Everyone knows that tech gifts make some of the really coolest gifts to give out as Christmas presents. But, with the current state of the economy as it is, I proposed to myself a challenge: To find respectable tech gifts for $20 or less. I know what you are thinking – the words “tech gift” and “$20 or less” go together about like Macs and plentiful FPS games, but nonetheless I believe that such a thing is possible.
Finished with the research, I present to you in no particular order my top choices for a budget friendly (“cheap”) tech gift for the tech lovers on your holiday list. These would work great for budget minded gifts, stocking stuffers, or even office gifts.
Wii MotionPlus accessory for Nintendo Wii
Practically everyone knows someone who now has a Wii. They may have spent many hours playing virtual tennis or virtual bowling on Wi Sports. But with the Motionplus Upgrade ($20), they can take their game to a whole new level.
The gadget, which attaches to their existing Wiimote controller, makes the remote much more sensitive to movements. Now with a flick of the wrist or or a small twist of the hand can spin that bowling ball just right. Their whole game gets a performance upgrade thanks to your thoughtful gift (assuming they are playing games that can take advantage of the upgrade). Available at game retailers everywhere.
USB Plasma Ball
Ever since they first burst onto the market quite a number of years back, I have been fascinated by the high voltage plasma ball. I bought one of the first models that Radio Shack produced , and spent hours staring at the glow from the arcs between my finger tips.
Fast forward to today. You can now get one of these highly entertaining if not practically useless gadgets that plug into a computer USB port for power. The USB Plasma Ball sells for only $9.99, and the six inch dome responds to your soft touches with a bright arc of color. It makes a perfect break after hours of coding, and a great gift that does not break the bank. It also makes a cool gift for office co-workers. You can find the USB Plasma Ball at Think Geek.
USB Pet Rock
Okay, so maybe this is not such a practical gift, but it certainly seems like it could be fun in the right situation. I started to not include it in the list, but it is just too much of a Zen thing to pass up.
What is the USB Pet Rock? It is a real natural rock with a USB cable that plugs into your computer.
What does it do? The pet rock spends all of its energy in being a rock.
Does it do any tricks? Only the types of tricks that you would normally expect from a pet rock.
What is the USB for? Without the USB cable it would only be a regular pet rock. With the addition of the USB cable it becomes a highly sophisticated and modern version of the original pet rock.
As you can see, the USB Pet Rock would make a great gift for the more profound tech heads on your tech holiday list. The highly advanced USB Pet Rock sells for $10, and you can find it at Think Geek.
“Fail Nation : A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails”
The book version of the popular failblog.org, “Fail Nation : A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails” brings you a collection of over 100 of the best reader submitted fails in the modern world. From wacky signs to silly machines, your gift recipient will enjoy reading and sharing the modern examples of great attempts that just didn’t connect all the dots. The book sells for $12, and you can find it at major book stores and online.
Ipod Building Block Speakers
So, you have a friend who has an iPod, and they still play with building blocks (secretly, you suspect). What could be a more perfect gift than an iPod speaker that is a building block. Imagine the hours they could spend jamming to music as they build their latest creation. They can even take it with them, having that musical block building experience as they work or travel (okay, that was a stretch). The speaker sells for $19.99 and you can find them at perpetual kid online and other places.
Mix Tape USB Drive
Back in the old days a person might build a custom mix cassette tape and give it to another person as a way of sharing an interest or expressing an emotion (usually love, but sometimes hate – to each their own) .
Now we have the modern version of the classic mix tape. Contained within the cassette tape holder is a 64mb USB stick. 64mb, you ask? Well, that is just about the right size for an hour of music, which happens to be the same amount the venerable C60 tape would hold. The cover has a place to list the tracks in your best penmanship (as if the player for some strange reason did not have a display) , and the whole package just screams retro. The Mix Tape USB Drive sells for $19.99, and you can find it at perpetual Kid.
(Now, I am not going to say a thing about illegally distributing music, because I am going to assume that everyone knows about that by now and will select appropriate media. This is unlike the good old days where a mix tape was a thoughtful act that helped to spread the word about great albums. )
E-books for the Masses
Does someone on your list own a spiffy new Kindle? If so, consider an Amazon.com gift card for $20. With most e-books selling for $9.95 or less, they could have two great reads of their choice thanks to your gift. You can get a physical gift card to send to them, a printable gift card to give as a gift, or you can opt for the electronically delivered gift card. They can then go online and choose their own titles for reading on their PC, iPhone or Kindle.
What’s that – they do not have a Kindle? Then do what I like to do, and head over to Barnes and Noble (bn.com). You can get a gift card there for $20 as well, and the books tend to run about the same price. As with the Kindle books, they can read their electronic wares on a PC or iPhone. They can also read the titles on their new Nook electronic reader, if so equipped. Unlike the Kindle titles, as of this writing the BN e-books also work on a Mac and a Blackberry, making it a more versatile choice.
Either way you go, it is hard to go wrong with the gift of reading. This is especially true with e-books, which are delivered instantly. This lets them bundle up and enjoy a new title over a cold holiday season without trudging to the book store first. (This would be a great time to insert a “Back in my day” story, but I will refrain.)
As I have discovered, it is not hard to find a gift for $20 or under that will please the tech minded person on your holiday list. Some will be more whimsical than useful, but many will bring a smile to the gadget-lover’s face. So go ahead, set your gift limit low – there are budget friendly potentially cool gifts out there for the taking.
