“The most wonderful time of the year” is finally upon us! I am speaking, of course, of the Auburn vs. my South Carolina Gamecocks football game. This article was written before the game and published afterwards so please allow me to be bold enough (or stupid enough?) to extend condolences to my Auburn friends for the trouncing they almost certainly received from my team. In other news, it’s time to consider gifts for the geeks in your life. In no particular order, here are some of my recommendations:
iPad –Apple changed the world again by introducing the iPad earlier this year. I won’t bother describing the thing here because if you haven’t heard of it then you should move out of the cave you live in. It starts at $500. There are some worthy competitors available that are cheaper and are based on the Android operating system but the iPad is king for the moment.
Kinect for Xbox 360 – If you’ve visited any big box store recently, you’ve probably seen people standing in one place performing a very bad pantomime routine. What you are probably witnessing are game players using a Microsoft Kinect. This device is a camera system that connects to your Xbox 360 game console. It detects your whole body and duplicates what it sees inside of a computer game. This device heralds a new generation of “full immersion” games where you become more than just an observer with a controller. You actually become the game. $149.00
Speaking of gaming consoles, if your geek does not have a Microsoft Xbox 360, he wants one. If you geek does not have a Sony PS3, he wants one of those, too. Both consoles are more-or-less equal in performance and features. The choice between gaming consoles generally is made based on what game your geek wants to play. They cost about $300-ish for the desirable models.
For the music junkie in your life, nothing beats an Apple iPod. There are many models to choose from starting at about $50 but he would rather have the more expensive ones. Be sure to check out the bargains that can be had on Apple’s website under “refurbished” items.
The iPod comes with a passable set of ear buds but if your favorite geek is an audiophile he will want more. Surprise them with a fancy new pair from Klipsch. Their S4 model offers sound quality that rivals buds costing much more. Prices start at about $80.00. Check them out at www.klipsch.com.
For the home movie geek, take a look at the Flip brand video camera. This gadget fits in the palm of your hand, stores 1 or 2 hours of high definition video and makes sharing the videos on YouTube stupid-simple. Prices start at $150.00 from wwwTheFlip.com.
Finally, from one geek to another, please accept my sincere appreciation to you for reading my stuff! The kudos I receive from strangers on the street are my payment for toiling over this little article week after week. Season’s greetings, my friends.
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