10 Best Gadget Gifts for the Company Geek
Ranked #11,159 in Computers & Electronics, #224,722 overall
A Boss' Guide to Rewarding the Company Tech Guru
Your network administrator just worked a 24 hour shift on a Sunday to get your mission critical system back online. Your programmer just found a way to automate a process which will save you hundreds of man hours per year and save the company thousands of dollars. Your webmaster did some search engine optimization that is now bringing you in 20% more business from the web.
There are many reasons your company nerd might deserve a reward. In this Lens, Apex Professionals will share with you 10 truly kick-ass gadgets to offer the company geek as a well deserved pat on the back.
Dive right in and find out how you can show your tech-savvy employee that not only do you know how to say thank you for a job well done.. but that you can do it in style! Remember.. A happy geek is a productive geek.
Disclaimer: The writer of this lens is not an Apple fanboy. I've tried to include a few gifts for geeks that are... but it is mainly geared toward your PC nerd.
1) Portable Media Players
These ain't your average walkman
Nerd or not, portable media players or PMPs for short, are one gadget that is on just about everyone's Christmas wish list these days.
Chances are, unless your geek is completely deaf or massively underpaid *cough*, he or she probably already has at bare minimum, an iPod or Zune. Fear not! We have a list of top notch PMPs that are sure to blow that aging 1st gen iPod right out of the water.
Cowon S9 Curve
Price: $239
Cowons new S9 Curve is without a doubt, hands down, THE best PMP on the market right now in terms of sound and video quality.
Cowon has always been touted amongst audiophiles as having the best audio quality in the PMP market, but up until the S9 they really hadn't put that sound into a package that was visually appealing. The S9 has clearly changed all that. It's as desirable as a portable media player is likely to get, with sleek, curvy lines and a super-sensitive capacitive touchscreen. And at just 2.7oz it weighs in a full 1.3oz lighter than the 2nd Gen iPod Touch (see review below).
Aside from the serious advantage in audio quality and the stunning good looks, 2 areas where the S9 really stands out from the competition are its display technology and excellent battery life. Rather than the standard TFT type displays found in most portables in its class, the S9 features an 3.3" iAMOLED display. The outcome of this is dramatic. 16 million vivid colors delivered in perfect 10,000:1 contrast regardless of viewing angle or lighting conditions (ie indoor/outdoor). And with a response rate 1,000 times faster than traditional a traditional LCD, this is one PMP that needs to be seen to be believed. Partially thanks to the lower power consumption of this type of display, the cowon S9 delivers a rocking 55 hours of audio playback and a full 11 hours of video playback on a single charge.
In truth we could write a whole lens just about this one PMP, but in order to save space for the rest of the list, we'll just highlight a few more of its features in bullet form and leave you with this link to Cowon's spec sheet for the rest. Cowon S9 Curve Specifications
- Audio Codec Support: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV, APE
- Video Playback: Xvid/Divx, WMV
- AV Output: Composite Video, Stereo Audio
- Built in FM Radio Tuner
- Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless
- 16GB Capacity
Apple iPod Touch II
Like its cousin the iPhone, it's fully internet-ready, equipped with Safari and an email client (not to mention stock prices and the weather). Unlike the iPhone, you don't need a contract, and - lest you think they forgot this part - you get full-featured music and video playback. With a host of applications, games, songs, and even video rentals from the iTunes store, the new iPod touch is a fully loaded entertainment center, weighing in at a mere 4.1 ounces, featuring gorgeously browseable album cover art and Apple's latest iTunes innovation, Genius- pick a song, and Genius accesses a database of stored iTunes libraries to come up with a perfect playlist of songs to complement your selection.
Although Apple has lowered the price of the iPod to give it a fighting chance among the swelling ranks of PMDs, at $229 (for an entry-level 8 gigs), it's unlikely to convince anyone of its superior value- until, that is, you remember that this is more of a micro-laptop than a music or video player, with a mind-numbing array of capabilities. True, it's not the cheapest or lightest PMD out there- but the iPod Touch outpaces everything else out there in design and features.
2) Hardcore Headphones
Stimulate Those Neurons Without Disturbing the Whole Office
Is your resident geek's passion for hair metal, euro disco, or sports talk stirring up a full scale office mutiny? Does that call down to the help desk boast sound quality akin to two tin cans connected with a string? Or is the tinny chirp of laptop speakers floating up over the cubicle walls causing your brain's gears to clatter? Luckily for you, there's a whole world of comfortable and listenable solutions to maintaining the audio peace in your office, and putting a high fidelity smile on every audio nerd's face.Forget those cheap plastic things that you pulled out of the box when you unpacked your new PMP- the world of private stereo sound is vast, and tailored to every need, taste, and price range. Whether you prefer to wire your ear canals with a discreet set of noise canceling buds, or wrap your head in vacuum-sealed cans, the right set of headphones can electrify your everyday listening experience and turn your head into a concert hall. Sennheiser, champion purveyor of ear pleasing gadgets, supplies a complete array of wired and wireless headsets for every scenario- from recording sessions and home theater to teleconferences and video calls to Mom.
