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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 ;)
I'm with Taco on the iPod. A digital camera with 5x or better optical zoom is a nice thing, too.
Also, you might look at bitChen. They look like much more fun than they should be, though very practical.
That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
Slashdot Subscription, the most expensive asterisk money can buy!
Dear Santa,
I've been a good boy this year. Please bring me:
a RealDoll
KY Jelly
96 Fort Garry Dark Ale
oh.. and peace on earth, goodwill to all.
Thanks!
Trolling is a art,
What makes it superior to the cheaper Rio Karma which also plays Ogg Vorbis and FLAC files among other things?
...but RAM is always a nice gift. I mean, right?
Give me a job for Christmas. After that, I can take care of my own toys.
BION, this year, most of my gift wish lists inlude non-geeky items. I needed a change. I have items on my lists like workplace clothing, a jacket, CD's, etc. I thought it would be nice for me to get non-geeky stuff for a change...
Leatherman Juice Xe6 Chris Bozic
So far anyone that has asked me what I want for christmas gets the same answer as everyone else:
A Job.
Graduating sucks when you don't have a job. Then again, I still have two finals left.
Scrabble/Chess accessories (super heavy weighted pieces)
Also, any of the cool USB devices here would be cool... the only problem with those is that they can short out the USB ports.
prices are dirt cheap for anything that is primarily used in the summer, like golf clubs or swimming pool accessories. Geeks will enjoy the practicality and thoughtfulness of long-term planning, even if they can't use the gifts for another 6 months.
Oh yeah, on the tech front, a wireless access point detector is cool.
...a girl friend ?
How about a gift from Dave Barry's Gift Guide? I see he even listed an item from Think Geek!
"Love is a familiar; Love is a devil: there is no evil angel but Love." --William Shakespeare ('Love's Labors Lost')
I think an iPod (or similar) is a bad geek gift, since most geeks probably have their eyes on these devices already, and have strong opinions on what they'd like.
An iPod is also too expensive a gift in most cases, and since you'll probably end up with the cheapest 15GB one, you'll feel shitty if you go out and buy a decent 40GB one a few months later, selling the gift on eBay or something.
I say geek gifts shouldn't necessarily be geek-exclusive gifts. Independent music in a genre the person likes.. movies they've shown an interest in.. box sets of the TV series they like. These things are smaller, more likely to open their eyes, and more likely to be remembered than a gift that could be obsolete within the year (because geeks upgrade often, as we know).
Or, even better, something off of their Amazon/whatever-store-isn't-evil-today giftlist.. that way you KNOw they'll like it! And, even better, you'll know someone else didn't buy it for them!
mogorific carpentry experiments
uh. . . a good book?
--It's a special device that requires no memory cards, no special power cells, and can be used with simple sunlight.
But then that might be pushing too far for today's geek:)
(Say something in an Umberto Eco)
-[joke removed for your safety]-
I am breaking out my soldering iron to work on this gift coming from my wife...the Enigma-e This is a brand new kit project so you can make an electronic working replica of the German Enigma machine. Includes plans to make yourself a wooden case and also code sheets from German Enigma files. Find it here: www.xat.nl/enigma-e Its from the Netherlands - sold through Bletchley Park in the UK - www.bletchleypark.org.uk It also connects to your PC with a serial cable - then you can transmit coded messages through something like hyperterminal. Enjoy.
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
- 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.comI sent my holiday spending money to the USO, who will buy gifts for people that need it more than me.
Phone cards, and online time are the two big items for them this year
Cmdr Taco for Xmas...
Merry Christmas!
Sig it.
These are available in a wide range of sizes and prices. USB 2.0 models are becoming cheaper.
Yes, most geeks probably have at least one of these already, but the techie on your list would probably appreciate another one.
As an added bonus, pen drives can be used with just about any operating system, so you can get one for the unwashed heathen ([win32,mac,bsd,linux] user) in the next cube.
(Just kidding about the unwashed part. The heathen piece still stands, though.)
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
My female robot...
This is going to be the be best prom ever!
I'd rather a mp3CD player for $50, ten CD-Rs, and the extra $349 in cash, please.
My brother gave me a Symbol CS1504 barcode scanner (a little over $100). Brown box, no app software, not much of a manual, just USB driver and a web site to discuss the unit. I've now written my own Java code to read it and look up UPC barcodes on the web. Haven't figured out exactly what to do with it, but it's small and has got a laser - what more could you want? Kept me entertained working on code for it for months.
So what are you doing here then?
I demand the Cone of Silence!
