With technology these days changing as fast as the Northwest weather, thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year. Just keeping up with all the latest and hottest would give anyone an eggnog hangover.

Still, the age of the fruitcake and hand-knit mittens is over (sorry, grandma!), so there is no time like December to step into Geekland and learn fast. Even Santa is slowly switching to e-mail correspondence and secretly uses a GPS to navigate, so if the jolly old-timer is going hi-tech, you know pretty soon even your 6-year-old will be asking for a PDA.

Luckily, an overabundance of wireless (or wired, if you’re slow to catch up with the times) choices are available in various price ranges, for any budget.

Shopping for a 007 wannabe? A Digital Secret Camera Pen ($59.95, www.gadgetuniverse.com) is an innocently looking writing device that could come in handy. A 2MB memory card can store three-dozen low-resolution images and yes, you can even use it to write.

Another handy device from Gadget Universe is a Wireless In-Car Cellular Antenna ($19.95). How many times have you said or heard, “I’m coming up to a bad reception spot” while hanging up in midsentence? This antenna mounts to the glass and can boost power to 900MHz, 1.5GHz and 1.9GHz mobile phones. If word gets out, the “Can you hear me now” and “You’ve got static” actors may have to find another job.

Global Positioning Systems are nothing new. But thanks to the new game called Geocaching, they are becoming a necessity. Geocaching is a new sport, a high-tech treasure hunt of sorts, that’s very addictive and highly adventurous, as some geocaches are hidden on islands, underwater, or in remote woods. But you can’t play without a GPS. Get your friend or family member started — check out Cabelas (www.cabelas.com) for a few dozen selections that start at reasonable prices, or see a local sports or electronics store. Learn more about the sport at www.Geocaching.com, see if you can dig up some local geocaches, and include that with your new present for a fun pack.

If you can afford to go for the works, you will find the new Garmin iQue ($549), a perfect matrimony between GPS and PDA technology, at West Marine in Bremerton or Tacoma. It does maps, nautical charts, reads directions aloud, gives you an appointment book with reminders along with an address book, calculator, memo pad and more. How could anyone live without one until now?

Portable DVD players are exciting this year, and time makes them more and more affordable. You can find a couple of models for $300 at RadioShack in the Kitsap Mall (by Go Vision or Cyberhome), made with LCD screens and anti-shock protection. Throw in a couple of DVDs, and it’s the perfect entertainment package for the frequent traveler or the college student. If you want to spend a little more or have a name brand preference, check any local electronics stores.

RadioShack (www.radioshack.com) has a few other handy gadgets. A battery-operated corkscrew for under $20 promises to take the pain out of bottle opening. True, it’s not brain surgery, but who needs the extra stress? And for that special person who always mutters, “I swear I put it right here” or can never find the car keys, a 2 Way Find One Find All, also under $20, may be just the gift. It’s not very stylish and having to attach something to the TV remote, glasses, keys or cell phone may seem redundant — but it sure would come in handy when you can’t play a DVD without the remote or are running late for a presentation and the keys have suddenly walked away.

If you’re thinking cellular phones, your choices are better and tougher than ever. And with the new number portability that allows you to switch providers while keeping the old numbers — well, you could be playing musical chairs until you find the best phone and service.

The Kyocera 7135 Smartphone takes all the features of a Palm OS handheld, adds an MP3 player with CD-like quality, tosses in a phone, makes for a stylish sweet design, and gives a new meaning to the term “everything.” Stay connected, stay organized, play games, listen to music, surf the Web — play or work depending on your inclinations. Or you can play while no one’s looking and become seriously busy all the other times (just don’s say we said that).
If you’re more of a Microsoft fan, opt for the MPX200 by Motorola (AT&T). In a scaled-down version of Windows Mobile 2002, you’ll get Pocket Outlook, Pocket Explorer and other software.

Samsung’s VGA 1000 (Sprint) is a cell phone/digital camera combination at a reasonable price ($260 at Amazon.com). Remember the strange Sprint commercial with the pancakes that “look like mom”? Fortunately, you’ll have better photos to share — just snap, dial, and you can instantly show dad that perfect fish you caught, or make Aunt Edna feel like she’s really watching her favorite nephew’s pitching.

DSL routers are another necessity for the geek maniac — if he or she doesn’t have it already, that is. There are so many technical details and options that would make even the average techno-educated head spin, so if all else fails, this is the one time you can spoil the surprise and bring the person with you: They’ll thank you and you’ll thank them for the joined shopping trip.

If you’re not convinced that any of these suggestions would work, or are still rooting for something more old-fashioned (besides the fruitcake and the mittens), order Kevin Mitnick’s book “The Art of Deception” from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble or any other bookstore. When the world’s most famous hacker was released from prison in 2000 and banned from practicing his trade, no one said he couldn’t at least write about hacking… so he did. Anyone concerned about security — and that is anyone who uses a computer or any other technology — will find some hair-raising examples and maybe even some good advice in this fairly entertaining book. You may even want to read it first before wrapping it. Why do you think we mentioned eggnog and hangover in one sentence?.