Listmania!
Favorite Gadgets
By an Amazon.com customer
SANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable BatteriesSANYO eneloop 4 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries
Buy new: $12.13 / Used from: $8.99
I've been using NiMH rechargeables for what seems like a decade. The ability of these to hold a charge without self-draining makes them so much better. We keep buying more 4 packs of AA and have over two dozen batteries around the house. Perhaps Sony and other "pre-charged" batteries may be identical but I haven't tried them yet.
Motorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV AmplifierMotorola Signal Booster 2-Port BDA-S2 Cable Modem TV HDTV Amplifier
Buy new: $50.90 / Used from: $51.99
It is a very well-respected amplifier that MIGHT help receive better over the air HDTV signals from an antenna. It seems to help in my case.
Philips PHDTV1 Silver Sensor UHF/HDTV Digital Indoor TV AntennaPhilips PHDTV1 Silver Sensor UHF/HDTV Digital Indoor TV Antenna
Buy new: $24.25 / Used from: $15.99
I've gone through several antennas and this combined with the Motorola amplifier were the first ones that did the trick for me to get over the air antenna reception that was watchable.

We've been using a satellite DVR since 2003. At times it can be a little flaky but we've been pretty happy with it. It can tune 2 satellite HD signals and a third over the air from an antenna simultaneously while watching a pre-recorded fourth program.
Logitech V470 Bluetooth Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks - WhiteLogitech V470 Bluetooth Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks - White
Buy new: $57.98
Logitech's bluetooth mouse has had great battery life for me, re-pairs with my laptop without a noticeable lag, and has been a joy. I generally avoid the bloated logitech custom software and just let Windows XP handle it. I can't think of another computer peripheral I've been more satisfied with.
Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR CamerasTamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR ZL Di LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Buy new: Too low to display / Used from: $396.98
Seems to have better quality control than the sigmas and is far cheaper to get to f2.8 for good background blur and shutter speed help than other zooms from Canon. 1000s of pics later, I still like it-it is far from perfect (focus speed is slow and the wide range is much too narrow on a crop camera) but for the price, it is great.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR CamerasCanon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Buy new: $379.95 / Used from: $359.95
This can make a DSLR so much more useful-it is amazing so few people have it. The focus is fast enough to keep up with running kids and the aperture (f-stop) setting is fast enough (small number) to allow lots of light for indoor shooting. Parents with the 18-55 kit lenses end up struggling for indoor pictures.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR CamerasCanon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Buy new: $282.50 / Used from: $215.00
I've tried hard to get the right tool for the right time. I rented the Canon 100-400 for a trip to Yellowstone. When I went on safari to Africa the next year, I thought hard about what lens to take and decided on this humble lens. It didn't get the "oohs and ahhs" of the 100-400 but it got the pictures. For the price, it is another great bargain and quite useful.
Canon Wireless Remote Control RC1 for Digital RebelCanon Wireless Remote Control RC1 for Digital Rebel
Buy new: $26.94
I bought it in 1991 and for a film camera and it still works with my Canon 400 XTi DSLR. Not something that gets frequent use but I keep it on the camera strap for when it is needed. A little pricey for what it is but it would make a nice gift for someone with the small DSLRs from Canon.