The holiday shopping season is in full swing now and the malls are absolutely packed with people desperately looking for the best gifts. At the same time, many people don’t exactly have the same amount of money to spend this year, so they’re having a hard time finding good Christmas presents on a budget. Are you one of these people?
If you are shopping for the technologically-inclined geek in your life, you may be a little overwhelmed by those prices. An adequately-equipped Asus Eee PC 1000HA or MSI Wind U100 will run you around $500. A brand new MacBook Air will get you close to $2,000. That’s quite a bit of money. Thankfully, there are some nice gifts out there that won’t break the bank.
I’ve collected five ideas at the under $25 range for the real bargain hunters and yet another five ideas at the under $50 range. Hopefully one of these really affordable gift ideas will make someone happy this holiday season.
Under $25: CoolIT USB Beverage Chiller
Sitting in front of a computer all day, one can get pretty thirsty. Between surfing for funny videos on YouTube and going on epic quests in World of Warcraft, there simply is no time to actually walk over the fridge. We want cold drinks, but we don’t want to leave our seats.
From the makers of Uber GPU and CPU cooling systems, the CoolIT USB Beverage Chiller is just the ticket for such a situation. While it’s not nearly as effective as a proper mini fridge, this handy platform will keep your can of Coke at a reasonably chilled temperature long enough for you to consume it. Power comes by way of USB, so you don’t have to worry about finding an external source of electricity either. The CoolIT USB Beverage Chiller is listed at $30, but can be found for around $20 at many online stores.
Under $25: Mario Kart Wii RC Car
Not surprisingly, some of the best games on the Nintendo Wii happen to come directly from Nintendo, but what do you do when you’re stuck at the office and itching for some Mario Kart Wii action? Simple! Take the race with you on the road (no pun intended) with this awesome matchbox-sized RC racer.
The little radio-controlled car is shown here in its Mario variation, getting bundled with a Wii white controller, a green koopa shell, and that pesky banana for making your opponents slide off the track. The little racer, which is about the same size as an iPod shuffle, comes with six-way controls and dual speeds through the “super wide range IR controller.” Better still, the batteries are included.
If the geek in your life isn’t the biggest fan of Nintendo’s plumber, Brando also has the RC kart available with Luigi, Yoshi, or Bowser, but you have to buy the whole set to gain access to those other Mario Kart characters. The Mario Kart Wii RC racing car retails for $24. Alternatively, you can nab the full set for a special discounted price of $79.90.
Under $25: Insane Rubik’s Cube v2.0
I’ve never been very good at solving the Rubik’s Cube. It’s just too frustrating for me, because I can never get a handle on a proper strategy to solve the bloody thing. Some people, though, have grown tired with its relative simplicity and they yearn for a greater challenge. Enter the second-generation Rubik’s Cube. Instead of six colors and equal-sized segments, this new version has uneven-sized segments and a mirrored finish throughout.
No, this toy doesn’t plug into your computer nor does it require any batteries, but the highly advanced puzzle geek in your life will get hours, months, possibly even years of enjoyment (or frustration) from this thing. The new Rubik’s Cube sells for less than $20.
Under $25: DIY Teddy Bear USB Drive
They say that some of the best gifts are not those that cost the most money, but rather the ones that take the most time. When grandma spent hours knitting that one of a kind sweater for you, it was out of love. When your Aunt Louise slaved in the kitchen to produce her special fruitcake, she really poured her heart into that baked delight.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not all that interested in sweaters and cakes. That’s why specially-customized computer and gadget accessories are so much more enjoyable. You won’t find the wildly disturbing Teddy Bear USB Drive in any stores, because there is no company that is willing to produce this thing (as far as I know). However, it wouldn’t take much for you to create such a unique gift.
You can surely find a small teddy bear at a discount store for a few bucks. Decapitate that sucker, stuff a flash drive in there, and you’ve got yourself an amazingly morbid source of memory. USB flash drives are really cheap, especially if you stick to the 2GB and 4GB models, so your total cost should be well under $25.
Under $25: Wii Points or Xbox Points
The Nintendo Wii Virtual Console is home to countless classics that will bring a nostalgic tear to just about any retro-inspired gamer. They can turn to the legendary NES to discover the original Super Mario Bros. They can jump over to the Sega Master System to find the first ever Sonic the Hedgehog. They can even head into the territory of the Neo-Geo to find Metal Slug. Buying a Wii Points card opens up all kinds of opportunities for enjoyment.
By the same accord, the Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360 is literally packed with incredible games as well. The recently released Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (what a mouthful!) is simply stellar and the side-scrolling fans will surely enjoy Castle Crashers. Let’s not forget about all the downloadable content (DLC) available too. Now that the New Xbox Experience is here, gamers are going to need more Microsoft Points than ever.
