The holiday spirit is already sweeping Jamaica: Traffic snarls dot the cities, Christmas trees line roadsides and merchants are slashing prices.

One of the major holiday humdingers is finding that perfect gift. Lots of head scratching goes into transforming ho-hum presents into ho-ho surprises. Here are some gifts that would make Santa proud.

Lap of leisure

True, laptops are a bit expensive, but they are critical for almost everyone - from the university bookworm to the savvy entrepreneur. I'd recommend getting the new Dell Vostro M1530, which comes stocked with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS (64-bit) graphic card.

The downside to the built-in 1.3 megapixel camera is its photo quality, but the webcam component is sweet.

Yes We Cam!

Another item for your Christmas shopping list is a digital camera to help you memorialise the extraordinary moments of the season. Of the slew of options on the market, my top pick is the Sony DSC W1501.

This digital camera takes the sting out of even the most caustic critic. It is incredibly user-friendly and compact.

Great gizmo

Computers are so common, they've become part of the suite of must-haves for any household: fridge, stove, bed, computer. You get the drift.

But this Christmas you can put some kick into your PC's performance potential. One agenda topper is an external hard drive to beef up storage capacity. Consider the Verbatim portable hard drive that I found available in two colours, orange and green.

Let there be light

Jamaicans might be out of danger for hurricanes now, but turbulent times could be around the corner when the new storm season begins June 1, 2009.

What's one of the first things persons check on when they hear a storm is coming? Light, because you know JPS is always itching to cut the power.

Get your friend or relative an electric lantern. It's affordable and will definitely be used. This GE model is sturdy and stylish enough.

Items provided courtesy of Royale Computer and Accessories; telephone 906-1067, 906-1068 or 754-5048.

WASHINGTON (AP):

While superheroes may have taken over Hollywood, the video-game world has been harder for them to conquer. Sure, recent games featuring Iron Man and Spider-Man have sold well, but they haven't fired up gamers the way that a typical Grand Theft Auto or Madden NFL release does.

Maybe that's because video-game protagonists are already superpowered. A tough customer like Marcus Fenix (Gears of War) or Master Chief (Halo) could probably kick Batman all the way back to the Batcave. Gamers like their heroes home-grown - although comic-book stars are welcome in the virtual world, if the game's done right.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

Here's one of those what-if scenarios that comic-book writers love so much: Who would win a fight between Sub-Zero and Superman? Or Kitana and Catwoman?

Yes, it's 11 popular Mortal Kombat fighters vs 11 of DC Comics' famous heroes and villains. Midway has added a few new twists: Characters can pound each other through walls and fight in mid-air, and the developers have toned down the violence to get a teen-friendly rating.

As always with this genre, it's much more fun to play against a friend than against the computer. MK vs DCU is decent fan service, but it won't hold the interest of anyone who doesn't care about both ends of its equation. Two stars out of four.

Lego Batman

This light-hearted romp is a real treat for Batmaniacs of all ages. The Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face and other miscreants are on the loose (again) in Gotham City, and it's up to Batman and Robin to stop their reign of terror.

The game is a mix of easy combat, clever puzzle-solving and an occasional ride in the Batmobile. And it's always a kick to bust open a box of blocks and reassemble them into some goofy weapon. The developers need to sort out a few issues (static camera angles, crummy artificial intelligence), but Lego Batman makes the Caped Crusader fun again. Three stars.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Remember the black-suited web-crawler from Spider-Man 3? He's back in Web of Shadows, which allows Peter Parker to switch easily between his red (good) and black (evil) alter egos.

Unfortunately, the choices you make don't have much effect on which missions you'll fight - and those missions, which often require simply beating on a group of thugs or aliens, get repetitious fast. And the boss battles against third-string Marvel villains like Electro and Vulture, go on forever. It's fun to swing through the streets of Manhattan with Spidey, but the rest of Web of Shadows is a drag. Two stars.