Everyone knows that tech gifts make some of the really coolest gifts to give out as Christmas presents. But, with the current state of the economy as it is, I proposed to myself a challenge: To find respectable tech gifts for $20 or less. I know what you are thinking – the words “tech gift” and “$20 or less” go together about like Macs and plentiful FPS games, but nonetheless I believe that such a thing is possible.
Finished with the research, I present to you in no particular order my top choices for a budget friendly (“cheap”) tech gift for the tech lovers on your holiday list. These would work great for budget minded gifts, stocking stuffers, or even office gifts.
Wii MotionPlus accessory for Nintendo Wii
Practically everyone knows someone who now has a Wii. They may have spent many hours playing virtual tennis or virtual bowling on Wi Sports. But with the Motionplus Upgrade ($20), they can take their game to a whole new level.
The gadget, which attaches to their existing Wiimote controller, makes the remote much more sensitive to movements. Now with a flick of the wrist or or a small twist of the hand can spin that bowling ball just right. Their whole game gets a performance upgrade thanks to your thoughtful gift (assuming they are playing games that can take advantage of the upgrade). Available at game retailers everywhere.
USB Plasma Ball
Ever since they first burst onto the market quite a number of years back, I have been fascinated by the high voltage plasma ball. I bought one of the first models that Radio Shack produced , and spent hours staring at the glow from the arcs between my finger tips.
Fast forward to today. You can now get one of these highly entertaining if not practically useless gadgets that plug into a computer USB port for power. The USB Plasma Ball sells for only $9.99, and the six inch dome responds to your soft touches with a bright arc of color. It makes a perfect break after hours of coding, and a great gift that does not break the bank. It also makes a cool gift for office co-workers. You can find the USB Plasma Ball at Think Geek.
USB Pet Rock
Okay, so maybe this is not such a practical gift, but it certainly seems like it could be fun in the right situation. I started to not include it in the list, but it is just too much of a Zen thing to pass up.
What is the USB Pet Rock? It is a real natural rock with a USB cable that plugs into your computer.
What does it do? The pet rock spends all of its energy in being a rock.
Does it do any tricks? Only the types of tricks that you would normally expect from a pet rock.
What is the USB cable for? Without the USB cable it would only be a regular pet rock. With the addition of the USB cable it becomes a highly sophisticated and modern version of the original pet rock.
As you can see, the USB Pet Rock would make a great gift for the more profound tech heads on your tech holiday list. The highly advanced USB Pet Rock sells for $10, and you can find it at Think Geek.
“Fail Nation : A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails”
The book version of the popular failblog.org, “Fail Nation : A Visual Romp Through the World of Epic Fails” brings you a collection of over 100 of the best reader submitted fails in the modern world. From wacky signs to silly machines, your gift recipient will enjoy reading and sharing the modern examples of great attempts that just didn’t connect all the dots. The book sells for $12, and you can find it at major book stores and online.
Ipod Building Block Speakers
So, you have a friend who has an iPod, and they still play with building blocks (secretly, you suspect). What could be a more perfect gift than an iPod speaker that is a building block. Imagine the hours they could spend jamming to music as they build their latest creation. They can even take it with them, having that musical block building experience as they work or travel (okay, that was a stretch). The speaker sells for $19.99 and you can find them at perpetual kid online and other places.
Mix Tape USB Drive
Back in the old days a person might build a custom mix cassette tape and give it to another person as a way of sharing an interest or expressing an emotion (usually love, but sometimes hate – to each their own) .
Now we have the modern version of the classic mix tape. Contained within the cassette tape holder is a 64mb USB stick. 64mb, you ask? Well, that is just about the right size for an hour of music, which happens to be the same amount the venerable C60 tape would hold. The cover has a place to list the tracks in your best penmanship (as if the player for some strange reason did not have a display) , and the whole package just screams retro. The Mix Tape USB Drive sells for $19.99, and you can find it at perpetual Kid.
E-books for the Masses
Does someone on your list own a spiffy new Kindle? If so, consider an Amazon.com gift card for $20. With most e-books selling for $9.95 or less, they could have two great reads of their choice thanks to your gift. You can get a physical gift card to send to them, a printable gift card to give as a gift, or you can opt for the electronically delivered gift card. They can then go online and choose their own titles for reading on their PC, iPhone or Kindle.
What’s that – they do not have a Kindle? Then do what I like to do, and head over to Barnes and Noble (bn.com). You can get a gift card there for $20 as well, and the books tend to run about the same price. As with the Kindle books, they can read their electronic wares on a PC or iPhone. They can also read the titles on their new Nook electronic reader, if so equipped. Unlike the Kindle titles, as of this writing the BN e-books also work on a Mac and a Blackberry, making it a more versatile choice.
Either way you go, it is hard to go wrong with the gift of reading. This is especially true with e-books, which are delivered instantly. This lets them bundle up and enjoy a new title over a cold holiday season without trudging to the book store first. (This would be a great time to insert a “Back in my day” story, but I will refrain.)
As I have discovered, it is not hard to find a gift for $20 or under that will please the tech minded person on your holiday list. Some will be more whimsical than useful, but many will bring a smile to the gadget-lover’s face. So go ahead, set your gift limit low – there are budget friendly potentially cool gifts out there for the taking.
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- National Ideas Day
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USB keys are always a great stocking stuffer, especially if they are a little unique or funny.
[...] Peripheral There are many tech gifts, too many actually. But there are few really nifty ones. iGadget Life lists a few budget-friendly ones and the iPod Building Block Speaker caught my eye. It adds a [...]