With Thanksgiving now behind us, the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Yep, it's Black Friday, and we can't think of a better day to officially kick off SCI FI Tech's Holiday Gift Guide than today. Over the next five weeks, we're going to load you up with killer high-tech gift suggestions for specific people on your list. Up first is a biggie: Mom.

Let's face it — moms don't always have it easy. You want to show her how much you care with a special gift, but at the same time moms can be hard to buy for at the holidays. Still, we've got you covered. Even if your mom is the type to shy away from gadgets, we've got a few to help get her a little more wired this holiday season.

 

Surround sound speakers sound great, but they don't always go with the theme of the room. AR's Home Décor line features more than 20 available covers that include options for wall mounting, tabletop placement, and even floor-standing models without impairing the sound quality of the speakers. They're a bit pricey, but no one said hiding your speakers (and having them sound good at the same time) would be cheap.
Price: $900 for the system, Home Décor covers extra (Covers range from $40 - $80; $150 -$200 for the subwoofer cover), audiovox.com

 

 

It's gotten so that a good-quality digital camera is actually easier to use than most point-and-shoot film cameras. And it doesn't get simpler than this small, ultra-sleek 7.1-megapixel camera, which features vibration reduction to help ensure a sharp picture, while the bright and big (3-inch) LCD screen lets you line up the shot and preview the results.
Price: $350, compusa.com

 

If your mom's already gone digital with her camera, she might like something other than the PC monitor to look at her photos on. This 8-inch picture frame houses an LCD screen to display digital pics, which can be loaded directly from the camera's memory card (no PC middleman). There are options for slide shows so you can toggle between multiple images throughout the day.
Price: $229, digitalfoci.com

 

 

Listening to music and other programming can make the daily grind a bit less grinding for the active mom. Delphi's SKYFi3 portable XM tuner can be used in the car or taken on the go. Kind of like TiVo for radio, it lets her pause and replay 30 minutes of live XM content, and stores up to 10 hours of programming.
Price: $199, delphi.com

 

 

 

 

Moms have tough schedules, and catching Desperate Housewives when it's on isn't always possible. But hope isn't Lost, as this portable device can record directly from numerous sources including a cable set-top box, or even a VCR, for playback on the a bright 3.5-inch LCD screen that she can check out whenever she wants to.
Price: $160, walmart.com

— Peter Suciu

 

For more great gift ideas, check out SCI FI's comprehensive Holiday Gift Guide for something for everyone on your list.