...is a series of successes on these upcoming mars orbital insertions and landings.
For example, the swinging Tux pendant is simply adorable! She'll love you forever for it!
People say I'm crazy, I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes...
Amazon's Early Adopters section has lots of great toys looking for new homes....
My vote would go to the Canon Digital Rebel (AKA Canon EOS 300D) camera. There's a review at http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/300d.h tml and http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_ eos300d.asp?dontcount=1.
The short version is that for $1000 you can get a quality Digital SLR camera with a very good zoom lens. And you can then use Canon EF lenses for flexibility.
Compared to other DSLR's it's _way_ less expensive (compare to the previous bargain 10D for $1,500 with no lens), and makes pretty reasonable tradeoffs. It has the same 6 Mpixel sensor, but the camera body is plastic instead of metal, and a few other esoteric controls are missing. So they give you the functionality that any photographer actually uses, for around 1/2 the cost of its closest competition.
Compared to point-and-shoot digicams, the 300D (1) has a much larger lens, allowing you to shoot in less light/faster speed, and (2) lets you use any Canon EF lens, so you can use super zoom lenses, macro lenses, etc., (3) it gives you manual control over everything, and (4) it auto-focuses and shoots much faster than any point-and-shoot I've tested.
Enable 3D printed prosthetics!
How about donations to "geek" charities such as the EFF or EPIC? I'm sure other worthwhile OpenSource projects such as GNOME can also use a gift. Donations are environmentally friendly, don't require batteries, never break, and won't clutter your apartment or add more confusion to your life.
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.
:D
An FAQ
Useful link
have fun, nothing like getting a new geek toy
And Frenchmen.
Karma Whoring, but getting a preview of the next storymakes it worthwhile for me. No Slashdot effect (99% of the time). No Ads on main page is also nice. I also like this site so much that 10 bucks for 1000 ad-free pages is a bargain.
If that's all that you're using it for, it doesn't even have to be completely working...
here is my small and very humble wishlist.
I do sincerely hope you will show up at the Christmas party with these items. If so required I shall designate certain items to certain people to avoid getting double presents. Those who do not bring a present in my wishlist may not have any of the food, nor will you be invited again next year. I thank you all.
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"If anyone needs me, I'm in the angry dome."
They have most of it covered, here.
Get off my launchpad!
I recommend a flame thrower - it is equally well capable of burning + or - RW disks, AND all the packaging along with it.
liqbase
Who modded the parent Insightful? I picked up a /. sub for the same reason I tip the waiter/waitress when I go out to dinner. Sure, I could pick up my own food, refill my own glass, and bus my own table, but I'd rather spend my time enjoying my food and chatting with people, so here's a few bucks for your trouble, kid. I have no qualms about paying for a service, nor do I feel so entitled that I demand things that my subscription couldn't pay for.
/. for Christmas. :D
On the other hand, a subscription as a gift seems patently asinine to me. I can't think of any of my friends who wouldn't sock me in the face for getting them a lame gift like ad-free
Auto-reply to ACs: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
Then I probably shouldn't tell you that Nethack 3.4.3 is out :)
You can hang that Amulet of Yendor in the empty spot you left for your diploma.
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:
Save that asNow, will someone on Slashdot buy me an iPod?
world domination! (and no, I'm not bill gates)
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
Lego Technic is just the thing, perhaps a MindStorms kit. Use it to make a robotic typist.
"You might as well get your son a ticket to hell as give him a five string banjo." -unknown minister
My god, it is so amazing. And at only a little over $100k, you know your friends will all have one.
some times I wish mod points were on sale :) It would make ideal gift to many of my buddies and ofcourse to myself too..
DVDs are always something you can buy unless you come up with something else. Indiana Jones remastered movies could be a good choice for you who haven't got that already. Personally I watch much rather a high quality DVD than som crappy version from the net.
I demand the Cone of Silence!
One of the first DSLR's under $1k that's actually worth buying! It'll take EF (and a new type, EF-S) lenses so finally we photography geeks have a chance to get a sub-$1k DSLR. Except for the Sigma SD9 (with Foveon's X3 sensor), which was Sigma's first digital camera, the 300D is the only other decent camera in this class.
I've been *really* good this year, I swear.
Exocet Industries - Taking over the world, one computer at a
If your gift recipient is an ubergeek, he/she will appreciate having some test-bed hardware to knock around on; if he/she is new to geekdom, then you've given them a way to explore without trashing their XP box.
"It was a summer's tale: Just a boy, his Linux, and a head full of dreams..."