3) New-Fangle Mobile Phones
Because the Secret to Any Good Relationship is Communication
Nowadays mobile phones are as ubiquitous as the kitchen sink. And to be honest, most of them are every bit as boring. Most likely you don't have to comb very hard through the IT pool at your office to find someone ready to head for the trash can to chunk the flip-top phone that came free with their mobile plan- so why not brighten up their telecommunications prospects with something worthy of Twittering about? (add us on twitter)Sporting touch screens, full-range typewriter keyboards, WiFi, video conferencing, even pico projectors- short of picking up your laundry or ordering your take-away, there's very little today's smart phones aren't capable of doing. Packed with impressive toolkits brimming with browsers and widgets, it's unlikely any gear-head is going to find a shortage of features to geek out on, whether it's games to play on the subway, or a visual FM radio to blast when walking out of the station. With digital cameras as image-perfect as their higher-cost cousins, and media players to rival the meatiest Zune or iPod, there's functionality to spare (even for people who hate being on the phone).
And after marathon stretches under the hood of a crashed network, what could be a better bonus than a GPS phone to give you directions to the nearest pub? Not much.
Nokia E71, Blackberry Storrm, Samsung Tocco, projector phone, htc touch pro
4) Input Devices That Don't Suck
Data Entry Never Looked so Good!
With very few exceptions, most IT guys spend the majority of their time at a desk clicking away on their keyboard and mouse. Whether they are managing a database, designing websites, administrating the network, programing or creating custom graphics it all boils down to inputting information into the computer and processing that information.You can put a big smile on your geeks face by giving their input devices a nice makeover. Here are a few great gadgets sure to make any nerds hands and fingers happy and productive.
Logitech® diNovo Media Desktop® Laser
Price: $199
Though priced 35 dollars higher and with a slightly less appealing design than its little brother, the diNovo Edge (see below), the diNovo Media Desktop Laser is still quite the attractive show-stopper.
Ultraflat keyboard technology, smooth sophisticated lines, and a detached number pad make this offering from Logitech a real piece of eye candy. Your geek will love the looks of envy having this on his or her desk will inspire.
This keyboard easily compensates for its marginally higher sticker price with some seriously increased functionality over the diNovo Edge. The inclusion of the stylishly matched detached number pad and wireless rechargeable mouse and charging station equal about $150 dollar savings if you end up having to buy those items separately to compliment the diNovo Edge.
Your geek will love that the detachable number pad includes an LCD display. This handy little detachable doubles as a stand-alone calculator and a PC remote. Extended range provided by the Bluetooth wireless connectivity gives your geek the ability to use this remote function from up to 30 feet away.
Logitech® diNovo Edge
Price: $164.99
While we don't exactly agree with Logitech's claim that this is "The world's most advanced keyboard", (see Art. Lebedev's Optimus Maximus below) we certainly feel its one of the best looking.
This keyboard is absolutely gorgeous. Laser cut from a single piece of semi-translucent plexiglass, and garnished with a brushed aluminum palm rest. It will make a really stunning addition to any geeks desk.
Less than 1inch thick, and featuring an assortment of goodies including:
- 17 special function keys with back-lit illuminated icons
- Touchdisk Navigation similar to the touchpad on a laptop with a few extra functions thrown in for good measure
- A touch-sensitive volume slider for quick sound level adjustments
- Logitech's PerfectStroke key system providing a very precise and natural typing experience
- A recharging base station, eliminating the need to hunt for batteries.
- Completely cordless Bluetooth wireless transmission, allowing operation of the keyboard from up to 30 feet away keeps your desk uncluttered.
Our only complaint about this near-flawless package, is that your geek may find his hand wandering towards a numeric pad that is unfortunately not featured on this keyboard. And while the Touchdisk is a nice addition, many geeks will still prefer the use of a tradition mouse. You can easily compensate for these shortcomings by pairing up this keyboard with these 2 items.
Art. Lebedev Studio® Optimus Maximus
Price: $1,589.99
Although it's easily the most expensive keyboard option we are showing here, the features it boasts make it well worth the sticker price. Each key houses a tiny 48x48 pixel OLED programmable screen.
