What To Get A Geek For Christmas

Joe Tech — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:41:32 +0000

Most people have at least one friend or family member who ends up being the go-to guy or gal when the computer gets a virus or the iPod won’t boot up. Have you ever tried shopping for that person? My wife has gotten pretty good at it but can tell you it’s rough. Us geeks can be pretty particular about things other people just don’t get. For example, I’d rather have an old used IBM PS/2 keyboard under the tree than one of the fancy new ones. If you have a geek to shop for this Christmas, you’re in luck because I have a long list of gift ideas in varying price ranges. (please note that prices are approximate based on what I’ve found online)

Stocking Stuffers

iSkin Solo FX iPhone skins ($20 and up)
I’ve been through a few skins and cases for my iPhones, but I really like this one. It’s got some extra flare to it and comes in some eye-catching colors. (read my review of this product)

Sling Back ($9)
This is a simple little item that takes cords and untangles them. You put any (well any small) cord in it and it retracts like my travel mouse does. Pretty cool.
(note that this is a pre-sale item that may not be ready in time for Christmas)

Cordies ($9)
This is a great little item that does a simple task. It keeps your cords from sliding off your desk. This happens to me all the time, so if anyone wants to put these in my stocking, I need two of them at least.
(note that this is a pre-sale item that may not be ready in time for Christmas, however it only needs a few more sales to hit production)

Kickster for iPod Nano ($13)
The newer iPod Nanos look awesome and now capture and play back video, but this poses the problem of having to hold it steady both during recording and playback or while watching a video podcast. The Kickster is like a kickstand for the Nano and is a pretty cool addition to the Nano if you know someone who’s getting a Nano from Santa this year.
(note that this is a pre-sale item that may not be ready in time for Christmas)

Scratch ‘n’ Scroll ($15)
Scratch ‘n’ Scroll is a mouse pad that you can write on. Remember those little pads you’d get as a kid where you could scratch in a design with a plastic stylus or even your fingernail and erase the design by just pulling the top layer away from its backing? This is the same concept built into a mouse pad.

Under $100

be.ez LEvertigo Netbook/MacBook Shoulder Bag ($60)
Recently, I was able to review this bag and really liked it. It’s probably going to end up a present for a special someone on my list this Christmas. It’s a very compact bag that accommodates a 13 inch MacBook or a netbook, paperwork, cell phones or other small gadgets and a couple small devices or CDs. It’s durable and very stylish.

Eye-Fi SD Card with Wireless ($50 and up)
One of the items I reviewed recently was this Eye-Fi card. You do a little simple setup with it and then throw it in your camera and take photos. Depending on your settings and proximity to your wireless connection, it can automatically upload photos as you take them or when you’re done, but either way, you never plug the camera into the computer again. Great for someone who takes lots of photos.

Joby Gorillapod Mobile ($40)
Even the ever popular iPhone has room for improvement. For example, trying to take non-shaky video, or watching a movie on the iPhone can be a challenge because of the smoothly rounded edges, but Joby introduced this GorillaMobile tripod to help. It’s not something I’ll use every day, but it is useful. Even though it’s around $40, it could be a nice little stocking stuffer, too. (read more here)

Beamer ($38)
If you own an iPhone or have even just seen the recent Droid commercials, I’m sure you’re aware of one of the missing iPhone camera features, a flash. Beamer is an iPhone case that has a build in light to work as a flash. Incredibly simple, yet the first product to solve this problem (that I’ve seen, anyway). It’s a great little gift for anyone who takes a lot of club or party photos with their iPhone.

Arduino Starter Kit ($70)
If the geek on your Christmas list is like me, he or she either has this or wants it badly. Arduino is a popular electronics learning and prototyping platform for developing small devices. The kit has everything needed to jump in and start getting geeky. This is on my own wish list this year.

Peggy 2 Kit ($95)
Last year, for Christmas, my wife got me a little home brew gaming kit called Meggy Jr. This kit comes from the same company and I’ve had my eye on it for a while. It’s a pegboard of LED lights that can be programmed by its maker and is a really cool electronics project.

