The holidays are upon us once again. It's time to get your favorite tech lover a gift that will put a smile on their face, and earn you some special geek points to boot. There was no shortage of great new products to choose from this year, as well as some oldies but goodies, so here are some suggestions that won't steer you wrong.

Tablets:
Whether it's an iPad 2, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, or the ASUS Eee Transformer Prime, tablets are once again one of the most popular gifts to give this year, and it's easy to see why. Though the iPad is still the one to beat, strong competition has led other manufacturers to up their game, and provide consumers with faster processors, better graphics, and feature-rich operating systems that have been tweaked to make the user experience much more enjoyable than many tablets offered in their previous generations.

To get the most from a tablet, it's important to know a little something about the person you're buying it for. Do they have a lot of purchased content from Apple's iTunes Store? If so, then the iPad 2 will probably serve them better than an Android tablet. If, however, the person you're buying for is already an Android user, then a 7-inch or 10-inch Galaxy tab from Samsung, or the Transformer Prime from ASUS could be the way to go. There are a number of tablets out there to choose from. Just be sure that whatever one you get has at least a dual-core processor, a screen that provides a sharp picture with good viewing angles, and is responsive to touch and gestures. The iPad 2 fits the bill in each of these cases. In the case of Android tablets, however, be sure the tablet can run the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version of the Android operating system from Google, whether it's pre-installed, or able to be upgraded to in the near future.

Smartphones:
Buying someone a new smartphone can be a little trickier than buying other types of tech. You need to know whether they have a favorite carrier, or if they prefer Android, BlackBerry, the iPhone, or a Windows Phone. Do they already have a large investment of apps for one particular platform, or are they starting fresh, moving up from a simple feature phone? Answers to these questions will steer you in the right direction, and whatever direction you end up taking, you will be in luck. All of the major carriers have excellent offerings from a number of manufacturers.

If the person you're shopping for, for example, is hoping to get a brand new iPhone 4S keep in mind that the iPhone is not offered by T-Mobile. If the person you're buying for wants one, most likely they are not a T-Mobile customer, or wouldn't mind switching to another carrier. The iPhone is offered by AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

Great Android phones, and Windows phones, are much easier to come by, as they can be found with most carriers. Like tablets, fast processors and the ability to run the latest operating system for the phone's platform are a must. Also, if you can get a phone that supports 4G, the added speed boost will be worth the investment if you live in a place where 4G coverage is good. If you don't, then at least the phone will already have it built in if you travel to a place that does, and you can take advantage of the faster speed while there.

E-Readers:
E-readers are another category of tech device that keep growing in popularity. Amazon's line of Kindles is the clear leader in this space, with the Nook line of e-readers from Barnes & Noble coming in right behind. If the person you're buying for is a book lover, and plans to do most of their reading on the device for long periods of time, then the Kindle or Nook readers with e-Ink displays are going to give the best reading experience. Their displays closely recreate the feel of reading words on a page, and their lack of backlit screens keep the user's eyes from getting tired as quickly when reading for long stretches. Starting at $79 for the Kindle and $99 for the Nook, they are also an affordable gift that will allow avid readers to carry their collection of books with them wherever they go.

The Nook Color brought a new class of device into the e-reader space with its backlit color screen, creating a product somewhere between a tablet and a standard e-reader. Barnes & Noble has now introduced a new model of the Nook Color to consumers, called the Nook Tablet, with improved speed, better graphics, and more features. Likewise, Amazon has introduced the Kindle Fire, which also features a color screen and numerous features. Both devices allow users to read books and magazines, view video, browse the Web, and have access to a number of popular Android apps. They are more than standard e-readers, but not quite full tablets, so don't expect them to be able to do everything that an iPad or full Android tablet can do.

Both devices run customized versions of the Android operating system, but not all Android apps will run on them, so keep that in mind before making a purchase. These e-reader tablets are tailored to work with their particular ecosystems of products, and to make purchasing content from those ecosystems easy for the user. Between the two, the Kindle Fire has the edge over the Nook Tablet, providing users with an easy to use, easy to navigate, tightly integrated system to access books, magazines, movies, TVshows, and apps, all for $199. The Nook Tablet, on the other hand, is $50 more expensive, and doesn't feel quite as polished. Backlighting on both of these devices means that people looking to read for long periods of time will be more likely to experience eye fatigue faster than they would with an e-Ink screen, but for those wanting to read occasionally, watch video, play a few games, and get some other simple tasks done, an e-reader tablet just might be the ticket.

Set-top Boxes:
Streaming movies, TV shows, and other content directly to your TV has never been easier. Services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus are all within easy reach by simply adding a set-top box to an existing TV.

Apple and Roku both offer excellent choices, with Apple's Apple TV coming in at $99, and Roku's line of set-top boxes starting at just $49. Both companies provide access to services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and others. While the Apple TV is tightly integrated with iTunes, giving iTunes users access to all of their content via the iCloud service or the AirPlay feature built into the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, Roku provides a wide variety of services and content from its selectable channels, allowing users to customize their content choices for their particular needs. Whatever the choice, both set-top boxes make streaming content to your TV simple, and both make excellent gifts.

Accessories:
If budget is a concern, then accessories for a person's existing tech items could be the way to go. There are a number of cases, bags, docks, speakers, and other items that would make excellent gifts for any tech lover. Just find out what devices they have, and choose an accessory that adds more function to one of them, like an extended battery case or a Bluetooth keyboard. For those more interested in style, a new computer bag, a unique gel skin, or even a pair of gloves that don't have to be removed to operate your smartphone or tablet are all great gifts. Even if you're buying someone a tablet, phone, computer, or e-reader, great accessories for the device you purchased are a great way to round out the gift.

Hopefully, these suggestions will give you some great ideas for gifts. Just remember to shop wisely, always be sure you are purchasing the latest model and not old stock of something that has been discontinued, and remember to keep your receipts, just in case any problems come up. Aside from that, don't let shopping for the perfect gift stress you out. There are plenty of great choices out there, and you're bound to find one of them. With that in mind, have a happy holiday season!

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