Still haven’t gotten all those holiday gifts? You still have a wee bit o’ time left. Whether you’re planning to run out to a brick and mortar store or you’re willing to test the limits of expedited shipping, here’s a quick rundown of ideas and info from our gift guide.

• Public Service Announcement: Holiday Shipping Deadlines
• Gift Guide 2009: Netbooks
• Gift Guide 2009: Portable Media Players
• Gift Guide 2009: Peripherals
• Gift Guide 2009: Smartphones
• Gift Guide 2009: Pocket Camcorders
• Gift Guide 2009: Headphones
• Gift Guide 2009: Gaming Consoles
• Gift Guide 2009: Wireless E-book Readers
• Gift Guide 2009: Toys
• Gift Guide 2009: Gifts for the Technologically Impaired
• The 5 rules of HDTV buying
• Bag Week Review Round-up

CrunchGear 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

The fine folks over at dealnews and Dealhack have put together a list of shipping deadlines for popular online retailers so you can make sure to get that special gift sent out on time. Here are some of the more gadget-oriented retailers for your reference.

The dates below are to ensure delivery by December 24th.

Amazon.com

• Free Shipping – December 17th
• Standard Shipping – December 20th
• Next Day – December 23rd by 3:30PM Pacific Time

Apple Store

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Best Buy

• Standard Shipping – December 21st by 10:59AM Eastern Time
• Next Day – December 23rd by 10:59AM Eastern Time

Brookstone

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 17th by 1PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 1PM Eastern Time

Buy.com

• Standard – December 17th
• Expedited – December 21st by 12PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time

Circuit City

• Standard – December 9th
• Expedited – December 16th
• Fastest – December 18th

CompUSA

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Crutchfield

• Standard – December 16th by 5PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 21st by 5PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 5PM Eastern Time

Dell

• Standard – December 9th
• Expedited – December 11th
• Fastest – December 15th

EB Games

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Etronics

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Expansys

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

FedEx

• Ground – December 17th
• Express Saver – December 21st
• Standard Overnight – December 23rd

GameStop

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 19th
• Fastest – December 21st

Geeks.com

• Standard – December 17th by 2PM Pacific Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 2PM Pacific Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 2PM Pacific Time

Hammacher Schlemmer

• Standard – December 11th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 18th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 21st by 3PM Eastern Time

Hewlett Packard

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 10PM Eastern
• Fastest – December 23rd by 10PM Eastern

J&R Computer and Music World

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

KB Toys

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Kmart

• Standard/Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 23rd by 9AM Eastern Time

Kodak Store

• Standard – December 16th by 12PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 12PM Eastern Time

Lenovo

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited/Fastest – December 18th

MacMall

• Standard – December 17th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 9PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 9PM Eastern Time

Newegg.com

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Office Depot

• December 23rd by 5PM local time (Office Depot does local next day delivery)

OfficeMax

• December 23rd by 5PM local time (OfficeMax does local next day delivery)

Overstock.com

• Standard – December 17th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 23rd by 10AM Mountain Time

Palm

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 17th
• Fastest – December 18th

PC Connection

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 19th by 2PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 2PM Eastern Time

PCMall

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 7PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 3PM Eastern Time

Philips

• Standard – December 10th
• Expedited – December 21st by 1PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 1PM Eastern Time

Radio Shack

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 11AM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 11AM Eastern Time

Ritz Camera

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Sears

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

SonyStyle.com

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Staples

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 20th

Target

• Standard – December 20th
• Expedited/Fastest – December 21st at 11:30PM Central Time

ThinkGeek.com

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 23rd at 12PM Eastern Time

Tiger Direct

• Standard – December 17th by 7PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 21st by 5PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 5PM Eastern Time

Toshiba

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

ToysRUs.com

• Standard – December 18th by 12PM Eastern Time
• Expedited/Fastest – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time

UPS

• Standard – December 16th
• Next Day Air – December 23rd

USPS

• First Class/Priority – December 21st
• Express – December 23rd

Walmart

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Sources: dealnews, Dealhack

The fine folks over at dealnews and Dealhack have put together a list of shipping deadlines for popular online retailers so you can make sure to get that special gift sent out on time. Here are some of the more gadget-oriented retailers for your reference.

The dates below are to ensure delivery by December 24th.