Peace on Earth
A personal army of robots to conquer the placeted people with
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
I made a lot of money in 2003. I used it to buy just about anything I wanted and had time/space for; the same holds true for material desires down the road. Christmas drives me nuts, because it means that my friends and family will be wasting money buying me more stuff that will likely end up in a closet or at the salvation army. My only really memorable gift from xmas 2002 was a Barnes&Noble gift card, and I still haven't had time to read the damned books I bought with it!
So how about everyone just does me a favor and gives the money away? Following are my favourite charities:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign
The Sierra Club
Amnesty International
Greenpeace
I'm sure, in fact I know, that I have left a lot of worth organizations out. But seriously, my christmas wish is that people would stop wasting money buying cheap asian trinkets and spend it on something useful. Christmas doesn't have to be a load of crap. Make it worthwhile.
Unless, of course, you want to get me gift certificates at the Apple store.
Consider the following:
- Clothing
- Dinners
- Jewelry
- Upgrades
- Breast augmentation
- Liposuction
All of these present additional costs. Add to that QoS (It happens to everybody, honey) and downtime (I'm tired...).Your ideal solution lies in the purchase of an experienced adult film studio fluffer. Guaranteed on-demand service without the hassle of a non-professional.
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:
Slightly less geeky gifts:
Oops! This isn't the vaporware thread. So sorry, mod me down.
I figure I'll get an 'early start' and do it this week. 2-3 hours...BAM swoop in, get everyone's gifts...and out.
It isn't that hard...
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
So what are you doing here then?
Failing.
The enemies of Democracy are
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
Please don't read my journal
work for diebold? ;)
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....
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
. . . when she starts spawning child processes.
I didn't even know they existed until I saw a few at a hobby shop this past weekend. What could be more distinctive in a geek's cubicle than an assembled 3-D puzzle of Hobbiton, Minas Tirith, or Edoras?
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.
If not now, when?
Fuck that. Tipping should be based on service. That's the whole point.
I "start" at 15%. If they do well, I mentally increase it. If they don't, I mentally decrease it. At the end of the meal, I use whatever I'm at. 15% is for *average* service, not for *poor* service.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
Ok here are some of the cool toys for your geek this Christmas. Anything on this list is something he should already have, so if he doesn't - he wants it.
[X]802.11b Wireless gear. You can get the base station and a card for under $100 total now - I suggest Linksys.
[X]LCD Monitor. Welcome to the 21st Century - a good 18" LCD (Dell 1800fp) can be had in the $400 to $500 range. Even a 15" LCD is nicer than a 17" CRT if he isn't too pissy about the 1024x768 max resolution - if he writes code go at least 17" to get one that does 1280x1024.
[X]USB Thumbdrive / Jumpdrive. 64M on a keychain, get one that doesn't look too frail (I have the Lexar Jumpdrive 64M, clear purple plastic and I am afraid I am going to shatter it in my pocket.) Cost about $30 for a 64M drive.
[ ]iPod. Has already been thrashed to death in this thread, but there is a reason for that.
[X]DVD burner. A nice 4x unit can be had for under $200 easily. Stick to brand name hardware.
[X]Good wireless keyboard / mouse combo. Logitech makes a killer set, less than $100. If he is still using that cheap $4 OEM keyboard they included with his computer, get him this.
Targus Defcon1 laptop protection device. It has a blinkenlight and is motion sensitive, if anybody cuts the steel wire or moves the unit it goes absolutely ape-shit klaxxon alarming away until disarmed with the code or a big hammer. Doesn't make a laptop impossible to steal, just makes someone else's laptop easier to steal.
[X]Digital camera - stick to brand name if you don't know what you are doing. Sony, Kodak, HP, etc. Make sure it uses CompactFlash cards and uses regular AA sized batteries if possible. One that uses those mini-CDs would also be cool (but is a little on the costly side.)
[X]Laser pointer. If he doesn't have one yet he is seriously deprived - hook him up. Shark is optional.
[ ]Bluetooth telephone headset if his cell phone can use it. These are entirely too cool, but a little expensive ($100) so he probably hasn't justified getting himself one yet.
[ ]Gigabit networking. Now that Gigabit network cards have come down in price (less than $50 for Intel) and switches too (think Linksys at $200 - Intel is still a little too proud) for under $400 you could outfit most of his personal network at Gigabit speeds.
Note - anything above that doesn't have a [X] I don't have. Hint hint.
Glonoinha the MebiByte Slayer
Link to Hover "scotter".
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com