When you press the shift key, all the letters capitalize. If you prefer a dvorak layout instead of a qwerty, switching is a few clicks away. With a bit of configuration, the entire keymap can change when launching certain programs, so that each key becomes a hotkey featuring a picture of its function.
As you can probably imagine, the possible uses for this are practically endless. Luckily for us ThinkGeek has summed it up rather nicely with a product features list.
Product Features- Revolutionary Keyboard Features a tiny OLED screen on each key. 113 screens total.
- Each key can be individually programmed to perform a series of functions, open an application or run an Applescript (Mac only)
- Various System Monitor functions can dynamically display on a key including CPU usage, CPU temperature, Network Speed, and Memory Usage
- Play a GIF animation or Quicktime movie on a Key
- Paint images across all keys at once in your image editor of choice
- Key sets can be linked to an application, so whenever you open that app the appropriate keys come up
- Powerful layer function allows you to combine existing key sets in different ways
- Use any language with the appropriate key images including Cyrillic, Ancient Greek, Georgian, Arabic, Quenya, and Hiragana.
- Display notes, numerals, special symbols, HTML codes, math functions or any other special symbol.
- Any key (or to be exact, a unit consisting of a cap, a microchip and a display) can be easily removed by hands to be cleaned or replaced
- Built in USB hub
- SD Card Slot for Storing keyboard Settings
- PC with installed OS Windows XP or Vista, with a USB 1.1 (or better 2.0) port; Mac OS X 10.5.1 or higher.
- At least 20 MB of free space on hard drive.
- At least 256 MB of RAM.
Wacom® Intuos
Price: $219-$749
If your geek does any work with photo editing or graphic design, a good pen tablet is a must. The Intuos3 from Wacom is not only a great pen tablet, it's the industry standard.
These great little gadgets are available in several sizes to fit different needs. 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity ensure precision that will take your designs to the next level. Using pressure sensitivity, you can dynamically control things like exposure, brush size, opacity, and more.
Your geek will also appreciate Intous3 extras like the strategically placed ExpressKeys which are user assignable for frequently used tasks or a quick launch for favorite applications. Additionally, the finger-sensitive touch strips make scrolling, zooming, and changing brush size quick and efficient.
Wacom® Cintiq 21UX
Price: $1999
If you thought the Intous3 was cool.. be sure to check this out. Wacoms flagship product the Cintiq 21UX is sure to have your geek drooling. The Cintiq combines all the great features of the Intous3 and perfectly mates it with a 21inch interactive LCD display.
This pairing allows your geek to work on images and graphics directly from the surface of the screen, allowing him or her to take advantage of natural hand-eye coordination.
Boasting 8 user assignable ExpressKeys, 2 finger sensitive touch strips and a dynamically-adjustable stand that allows you to rotate the display up to 180 degrees in each direction, incline the display from 10 degrees to 65 degrees, and even remove it for comfortable lap use. This gadget is a real gem.
Besides the obvious benefit this product offers, it is going to fill another geeky need, which is actually next on our top 10 list. It provides extra screen real estate. This is serious bonus for your geek.
5) Screen Real Estate
In This Case... Bigger Really is Better!
We already know what you are thinking. "But my geek already has 2 monitors.. isn't that enough?" No. Think of it this way... is your TV big enough? Yeah.. we didn't think so. Nerds feel the same way about their computer screen real estate as most guys feel about their living room entertainment setups.You can address this in one of two ways. More screens... or bigger screens. Of course chances are, your geek would prefer both options. Here are a few great gadgets to get you headed in the right direction.
monitors
Multi monitor arms
triplehead2go
6) Workspace Improvements
Building the Perfect Habitat for Your Nerd
There is a good reason why most geeks prefer to net-commute if their job permits it. While your geek may be a genius.. he or she still needs to be provided with an environment that breeds creativity. Generally speaking.. a drab cubicle doesn't hold a candle to your geeks home office.
We know that providing your geek with an acoustically treated room with loud speakers for music and an intravenously fed unlimited supply of energy drinks is not exactly practical. There are, however, a few things you can do to find some middle ground.
Comfort and cool-factor are the key elements in this endeavor. You want to make sure that its appealing enough to get your nerd to want to be there.. and comfortable enough to keep him there for hours on end. The following gadgets and creature comforts will accomplish both.. and we wouldn't be entirely surprised if you end up wanting one of these setups for yourself as well.
