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Expensive Geek Toys Roundup

Posted by michael on from the put-it-on-my-credit-card dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I was recently asked by a coworker to come up with a list of <implied> expensive </implied> and cool gadgets for a VIP. He was interested in anything that was up-and-coming, rare and the usual odd combination of devices (ie. anything with a camera/WiFi that shouldn't have it). I figured that since it was Friday, it may be a good day to see what the /. crew has up their sleeves."

33 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. For the love of god! by addaon · · Score: 5, Funny

    PLEASE do not respond to this article! I can't afford it!

    --

    I've had this sig for three days.
    1. Re:For the love of god! by anotherone · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Here's a tip: Browse thinkgeek to find cool stuff, and then paste the name of said cool stuff into google and buy it for about 20% less elsewhere.

      --
      Username taken, please choose another one.
    2. Re:For the love of god! by Miguelito · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That means you don't have to get the absolute cheapest products available. You have options and you get to vote with your dollars.

      Some of us do. For instance, when I went to upgrade my sound system with a better surround setup, I didn't go to any of the big electronic chains, or huge stereo shops. I went (after a friend recommended them) to a small, family run shop that was actually close to my home and had been around for almost 60 years.

      Not only did were they not pushy salespeople, but they actually *gasp* knew a lot about audio, video, and basically anything having to do with home theaters. It's such a breath of fresh air to do business with them compared to your usual stores.. no lackey salsemen that have no real knowledge of the equipment and push you to buy the more expensive items. These people would even recommend other stores if they didn't meet your needs.

      Personally, I'm always willing to pay more for better service, and better choices. I refuse to shop at places like WalMart (god I hate that place) where it's just massive, crappy stock at cheap prices and some of the dumbest (and slow) people in the world as employees.

      --
      - My favorite error message: xscreensaver, running on an old Sparc 5 w/ 8bit color: bsod: Couldn't allocate color Blue
  2. Lego Mindstorms. by Irvu · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not hideously expensive as things go but the Geekiness factor is astronomical.

  3. Check out Recomendo by Humba · · Score: 5, Informative
    One of the best "Cool Stuff" Blogs out there is Kevin Kelly's Recomendo.


    Not all of it requires a plug, and not all of it meets your "expensive" criteria, but it's full of great, high-quality stuff you didn't know you needed.

    --H

    1. Re:Check out Recomendo by El · · Score: 4, Informative

      I was wondering where Kevin Kelly got the money to buy all these toys... until I saw his recommendation for the book "Revolution in Cannabis - State of the art in pot usage." That explains a lot...

      --

      "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  4. Give Him... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    this

  5. gizmodo by Sleepyguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    check out gizmodo for the newest gadgets

    http://www.gizmodo.com

    _

    --
    b
  6. Hey now! by CGP314 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I figured that since it was Friday, it may be a good day to see what the /. crew has up their sleeves.

    Are you implying I don't have anything better to do on a Friday night?!

    Well Sir, you are correct.

    1. Re:Hey now! by DaveAtFraud · · Score: 4, Funny
      I figured that since it was Friday, it may be a good day to see what the /. crew has up their sleeves.

      He left out what the /. crew has on their belts, in their pockets, on their heads, ... Only a few really cool geek toys fit up your sleeve.

      --
      They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.
      Ben
  7. "Smart" Fridge by kneecarrot · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It's cutting edge and absolutely ridiculous:

    http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/enterprise/story/ 0,2000048640,20268993,00.htm

    "Korea's LG Electronics is selling a 26-cubic-foot Multi-Media Refrigerator, with a built-in 15-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) screen for watching TV, surfing the Internet or looking at digital pictures."

    I don't know about the rest of you, but when I go to the fridge to grab a coke, I like to stand there and watch a quick sitcom on a 15" LCD display. Right...

    --

    I always save my last mod point to mod up a good troll. You people are too serious.

    1. Re:"Smart" Fridge by ferreth · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought it was supposed to be hooked up to a web cam inside the fridge so you could tell if the light was on inside when the fridge was closed.

      --

      W9x:Thanks for the make-work project Bill.

  8. Anything at Thinkgeek.com by Cyno01 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Particularly this, i love it, but unfortunatly i bought the 256Mb before the price drop and also shortly before the released a USB2 version which isn't carried by thinkgeek yet.

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  9. Green Laser pointer! by Ikeya · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been drooling over this at ThinkGeek for months since I first saw this. Just can't justify $120.

    Green Laser Pointer at ThinkGeek.com

    --
    ---- Move SIG...For great justice!
  10. Re:What really is "cool" to a VIP? by bellers · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cool is teaching the Aibo to drive the segway while you control it via the 3G cameraphone taped to its head.

    --
    This space for rent.
  11. Re:A couple good ones by xanadu-xtroot.com · · Score: 4, Informative

    /me rolls his eyes.

    That has a session ID in the URL. It will time out. You could've just done it the right way if you really wanted us to see that page...

    --
    I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
    I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
  12. If you want really expensive ... by paxcirca · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog has a his/her set of programmable butler robots. The damn things will open the doors and, via their built-in camera, give you a view of your visitors before you get to the door. They also can help you bring in your groceries. They don't give a mention of whether they're able to do a fresh install of Gentoo, though. All this for only ... $400,000.

  13. Heh by zztong · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't have a product in mind, but I recommend you take 2 weeks and leave no stone unturned in your seach. Make sure you spend time at home in deep contemplation on the issue. Take field trips to see what cool stuff other VIPs are using. Maybe fly to Europe and attend a trade show or two.

    After that, spend 4 weeks writing your report.