$100 And Up

Amazon Kindle Reader ($259)
I can think of at least one thing better than taking a book with you on vacation or a long trip, and that’s taking a bunch of books with you all crammed into a slim little device like the Kindle. Better still, you can get your JoeTech.com fix on the Kindle!

Droid or iPhone ($200 w/ contract -$600 without)
It used to be that the G1 was the only solid competition for the iPhone. Don’t get me wrong, the G1 is an awesome phone, but I still prefer the iPhone and now Verizon has competition of its own with Droid in its corner. Currently on review loan from Verizon, my droid is shaping up to be a really nice phone and the iPhone has already proven itself as a great phone. Either would be the gift to make the geek in your life jump for joy.

Logic Wireless Bolt 1.5 ($475)
Although it’s no iPhone or Droid, this is a phone that makes waves. More than just a phone, it has a projector in it. I got hands on with an original Bolt 1.0 unit a while back and loved it. The 1.5 looks sleeker than ever and I spoke with the CEO a couple weeks ago who promises even more good stuff coming up.

Everything Else

– Pretty much anything at Think Geek (Free FedEx Home Delivery. Use code: DEALNEWS)

– Other new products at Quirky

If you’ve recovered from Black Friday, it’s time to prepare for Cyber Monday and get that geek in your life the right gift. Don’t forget to share this list with friends and leave no geek with an unwanted gift.

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Preparing for Thanksgiving with Technology

Joe Tech — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:21:57 +0000

Find the perfect recipe
Whether you’re handy in the kitchen or not, online recipes can not only save the day when you have no idea where to start, but they can also give you new ideas to try out. If you make a good pumpkin pie, why not find new ways to edge closer to a great pumpkin pie? There’s a ton of recipes online, but here’s a few key starting points:
- http://allrecipes.com/
- Food Network
- Epicurious

Keep contact information handy
It happens every year. Most people are at the host house, catching up, helping set the table, etc., when someone asks where Uncle Bill is. Inevitably, someone ends up calling him to make sure he’s safely on his way and not lost. You can help out by just having everyone’s number handy in your phone. It’ll help if you’re the one lost or running late, as well.

Don’t starve your family
While preparing for this post, I came across something I hadn’t even thought about. It’s a Turkey Calculator provided by thanksgiving-corner.com. After punching in a little information about how many children and adults you’ll be feeding, it helps you plan your meal. Based on the information I entered, I would need 16.5 pounds of turkey and 33 cups of stuffing if I were going to host T-day at my place for my family. It also says I should have started defrosting (in the fridge) my bird this past Saturday morning. Good thing I’m not cooking this year.

Say “Happy Thanksgiving” face-to-face from far away
If your loved ones are far away, you can still give your “Happy Thanksgiving” message a personal touch by delivering it with streaming video. There’s a few ways to do this. The most rewarding is to have a web cam at both locations and connect live. This usually requires some forethought and a little experience (or luck), but if you and someone on the other end are comfortable enough with computers, it shouldn’t be too hard to set up ahead of time. If either of you don’t have a web cam, you can pick one up from Best Buy or a similar electronics store. Just about any web cam should work with many of the instant messaging client programs to stream video. Even if only one side can have a camera set up, it’s much warmer than just a phone call. If your family member isn’t very computer savvy, you could always record a small video and post it on YouTube, Flickr, Photobucket, or any number of sites that allow you to post a video and easily send a link to that video to your family member.

Find your camera and juice it up
I have a Flip video camera, a DSLR, and a point-and-shoot digital camera, and I’ll have at least the smaller ones with me. You never know when someone will fling a turkey leg across the table or do something equally camera-worthy. The only thing worse than forgetting your camera is bringing it and then running out of batteries on the first shot. Make sure this doesn’t happen. If you have rechargeable batteries, recharge them the night before. If not, have fresh batteries on hand. Personally, I’ve always liked Energizers, but that’s me. Whatever your brand preference, it’s best to have at least one set of new batteries per device.

How is technology going to make Thanksgiving better or easier for you and your family?