Tech Gifts for the Holidays

MrCopilot pointed out that every year there are a slew of gadgets geeks desire for Christmas, and approximately 7 million web pages dedicated to compiling lists of them. So why shouldn't we join in the fun. Here are stories from Dallas News, CBS News, Seattle Times, E Media Wire, Detroit News and MSNBC. So lets take a crack at your own list. There's still another day or two where things could conceivably be shipped on time for the holidays. I highly recommend Rock Band, although my aching hands might disagree.

Comments

Some of us are celebrating festivus

[VMaN]

.... you insensitive clod :)

Re:Some of us are celebrating festivus

[vil3nr0b]

That's right and those of us celebrating festivus want that fucking laser from Boeing.

Re:Some of us are celebrating festivus

[gEvil (beta)]

I would celebrate Festivus, but those damn poles are too expensive...

Re:Some of us are celebrating festivus

[Anonymous Coward]

Mark above as troll. It is a link to some info gathering farm: "gotcha: MyMiniCity is designed to capture information from all its visitors. thank you for your participation."

Not really tech gifts...

[Ryukotsusei]

I read over a few of the lists... they seem more like lists for tech enthusiasts rather than actual.. geeks per se. Where the hell is Hubo? No segways? Motor scooters? Play pen balls? Although personally, I'm aiming for ice skates this winter.

Almost anything from ThinkGeek

[Selfbain]

If you gave me a 10k gift certificate for ThinkGeek, I bet I could spend it.

My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[Brew Bird]

Has to be the Bookeen Cybook Gen3.
http://www.bookeen.com/ebook/ebook-reading-device.aspx
The only thing that could make this thing cooler is a wifi connection.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[Ryukotsusei]

What's with the e-paper craze nowadays? I grew up reading things on recycled paper. =/

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[SharpFang]

Content:size ratio.

A paperback book with 1MB hardly fits in a pocket and is maybe 6h of reading for an average reader. A 1GB SD card is easily months of reading, pluggable into a device that is the size of the 1MB book - and thanks to the e-paper, the batteries won't die on you while you read and the readablity will be just like with a paper book.

Imagine you want to read the whole Pratchett's Discworld series on your daily way to work, 1h each direction, on a train daily. You either go to a bookstore and (with lots of luck if it's all in stock) buy some 10 pounds of paper, then remember to take one part for your travel, or two if you're about to finish the 'current' one. You pay a small fortune.

Or you rent them at a library. Good luck getting them all, good luck getting them in parts and none of the parts missing, you're bound by return schedules and you need to go to said library.

Or you visit piratebay and download the whole series in ebook format, then read it on your pocket reader. Cost: zero. You have them all, no management. You read on your own schedule. They fit on one tiny card. And so on... And if you feel like the author deserves the money, you buy the DRM'd versions from Amazon and promptly delete them, or just buy the paper version and put them on a shelf in your house, never opening them.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[eln]

The e-book thing is an idea that simply refuses to die. Every couple of years, we get more hype about it, but it's never really gotten that far. My personal take on it is that it's a solution looking for a problem. An e-book reader is not really any more convenient to carry around than a paperback book, and is less durable. The only real advantage is the ability to carry around your entire library with you, but so far that hasn't been enough to overcome the disadvantages inherent in reading for extended periods of time from a small electronic device.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[CastrTroy]

I could see wanting to carry around my entire CD collection, so things like iPod make sense. In 1 hour you could listen to about 15 songs, so if you want a mix from everything you own, instead of just 1 CD, it makes sense to carry your whole collection on you. However, with books I feel it's quite a bit different. You are going to read 4 minutes from 15 different books in a 1 hour trip. Even if you are going on vacation for a couple weeks, you probably wouldn't go through that many different books that it would be a problem to bring a few with you. Unless you like travelling to exotic out of the way places to sit in a hotel and read books all day.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[SharpFang]

I can scan entire bookshelves in a glance. No time needed for indexing, just a quick look is necessary.

OTOH if you want to read a specific book, and you have more than one bookshelf, finding it can be a bitch. If you have much more than one bookshelf, it can be a REAL bitch.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[GodfatherofSoul]

Did you go to college? Heaving around all those textbooks SUCKED, especially when I had to walk to campus! This is the one great usage I can see for e-books, or at least PDF releases of texts, but I doubt the printing industry is going to give up on leeching off of college kids.

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[SharpFang]

And if you feel like the author deserves the money, you buy the DRM'd versions from Amazon and promptly delete them

I'm offered a choice between a sub-par, restricted, limited, crippled version of something for $MUCH and the same thing without these flaws for $NONE.

