The Nintendo Wii and Wii Gadgets herald the beginning of an era … here are some of the coolest Wii gadgets for all ages.

The Nintendo Wii was only launched in only 2006 but it has quickly become one of the biggest selling console systems in the world and there are many Nintendo Wii gadgets to go with it. The console offers some very fun games for both the young, and young at heart! The Nintendo Wii is one of the most innovative games consoles we’ve seen in the past decade – here are some of the equally innovative Wii gadgets that you buy as optional extras.

Wii Remote controller

This Nintendo Wii gadget isn’t exactly an optional extra … but it is very cool nevertheless! It contains accelerometers that measure movement in any direction, and  also translate the speed. The Wii remote controller is  called a Wiimote (even though that sounds a lot like toddler talk!), and is what makes it possible to perform such life-like activities with a Wii.

Wii Nunchuck controller

The Wii nunchuck controller is used in conjunction with the main Wiimote. You plug it into the bottom of the Wiimote and (if you’re right handed) use your left hand on the nunchucks, and your right hand on the main Wiimote. Heeee-YA!

Wii MotionPlus

The MotionPlus add-on for your Wiimote makes it more sensitive to the slight wrist movements that are needed for some games. If you want to play tennis, golf, or the Sports Resort games, you’ll need a MotionPlus add-on. This Nintendo Wii gadget doesn’t require as much learning and thinking as the nunchucks, but does require greater precision than you might be used to if you’ve been using the standard Wiimote extensively.

Wii Wheel

It makes sense on paper, but try to say ‘Wii Wheel’ without sounding like you’re talking to a baby! For fans of the original Mario Kart (we’re old enough to buy our own consoles now!), the Wii Wheel is specifically designed for use with car racing games. Some reviewers find that the nunchuck-Wiimote combo works better for particular games, however … even reviewers that never played Mario Kart on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)!

Wii Balance Board

The Nintendo Wii Balance Board is included with the Fit Plus game pack, and it lets you do some pretty awesome things. Skateboard without fear of smashed kneecaps, evade flying cannonballs, hula hoop, throw snowballs … this pack’s main feature is the workout and fitness tracker, but it definitely has something for every taste.

Wii 5-in-1 Fitness Bundle

For grownups who love using the Nintendo Wii as a portable gym, the 5-in-1 fitness bundle is a must have Nintendo Wii gadget. These are all ease-of-use accessories rather than extra controllers (hence the ultra-low price for a 5-pack). The following is included:

• Textured foot socks for traction;
• Travel Bag;
• Jeli Sleeve for the Wii Balance Board;
• Fitness Mat;
• Rechargeable Battery Pack and USB cable.

Nintendo Wii represents value for money – not only will it amuse the kids from three years up but it also has a lot of games and optional extras for adults that will have you fighting over the controllers. The Nintendo Wii has great games available but also has some great Nintendo Wii gadgets and add-ons and doubles up as an exercise and fitness tool making it a worthwhile investment for the whole family.

Want to manage your business on the fly? Here are five of the best business Apple iPhone apps for road warriors who want to make every minute count.

Salesforce Mobile for the iPhone

Salesforce, a popular customer relationship management system is available on the iPhone in a lite version and premium version. Thanks to streamlined navigation, you can quickly perform tasks or find what you need in Salesforce CRM right from your mobile device. This Apple iPhone app is perfect for salespeople to update their records on the fly after a client meeting or responding immediately to leads, cases, and requests. The lite version is available for free to Professional Edition, Enterprise Edition and Unlimited Edition customers and the premium version is free for Unlimited Edition customers and available to Professional Edition and Enterprise Edition for a small fee.

Analytics App

Want to optimise your website in transit? The Analytics app gives you access to over 40 Google Analytics reports and even the ability to customise your own reports. The “Today” report is just like the Dashboard Report, but it always defaults to Today so you can see the most recent data that Google Analytics can show without changing the date range. The apple iPhone app supports multiple accounts and multiple websites. You can monitor your traffic, top ranking keywords, top landing pages and the number of visitors to your website and analyse your website statistics whether you’re in a meeting, on the road or in the back of a taxi and is available to download for $US5.99.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business social networking tool used by millions of people around the world. Download the app for free and stay connected when you’re out and about and add people directly into your LinkedIn account rather than exchanging physical business cards. It’s a more efficient and professional way of staying in touch with people. You also send updates by the LinkedIn app so people know what projects you’re working on and where you are and connect with professionals or friends when you’re mobile.

Shoeboxed

From the creators of Shoeboxed.com (a unique bookkeeping service that sends shoeboxes to their clients to collect their paperwork and receipts) has produced an Apple iPhone app. Available for free, Shoeboxed digitalizes your receipts and lets you generate an expense report all on your phone. Great for business people who are travelling or on the go and want to organise their receipts and expenses. Features include expense reports, email, phone support and being able to export expenses to bookkeeping software such as Quickbooks, Quicken, CSV, Freshbooks, and more.

