Christmas Gifts for Geeks

scottfi writes "The shopping season is just about over and I'm always on the lookout for the cool geek gadget to get friends and family (or myself). What cool items are on your list this year or you have wrapped up for others? There are a ton of gift guides online, but I always like to see what the slashdot crowd would like under their tree." I recommend the Harmony Remote, an iPod, and of course a Slashdot Subscription ;)

Comments

my list included:

[garcia]

1. 5+ MP digital camera to replace the 2MP I dropped which is now taking fuzzy pictures

2. DVD Player that plays DVD+-R/RW and VCDs on both CDR and CDRW.

3. Both seasons of 24 on DVD, Family Guy season 3 on DVD (the divxs just aren't as much fun as the DVDs), and free tickets to LOTR3.

4. Gore-tex hiking boots (not too geeky unless you're a geocacher like me ;)

My xmas list

[MagPulse]

Hardware:

• Pentium 4 2.8C ($213)
• Intel D875PBZ motherboard ($142)
• Two Kingston 512MB DDR400 DIMMs ($168 for both)
• Antec SLK3700-BQE quiet case ($77)

Prices are from http://www.newegg.com/

I'm looking forward to a full Intel^3 (cpu/chipset/board) solution for ultimate stability.

Books:

• Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace ($12 new)
• The Principia by Isaac Newton ($15 new)
• Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith ($12 new)
• Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Ed.) by James D. Foley ($30 used)
• Operating Systems: Design and Implementation (2nd Ed.) by Andrew S. Tanenbaum ($20 used)
• Design and Evolution of C++ by Bjarne Stroustrup ($28 used)
• The Book of Numbers by John Horton Conway ($22 used)

Used prices are from www.AbeBooks.com

Re:Why an iPod? Seriously

[Digital11]

Screw the Karma... Get a Neuros then you can play Ogg and transmit FM radio as well....

Re:Why an iPod? Seriously

[Scrameustache]

Firewire
Calendar
Adress Book
Brickout (more on newer models)
iTunes
iTunes
iTunesiTunesiTunes
iTune s Music Store

Looks better

And its the bestest gift EVER!
Thanks mom : )

Something for the geek girl...

[tuxette]

Linux jewelry!

For example, the swinging Tux pendant is simply adorable! She'll love you forever for it!

:-)

Early Adopters

[slothdog]

Amazon's Early Adopters section has lots of great toys looking for new homes....

Re:new leatherman

[cjustus]

I have a Leatherman Micra that I end up using just about every other day... Lend it to co-workers all the time too... Carry it everywhere (fits on a key chain)... All the basic tools in a tiny package -- rock solid... I got it as a gift from the in-laws... Truly a great gift idea...

Re:Why an iPod? Seriously

[Querty]

Or an iRiver iHP-120

* Ogg Vorbis support
* USB 2.0
* 20Gb
* Optical and analog inputs and outputs
* FM radio
* Microphone input
* Recognised as a standard USB Mass Storage Device on all regular OS'es
* Backlit remote control with LCD screen
* Upgradable firmware
* 15 Hr battery life (LiPolymer battery)
* Best audio quality on the market, and enough power to drive "larger" headphones.

If you ask me, the iPod sucks rocks compared to this little gadget.

Re:DVD Burner

[Oopsz]

I had the same problems, and decided to go with DVD+RW (Just for video, not data storage.) Dual format burners are coming down in price, too, so you don't have to settle for one side.

An FAQ
Useful link

have fun, nothing like getting a new geek toy :D

Everything on Anandtech's wish lists

[Artifex]

They have most of it covered, here.

Re:Well...

[Permission Denied]

I woulnd't mind a solution to this bloody "kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k binfmt-498b, errno = 8" error I'm experiencing.

Your kernel is being asked to execute some binary whose first two bytes are 498B. This is a binary file but not an ELF executable; it seems likely that some program is attempting to exec a random binary data file or you have some filesystem corruption. Errno 8 is ENOEXEC, file is not a recognized executable format. You can track it down with something like this:

#!/bin/sh
if [ od -x -N 2 "$@" | fgrep 498b > /dev/null 2>&1 ] ; then
echo "$@"
fi

Save that as /tmp/foo, chmod +x it and then do:

find / -type f -exec /tmp/foo {} \;

Wait for a while and it should give you a list of the candidate files. There are a number of ways to proceed from there. For instance, I would make one of the files a shell script that logs the parent process to a file so you can find out where it's being execed. Like this:

#!/bin/sh
date >> /var/log/exec-problem
cat /proc/$PPID/cmdline >> /var/log/exec-problem

Now, will someone on Slashdot buy me an iPod?