I'm ready to pay the $MUCH for the unrestricted version. I don't want the restricted version, its price being moot.

So where's the evil of grabbing the 'open' version of the books from torrent, buying the same books in DRM format, then just never using the DRM version?

That I don't pay premium for a reader device with restriction chips? That I can backup them, I can read them on any device I have, without the publisher's approval?

Or that I can decide not pay for the book if I give up reading it one chapter deep, deciding it's utter crap and not worth the money by far, and that the advertisement was deceiving?

Re:My Pick for geek toy... CyBook Gen3!

[Pollardito]

You are going to read 4 minutes from 15 different books in a 1 hour trip. that sounds more like a ransom note than a good reading experience

Hand-Brain coordination

[starglider29a]

My kid is a genetic gamer, with Controller Thumb to prove it. I wanted to give him a gift which would allow him to use his hand-skills and yet challenge his brain.

I gave him a slide rule.

Re:Hand-Brain coordination

[still_sick]

I wanted to give him a gift which would allow him to use his hand-skills and yet challenge his brain.

Buy him some Playboys, but cut the naughty bits out of all the pictures.

Re:Hand-Brain coordination

[RManning]

I gave him a slide rule.

Worst. Christmas. Gift. Ever.

Re:Hand-Brain coordination

[Brickwall]

Oh man, when I was studying engineering in the '70s, my dad gave me a circular slide rule. It was way easier to fit in your pocket than a traditional slip stick, though you did lose some accuracy on the inner bands. My friends all thought it was cool.

Of course, in second year, I got a TI SR-52, which they thought was even cooler because it could do polar-rectangular conversions in my choice of degrees or radians. Everyone wanted me in their study group.

Re:My greatest gift...

[dintech]

Yes AC, I'd like that too. You've been trolling here too long and I hate you.

Please don't turn /. into digg.

[dotancohen]

What I want for christmas:
Please don't turn /. into digg.
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What the hell is with these top-* lists?

Re:Please don't turn /. into digg.

[ThousandStars]

What the hell is with these top-* lists?

Good question: I tried to ask "What were the best books, movies, games, and media released in 2007?" The question might yield somewhat meaningful results, and I'd been thinking about the issue after seeing the NYTimes' best books.

Instead, the submission was rejected in favor of one discussing consumer electronic junk.

Asus EEE PC

[Kelbear]

Super-small laptop, with a 7-inch screen.
The thing is hardly bigger than a DS. It can fit in women's handbags. Glove compartments.

And yes it runs linux, it comes runs linux out of the box.

Mine will double as a casual laptop and as a remote for my TV which will be using my computer as a source(via logmein).

I can see both women and men loving this thing. $400 bucks or so.

CHEAP ebook readers?

[SharpFang]

If I want an e-book reader that does just that - displays the text - without web browser, wireless purchases, touchscreen, accelerometers, WiFi, EVDO, DRM, DMCA, PATRIOT, WMD and all this crap that does little to user experience and lots to the price. Not every country considers 2 salaries worth of money a good price for a device to just read books.

It would be good if it was pocket-sized too.

What would you recommend?

Re:CHEAP ebook readers?

[Anonymous Coward]

JuiceBox -- http://myvogonpoetry.com/wp/index.php?p=57

http://www.teleread.org/blog/2005/06/02/the-12-e-book-reader/

Re:CHEAP ebook readers?

[O2dude]

With that list of reqs/specs I'd just go with the original paperback:

1. Low puchase cost
2. Best in class - by far - battery life
3. Best in class - by far - display resolution
4. Lightweight

New monitor

[daun3507]

I've always wanted a huge multiscreen display from here!

For the gamers

[superbus1929]

If you are a gamer and own any handheld systems, you've got two perfect gifts if you're any kind of gamer: look into Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP, or Contra 4 for DS. They're both infinitely more awesome than Rock Band, in my opinion.

Re:For the gamers

[Kohath]

I can help with this.

How can you say that either game is "more awesome" than the other?

You just say it. It helps if you actually have that opinion, but it's not really necessary.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Apples are better than oranges. Oranges are too sugary and the non-juice parts of the orange are more-or-less pointless. Oranges are really a drink, whereas apples are a food. And, as a drink, oranges are too sugary and don't contain adequate caffeine. When apples are made into a drink, they're actually worse than orange juice though.

You also have to buy the good apples. Discount apples have little taste.

I would recommend Rock Band to anyone with more than two friends.

Does God count as a friend?

Where are MS products ?

