Holiday Tech: Gadgets and Gifts

Looking for new, impressive, yet useful electronic gift ideas? Look no further than The Computer Learning Center's presentation on "Holiday Tech: Gifts and Gadgets" scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, with technology consultant and author Douglas Dixon. Dixon's round-up and demos of this year's most tempting new products will begin at 2 p.m. in the Ewing Senior and Community Center at 999 Lower Ferry Road. The program, which is part of the CLC's continuing "Computer Tips and Tricks" series, is free and no prior registration is required. It will be preceded at 1:30 p.m. by "Q and A's with the CLC Faculty" during which attendees can address their general computer questions to members of the Center's faculty.

"'Tis the season to spread joy, and there's a lot of electronic gadgets ready to be part of the fun," says Dixon. "The question is: Are these cool things really useful? Can one smartphone do it all, or do you still need a camera, media player, and an e-reader? And can a tablet really replace a laptop for serious use?" Dixon plans to explore and demonstrate some of these latest alternatives for today's mobile and connected lifestyle. "We'll ponder those deep questions: iPhone or Android? iPad or Kindle Fire or Nook? Paper or plastic?"

Dixon is an independent technology consultant, author and speaker specializing in digital media and portable devices. Previously a product manager and software developer for Intel and the Sarnoff Corporation, he now consults in commercial and military technology analysis and communications and provides expert witness services. He is the author of four books on digital media whose numerous feature articles have appeared in such publications as "Videomaker" magazine and "U.S. 1" newspaper in Princeton. His articles and technical references are available on his Manifest Technology blog and his web site at Manifest-Tech.com.

Dixon served as editor-in-chief of "Mediaware" magazine and as technical editor of "Camcorder & Computer Video" magazine. Over the past decade, he has also presented over a hundred lectures on digital media to a variety of professional organizations and at numerous conferences.