Re:Why an iPod? Seriously

[psxndc]

Huh? My iPod's backlight comes on whenever I press any button. Not hold; press. Maybe you should blame your friend because he changed the default setting.

psnxdc

Re:A few thoughts

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a direct-drive "DJ" turntable. It's designed for scratching records at the expense of sound quality. Good audiophile turntables are almost exclusively belt-driven to reduces vibration, and usually feature a glass or poly matted table. This is not the type of turntable you'd want to use to accurately reproduce sound.

My shopping list

[Ellen Spertus]

I considered a USB coffee cup warmer for my husband until I read that it only keeps coffee lukewarm. I also considered the WFS-1 wifi detector, which is far superior to the Kensington model, but I nixed that because it doesn't distinguish between open and closed networks.

If we were filling stockings for grown-ups, I'd have gotten a bunch of Cyberguy Power Strip Liberators, which double your outlet access and are only $2.39 each. I have some and love them.

I was going to get my puzzle-loving brother-in-law a Shmuzzle Puzzle, but the U.S. rerelease, which had been scheduled for Dec. 3 on QVC has been postponed indefinitely. Canadians can buy them over the counter.

Some of the geekier presents I ordered for my nieces and nephews, all of whom are of course brilliant:

• Harry Potter Wizard Chess and Chess for Juniors for 8 year old.
• Skyrail Suspension Marble Run for artistic 9yo and engineering 5yo.
• Smart the Dog LEGO set for 9yo (also considered Motor the Monkey set.
• Techno Blocks, "the world's only preschool remote-control construction toy", for my 5yo engineer.
• Terry Pratchett's delightful Bromeliad (fun for ages 5 to adult) to begin reading aloud and then leave behind.
• Grow-a-Frog kit for 8yo naturalist.
• Geometric and creative Images coloring kit for artistic 6yo.
• Cattus Petasatus [Cat in the Hat] and a Latin dictionary for a sister-in-law.
• 500-in-1 electronic project lab for grown sister-in-law because you're never too old to learn. (Note the large discount over the Amazon price.)
• Disney's Princess Magical Dress Up software to encourage my 6yo niece to wrest the family computer from her 8yo brother (although that may be futile, since we're also giving him a Real One Arcade subscription).

Slightly less geeky gifts:

• Family Classics 50 Movie Mega Pack 12-DVDs at only $29.99

Filson: For the Outdoor Geek

[cribcage]

Check out the ultimate guys' company: C.C. Filson. They've began making outdoor gear during the Gold Rush in 1897, and have continued to produce according to their slogan, "Might as well have the best." Their stuff ain't cheap, and it ain't stylish...but it's tough and it's warm. You can't beat Filson quality.

I own the Outfitter coat, with a moleskin liner. My friends have a lot of fun with the fact that I look like a logger, but damned if it isn't the warmest coat I've ever owned. In a year or two, I'll buy the Double Mackinaw Cruiser for a bit of variety. I also own a pair of Filson gloves, and a hat (which gets me more grief than the jacket).

They also sell a terrific laptop bag. Paired with a sleevecase from Waterfield Designs, Filson's bag is the perfect transport and protection for my 12" PowerBook. It's a beautiful thing.

My Christmas list this year includes a Filson blanket. Again, the price is high, but it's matched by the quality and the craftsmanship. This is a winter blanket that can be handed down from one generation to the next -- and in my family's case, it will.

I love Filson, so this is a great opportunity for a plug. Buy their stuff. And order their free catalog. It's the most masculine mail-order catalog you'll find. It's filled with stories like, "Your coat protected me from a bear attack," and, "I was wearing your pants when I fell through the ice, fishing in Alaska, otherwise I'd be dead." Great stuff.

crib

Re:Why an iPod? Seriously

[bkim]

Check out the December 2003 issue of Stereophile. The editors chose the iPod as the budget component of the year. I think it may have placed in another category also, but I don't have the magazine on me right now. These guys are serious audio snobs. They especially liked that fact that you can copy CD's in full resolution to the iPod. You might be able to do that with other audio players too, but the large hard drive in the iPod makes it a bit more practical. It would be nice if Apple could build in support for Shorten (lossless audio compression).