    8)

  14. G5 cluster by gregfortune · · Score: 4, Funny

    Isn't a G5 cluster one of the newest/oldest cool things mentioned on /. lately? Better yet, it's pretty easy to make hideously expensive. And you might even consider creating a in-memory Oracle database using 10,000 G5 machines. The VIP would have his/her own Google :)

    btw, can we use that as a noun yet? Like a gaggle of geese, a herd a cattle or a school of fish, can we have a Google of computers?

  15. An Apple iPod by Ryan+Stortz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Give him a new iPod. They're pretty expensive and are fucking awesome.

    I want one so bad...

    --
    Bugs are just features that have been fixed.
  16. Say no more... by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Informative
    http://www.dynamism.com

    I could easily spend a year's salary here.

  17. Incredible earphones: $500 by mfago · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Shure makes some incredible earphones, and they are $500. Work as earplugs too.

    They are even better if you get custom made inserts.

    I've been happy with my similar (but $50) Fontopia MDR-EX71SL headphones from Sony, but have been eyeing these others for a while.

  18. mmmm, toys... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Informative

    the new 40Gig iPod is nice and pricey, and totally cool.

    Perhaps the new 1GHz 12" Apple PowerBook?

    Certainly a Sony Aibo is expensive and unnecessary, but can be useful in harassing the interns.

    Or a UX50 CLIE(TM) Handheld PEG-UX50 PDA. Very cool, and uber-sexy.

    If you want impractical, get a Rubberband Machine gun (http://www.backyardartillery.com/machinegun/) Oh yeah. Great for hostile takeovers!
    Also check out their remote control tanks that shoot BBs: http://www.backyardartillery.com/tanks/. Sweet. (don't forget the plastic Army men to go along with the tanks!)

    Dan's Data (http://www.dansdata.com/) reviews a lot of fun toys like the above. LED flashlights, tanks, and what-not. Maybe a super-modded computer case? Maybe a Powerball (http://www.dansdata.com/gyrotwister.htm#pball would do.

    You can always check out the Sharper Image catalog, too. Lots of expensive junk in there.

  19. Re:Segway by JonTurner · · Score: 4, Funny

    >Well you can't get geekier and VIPer than a Seqway.
    I dunno. What about a Sony Aibo riding a Segway?

  20. Top 10 Expensive Geek Toys by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    10. Colossus: The Forbin Project.

    9. The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter. It is still not yet a submarine.

    8. "Green Laser Pointer at Think Geek.com"

    7. Hey McFly! How much would you sell that Delorean for?

    6. Knight Industries 2000

    5. Friggin' sharks with friggin' lasers on their heads.

    4. That Saturn 5 lying on its side at that space museum. Time for destination moon!

    3. "The Jupiter 2". Forget a trek ship: this thing once passed through a galaxy in one night.

    2. The Atari 1450XLD. I'm still waiting for one after all these years. If Alan Alda still has his, I bet he won't let it go for cheap.

    1. SCO. What geek would not love to buy this company and play with it fo a while? Muhahahaha.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  21. How about an X-Files Lantern ($1800-$4000) by joe_n_bloe · · Score: 5, Informative

    Everyone needs a ruggedized 6 million candlepower flashlight with an adjustable 40 degree wide to 2 degree spot beam ... right? I would certainly accept one as a gift. The only catch is it's just a bit pricey.

  22. easy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://www.redcross.com

    A donation in his name.

  23. SkyMall by sleepingsquirrel · · Score: 4, Interesting
    You can't beat SkyMall for useless crap for people with too much money. I'd recommend the iPen...
    As clever as it is discreet - the world's first digital camera/recorder/PDA stylus/pen
    To all the world you're holding a stylish ballpoint. But there's a world of technology packed into the iPen. It's little more than 5 in. long and is the world's first combination ballpoint, viewfinder digital camera, a web cam, and as a stylus for your PDA. Discreet buttons let you select a specific function. Built-in 8MB flash memory can hold up to or up to 400 digital still images, or connect directly to a USB interface to use as a PC web camera.
    I'm holding out for iPen 2.0, the one that also includes a built-in cell phone, LED flashlight, laser level, pocket pepper grinder, and perfume dispenser.
  24. car mp3 player by joe_bruin · · Score: 4, Informative

    how about a phatbox car mp3 player. it plugs into your stock stereo and emulates a cd changer with voice feedback. linux software is here. up to 60 gigs.

    or a kenwood music keg.

    or a vw/audi phatbox.

    can you tell i love this product? works with the audio controls on my steering wheel. no need to look down at an ipod screen while speeding.

  25. Cough..Brownnose..Cough by sirgoran · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sounds like your co-worker might an a hidden motive to have you spend "company" time looking at expensive geek toys. Were I dealing with someone that didn't trust very well, I'd watch my back.

    Who's to say your co-worker doesn't run to the very same VP and rat you out. When the boss comes back to check it out and asks you about the "toys" you sink yourself when you answer him thinking he just wants more information.

    Having worked at a company fill of back-stabbing goons, tends to put me on a very careful stance.

    -Goran

    --
    Carpe Scrotum - The only way to deal with your competition.
  26. The best geek gadget of all time. by puppetluva · · Score: 5, Funny

    My ultimate geek gadget would be: a geek.

    Then I can ask the geek to do things like "round up all of the coolest geek gadgets and let me know what they are". I will force my pet geek to address me as a "VIP" and interface with slashdot when they can't ask my questions (which makes me feel like I own many more geeks by proxy).

    I will keep my geek in a cubicle next to my aquarium full of scuba-divers.

  27. That's Googolplex by oldmacdonald · · Score: 4, Informative

    A googolplex is not "sometimes just called a google." Well, I guess it is, but only by mistake. A googolplex is 10^googol or a 1 followed by 10^100 0s. Note that the search engine is spelled google, and the number googol.

  28. A copy of Office Space by chiph · · Score: 4, Funny

    A DVD of Office Space

    Chip H.