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Geek Christmas Gift Ideas

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the last-chance dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "EDN magazine for December 12 has an article on Christmas gifts for techies. The best are a mouse pad that uses your hand as the mouse and Hokey Spokes (Why didn't I think of that?)." Getting desperate for ideas yet? I'm currently in the juggling fedex tracking numbers phase of christmas ;)

10 of 372 comments (clear)

  1. Tech TV by kpdvx · · Score: 3, Informative

    Tech TV has had a "Top 20" geek christmas list for a few weeks now. Good stuff-Told all of my friends to get it. And don't tell me you can't get Tech TV, do like me, and be a dishhead! Tech TV is free on Satcom C4 Transponder 12!

  2. Micro RC Cars by Stavr0 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Tomika Bit CharG / Hobbico Microsizers

    They're tiny (2" 1:66) Remote control cars that run off a rechargeable battery charged on the remote control.

    They're affordable ($20 for a starter kit) and upgradeable (faster motors, better tires, NiMH battery pack).

    Perfect for boardroom tabletop racing!

    1. Re:Micro RC Cars by ism · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, the ones I see in spam messages are the low-quality clones being sold by importers. They are usually not upgradable at all and only useful for parts cannibalizing. The Tomy Bit Char-G cars have both official and aftermarket upgrades in terms of gears, tires, and motors. There are also many modifications possible if you are handy with a soldering iron, as well as hobby modelling tools. Hobbico Microsizers are exactly the same as the Bit Char-G's and the same parts and mods will work. For more information of Micro RC Cars go here.

      I can understand your frustration with the spam, but it would be unfortunate to pass this up because of that. Boycott the individual spammers. There are many non-spamming businesses that sell these.

  3. Geek Gift Links by StCredZero · · Score: 5, Informative

  4. Why pay $179 for a mouse... by Gudlyf · · Score: 4, Informative

    When you can just get a Touchpad Mouse that'll probably do the same and be more compact to "slip easily into your travel bag as the perfect external USB pointer for your laptop."

    --
    Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
  5. Gifts for Brainiacs & Gadget Lovers by overunderunderdone · · Score: 3, Informative


    Amazon.com has lists of gifts for different types of people including:
    Gifts for Brainiacs (mostly books & brain-teaser party games) and
    Gifts for Gadget Lovers (uh... gadgets).
    Their Impossible to shop for list is also worth looking at (all sorts of weird stuff).

    For your non-geek kith and kin here are all the other Gift lists by recipient

  6. Re:minivan DVD? by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Informative

    a dvd player (or a ps2/xbox), one of the LCD displays for PS1 or Gamecube, and a DC-AC adaptor works great to keep kids quiet on long car trips. I just strap the screen to the back of the front seat, sit the PS2 between the kids, and you're all set.

    A good mobile dvd player would no doubt be less prone to skipping, but if you aren't offroading (ie; highway driving) it's all good.

    Be warned: many, if not most, children will get carsick trying to watch a movie or play video games while driving. Whether you spend 2000$ or 400$ on your car entertainment center won't make kids puke any less.

    --
    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  7. Re:exercise?? by Gudlyf · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's how a bunch of us get to work.

    --
    Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
  8. big dishes by zogger · · Score: 3, Informative

    --to get free or cheap big dishes, drive around in the country and look for them, then see if they also have a small dish installed. Chances are pretty good if they have a small dish the big dish is now yard art. Knock on door, ask if you can have it for dismantling it, or perhaps a small fee and dismantling it. It's Christmas season, people are up to extra cash in their wallets. I got one for just the asking, but alas the receiver was broken, I'll find one though sometime. The dish itself and the pole mount and tracker/adjustment mechanism are "neat stuff", even if I don't ever get the receiver I was thinking of some solar projects with it, or maybe some other wireless stuff. Don't know but I collect gadgets like that, ya never know when a project inspiration will present itself. Conversely if you can get the dish, perhaps ebay would provide the receiver cheaply.

  9. Re:exercise?? by bfields · · Score: 3, Informative

    A bicycle is a vehicle. As such, it is entitled and subject to the same rules of the road as any other vehicle. Specifically, you are entitled to an entire lane of traffic. Don't let a car try and convince you otherwise.

    You are correct about that...but would you bet your life on getting some random asshole to believe you?

    I'd rather bet on the random asshole not running into someone directly in front of him than I would bet on him not breezing by me on my left and then immediately right-hooking me at the next driveway. The latter accident is more common and hugging the curb puts you at more of a risk for it.

    Correct bicycle lane-positioning requires more than a slashdot post to do it justice, though; see John Allen's Bicycling Street Smarts (read it online or order it for cheap) for a good concise summary of the standard advice on this subject.

    --Bruce Fields