The Wall Street Journal

Read the Wall Street Journal on your mobile while you’re in transit and keep up to date with finance market insights and current affairs as well as content from WSJ Digital Network sites including MarketWatch.com, Barrons.com and AllThingsD.com to keep you ahead of the game. Features include exclusive videos, radio podcasts, a customised navigation which allows you personalise your WSJ app to your liking with your favourite content and sharing articles. This app is currently free but this may not always be the case as the Wall Street Journal charges for its online content.

To find out more information about these apps or find more cool apps for your Apple iPhone, visit the Apple website.

Scratching your head over what to get your loveable gadget geek or technologically forward parents or best friend this Christmas? Here are five of the best electronic gadget gifts.

64GB iPod touch

The iPod touch is a multi-media player that allows you to listen to music, watch videos, play games on a generous 3.5 inch display. The 64 GB of memory allows you to download 14,000 songs, store 80 hours of video and add 90,000 photos. New and exciting features include the clever ‘Voice Control’ feature where you can ask the iPod touch to play songs from a specific artist or playlist and use commands such as ‘stop’, ‘shuffle’ or ‘pause’ to control the iPod, peer-to-peer gaming so you can challenge your friends to games and the ‘Genius’ feature which allows you to mix songs together.

3GS iPhone

The 3GS iPhone has been released with even greater capabilities and a faster response time. With the 3GS iPhone, you shoot a high quality video; edit the video right on your phone and share videos via MMS or post on YouTube. With the iDisk functionality, it makes it easy to store and share files online so you can access them any time from any computer or even from your iPhone. The handy MobileMe feature stores your mail, contacts and calendar information to keep everything in sync across your iPhone, Mac, PC and the web.

Nikon COOLPIX S570 Digital Camera

The Nikon COOLPIX S570 is a 12.0 megapixel digital camera with approximately 47 MB of internal memory and fits nicely in your pocket without breaking the Christmas budget. You’ll be able to take great photos at the family Christmas party with the face-priority AF feature which automatically detects up to 12 faces in the shot and adjusts the focus and exposure while the Blink Proof function automatically shoots two sequential frames and saves the one in which the subject’s eyes are wide open. The in-built In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically corrects any perceived red-eye effect before saving the image to memory so bad family photos will be a thing of the past. With the Hi-Speed USB connectivity, you will be able to email the Christmas party photos around the world to overseas relatives in just a matter of minutes.

Sony VAIO X Series

The Sony VAIO will be the talk of the Christmas party. With its impossibly thin and extremely light body, it will soon become your most valuable accessory without being high maintenance. It has a long battery life, 11.1 inch screen and only weighs 745 grams. There are a lot of different VAIO models on the market that even come in bright gold, silver and hot pink so make sure you choose the laptop with the right specifications for your gift recipient’s needs so it remains functional as well as fashionable.

amazon kindle

The amazon kindle which features ebooks is starting a new chapter in electronic publishing. More than 360,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available available, including more than 101 of 112 current New York Times best sellers but not everything is available for each international market so make sure you check before downloading. At only 10.3 ounces, it is lighter and thinner than a paperback and holds over 200 titles. With in-built wireless connection, you can purchase ebooks directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport or in bed.

When buying electronic gadgets as gifts as a rule, make sure you enquire about what the warranties will cover, whether you can download additional software or purchase upgrades to increase functionality and what accessories come with the electronic gadget.

If you want the executive lifestyle, you need the electronic gadgets to show that you mean business. Here are five tech gadgets that hit the brief.

Optoma PK102 Pico Pocket Projector

This pocket sized projector only weighing 124g (with battery) allows you to show presentations on the go. It comes complete with a VGA cable to connect to PCs and laptops and stores up to 6000 pictures or 8 hours of video on 4GB of internal memory. The projector can connect to an iPod and iPhone for even more versatility.

Find out what is projected for this device at the Optoma website.

LiveScribe Pulse Pen

Too busy writing notes to listen to the presentation? The LiveScribe Pulse Pen is the solution to this problem and records audio and links it to your notes. If you have missed something, all you need to do is tap on your notes or drawings with the tip of your Pulse Smartpen to hear what was said while you were writing. You can add acronyms, terms and names to your personal dictionary for even faster and accurate dictation. The application can even convert handwriting, shapes, drawings and tables into print. The pen comes with 2grams of memory and 3 black fine point ink cartridges + 1 stylus cartridge.

Find out how the LiveScribe Pulse Pen is rewriting note taking.

Neutrano NuTec WristFone

What the LG Watch Phone wins on style points, the Neutrano NuTech WristFone wins on functionality with a very competitive price point to boot. The watch combines a phone, a 1.3 megapixel camera and a camera into a small wristwatch. But that’s not all, it also include a sensitive touch screen with a stylus pen, video, PDA and full phone data capability; earphones and USB plugs; a calculator; an FM radio; and Bluetooth accessories. And just for fun, it tells the time as well.

