Do you need a little spark for your Christmas wish list, or even a few ideas for what to give? I have compiled a list of the top items on my gadget wish list this year, and probably into the next few years for that matter.

Home Entertainment

Roku HD Media Player

The Roku Player, as it is called by Netflix, first started out as a device you could connect to your TV and stream movies from Netflix over the internet to your TV. This by itself is a pretty great reason to buy – if you have a Netflix subscription. However, recently, this litle device got that much better, when it released additional “channels” for the device – including Pandora (my new favorite), Flickr, Facebook, and a few others. So, with a one-time purchase of this device – starting at $79, you can be streaming music or movies straight to your TV over your home wireless internet connection. There are 3 models of this device – a basic SD model, the original HD model, and a new HD XR model which touts the strongest wireless range of them all. I actually already have the HD model, but I could not help but add it to the list in case you aren’t familiar with it yet.

Apple TV with 160GB Hard Drive

Now, if I didn’t have a Roku Player already, I would probably have to swing for an Apple TV. Over the last few months, these little guys have dropped in price to $229 making it the only model available – previously there was a 40GB model. This device also connects to your TV (most likely via HDMI if you have a newer HD television). It can play TV shows and movies from iTunes, as well as stream your iTunes music from other computers in your house. However, you can also take this one step furter and load an open source platform on it, called Boxee, which will unlock the doors to play Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Flickr, and an MLB channel on the device (all similar to the Roku, with the exception of Hulu – one of my favorites).

Memories

+
Nikon D40 Digital SLR + Eye-Fi 2GB Wi-Fi SD Card

I love to take photos. Sometimes of the great food my wife and I eat, sometimes of the awesome Texas sunsets, and sometimes of other random things. It is great to have a solid camera to look back and remember those moments. I have this entry level Nikon Digital SLR on my list because it has been around for a while and the price point is great. Even though it has been around for a while, the fact that they haven’t taken it off the market speaks something about it, in my opinion. And to partner along with a new (or old) digital camera, don’t forget about the Eye-Fi wireless SD card. This card looks just like any other SD card, although with this one, you can configure wireless hotspots, and have your photos automatically uploaded to one of the 25 compatible photo sites (ie. Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, Snapfish, Smugmug, Shutterfly, etc). In short, it makes your camera a wireless device!

Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes

If I had kids, I would definitely have one of these already. Alas, no kids yet, so it can stay on the list for a bit. This pocket video camera packs a lot of punch for its size. It is the epitome of convenient and quality. The model pictured records 60 minutes worth of HD quality footage. Then, there is a flip out USB connection that is used to upload the videos to the computer or online video sharing sites.

Hobbies

Kindle Wireless Reading Device

Have you heard of the Kindle? It is all over Amazon. It is a wireless reading device, which you can download books to straight from Amazon, or download magazine or newspaper subscriptions, or with the built-in PDF reader, display your own PDF documents on-the-go. If you haven’t seen these in person, it is a must. The display is quite amazing, with its paper-like appearance. Another great feature of this reading buddy is 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad– no monthly fees or contracts required for this either. If you are packing 5 books into your carry-on when you travel, you might want to check out the Kindle.

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS with Heart Rate Monitor

Are you active? Well there is also a gadget for you. I recently bought my wife the Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch, and now I want one too. Garmin is one of the top GPS product makers, and they haven’t fallen short with this watch – just look at the reviews on Amazon. The watch can be used for running, cycling, cross-country skiing, among other activities. It will track your pace, heart rate, and display your activity on a map when you are done. Another cool feature: let’s say you want to do a run and pace between 6.5 and 7.0 mph, well you can set that up on the watch and it will beep at you if you drop below or start to go faster than your desired speed. Once you have one, you will never want to leave home without it.

Productivity

Evernote Pro Subscription

Tripit Pro subscription

I use both of these services a lot. Evernote more on a daily basis, and Tripit only when I travel. First, Evernote claims that it will “remember everything” for you. It is a mega-notetaking tool that syncs notes into one account – whether you take notes on your iPhone, desktop client (Mac or PC), or even on their web interface. The free plan allows for 40mb of uploads per month, which I have never surpassed. With the Pro plan though, you get more upload space, better collaboration and sharing abilities, and the ability to upload more file types (office docs, video) versus just PDFs with the Free plan. Another cool feature of Evernote, is that it will recognize text within images that you save to it – receipts, business cards, nametags from conferences. Just think, maybe it really is possible to “remember everything”.

As for Tripit, this is another awesome service for the road warrior (in some of us). Basically, the service will manage all itineraries and travel plans for you in one account. The cool thing though, is that all you have to do is forward all of your confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and they will automatically create the trip, or add details to the trip if it’s already created. They have partnerships with nearly all of the big travel sites, airlines, hotels, car rentals, etc, so it is a rare occasion that they will not identify your confirmation emails. In addition to the service, they have an iPhone app which is very helpful when on the road. They recently added airport maps to the app, and you can track flight statuses from within it. One of the Pro features that could really come in handy, is the ability to share trips, like with a spouse, so that they could be in the “inner circle” and keep track of all flight and travel plans from one place, especially if your plans change a lot. The Pro plan has some other features like tracking rewards accounts, finding alternate flights, and mobile alerts on flight delays or changes. I would at least recommend checking out the service and signing up for the free account. It is well worth it!

If you happen to receive or gift any of these toys for Christmas – or if you already own some – I would love to hear what you think of them. Reply here or @michaellynton on Twitter.