December : Pick of the best month's best gadget

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active I have long maintained that these days, the discerning smartphone buyer has only two choices - either cough up the cash for the fab iPhone or just go with the prosaic but dependable BlackBerry. If I have to be really brutal here, I would say that most other phones are just attempts at being an iPhone or a BlackBerry. But then there's the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active - with its quirky design and rugged look (the phone is even water and dust resistant), the compact smartphone stands apart. The only gripe I have with the phone is its 3" screen, but apart from that I loved the stylish Xperia user interface, the camera is fantastic and the Mobile Bravia Engine ensures quality display. The phone runs Android and comes loaded with plenty of fitness apps. This could do well if it were priced right. Dh1,399 Motorola Razr Back in the day, the Razr raised the bar for phone design with its sleek lines. Motorola has now reinterpreted the Razr for the smartphone market. It now comes with a 1.2Ghz processor, a 4.3" AMOLED screen and runs Android. Dh2,599 Air Multiplier Dyson has sounded the death knell for blade fans. The bladeless Air Multiplier is powered by a brushless motor and air speed is adjusted with a dimmer-switch control. It amplifies air 15 times, expelling 405 litres of cool air each second. Dh1,999 Canon PowerShot SX150 IS The 14.1megapixel Canon PowerShot SX150 IS has a 12x optical zoom lens - so go wide or shoot long-distance close-ups thanks to its impressive 336mm telephoto reach. What's more, you can shoot video in 720p HD quality with stereo sound. Dh999, Sharaf DG Sennheiser HD201 headphones Our quest for affordable, full-size, quality headphones ended when we chanced upon the Sennheiser HD201 headphones. Comfortable and stylish, these headphones cut out ambient noise and are perfect for Metro rides. Dh99, Virgin Megastore Mobile applications Air cassette For tape deck nostalgia, download this app for your iPhone. The tape appears when you play music. $1.99, App Store Groove bug A personalised, rich media music magazine and discovery engine designed for the iPad. Free, App Store Urbanspoon You’ll never be without choice and info when it comes to restaurants while visiting the US and UK now. Free, App Store/Android Run keeper It uses the GPS on your phone to track your fitness activities, including distance, time, calories and heart rate. Free, App Store/Android