GRAViTONUS WorkStation, Gravitonus iClubby, chairs,
Poetic Tech Aura Workstation
Price: $6,000-$10,000
I know we should probably save the best for last in this section.. but we are just way to impressed with this workstation to not give it a spot at the top. The Aura is hands down the grand-daddy of all personal computing environments. To say this thing is cool would be a vast understatement.
Don't let the hefty price tag scare you off, it's completely justified. This thing has more features than a Swiss Army Knife.
7) Next Generation Notebooks
Keep Your Nerd Productive.. Even When He is on the Go!
Occasionally situations arise that make even the most capable techno nerd quake with horror- A system-wide network crash, mainframe meltdown, or hard drive recovery operations requiring digging through infinitely large digital haystacks to find infinitesimally small pieces of data. Such nightmare scenarios, solved only with maximum dedication and stamina, deserve equally Herculean perks. Hence, the nuclear option in employee motivation- a brand new laptop.All right, given the range of prices, features, and accessibility of the new generation of notebooks, it doesn't have to be as bad as all that. But the fact remains that a laptop says a lot about how much you value your prized IT guru- and it's a great way to keep workers productive on the road or at home- or, for that matter, anywhere at all.
Non-management types sneaking a peak at this list needn't suspect you're putting them on permanent on-call status, however- these books pack enough processing muscle to satisfy the most speed-hungry gamers. With built in TV tuners, Bluetooth, and WiFi capabilities, today's laptops are lifestyle accessories as much as workplace aids. And best of all, these streamlined ultralights are great for carrying along on the commute or to the cafe, resolutely consigning the bulky notebooks of the past to the stone age where they belong.
EUROCOM D900F PHANTOM i7
“Someday Someone is Going to Build a Computer That Can Keep Up With Me!”
8) Power User PC Upgrades
There is Always Room for Improvement
Its a well known fact. Every geek has at least one wannabe supercomputer. Its his or her baby. The never ending project. I fondly refer to mine as "Battlestation 1". It's the system they are constantly upgrading whenever possible and it'll never be complete.
You may have heard your nerd mutter under their breath (usually right after pounding on the keys of their keyboard or smacking their mouse against the desk in frustration), "Someday, someone is going to build a machine fast enough for me". Trust me when I say that your geek isn't leaving this up to chance. They are actively building this thing at their house with whatever spare money that doesn't get spent on other gadgetry or fast food and energy drinks.
If you want to earn some serious brownie points, consider presenting them with a bit of fresh ammunition in their battle against the computer that isn't fast enough. Here are a few things that will help them supercharge their favorite desktop computer.
Intel® Core i7 processor Extreme Edition
Price: $999
Let's not pretend that there's such a thing as a computer that's "fast enough." Each time someone utters those words, someone else releases the game, video editing package, or software that will rise to challenge the very idea of "fast." Give your computer guru the gift that says, "I know it's not fast enough, but..." where the "but," in this case, is the new Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processor.
This is the chip that will take processing power to the next level. In initial tests the i7 has left its closest cousin, Intel's Core 2 Extreme QX9770, in the dust. It completely decimates its competitors best chip, the Phenom II (AMD). Why shouldn't it? It's not just a quad core, it's a quad core with hyper-threading. Effectively that makes it virtually an 8-core processor. Imagine seven minutes to process a five minute HD video, rather than eleven. Even better, imagine being able to get in a few minutes of Microsoft Fight Simulator X while (meaning, 'at the same time') compiling that same HD video? If the work's still getting done, can't we have a little fun?
Introduce the computer geek in your life to the i7, and listen for those magic words, "this may actually be fast enough." Because there's a first time for everything, right?
Corsair Dominator GT DDR3 6GB Kit
Computers are a little bit like a puzzle. Not in the sense of being hard to understand, but in the sense of wanting every piece to fit. What's the point in having a next-generation super processor in your computer if you don't have the RAM to take advantage of it? If the corner piece of your guru's computer is the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processor, then the next perfect piece is the Dominator GT DDR3 6GB kit from the memory masters at Corsair.
The Dominator GT line are designed specifically to make full use of the Core i7's extremely fast memory speeds. These chips are hot - so hot, they're cool, since they come with their own heat transfer units and airflow fans. These high end chips operate at a frequency of 2000 MHz. Help your nerd make his or her current RAM a memory, with a Dominator GT kit from Corsair. Help them complete the puzzle, and step back to admire the beautiful picture that is their super-fast computer.
Asus Rampage II Extreme
When you first look at the Rampage and Rampage II, you can't really notice the difference. Yet there are many. The main change is in the cooling system. Part of it can be unscrewed, which gives you the option for the addition of an adapter so you can make it into a water cooling system. Another change is the addition of the DDR3 memory slots. There are six DDR3 slots. Count them, and live in amazement.
