Shapeways is setting up a fabrication and shipping facility in New York State for North American buyers. So despite the surprisingly reasonable pricing, you can still be confident that your purchase is also supporting jobs right here at home.

Next, the panoramic “dot” camera from Kogeto. I have to admit that I always look at the myriad little camera attachments as silly trinkets that will never get much use, but after seeing this one demonstrated I became an immediate fan. More than just a tricky panoramic lens, Kogeto has created a fully developed media system that enables true 360 degree maneuvering in any recorded situation. The lens captures a full 360 view and the image is then processed in such a way that you can adjust your perspective during playback, creating an additional dimension to any video. After shooting and uploading you can publish your video anywhere online with the Kogeto video player.

This may seem like just a cool trick at first, but it may also usher in a new era in personal photography. Video geeks have been waiting for something this seamless since Quicktime VR was released back in 1994. However popular the Dot becomes, the next step is hopefully going to be a professional kit. If they ever produce a lens for cameras like the Canon 5D and 7D you’ll start to see some truly radical new work from filmmakers and news agencies.

And finally, buying wine for the holidays is easy with Lot18. One of the best new companies of the last decade, Lot18 provides a simple way to buy a unique, high quality wine at a reasonable price for your favorite connoisseur. The site offers a dedicated page for elegant corporate gifts that have been specially curated for the holiday season, and a Lot18 gift certificate is always a safe bet.

Whether or not you’re buying wine as a gift, their skilled team provides reliable reviews of every bottle and often brings in new discoveries that you won’t find anywhere else. So if you’ve ever wanted to discover new wines without breaking the bank, sign up now and try it out.

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