It's that time of year again. With only a few days left to hit the stores, it's time to figure out what to get your favorite tech lover that will put a smile on their face for the holidays. Don't have a clue? Don't worry. We're here to help. Sit back, relax, and check out the best gift ideas with In Tech Today's Holiday Gift Guide.

Tablets:
With the launch of the iPad this year, tablet computers have suddenly found themselves growing in popularity. There is no doubt that the iPad has been leading the charge on the tablet front, but many competitors are racing to catch up, mostly with smaller devices, based on the Android operating system.

Most notable among the new crop of Android tablets is the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch iPad alternative that is one of our top picks for this category. For someone not tied to the Apple universe of downloadable content, the Galaxy Tab provides a solid alternative to the iPad, by providing great performance, excellent video playback, front and rear video cameras, and access to the growing number of apps in the Android Market. Though it is considerably smaller than the iPad, the Galaxy Tab is easier to carry around, and easier to hold in one hand, which might be important to some users.

What about the iPad you say? Well, the iPad is our top selection in this category, but to recommend it for this holiday season, there are a couple of things to consider first.

Though most tech lovers would love to receive an iPad for the holidays, it would be irresponsible of us to recommend buying one at this time without pointing out that a new version is expected to be announced and released early next year. The new iPad is expected to have a more powerful processor, a better display, and cameras to take advantage of Apple's FaceTime video chatting feature. The current model would, therefore, be outdated in as little as three to four months, if expectations of the new iPad prove to be true.

So, what should you do for that person that just has to have an iPad? We suggest you give them an iPad IOU, of sorts, letting them know that they have an iPad coming, but you chose to wait and get them the new model when it is expected to be released, rather than get them the current model. Trust us, they'll thank you, and be very happy to wait the extra few months.

Game Consoles:
Want to make your favorite gamer happy? A new game console could be just the answer. Console gaming is a huge industry, and there is no shortage of great games and great gaming accessories to get any gamer excited.

For game consoles, let's start with the top two - the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Either one of these two consoles is a great choice, and most of the popular games are released on both platforms. Both also have their own versions of motion sensing accessories, allowing the user to control what happens on the screen with their own movements, rather than relying strictly on a standard game controller. For motion control, be sure to check out the Kinect for the Xbox, and the PlayStation Move for the PS3. If gaming is the way you want to go this holiday season, don't forget to check out some of the most popular games of the past year as well, such as Red Dead Redemption, Halo Reach, and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Blu-ray Players:
Most people love a good movie, and right now there is no better way to enjoy them than with a good Blu-ray player, connected to a large-sized HD TV. Now, a good HD television may be outside of most people's budgets, so we'll assume the person you're shopping for already has one, and concentrate on the Blu-ray player itself.

Blu-ray players allow the playback of Blu-ray discs, which contain movies in full 1080p HD quality, providing superior image quality for the best viewing experience on an HD television. Prices for Blu-ray players have dropped considerably, making it easy to find a quality player for not a lot of money.

So, what should you look for in a Blu-ray player? We recommend going with a player with built-in Wi-Fi from one of the top manufacturers, such as Sony, Samsung, LG, or Vizio. Players from the top manufacturers are more likely to receive periodic software updates as new features come to market, and Wi-Fi makes it quick and easy to receive them. And if you're looking for Blu-ray movies to go with that new player, see if the title you're thinking of comes in a combo pack that contains the Blu-ray version, DVD version, and a digital copy for playback on a portable video device, such as a smartphone or portable media player.

Roku and Apple TV:
With streaming movies becoming so popular, and so much other content available online, getting that content to your TV can be a daunting task without the proper technology. Two of the best devices currently on the market to do just that are Roku's line of set-top boxes, and the latest version of the Apple TV.

Either of these choices make for a great holiday gift, and both can be found for little money. Roku boxes start at $59, while the Apple TV comes in at $99.

If the person you're buying for has a large collection of videos from iTunes and needs an easy way to play them back on their TV, then the Apple TV is the way to go. The small box connects easily to most recent HD televisions via HDMI with a single cable. Once fired up, it has an easy to use interface, with access to HD movie rentals and TV show rentals from iTunes, plenty of online steaming video, and access to Netflix streaming content, if you have an account with the service.

Viewing video you've already purchased through iTunes is also easy. You can either stream it through the Apple TV from your iTunes account on your computer, or use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with AirPlay to stream content to the TV from your favorite iOS device.

For those without large iTunes libraries to consider, the Roku boxes offer many of the same features as the Apple TV, with more choices of third-party providers of video such as Amazon Video on Demand, Hulu Plus, MLB.com, and many others.

If you know the person you're shopping for has a large iTunes collection, or an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, then an Apple will be a great addition to their entertainment setup. If you're not sure, then go with a Roku XD or XDS. Either selection is a great choice, and you can't go wrong with either gift.

E-readers:
For the avid reader on your list, a good e-reader is another great gift selection, allowing them to carry their favorite books with them wherever they go, all in a slim, lightweight device, that's great for travel, or when just relaxing around the house.

Before selecting an e-reader, however, it is important to understand the difference between a true e-reader and a device that allows you to get some reading done.

True e-readers use E-ink, and allow electronic books to appear more like actual paper on the screen. Reading on a true e-reader is less likely to cause eyestrain, because the screen is not backlit, which allows readers to read comfortably for much longer periods of time, and immerse themselves in their favorite book. Battery life is also much better with true e-readers, with most models only requiring a charge every few weeks, rather than every few hours.

Though tablets, such as the iPad and the recently released Nookcolor, allow users to read e-books on them, they are not true e-readers. They are tablets, with color displays and backlit screens that make reading on them much harder on the eyes, and battery life much shorter.

For the casual reader, a tablet can serve a multitude of purposes, but don't be taken in by the color screen, and all of the fancy bells and whistles when shopping for a reading device. For someone looking to do a lot of reading, a true e-reader is the way to go.

Topping the list of true e-readers, is the Amazon Kindle, the best on the market in our opinion, and a gift just about anyone would love to receive.

With e-books outselling traditional printed books, the Kindle has become very popular, and makes buying and reading books extremely easy and fun. With it's built-in free 3G service, and the Amazon Kindle bookstore also built right into the device, users can download new books within seconds, and start reading them right away. The Kindle starts at $139 for a Wi-Fi only model, but we recommend spending the extra $50 for the 3G model, so you can purchase books whenever and wherever you like. You won't regret it.

We hope we've given you some good ideas to satisfy the tech lover on your list. Most of the items mentioned are readily available in stores now, so there's still time to grab them up this week. We here at In Tech Today would like to wish you happy shopping, and a happy holiday season!