Re:Tipping

[cayenne8]

Ouch!! Hold on. Personally, I think most EVERYONE should have to spend some time having to do restaurant work, and maybe even retail sales too. First, it give you a good idea of what the general public is really like. Second, later in life, you learn from this experience as to what it is like being a server, bartender...etc, and how to treat people right.

I hear in some other countries, they don't tip, or gratuity is automatically added to each check. In the US, that just isn't the deal. It won't change either. Please try to take the mindset, that part of the price of dining out, especially for full service, is the gratuity. Just like a beer costs x$'s...so, does the tip. It is not optional. I worked through college waiting tables and later bartending...MUCH better money bartending. It's been awhile, so, I don't know the exact figures anymore, but, there are TWO minimum wages set by the US. The normal one...and one for tipped personnel. When I was waiting tables..was like $2.19/hr (most of the 90's is when I did this). And, the Gov. expects you to declare 8% of your total sales as tips. So, you are automatically taxed 8% for everything you ring up for a customer. Now, depending on the scale of the restaurant, and the heirarchy, each server has to tip out. In most low end, chain restaurants, like Olive Garden, Friday's...etc...you as a server don't keep all your tips. You are expected to tip out to the bartenders a percentage of your alcohol sales, and you have to tip your bussers for cleaning your tables...and in some cases, I've had to tip the kitchen...especially if they help you through large parties. In upscale places...your tip also goes to maitre de (sp?), the captain...and possibly others.

So, this isn't the case of an employer not paying employees enough. It is the tradition, long standing, of US food service...which takes its roots from way back to other countries. The mindset is, that it should be considered part of the cost of dining out to pay for service. The part that is good and bad...is that it is left up to you the customer to pay as you wish. My standard is 15%...for regular service. I rarely ever tip only that I usually am around 20%. If you are a regular at places...and tip well, they remember...and you level of service can skyrocket. I have bartenders when they see me, to make my usual drink before I get to the counter...ahead of other people in some cases...and just start a tab with no questions asked. Same in restaurants...and I live in New Orleans...so, food is definitely important....

So, try to sit back...and do a mindset change on this...and you'll find you enjoy dining/drinking out more. Remember that YOU are NOT the only person they are waiting on...usually servers have a minimum of 3-4 tables of 4 or more people each. And, they are human. Mistakes can be made...and often times...not by them. If the kitchen loses an order...it wasn't your server's fault, although they are the ones that catch hell. So, relax, enjoy, and consider a tip as part of the price of a meal. If the service is bad...and I mean bad, with bad attitiude...then, speak to a manager. While tipping should be considered part of the price of a meal out...you should expect good service...and if it isn't good...then your restaurant needs to know this so they can fix it, and believe me, in most cases...they do want to. It is very competitive, and they don't want to lose you as a customer.

And, lastly...it is not an easy job. If you think so, try it yourself. On a busy night, with 12- 15+ people under your care you have to remember everyones requests, who ordered what...what course each table is on, deal with little kids in some places running around and throw food, refilling drinks, putting drink/food orders in, and watching for them to all come up, timed right with table..do side work which most everyone is assigned...cash people out, dispense money...and try to smile and have a good attitude the whole time. It isn't as easy as it might look...and you have to be intelligent to do it right...most people I knew in the business..were either in school...or working on advance degrees....

Re:DVD Burner

[dead sun]

The reason that DVD+R media are supposed to be more compatible is that the reflectivity of the disc is supposed to be the same as a pressed disc. However, the thing that trips up the players is the book setting. Some players see the book setting of DVD+R and think to themselves, "hey, I don't know what to do with this, " despite the fact that the disc is in almost everyway the same as a pressed one. Some burners (those based off of Ricoh hardware I think) can change the book setting on the disc to DVD-ROM, so then the players won't have a problem.

Last I saw it was because of this issue that DVD-R was "more compatible" with stand alone players.

I too got a multiformat writer and have had no issues writing so far. I picked up a Hi-Val writer which does 4x -R/4x +R/2x -RW/2.4x +RW for $90 after rebate. It takes a little while to write the RW discs, but most of the time I've not found it to be an issue, since I just do other stuff while waiting for it.

Re:A few thoughts

[pipingguy]

A digital camera with 5x or better optical zoom is a nice thing, too.

The Logitech Pocket Digital (~$100USD) is a nifty, tiny toy (the H/W size of a business card and 1/4" thick). Just don't expect good photo results unless you shoot outside on a bright day or in really good indoor light. The one I bought at a rock-bottom price is the older version - apparently the new one incorporates a flash. It's small enough to take everywhere, and is easily added to your daily loadout.