Tech out the gifts

For a gadget lover, there's nothing like a new tech toy. And you don't need to break the bank to pick up one of these gifts for a loved one - or for yourself. Here's a look at some of the top tech toys of the year, ranging in price from $15 to just over $500.

Touch screen tablets and e-books are the hottest products. These super-thin, lightweight computers turn on instantly, are a cinch to use and last all day on a single charge.

Apple's fourth-generation iPad is best-in-class for its stunning 9.7-inch touch screen, powerful processor, dual cameras, 10-hour battery life and with more than 700,000 downloadable apps to customize your tablet. The new iPad mini is smaller, thinner, lighter and less powerful, but with many of the same features.

Microsoft's Surface tablet runs the new Windows RT. platform. This versatile 10.6-inch tablet is ideal for consuming media and creating content. It supports an optional case that doubles as a keyboard and stand. Surface boasts large, colourful tiles that show info at a glance, such as new Facebook pictures, appointments and weather.

For Android fans, Google's Nexus 7 is a smaller and more affordable tablet. The seven-inch device includes access to many Google services, with preloaded music, a movie and an e-book and a $25 credit for the Google Play store.

Another extraordinary Android-powered tablet is the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 ($449.99 for the 32 GB model). Featuring a powerful 1.4GHz quad-core processor, this 10.1-inch tablet also includes Samsung's S Pen, allowing you to write, sketch or draw on the screen when you prefer a stylus.

E-book readers such as the Kobo products range in price from $79.99 to $199.99. These lightweight readers are ideal for bookworms. They hold more than a 1,000 titles on a device thinner than most magazines. Integrated Wi-Fi lets you download e-books, magazines and newspapers in seconds.

If you're not in the market for a Smart TV - today's much-talked about Internet-connected televisions - turn your existing HDTV into a smarter one with a small Wi-Fi-enabled media player like the Apple TV or the Roku 2 XS.

Each product lets you play all your media and access apps that take you to online content.

Or consider the new Slingbox 500 , a Wi-Fi-enabled media streamer that lets you access all of your local television programming, anywhere in the world you've got an Internet connection. Whether you tune in on a laptop , smart-phone or tablet, you can access HD programming from afar, change channels as if you were at home, and even pull up all your pre-recorded content on a personal video recorder.

Nintendo's Wii U video game console is the first to ship with a wireless 6.2-inch touch screen controller. Gamers can control content with the Wii U GamePad's screen or buttons and see complementary information on the second screen that tells you where to go on your big-screen adventure. And the Wii U will play older Nintendo Wii games, too.

Shopping for a couch potato? Logitech's latest universal remote is available just in time for the holidays. The Logitech Harmony Touch is an advanced remote with an intuitive colour touch screen that lets you swipe and tap to access all your activities, such as watching a DVD or playing content from your PVR. You can control up to 15 different home theatre devices and personalize the remote by selecting up to 50 favourite channels from your TV provider.

Pick up a gift for the whole family that links your favourite board games with modern tabZAPPEDchnology. Hasbro's ZAPPED editions of The Game of Life, Monopoly and Battleship use an iPad in the middle of the board for added functionality and interactivity. Prices range from $19.99 to $29.99.

If a quirky gift is more your speed, the Swann mp3 DJ Doorbell is the first product to let you customize the sound of your doorbell with clips from your music collection.

Gelaskins are high-quality decorative skins that stick to a smartphone's backside. Download free matching wallpaper to display on your phone's home or lock screen, or, upload your own design to create a custom skin, such as a family portrait, pet, company logo or favourite sports team. Toronto-based Gelaskins are also sold for tablets, e-book readers and laptops.

Ideal for the chilly winter months, the affordable Slide 'Em gloves let smartphone and tablet users access their favourite touch screen devices without needing to take the gloves off. Whether it's for work or play, these lined winter gloves - with silver-plated material in all 10 fingertips - are available in kids and adult sizes, have two-way stretch microfleece for added flexibility and padding for extra warmth.

Despite its tiny size, HMDX's Jam Wireless Portable Speaker delivers impressively loud and clear audio when wirelessly paired with a nearby smart-phone or tablet. Available in multiple colours, this small speaker works up to 30 feet away from the Bluetooth-enabled source.

Also consider the funky-looking Jambox and Big Jam-box speakers, which use Bluetooth connectivity to play music from nearby devices. If a call comes in, the devices become hands-free speaker phones.

The recent Supreme Court decision followed by the re-election of President Obama guarantees that the Affordable Health Care Act will be with us long into the future. As each day passes we have learned more about the law, what is contained in the bill and how states will play a major role in the implementation and funding of many portions of program. The Affordable Health Care Act requires everyone to have coverage but at a cost to be determined.

The ACA will not change your situation if you are currently in an employer-provided program (not exceeding 9.5 percent of a person’s income) or if you are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare.

The ACA will require you to purchase insurance through the Health Insurance Exchange program if you’re an individual or family with income between 139 percent-400 percent of the federal poverty level and your employer does not provide health care coverage.

Delaware has chosen the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Small Group plan as the benchmark for certification of Qualified Health Plans offered by insurers who wish to compete in the exchange that is being set up by the state. Coverage under this plan will be very basic, as determined by the insurance company as long as it meets the chosen standard. At this time, cost has not been determined. Delaware will receive 100 percent funding from the federal government through 2016. After that, Delaware’s share for newly eligible enrollees will be 5 percent in 2017, increasing to 10 percent in 2020 and beyond. Individuals who fail to have or purchase insurance will then be subject to a tax, as determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. Many experts have reported that it will be cheaper to pay the tax then to purchase insurance.

As the Affordable Care Act ultimately plays out, we know two things for certain: Millions and millions of Americans will remain uncovered; and it will leave the for-profit insurance industry in charge of prices and life-and-death treatment decisions.