[alexhs]

I see Apple products, add-ons for Apple products, Wii, TiVo, PSP...
Where are Vista, Zune 2 ? XBox360 ? (admittedly, more of a fit for past year lists)

Tech-gifts lists confirm it : MS is dying :P

Re:Where are MS products ?

[stormguard2099]

"here ya go sport! A shiny new copy of vista ultimate!"
"fuck you dad..."

Pretty high prices

[blueskatz]

Every year, I see these lists and I wonder, do most people really spend that much on a single Christmas gift? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying anyone a $2500 self-tuning electric guitar (CBS list), or a new $2299 Apple iMac (MSNBC list) or even a $400 iPhone this holiday season. I swear these lists must be created by retailers or someone trying to convince you that you have to go all out and spend all your savings every Christmas, just so your friends and family will love you.

At least some of these lists are surprisingly decent - the Dallas and Detroit ones are actually pretty reasonable - accessories for your friends and family that already bought their gadgets. Now those make good gift items.

Re:Pretty high prices

[fragbait]

...or even a $400 iPhone this holiday season. I swear these lists must be created by retailers or someone trying to convince you that you have to go all out and spend all your savings. every Christmas Assuming the savings is for retirement instead of a short term goal, e.g. the holiday season.....

First, I'm not advocating anyone spend this much on gifts or that they spend all their savings every year end holiday season. Second, you aren't saving enough for whatever you are saving for if you choose, instead of continuing to save, to buy a $400 iPhone that empties your savings. Even if the other two gifts mentioned are added, you still aren't saving enough if all together they empty your savings.

I'm not trying to belittle the parent poster, either. ...just adding another perspective.

-fragbait

Re:Pretty high prices

[tompaulco]

What I really hate is all these ads on TV about giving a Mobile Phone as a Christmas gift. A gift with a contract.
Cell phones. The gift that keeps on taking.

Rock Band?

[CompMD]

I don't know, but instead of playing Rock Band, maybe people could learn to play real instruments.

Get off my lawn.

Re:Rock Band?

[UncleTogie]

Do you really want to have to listen to your kid trying to learn how to play a real instrument?

Heaven forbid we actually encourage a real-life artistic skill.

Skill takes practice. Get 'em an electric guitar... with an ear monitor.

My list

[hcdejong]

Hydrodynamic building set
Chaos tower

Engadget Has...

[ack154]

Gift guides for most of the family.

I think they're still working on one or two more. Not sure.

Another geek gift list

[wastedbrains]

Here is another tech list, but this one is also merging some of the lists mentioned so you can see what is making the top overall. Gifts for Geeks from Seekler

Go green, skip the gadgets

[athloi]

1. Buy gadget
2. Replace batteries
3. Watch it break down
4. Attempt to fix
5. ???
6. Profit (for the person who sold it)
7. Massive unrecycled waste (your gift to planet earth)

Good ideas: plants, books, tools, Slashdot membership, backrubs, fruit, nuts, candy wrapped in paper.

This holiday is about loving your family, go be with them, instead of working extra hours to buy them plastic crap you won't even remember in two years!

Re:Go green, skip the gadgets

[maxume]

How certain are you that being generous and thinking of other people isn't some sort of self-focused philosophical imperative(i.e., I bet is makes you feel good)?

My brothers and I canceled the gift part of Christmas, we are all reasonably well funded and buy the things that we want or need, and none of us are particularly fond of knick-knackery. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to exchange lists and buy things for each other, so we gave it all up. No one regrets it.

Nieces and nephews still get presents.

Re:Rock Band - 58 Song Set List

[EveryNickIsTaken]

Compared to guitar hero, the set list is a cakewalk. The only song that is difficult is Green Grass and High Tides on Expert - by the time you get to the endless HO's/PO's, your arm/wrist feels like it's jello.

oh boy. another list!

[sammy baby]

I know it's outre to point out how trite and overdone these gift guides are, so I'll let the folks at Gizmodo take a poke at it for me.

To test how lemming-like guide-makers were in picking all the same stuff, I chose 10 popular tech toys--iPhone, iMac, MacBook, any iPod, TomTom GPS, any game console (Wii, Xbox 360 or PS3), Vizio HDTV, Slingbox, any Blu-ray or HD DVD player, and any Canon PowerShot or Sony Cyber-shot camera--and checked which of the major guides were serving them up. Here's how the mainstream gift lists panned out...

Alternative choices after the jump.

Wii Wins

[Brickwall]

Just saw a report on CNBC at 11:15 EST that showed 79% of prospective game system buyers want to buy a Wii, some 16% for Playstation, and a measly 5% for Xbox. And something like 90% of women buyers are interested in the Wii. It is interesting to note that while shopping for the Wii version of Guitar Hero III in Toronto, there are stacks of the Activision version, and the PC version, but no Wii versions to be had, and the clerk at the local Wal-Mart told me that they get cases of the other versions, but only six copies of the Wii system. She doubts they will get any more before Christmas.