Watch, listen and learn more about the Neutrano NuTec WristFone.

Powermat

Forget about tangled wires, multiple adaptors and ugly brick chargers, the Powermat is the perfect solution for the business jetsetter or travelling sales person. Powermat is a wireless charger and is compatible with iPhone, BlackBerry, MP3 players, cell phones, headsets, hand held electronic games, digital cameras, and GPS units. All you need to is simply drop the device on the mat and it starts charging. When a device is fully charged, it automatically stops charging to save power.

Find out how the Powermat will help charge your life.

Sony Cyber-shot TXI Series

This 10.2 megapixel camera is perfect for work and play and its slimline shape fits nicely into your pocket or overhead luggage. The digital camera delivers high-quality photos (and 720p HD video) and offers advanced features without compromising on style or size. The panorama feature of the camera allows you to capture everyone at the work conference and take breathtaking images of scenery.

Read how you can capture great still images with the Sony Cyber-shot TXI Series.

These gadgets will impress your boss, are great talking points at your meeting or conferences and will make you the envy of the office.

Travel gadgets are a world away from paper maps, translation books and multiple travel guides. Now there are GPS systems, money convertors and electronic translators that can fit into the palm of your hand. Here are five handy gadgets to take with you on holiday without incurring any excess baggage fees.

Playstation Portable (PSP)

The PSP is a nifty device which allows you play games, videos, music and photos and share them with friends. With a systems software update, the PSP even doubles as a communications device with Skype functionality able to be activated on the PSP Slime, Lite and PSP-3000 models. This enables you to make free calls to anyone else using the service when you’re in range of a Wireless Hotspot or call landlines and mobile phones at very competitive rates. Go to the Playstation website to find out more.

Samsung NC10 Mini Notebook

This mini notebook boasts a 10.2” screen and a keyboard that is equivalent to the size of 93% of a full QWERTY keyboard but only weighs 1.3kg with a 6 cell battery. This laptop offers a lot of computing power at a fraction of the weight, size and cost. It’s perfect for those who want to work on the go but don’t want to carry around a bulky, full size laptop. For more details on the notebook visit the Samsung website.

Apple iPhone

As well as being a multi-media device which allows you to make phone calls, check your emails and download music, the Apple iPhone allows you to download apps that add to the functionality of your phone. The Apple iPhone can act as a GPS system, help you find restaurants, give you walking directions, tell you the weather forecast or allow you to manage your money on the go. Read our article on the Five Essential (And Free) iPhone apps or visit the Apple website for more details.

Lingo XPlorer

This multi-language translator not only gives you the translation in the foreign language characters but also shows you to pronounce them phonetically and gives you the correct pronunciation at the touch of a button. Languages include French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese with 14 languages in total. This handy device has over 800,000 words and 46,200 useful travel phrases. It also has 8 travel games including Sudoko, a world time and local time clock, alarm, calendar and a currency conversion tool. Find out more at the Lingo website.

Victorinox Presentation Pro

The ultimate gift for any Macgyver travel types out there in the wilderness but still wanting all the tech comforts of home. The knife has a 32GB USB drive included on this mini Swiss Army knife can hold your files, music and video and has a laser pointer, biometric security and bluetooth PowerPoint controller as well as the traditional Swiss Knife functionality. If you’re travelling by plane, make sure that this is stored in your cabin luggage. To find out where you can purchase the Swiss Knife go to the Victorinox website.

When you buy a travel device, make sure you check whether you can download additional apps or system’s software updates that will give your device even greater functionality without having to purchase the latest model or pay for an expensive upgrade.

There are over 65,000 applications available for the Apple iPhone and counting. So how do you decide which app is for you? Here’s a quick guide to the essential 5 free apps for your Apple iPhone.

Travelling – Google Maps

Can’t work out the best route to go? Google Maps is a standard application of iPhone apps but it is one of the most useful when combined with GPS functionality. Google maps can help you find the quickest route to your destination but you can also search for business listings, get walking directions and obtain real time traffic updates.

Dining – Urbanspoon

Can’t decide what you want to eat? Try Urbanspoon which uses GPS or Wi-Fi to find your exact location and give you random restaurant recommendations. Restaurants are categorised into three areas: location, category and price. Urbanspoon also offers reviews from users and restaurant critics to make your decision easier.

Finance – Mint.com

Want to manage your money on the go? Open a free Mint.com account and add your bank, credit details and investment accounts and download the iPhone app. You will be able to access your financial information in transit, stay on top of your finances while travelling and monitor your investment portfolio in real time updates.

Weather – The Weather Channel

Want the weather forecast? The Weather Channel will provide you with hourly updates, and 36-hour and 10 day forecasts, radar maps and even video forecasts. There is also a premium version of this app available.

Social networking – Facebook

Want to access your Facebook account when mobile? The Facebook app keeps you in the loop and allows you to update your account, get the latest news from your friends and send and receive messages.

To find out more information about these apps or find more cool apps for your Apple iPhone, visit the Apple website..