Under $50: Vizo Ninja HS Notebook Cooler
Sometimes practical gifts make the best kinds of gifts. If there’s someone in your life that relies solely on his laptop for all of his computing needs, it may be a good idea to pick up something like Vizo Ninja HS Notebook Cooler. Many laptops can have inadequate cooling solutions, so desktop stands like the Ninja HS can work wonders to extend life and improve performance.
The Vizo Ninja HS is one of the best notebook coolers that I have used and this is largely because of its fully adjustable design. It really can accommodate all kinds of notebooks. Retail price is in the $50 range, but you can find other similar products for less.
Under $50: Star Wars Mimobot Flash Drives
USB flash drives are just flash drives, right? Sure, you could look at the different speed ratings and security features. Those are important to a lot of people, but many others just want something that works. That is, unless they happen to be Star Wars fans too.
The crazy kooks at Mimoco have a huge range of Mimobot designer USB flash drives and one of the best collections has to be their Star Wars set. No, these drives don’t offer any kind of special security software, but they may be able to ward off attacks using the powers of the Force.
You can side with the Jedi and pick up flash drives styled after Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, or Princess Leia. If you’re feeling a little more evil, you can instead jump to the dark side to find a royal guard, Boba Fett, or Darth Sidious. These have to be the coolest-looking USB flash drives I’ve seen in some time, but they do come at a premium price.
The basic 1GB model is $39.95, though you can ramp it up as high as 8GB for (gulp) $70 more.
Under $50: Plenty of Video Games
Buying video games doesn’t need to be all that expensive, because with the exception of those huge band kits, most games for most systems can be had for $50 or less. Perhaps the best value that you will find is on the Nintendo DS, home to so many wonderful games like Ninjatown and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia.
If you’re feeling particularly frugal and you’d like to get a new Nintendo DS Lite of your own, there really is nothing stopping you from nabbing one of those bundles, keeping the DS Lite for yourself, and giving out the pack-in games as gifts. The same can be said about the Xbox 360 Holiday Bundle. Just don’t give away the Kung Fu Panda game. That’s worse than a lump of coal.
Under $50: Spy Camera Sunglasses
Sunglasses don’t just protect your eyes from the sun when you are taking on the role of a secret agent. While the geek in your life probably already has an MP3 player, a webcam, and a myriad of other goodies, it’s very unlikely that he has a set of spy camera sunglasses.
These sports-style sunglasses come with the added bonus of a 1.3 megapixel camera on the frame, taking pictures and saving them on the integrated memory. It’s also got built-in MP3 playback to boot. The list price is $49.99 on the 1GB model. If you’re feeling extra generous, you can splurge for the 4GB model for $79.99.
Under $50: USB Rocket Launcher
Maybe zipping around the office with tiny Mario Kart Wii RC racers isn’t your cup of tea. Maybe you have slightly more violent inclinations and would prefer to participate in full-on cubicle warfare. When regular Dwight Shrute and Jim Halpert-inspired antics won’t do, there is the incredible USB Rocket Launcher.
Available through ThinkGeek, this little shooter plugs into your computer and then you have full control over where those foam darts go. It is compatible with a Windows 2000, XP, or Vista (no Mac support as far as I know). After installing the included software, you have full 360 degree horizontal rotation, as well as 45 degree vertical aiming. The effective range is over six meters, so you’ll have no trouble reaching the guy across the way.
The retail price for the USB Rocket Launcher is around $29.99, but it only comes with a set of three darts. You’ll probably want to load up with extra 2-pack of replacement missiles (6 missiles) for $4.99 more. It’s worth it.
Inexpensive Does Not Mean Cheap
‘Tis the season for giving and, as a result, you may find yourself spending a little too much money during the Christmas shopping season. These are important people in your life and you want to spoil them with incredible gifts. That said, you really don’t need to run yourself broke to give out some cool presents.
Just because your present happens to be inexpensive does not mean that it has to be cheap. When selecting your holiday gifts, it’s probably a good idea to stick to name brands where they are available, because it’s just so much more appealing to receive an Apple iPod or Microsoft Zune than it is to receive some random knockoff brand from China. The exception, of course, is when you get some pretty unique (and awesome) gift ideas like those provided in this guide.
Think about the possible combinations too. Give one person the CoolIT Beverage Cooler and his co-worker the rocket launcher… then challenge the latter to keep shooting the Coke cans of the former. Good times. Good times.
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Futurelooks Holiday 2008 Guide to Techie Gifts on a Budget