Re:My greatest gift...

[Mr. Underbridge]

It's OK, little emo, don't do it!

The geek gift lists aren't hardcore geek enough

[sprior]

First point - if you're reading a geek gift list and it suggests a simple GPS unit, then they don't know what they're talking about. Any real geek is on his thrid GPS by now or else doesn't see the point because he never goes outside.

Second point - none of the geek gift guides I've seen are hardcore geek enough. I'd love to hear other similar ideas (because I've got these two already), but...

Item #1: a Symbol CS1504 handheld barcode scanner (around $100). No significant instructions included or software beyond drivers, and it comes in a plain brown box. It's the size of keyfob car remotes and has memory so you scan stuff then hook it up to your computer later and download what it scanned - once you write the software to do that of course. Kept me entertained for months and now I've written Java code to support it and lookup UPS and ISBN codes.

Item #2: The Pickit2 starter kit from Microchip ($50 direct). Nothing says geek more than programming little extremely cheap microprocessors in assembly language to flash LEDs in sequence. This kit gives you everything you need to get you started in doing just that, and is a gateway gift for future geek paraphernalia like breadboards and electronic parts - nobody else will have a clue what all that stuff is, but at least it's all pretty cheap. Throw in a subscription to "Nuts and Volts" magazine and he'll have geek pr0n all year long. If you play your cards right next year you'll have all sorts of blinky geek ornaments to hang on the tree.

Both of these gift ideas have an extremely high geek fun to price ratio. What I'm looking for is other ideas like this.

ebook - the idea that refuses to die?

[Fubari]

The ebook has not died because it is a Really Good Idea.

Donald Norman observed it takes about 6 attempts for new technologies to materialize in a form that the market accepts ("The Design of Every Day Things" ). This is simply because good design is hard.

As for the many versions of ebook-readers running around the market lately, I would suggest that 1) the LCD version's don't count (non-starter as a paper replacement), and 2) there have only been two or three iterations of eInk models (e.g. numerous models from various companies, but few generations overall).

Once e-ink resolution has about doubled, I'll be moving my reading from paper to bits. The other posts about reading entire series (aka Diskworld), or textbooks, or technical books are valid and sound. Just lately, I was intrigued by a title in another article ("The Killing Star" as mentioned here in Does Active SETI Put Earth in Danger? ) and I have been unable to find one of thse "Ohhh-paper-is-the-ultimate! versions at all (or at least any price point I would pay for - the last one on Amazon I saw was a used copy for about $200 (Yeah, I wish I was kidding too.))).

Anyway...
Paper books will join pay-phones in the Obsolescence Hall Of Fame; of this I am sure.

Re:My greatest gift...

[Mr. Underbridge]

I started the "*BSD is dead" thing you know.

We know, AC. You're responsible for all the evil posts and memes around here. Here's a song for you:

"Sympathy for the AC"

Please allow me to introduce myself/ I'm a man who's crass and vile.

Ive been around for over 10 long years/ Hijacked many a story's forum.

And I was round when Cmdr Taco/ Had his moment of doubt and pain

Made damn sure that the GNAA/ Put ASCII Goatse in every post

Pleased to meet you/Hope you guess my name/But whats puzzling you,/Is the nature of my game

I stuck around in the BSD forums/ When I saw it was time for a change

Killed Open, Net, and Free BSD/ And posted the Netcraft server stats

I got inside /Hacked an editor's account

While the dupe stories rained /And the forums sucked

Pleased to meet you/Hope you guess my name, oh yeah/Ah, whats puzzling you/Is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched with glee/ As your Apple and MS fanboys

Fought for a decade/ For the Gods they made

I shouted out,/Who killed Stephen King?

When after all/He's still not dead!

Pleased to meet you/Hope you guess my name, oh yeah/Ah, whats puzzling you/Is the nature of my game, oh yeah

Just as every editor downmods forum posts,/ and all the trolls are saints!

As heads is tails/ Just call me "Mr. A. C."

'Cause I'm in need of an IP ban

So if you meet me/Have some courtesy

Have some sympathy, and some taste

Use all your well-earned Mod points/Or I'll lay your posts to waste

Pleased to meet you/Hope you guess my name, oh yeah/Ah, whats puzzling you/Is the nature of my game, oh yeah....

Disgruntled Oracle employee....

[bigmouth_strikes]

...that didn't get a Xmas bonus ?