At $300, the price for this motherboard might seem a little extreme, but the performance you can get from this thing out weighs it all. Let your geek take it to the Extreme with the new Asus Rampage II.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 295
Of course, every good geek knows that appearance really does matter. We're not talking about the company's dress code, here. We're talking about the eye candy. What good are those high end multiple monitors if what's on them looks blah? Your geek wants the best of the best when it comes to graphics. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 295, which reviewers have called "the Enzo Ferrari of graphics cards", is like dropping a nitrous-fed turbo charger under the hood of your geek's rig.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 combines the power of two of Nvidia's top of the line cards into one sexy beast. With twin gpu processors clocking in at just over 1.2ghz each and on-board memory just shy of 1.8 gigs of DDR3, the GTX 295 delivers graphical performance that can only be described as jaw dropping. Lightning fast rendering for CGI applications, photorealistic effects for the most resource demanding video games, high definition dual monitor and SPDIF audio support, transcoding high definition media to portable media device in minutes, there's very little this card can't handle. With all the power and features bundled into this one little package, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 will make your geek very happy for years to come.
MemoRight 64GB GT 2.5" SATA SLC SSD Solid State Drive
Western Digital WD20EADS 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Price: $299
A geek can never have too much storage space these days. With tons of HD video content and lossless audio (FLAC) hitting the torrent scene recently, he or she will certainly appreciate a little more room to grow that file collection.
Western Digital is leading the way with the worlds first 2TB consumer hard drive. The WD Caviar Green (WD20EADS) is a full 500gigs larger than its closest competitor.
Not only is this drive the largest, its also environmentally friendly. Thanks to WD's IntelliSeek, NoTouch, and IntelliPower advanced power technologies, the drive consumes 40% less power than standard HDDs. This not only means less load on the power supply, it also means the drive produces less heat during operation.
Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w W0133RU
Price: $399
The power supply is one of the most critical components of any powerful computer system. First, obviously without a power supply.. it wouldn't turn on at all. However when you are building a real beast of a system, choosing the RIGHT power supply for the job becomes a little more tricky.
Advanced computer setups utilizing the latest graphics cards in a dual SLI (nvidia) or Crossfire (ATi) arrangement, multi-core processors and many storage devices eat up a ton of power. So if you want your computer to run reliably, you are going to have to feed it plenty of clean, regulated power.
This is where the Thermaltake Toughpower 1200w comes in. With 4 independent 12v rails and an efficiency rating of 85% this little beauty can supply all the juice your geek will ever need. The addition of the cable management system, which allows your geek to remove unneeded connectors, is a real plus as well. This will keep the inside of his or her computer case clutter free.
Full specifications available at: http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/
9) High Tech Time Pieces
It's 11 PM... Do You Know Where Your Geek is?
"In an age when the current time--or something close to it--blinks on every cell phone, laptop, microwave and dashboard, wristwatches are still vital. We are obsessed with time, paradoxically pursued by it and never having enough. Whether we are running late for a plane, dashing to a meeting or waiting for a friend on a street corner, we all share a universal mannerism: the reflexive wristwatch check. And seeing as how we spend so much of our lives rotating our wrists and checking the time, we may as well have something beautiful or cool or interesting to look at." - Forbes, 2003Geeks need to know what time it is, just like everyone else. Spoiling your geek with a great watch or time piece for his or her desk is a sure-fire way to make them know that their efforts are appreciated. Here are a few suggestions ranging from gadget-ish to just plain classy.
SLEEPTRACKER® Pro
10) Idea Organization Devices
When Post-it Notes Just Won't Do.
Bonus Gift Ideas
They aren't Gadgets But They Still Rock.
Yeah Yeah... I know we said 10 gift ideas... but hey.. who doesn't like a little extra variety? These little gems aren't exactly gadgets, but we promise you they will have your nerd bragging on IRC about how their boss is way cooler than everyone elses.Additionally, all of these gifts are designed to both reward your geek while providing extra value to your company at the same time. When we say bonus.. we aren't kidding ;-)
Conferences and Tradeshows
CES
Search Marketing Expo (SEO)
Search Engine Strategies (SEO)
Webmasterworld Pubcon (SEO)
SXSW Interactive - focused primarily on design, new media, and blogging. Less crass commercialism than at the other conferences.
Web 2.0 Conference - focused on new web technologies and upstart companies. Hosted by John Battelle.
Free energy drinks and junkfood
O'rielly Computer Books (or gift certs to Powells)
New YouTube vids
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