Gifts for Geeks, part two: Gifts for the Grown up Geeks
Post date: Dec 8, 2017 10:31:15 PM
The Nerdmuch website, above
We already discussed gifts for the geek kids in your life. What about the adult geeks? Every family has at least one person who is obsessed with comics, board games, and movies like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or those about Batman, Spider Man, Thor, or other Super heroes. What do you get for these people for Christmas?
Start with what he or she likes: if a fan of a specific movie franchise, TV show, or comic, go to thinkgeek.com for inspiration. You will find an astonishing array of gifts there, including t-shirts for Dr. Who fans, measuring cups that look like R2D2 in Star Wars, sweaters with a variety of geeky graphics, coffee mugs with geeky sayings, light saber chopsticks, or fun socks, like the “Sock It To Me Circuit Board” Men’s Crew Socks.
Geeks have a lot of gadgets that require power, so how about a cool power bank? PC World did an article on the best Power banks of 2017 and found a variety, ranging in price from $20 to $99. Some of the popular brands include Mophie, MyCharge, APC, Tzumi’s Pocket Juice, and Atomi. If you look on Amazon, you can also find gift sets that include a wireless mouse, power bank, and touchscreen pens. Some geeks have serious storage needs, and we’re not talking Tupperware here: maybe a Stormtrooper USB flash drive would be helpful to archive documents or photos, or help transfer them to a new computer.
While you’re at it, why not give EVERYONE on your shopping list one of the most practical stocking stuffers ever? Several years ago my husband gave me a charging cable with four heads, so that you could charge up both an IPhone and an Android device at the same time, or your IPhone and older IPad at the same time. It was made by Case and costs under $10; it’s great for taking on trips because it’s like having several cables at once.
Do you have a geek in your life who constantly misplaces his or her keys, wallet, or other things? If so, check out the Tile, a tiny Bluetooth tracker that you attach to your keyring: then use the smartphone app to locate your keys. They come in multiple packs: the more you buy, the cheaper each tile becomes. Find them at Bestbuy for around $24.
Pet lovers who want to keep track of their pets while the owners are at work would love the Petcube, a Camera with Video, 2-Way Audio, Night Vision, and a Laser Toy, that works with Alexa (around $169.99). Watch your pet play, talk to it, and hear it bark or meow back.
Science Geeks might like the Clip-on Microscope by Kingmas, which magnifies up to 60X and provides some light via a built in LED light, powered by batteries. It turns your smartphone into a microscope for under $10.
With a new Star Wars movie coming out, there are lots of Star Wars themed gifts, from stuffed animals to clothing to the Star Wars Lightsaber Heat Change Mug ($13.99 on Amazon) or Lightsaber BBQ tongs. There is also a cool droid that looks BB-8 from The Force Awakens; it’s described as a remote control robot toy.
Kids of all ages will be interested in toy drones, which range in price and feature. Amazon lists one for under $20 and others for $129 and much higher, but many suggest starting out with a cheaper one to learn how to control them. In addition, reading the reviews is helpful in selecting the best model.
Need more gift ideas? Here are a few suggestions from Nerdmuch.com, which includes a link to purchase the products.
· Google Home is a device similar to Amazon’s Echo that works with voice activation: it can play music, answer questions, and tell you the weather.
· Gaming headsets range in price from $50 to $200 or more. They recommend the Logitech G633 headset, which sells for around $99.
· Zombie Fridge magnets will please those Walking Dead fans for around $10.
· The Kymera Magic Wand Remote Control lets you use hand gestures to control devices and should appeal to Harry Potter fans. The wand costs around $65.
· Nerdy backpacks: take your pick from one looks like the Tardis to those bearing the icons for comic heroes, Star Wars, Minecraft, or Nintendo, among others.
· Remember those annoying Where’s Waldo books? Now there is a new version, for Star Wars fans: Where’s the Wookie, for around $10.
· Super Mario Odyssey, available for under $50 on Amazon Prime, looks to be the hot video game this season.
· Forget the Jelly of the month club: consider signing your friend or family member up for Loot crate, which offers a monthly membership for a box of geek and gamer gear valued at $45 for under $20 a month.
· Gamers would also love the Nintendo Switch, a new home console/handheld hybrid. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is only available on Switch, so the folks at the nerdmuch website were enthused about trying it out.
What if your geek is a girl? Here are a few ideas from thinkgeek, nerdmuch and Amazon:
- · “I love you more than Pi” coffee mug or cute t-shirts with geeky sayings.
- · Books and games based on favorite TV shows like the Big Bang Theory
- · Jewelry based on a favorite TV show or movie
- · Infinity scarves featuring science, math or literary themes
- · Accessories for phones and tablets: a stylus for touch screens and power banks
- · “Best Mom in the Galaxy” coffee travel mug
- · Magnetic poetry features a kit for Geeks: you can use the phrases to write a poem on the refrigerator
- · A clip on lens turns a smartphone into a better camera
- · Adult coloring books for fans of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Dr. Who.
- · Deals on Amazon devices – it’s hard to resist a $29 Kindle Fire or Echo Dot
- · Boogie boards – simple low tech drawing boards with a button to erase. There is a small model perfect for a purse, with stylus
- · Marvel comics dress and pumps (from nerdmuch)
Finally, if all else fails, remember that gift cards are a great idea as well, because it lets your friend or family member decide what to buy. And try not to feel too guilty if you have found one or two gifts for yourself in your search: you aren’t alone. According to the National Retail Federation’s survey of Christmas 2016, about 6 in 10 shoppers bought items for themselves last year. So, if you happen to be a geek, you probably saw at least a couple of things you liked in this column! Happy shopping!
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This column appeared in the Waterloo Courier.
Last Updated Dec. 4, 2017