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.
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.
As 2009 unfolds, technology is sure to take us into unforeseen realms of understanding, changing the way we interact with the world. From solar energy and GPS-enabled telecommunications to high-tech laptop computers and great new educational technologies, 2009 promises to have some major tech events in store.
Solar Power Conference and Expo
The technology world in 2009 will likely be populated by many green ideas that aim to improve the way humans interact with the planet. The 2009 Solar Power Conference and Expo, slated to take place in San Diego, California, will bring together many of the most cutting-edge technologies that convert the power of the sun into consumable energy for the masses.
SAE 2009 World Congress –- “Racing to Green Mobility”
SAE, the advanced automotive, aerospace and commercial research body, will host its annual conference this year in Detroit, Michigan, the industrial home of the US auto industry. Taking place at a critical time in the auto industry’s history, the conference aims to explore the green initiatives and market demand of the evolving car market. Technology is sure to play the largest role in helping auto and aerospace companies shrug off the volatility of oil prices while simultaneously appealing to environmental concerns.
Microsoft Tech·Ed North America 2009
When it comes to communities of technology and computer developers, one of the most promising events in 2009 is the Microsoft Tech-Ed, taking place in Los Angeles in mid-May. This weeklong event brings together great designers, young and old, to learn about the latest Microsoft developments and swap programming and problem-solving strategies.
The team from Microsoft will separate speakers and participants into professional and creative categories to help focus much of the week’s events. Some of the most notable categories include architecture, virtualization and developer tools.
2009 BIO International Convention
The year 2009 also promises to hold some tech revelations on the biotechnology front. Expect amazing advancements in the fields of agriculture, health care and energy sustainability. The 2009 BIO International Convention will take place in Atlanta, starting on May 18.
Wired Nextfest
This annual installment from Wired magazine brings some of the most cutting-edge and popular emerging technology under one roof. This coming year’s tech event will take place in Chicago, Illinois, and will feature technology advancements in the fields of robotics, digital art, cyborgs and biofuels. Wired Nextfest also has a good helping of automotive concepts on display. This is one of the more public-friendly tech events of 2009.
Over the years, lasers have become more and more popular not only in science, but also for techie projects, music videos, and just playing around. So far, I’ve already reviewed the green laser that TechLasers sent me and the one I received from WarnLaser and later gave away to one lucky reader. This week, I got my hands on a couple more lasers from WarnLaser, but they weren’t sent to me. These lasers were sent to Team Ningu, who are going to use them as part of a low-cost, hobbyist-level LIDAR for terrain mapping, obstacle avoidance, and autonomous navigation in the RoboMagellan contest. The guys in Team Ningu are super smart and should do some awesome things with it. If you remember, I posted about how Radio Head used lasers for their music video. They used lasers for 3D environment mapping, and that’s what Team Ningu plans to do on a much smaller budget. In the meantime, they loaned me the lasers for my geek-a-riffic Christmas laser review.
How do lasers help with mapping?
There’s a few ways to answer this, but I’d like to focus on the application at hand. The lasers send out beams that hit obstacles and everything else surrounding the device doing the mapping. The image below used a larger number of lasers in a device that rotated very quickly to generate a detailed 3D map of its surroundings.
Team Ningu has a budget with less zeroes on it, so they’re doing something different. Instead of an expensive device, they’re be using diffraction to split a single beam into multiple beams. The beams are then picked up by video and locations stored. All of these points recorded end up forming a 3D map of the surroundings, effectively allowing the vehicle to avoid any obstacles in the way…. as long as it works. But these guys should have no problem with it.
What else can these lasers do?
I wanted to do something a little different with these lasers than I’ve done in previous reviews, so I was excited to find that WarnLaser included balloons to pop. That’s not all they included. the WarnLaser package included two lasers, a couple laser stencils (a “No Smoking” sign, and a “Call Me” graphic”), balloons for popping, and a jersey (who knows). I popped balloons using both the green laser and the red one. The green one popped the balloon so fast that I wasn’t ready and was visibly startled by it (feel free to laugh) and the red didn’t take long, either. I tried the different laser stencils with and without the diffraction grating and I tried the diffraction with and without the stencils.
I had a lot of fun with these lasers and I can’t wait to do a follow-up post with Team Ningu showing their vehicle in action when it’s a little further along.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