Amazon.com

• Free Shipping – December 17th
• Standard Shipping – December 20th
• Next Day – December 23rd by 3:30PM Pacific Time

Apple Store

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Best Buy

• Standard Shipping – December 21st by 10:59AM Eastern Time
• Next Day – December 23rd by 10:59AM Eastern Time

Brookstone

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 17th by 1PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 1PM Eastern Time

Buy.com

• Standard – December 17th
• Expedited – December 21st by 12PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time

Circuit City

• Standard – December 9th
• Expedited – December 16th
• Fastest – December 18th

CompUSA

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Crutchfield

• Standard – December 16th by 5PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 21st by 5PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 5PM Eastern Time

Dell

• Standard – December 9th
• Expedited – December 11th
• Fastest – December 15th

EB Games

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Etronics

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Expansys

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

FedEx

• Ground – December 17th
• Express Saver – December 21st
• Standard Overnight – December 23rd

GameStop

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 19th
• Fastest – December 21st

Geeks.com

• Standard – December 17th by 2PM Pacific Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 2PM Pacific Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 2PM Pacific Time

Hammacher Schlemmer

• Standard – December 11th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 18th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 21st by 3PM Eastern Time

Hewlett Packard

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 10PM Eastern
• Fastest – December 23rd by 10PM Eastern

J&R Computer and Music World

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

KB Toys

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Kmart

• Standard/Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 23rd by 9AM Eastern Time

Kodak Store

• Standard – December 16th by 12PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 12PM Eastern Time

Lenovo

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited/Fastest – December 18th

MacMall

• Standard – December 17th by 6PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 22nd by 9PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 9PM Eastern Time

Newegg.com

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

Office Depot

• December 23rd by 5PM local time (Office Depot does local next day delivery)

OfficeMax

• December 23rd by 5PM local time (OfficeMax does local next day delivery)

Overstock.com

• Standard – December 17th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 23rd by 10AM Mountain Time

Palm

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 17th
• Fastest – December 18th

PC Connection

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 19th by 2PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 2PM Eastern Time

PCMall

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 7PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 3PM Eastern Time

Philips

• Standard – December 10th
• Expedited – December 21st by 1PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 1PM Eastern Time

Radio Shack

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 22nd by 11AM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 23rd by 11AM Eastern Time

Ritz Camera

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Sears

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 22nd

SonyStyle.com

• Standard – December 15th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Staples

• Standard – December 11th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 20th

Target

• Standard – December 20th
• Expedited/Fastest – December 21st at 11:30PM Central Time

ThinkGeek.com

• Standard – December 18th
• Expedited – December 21st
• Fastest – December 23rd at 12PM Eastern Time

Tiger Direct

• Standard – December 17th by 7PM Eastern Time
• Expedited – December 21st by 5PM Eastern Time
• Fastest – December 22nd by 5PM Eastern Time

Toshiba

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

ToysRUs.com

• Standard – December 18th by 12PM Eastern Time
• Expedited/Fastest – December 22nd by 12PM Eastern Time

UPS

• Standard – December 16th
• Next Day Air – December 23rd

USPS

• First Class/Priority – December 21st
• Express – December 23rd

Walmart

• Standard – December 16th
• Expedited – December 18th
• Fastest – December 22nd

Sources: dealnews, Dealhack

Here’s a public service announcement from the friendly Consumer Electronics Association and National Association of Broadcasters: Move your TV antenna way from the TV for prime DTV reception.

The two organizations are both stating that this should improve reception, especially in urban areas on channels 2-13. It is sort of ironic that TVs themselves can cause interference but apparently they do just like other electronics. The CEA and NAB both recommend moving the antenna as far away from the TV as possible and to use a VHF/UHF type.

It’s definitely worth a try, but if you TV signals are coming in just fine and the antenna is chilling on top, leave it alone.

Sometime in the past two weeks I decided, with some thought being put into is, to buy a Zune HD. Why, I don’t know; I thought it looked neat, and I was thoroughly unimpressed with the new iPods Apple showed off at that Rock and Roll event. For the most part the Zune HD is, indeed, neat. Its user interface is miles ahead of the iPod’s, and, with a little forethought, can be used rather effectively with a dual-booting Mac. There’s just one small thing: you absolutely cannot read the display in direct sunlight. Don’t try to because you can’t.

Photos probably can’t do this justice, but I can assure you that the Zune HD is fully turned out right here, showing a really colorful photo from the built-in photo library. This isn’t really a problem for me, since, again, I bought the Zune HD to listen to music, and not watch video or look at photos. I’m also not too often shuffling around the device trying to find a new song to play, since it’s either always playing a long playlist, or an album, or a podcast.

Now, why is that? Is it because Microsoft went with an OLED screen, versus the iPhone’s plain ol’ backlit LCD? Maybe, probably. I’m not a scientist.

But in essence, not being able to read the screen in direct sunlight isn’t huge deal for me, but I know it’ll strike a chord with some of you.

Of course, indoors, this isn’t a problem at all (rubbish camera alert!):

Even given all of that, I’d still prefer a Zune HD to a boring ol’ iPod.

That is all.

A story on NPR covered this British high-school-produced public service announcement on the perils of texting while driving. The video shows the gory aftermath of an accident caused by text-messaging distraction, and makes it clear that people other than the texter suffered the most. According to the NPR story, only …

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog