Today’s tech-connected kids live in a high-definition world. They are bombarded by sound from music players, game consoles, tablets and in-vehicle entertainment systems. Studies show that overexposure to loud sounds leads to hearing damage seen later in life. Parents can take steps to help their kids hear for a lifetime with Etymotic’s ETY·Kids™ Safe-Listening Earphones for Apple products. The ETY·Kids3 headset features three-button control and a mic designed for use with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Sound heard through ETY·Kids earphones will not exceed safe levels, so parents can rest easy. Even at the maximum volume setting on portable players, kids can listen safely for up to four hours per day. ETY·Kids earphones also block out background noise, and provide high-definition sound quality so kids will be able to hear every detail, and won’t complain that the volume is too low.

ETY∙Kids are available in two versions – the ETY·Kids3, a three-button control headset with mic designed to work with Apple products, and the ETY·Kids5 universal earphone that works with any portable device.

The ETY·Kids3 headset will feature AWARENESS! for Etymotic, an app that “listens” to users’ surroundings and mixes any noise louder than normal background sounds directly into the earphones, so kids can hear traffic, announcements or any other important sounds while they are listening. Both products provide clear, high-definition speech and music reproduction and come with kid-friendly eartips to ensure a seal that blocks outside sound.

Pricing and availability – ETY Kids 5 –  £59,  ETY Kids 3  - UK pricing and availability is to be confirmed.

Two thirds of us will excitedly unwrap a gleaming new gadget on 25th December, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. It’s been a bumper year for big technology launches from Nokia’s Lumia 800 Windows phone to the beautifully retro Fujifilm Finepix X100 camera, but as all sharp eyed tech fans will know, it’s Apple’s competitor-trouncing line up of iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and the incredibly slim MacBook Air which have topped Santa’s wish lists for 2011.

So, for all these new Apple converts, how do you make the leap from Windows to iOS with minimum effort? And how do you transfer your beloved pictures, videos and content over from your battered PC to your nifty new iPad?

A crafty piece of software called Parallels comes in handy here. Getting new tech to sync is much easier than dropping those extra Christmas pounds, with a little help from desktop virtualisation software.

Software such as Parallels Desktop 7 Switch to Mac edition helps when changing from a Windows laptop to Mac or iPad, by transporting files and programmes from one laptop to a Mac – it will even remember things like webpage favourites and book marks or your stored downloads. Rather than struggle to check your post-Christmas bank account on Safari, which many online banking sites don’t support, Parallels can create a virtual machine on your desktop so Internet Explorer can be used on a Mac.

Parallels is really simple to use and compatible with Mac’s, iPads, iPhones and the iPod Touch. The Parallels mobile app allows users to access everything on their Macbook remotely – that means films stored on your Macbook at work can be watched on the sofa at home and music libraries can be accessed wherever you are in the world. Perfect!

Simple to use this is a great gift for the golfing dad to help him finely tune his golf swing and ultimately improve his game. The Sensoglove is the first and only golf glove with built in sensors that measure your grip pressure when you are holding the club.

It helps you attain a smooth, consistent swing that delivers greater distance, enhanced precision and lower scores. It has a small 1.2 inch detachable digital monitor on top of the glove which analyses the pressure of your grip throughout every stage of your golf swing. You then get audio and visual feedback if you exceed your target level of grip pressure. Ideal for golfing fans at every level.

Available from www.sensoglove.com Price £50

Let’s face it most of us just love our Facebook and Twitter and what better present for a social networking addict than these ‘Like’ and’ Follow’ fleece cushions. These handcrafted cushions are emblazoned with either the word ‘Follow’ alongside a regulation ‘Add’ icon or with the globally recognised ‘Thumbs-up’ icon and its accompanying four-letter word ‘Like’. They are even filled with highly squishable polyester fibres, making them perfect for snuggling into after a hard day of tweeting utterly pointless 140 character status updates into your gizmo of choice!

Available from www.firebox.com Prices start at £24.99

Stuck for Valentine’s day ideas, then check out this ‘discreet’ USB gadget for all you laydeez out there. Perfectly designed to fit in your handbag – if only you could store data on it too then it would have everything covered!

The Lelo Mia is a Swedish-made rechargeable lipstick vibrator with 4 powerful stimulation modes. It’s designed to give up to 4 hours of intense pleasure between charges (yikes!) – and best of all it’s USB compatible so you can simply charge it on a computer. Not sure how that would look though if someone popped in for a cuppa and your vibe is charging next to your laptop!

Available on line for around £37