Ok please don't throw rocks at me just yet, I know its early but the last thing you need is to be trying to track down the right MP3 player on Christmas eve, so sit back and relax and work your way though our guide to the best gadget gifts for Christmas 2006.

Freeview PVR

A new entry and this years must have gadget, the Freeview PVR. Why should Sky viewers with their Sky+ boxes have all the fun? Now you can have all the pause while you pee functionality of a twin tuner (record 2 things at once) personal video recorder unit. There are many on the market and more being launched week by week, but be careful they are not all good, in fact some a pretty bad.

The best of the crop are the Topfield Freeview PVR and the sublime Humax 9200-T which will gobble up all your TV viewing while you stuff your face with turkey and then release it over those dull days between Christmas and New Year. You'll be the talk of all the family when you equip the living room with the worlds best gadget for under £250.

Skype

It's our favourite technology of the moment and a big development for the gadget fan and small business, VOIP providers are appearing faster than traffic wardens on a London street but the name to have is Skype. Now owned by Ebay Skype offers amazingly cheap calls from 2p per minute to any landline plus free calls to Skype users worldwide.

Skype accessories offer a cunning way of giving a great gift without breaking the bank, first up a simple handset to make it feel like a normal phone, the Sony VN-CX1 VOIP Mouse is our choice with it's simple plug and play install and all for under £50. Then there is the sublime Netgear Skype Phone a superb gift for any big user of Skype which uses WiFi so that you don't need your PC at all to use the service.

And don't be put off it all you want to do is use your Bluetooth headset with a laptop to make calls, get yourself a Bluetooth dongle and download a copy of Skype Headset which makes any BT headset a link to your Skype client.

MP3

Last years number 1 gift is still riding strong, the MP3 player is hugely popular as witnessed by anyone who uses the London tube and hears that familiar tinny noise. The big change this year is that the strong favourites are Apple and they have something right the way through the range.

For those on a budget or with few MP3,s we'd say look at the iPod shuffle and also take a peak at Datasafe oomi , both excellent for the money and the Apple wins for us on sheer style.

The mid ground is a victory for Apple with it's updated  New iPod Nano 2G  and there is little that comes close to a device with this much style and frankly sex appeal, an outside shot is the Creative Zen V Plus for those who want mid level storage but without the expense of the Nano.

At the top end we are again looking at a new iPod this this the 5G model which now plays video on its colour screen. However Apple can't have this area all to themselves, there is also the Sony NWA3000 and Toshiba Gigabeat for those who don't want to follow the crowd.

GPS Navigation

This years must have for both Boys and Girls, GPS navigation has moved from luxury for early adopters to mainstream. Best of all you can now get entry level systems for under £200 and a top of the range system for £500 offers far better functionality than any manufacturer fit system. Oh and don't forget you can take these systems with you when you change car.

The new entry point in GPS is shown by the Garmin i3 and the TomTom One we've tested both and while they are cut down version they get the job done and make great gifts for any gadget nut.

The mid ground sees a newbie the Garmin Nuvi  take on Sony Nav-U in a stiff fight for the honours and judging from all our readers comments the Garmin gets the nod this year as the most popular and easy to use system.

At the top end navigation systems sprout a hard drive allowing them, to hold the whole of Europe's maps, ideal for anyone who travels a lot by car. The TomTom Go 910  and Garmin C330 plus the new Mio 269  all offer good choices here.

DAB

Digital Audio Broadcasting is really big business and almost mainstream, this is reflected in the variety of devices available to buy this Christmas. Ranging from the cheaper Pure One and the ever popular Pure Evoke 3 to the more expensive but better sounding Dualit Kitchen DAB Radio.

Plus you can easily take DAB on the move with you by opting for a portable system like the Pure Pocket DAB 1500.

The Hit List

So what would we buy? well something for the Skype user and for us it's the Netgear Skype phone, plus if you know someone with a GPS system then treat them to a TomTom, you can't go wrong. Finally you cannot leave Lordpercy.com without visiting our Freeview PVR Reviews page and picking up this years must have gadget "The Freeview PVR".

So there you have it Lordpercy's Christmas gadgets guide, I hope its been helpful and that you continue to find our reviews and even my own ramblings of use in picking your way through the gadget maze. Remember a gadget is not just for Christmas because you'll need to upgrade it in the new year!