Good Last Minute Gift Ideas for Christmas 2009

Looking for some good ideas for gifts at the "last minute"? The final Christmas of the decade is almost upon us and millions of Americans are searching for good, cheap, and interesting last minute gift ideas. Here are a few of our favorites:

Funny Photo Gifts

Lots of people have funny photos of friends and family laying around somewhere on their computer hard drives. Why not take a few of the good ones and turn them into unique gifts? A large photo in a nice frame printed at home or a Kinko's is a fantastic gift. You could also set up a nice photo collage on Picasa or Flickr and share it with your loved ones. A simple slide show made with Microsoft's free Photo Story is another possibility.

Make a DVD

A popular gift idea these days are custom-made DVDs containing videos and/or photos of family and friends. You could spend just a few hours making a nice video, copy it onto a few dozen DVDs using your PC, and have lots of cheap but unique last minute gift ideas to send out!

Make a Donation

A simple, easy, and thoughtful gift is a donation made in the name of another person. You could donate money -- or even old computers, TVs, clothing, cell phones, etc. -- to a friend's favorite charity in their name and then give them the certificate of appreciation.

Dash to the Stores

Finally, you can always just make a run to the mall or local shops and buy those last minute gifts. In today's poor economy many businesses and merchants are offering great "last minute" deals and discounts on everything from popular electronics to best-selling books to store gift cards.

Jump Online

Many online retailers are offering fantastic shopping deals on the most popular gifts this year. In many cases you can still get them delivered in time for Christmas. And even if they arrive a day or two late, so what? Most people are happy to get a gift anytime!

Learn some mo': Last-minute gift ideas based on what you're buying at Amazon.com

Tags: Last Minute Gifts Ideas

Google Wants to Buy Yelp

Google Inc. is currently in talks to purchase Yelp.com, the extremely popular local business review site. Local search has become very popular in recent years and this acquisition would allow Google to better tap into the local ads market. It would also give Google a huge amount of valuable original content in the form of millions of user-submitted reviews of local businesses and, especially, local restaurants. Many experts believe that this purchase would almost instantly change he local advertising landscape in the United States and make it much more enticing for local business to spend their marketing dollars online. Sources say Google may pay more than half a billion dollars for the company.

We already knew that Google was stepping up its "local business" efforts so this move is not surprising at all.

Learn some mo': Google In Discussions To Acquire Yelp For A Half Billion Dollars Or More

Tags: Local Search

Green Tea Perks Up the Elderly

Elderly people who drink several cups of green tea every day feel better and have less feelings of depression, according to new research from Japan. Researchers found that when men and women over 70 drank four or more cups of green tea per day they were 44% less likely to experience symptoms of depression. Other research has shown that regular green tea consumption often leads to lower levels of psychological "distress" so this new study is yet more evidence showing that green tea is truly a powerful health and mood-boosting tool.

Overall, 488 participants said they drank four or more cups of green tea a day, 284 said they downed two to three cups daily and the remaining 286 reported having one or fewer cups daily. Unfortunately, black tea, oolong tea, and coffee don't show the same positive effects on depression. Some experts believe that the high levels of the amino acid theanine -- a substance that has a tranquilizing effect on the mind and body -- found in green tea may be the primary reason for it's action.

Bottom line: Drink more tea. You'll be healthier, feel better, and be less likely to suffer from depression!

Learn some mo': Feeling Old and Blue? Green Tea May Help

Tags: Green Tea, Depression, Anti-Aging

CityCenter Opens in Las Vegas

The CityCenter project, one of the biggest and most-expensive complexes ever built, has finally opened "fully" in Las Vegas, Nevada. MGM Mirage executives opened the final part and "heart" of the project yesterday: the 4000 room, 61-story Aria Resort and Casino. The giant gleaming structure was unveiled publicly amid a huge fireworks display. Las Vegas locals hope that the Aria and the rest of CityCenter will help to bring visitors back to Vegas, which has struggled greatly over the past year and a half. While some experts believe the new hotel will only drive down room rates in Vegas, others believe it will help to spark a new wave of tourism that will help the entire city. It should be interesting to see how things play out in the Las Vegas desert over the next few months...

Learn some mo': Thousands flock to Aria for glitzy unveiling

Tags: CityCenter

Appetite Hormone Fights Alzheimer's

Leptin, the powerful hormone that controls your appetite, may help protect your brain against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Boston University just found that people with high levels of leptin, which is produced by your fat cells, have a much lower risk of developing Alzheimer's/dementia. Leptin is already being studied a lot due to it's ability to control hunger and possibly help solve the obesity problems in the US and other countries. It appears to also benefit brain function and memory. Experts believe that a drug based on leptin could be developed to help prevent or at least delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It's important to note that older studies already showed that middle-aged people who are obese have a significantly greater risk of developing dementia later in life. So, until they come up with the "miracle" leptin drug, regular exercise and healthy diet appear to be (once again) the best formula for living a long, healthy life!

Learn some mo': Hormone linked to appetite 'could offer hope to prevent Alzheimer’s disease'

Tags: leptin, Alzheimer's