Geek gift guide 2007
by The editorial team
We’re getting down to serious shopping time for the holidays. Lucky for you, we’ve got ideas for you and the geeks you love. And like last year, we’re giving away loot. Send an email to contest@redhat.com on one of the following topics: tell us what you’d like to read about in Red Hat Magazine in the coming year, the open source story you’ve never told, or just whatever open source topic is rattling around in your head this week. You’ll be entered to win some of the items in this year’s gift guide, including TokyoFlash’s Eclipse watch. Read the official rules before you enter.
So in no particular order, here’s our list:
WiFi-detecting t-shirt
From our favorite geek gift vendor, ThinkGeek, comes this season’s hottest shirt. Need to check the hotspots in your town? Just wear the shirt around on your daily travels and note the locations with the best signal. Way cool.
Give one, get one
The most popular gift of the season just got easier to get–the deadline’s been extended so you can place orders for the One Laptop through December 31st. And the best part of this gift is the “get one, give one” mantra. When you purchase a laptop for yourself, you’re automatically giving a laptop to a child in need somewhere in the world. There’s no better sentiment than that.
TokyoFlash Eclipse watch
Avid readers of Gizmodo or BoingBoing are probably familiar with TokyoFlash and their awesomely cool watches, most of which prevent your coworkers from stealing a peek at the time during meetings. The Eclipse is our favorite, but if you don’t win it in our giveaway, there are a lot of others to choose from.
Jonathan Coulton’s Thing A Week
Jonathan Coulton is what exists at the crossroads between mad scientist and musician. (Popular Science describes him as their “contributing troubadour.”) You may have heard his folksinger version of “Baby Got Back,” his ode to “Code Monkey,” or the office zombie song “Re: Your Brains,” which made Dr. Demento’s Funny 25 of 2006. Or you might have tuned in when he was compiling his “Thing a Week” boxset–which, like all of his music, is released under a Creative Commons license allowing for sharing, copying, and non-commercial derivatives.
Chicken foot USB flash drive
You could give someone a boring old gray stick USB flash drive. Or you could wrap up a chicken foot. Is there really a decision to make there?
Batter Blaster
For the late night gamer geek in your life, it’s pancakes in a Reddi-Wip style can. You could get one of those canisters of batter mix that you pour milk in and shake, but that’s a lot of work. Batter Blaster is ready to go! It’s even organic in a recyclable can. Unfortunately, it’s not available near us, so if you find this in your stocking, please let us know if it’s as tasty as it is cool.
KnitPicks needles
For the knitter you love, how about a set of KnitPicks needles? Knitting is even more fun when you’re doing it with colorful Harmony Wood needles or speedy nickel-plated ones. Bonus for you is the sweater she’ll give you next year.
NifNaks felted ornaments
While we’re talking warm and fuzzy, how about dressing up that tree? NifNaks can help with Flying Spaghetti Monster and Cthulhu ornaments. And why stop there? They’ve also got a line of ‘shroom lapel pens… and a fuzz-covered USB drive, for the softer side of file storage.
Shooting Cubicle Alarm System
With this three-tiered cubicle defense system from ThinkGeek, you will not only be alerted to a cube intruder, but your humble, gray work sanctuary will be guarded with the utmost in elf technology. Alarms will sound, and your prowler will be targeted and attacked with two (theoretically safe) missiles. Your red Swingline must be guarded.
Khet: The Laser Strategy Game
Everybody knows lasers are cool, right? In Khet, you move your mirrored pieces around the board to create a laser blasting path from your side to your opponent. Now that’s what I call quality time with the family!
December 6th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
That chicken foot is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:40 am
“To be eligible to enter the Contest, you must be a legal U.S. resident who is above the age of majority.” Should this not be part of the front page itself ? Does not make much of a difference if a non US resident lands up with some suggestions that get incorporated.
December 21st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
I would like to see information on:
How to manage those 200 virtual servers. Well maybe not 200, but…
Those virtual servers use real software and provide real services.
How to manage updates, know which server is running what where?
December 21st, 2007 at 8:15 pm
The T-shirt looks strange but cool !
December 23rd, 2007 at 2:36 am
Being a US Resident would just give the open source community merry making a little incomplete, how about opening it for the both sides of the equator and axis of north pole and southpole too? isn’t that better?
December 25th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Why this contest only for US citizen? You better restrict the magazine subscription within the US citizen as you want mentioned above. I got the magazine through mail and intented to enter into the contest and planned to write something but while reading the official rules I knew that I am not eligible to enter into the contest. It vexed me.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
What kind of cake was he trying to get at in the Cube Alarm System video? I’m hungry!
January 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 am
Yeap, We have 2008 year and there are only US in minds of RedHat
People – Internet is all over the world ! Why this contest is for US people only ?
February 14th, 2008 at 5:10 am
We have 2008 year and there are only US in minds of RedHat
People – Internet is all over the world ! Why this contest is for US people only ?
February 14th, 2008 at 5:12 am
Yeap, We have 2008 year and there are only US in minds of RedHat
People – Internet is all over the world ! Why this contest is for US people only ?