Don't let high-tech gadgets scare you

If you have a fan of high-tech gadgets on your holiday shopping list, you don't have to break the bank.

If there has ever been a year to take it easy on the holiday gift shopping, this is it. But don't let tech gifts scare you, they aren't always synonymous with 'pricey.' Here are some smart choices for $99 or less that even the geekiest person on your list, will think are cool.

Like an MP3 player. It's not an iPod, it's better. It's the Sandisk Sansa Clip+. It sounds great, gets FM radio, has a voice recorder, plays audio books and you can expand its memory, with a little memory card slot right here on the side. Now this little screen is not going to show you photos or video, but as an audio player it's great, and as a $40 audio player, even better.

What looks like ordinary iPod earbuds, aren't the same ones that come with an iPod or iPhone. They're the better ones. They're the Apple In-Ear headphones. They fit in the ear, not just stuck on the outside like the basic ones. The sound is a big step up and they have a microphone and remote control right here on the cord that'll work with most, but not all all, iPods and iPhones. Overall a nice sounding upgrade.

Now it may not be real sexy, but just about anyone into tech would enjoy a new, huge memory card or one of these USB drives. You can get an 8GB size for under $20 and 16 GB, which is huge, for under $40. A great stocking stuffer.

External hard drives are hot as well and they hold a ton of video, music collections, you can back up your entire computer easily. They can be had for under $99 in 320GB, 500GB, or maybe even 1 TB capacity if you shop hard.

These are just a few good ideas for $99 or much less.