iPod Touch - Much more than an MP3 player

If you haven't taken a close look at the iPod Touch, you might still be under the mistaken impression that it's just a fancy MP3 player. But it's so much more. With built-in WiFi support and the Safari web browser, it's a very useful portable web browser. I know several people that blog with theirs when they're travelling. With the iTunes store (and free access at Starbucks) you can buy more than music. I know a few people that no longer have cable television and buy season passes for their favorite television shows. The 3.5 inch widescreen is plenty for most shows. With the opening of the App store, more and more toys, utilities, and games are showing up every day. It's a lot like getting a great pocket-sized laptop for under $250.

Vex Robotics

For the more serious robot hobbiest, Vex makes two kits, the Vexplorer (partnered with Revell) and the full-blown Vex kits. The Vexplorer is a great introductory kit because it has all the parts to build a radio-controlled bot with a wireless color camera and a gripping arm. At the moment, the $300 kit is selling for under $125. This is an awesome deal. The same robotic kits are starting to be used for a lot of engineering school challenges. The more full-blown Vex kits start at $300 to $500.

Asus EEE PC Mini Laptop

The hottest geek gift this Christmas season is the Asus EEE PC mini laptop. Selling at only two to three times as much as a Nintendo DS or cheaper than the Wii that you can't find, the EEE is a useful tiny lightweight laptop for around the house or on the road. There is a growing line of EEE accessories available too.

Pulse Livescribe Note Taking System

The Pulse Livescribe Pen is the hot gift for students right now. It's a combination voice recorder and digital ink system. It lets students record a lecture while taking written notes, then later on their laptop the notes are linked to the lecture audio. They can also share the electronic notes and audio with classmates. It's also great for reporters or anyone else that takes a lot of notes and needs accuracy.

Cheat Sheet Shirts for Engineering, Math, and Science

Perfect for my friend's kid that's struggling with his Mechanical Engineering classes. Amazon has these cheat sheet tshirts for engineering, math, and science students. They're covered with formulas and diagrams. I might not actually wear them to a test, but they're the ultimate geek flag. Imagine your nerdy nephew wearing one to a kegger...


Or for the aspiring music major or anyone struggling to remember how to do 420 things, there's this shirt from shirt.woot!. You put the lime in the coconut...