How do I know which gadget to buy?

Submitted by nate on December 3, 2012 - 8:36am

It's that time of the year for my casual daydreaming about gifts for friends and family to turn to wide-eyed panic as I realize I'm quickly running out of shopping days. The time of the year when I look for the gift that says "I love you but I am able to display it in an ironically distant way," but usually end up settling for saying "I found this at the 7-11 on the off-ramp into town."

If you've got any gadgets on your list - laptops or ereaders or tablets or anything else with a pretty screen - it can be even harder to pick out the right gift. That's why the CTC is offering the "Which Gadget is Right for You?" class, this Tuesday, December 4, at 5:30 PM on level four of the Central library. We'll be discussing the pros and cons of different ereaders, tablets, and smartphones - so come with questions!

Want to supplement the class? When picking out a present for my loved ones (or for myself), I rely on reviews from a lot of online tech sources. Some of my favorites include:

Ars Technica, with their (almost painfully) detailed reviews of new gear and gadgets
Lifehacker will often ask their readers what the best (fill in specific type of geeky gadget here) is, and their readership is both knowledgeable and opinionated.
The Verge, besides having some of my favorite tech writing on the web, also has terrific reviews of gadgets.
And there's always Gizmodo, which sometimes has more sass than content, but is always entertaining to read.

Do you have any go-to sites for technology reviews? Let me know in the comments... and good luck out in the midst of that holiday shopping madness!