Believe it or not, the holidays are only days away. And that means it’s time to start checking people off your gift list. Often the most difficult person to buy for, however, is the one who seemingly already has all the major gadgets covered. But with this handy list of the best geeky gifts, you’ll have the favorite techie in your life taken care of in no time.
By most accounts, Apple’s iPad 2 tablet is one of the most beautiful gadgets around. Make it look even better with the Walnut iPad 2 case from Root. Constructed from North American walnut wood, this book-like case will keep the device protected in style. The case’s cover stays shut with some strategically placed magnets. When flipped open, the case turns into the perfect stand for watching movies and web videos.
One problem with the dizzying array of portable gadgets many tech geeks carry around these days is keeping the dang things charged up. Change all that with the Portable Charging Station from AViiQ, an easy-to-carry battery pack that can charge up to four devices at once via USB ports. A retractable USB cable also allows users to sync connected devices to their PC. The Portable Charging Station is made to keep all the cords organized, and comes with a zip-up bag for easy toting.
The hottest thing in cyber-geekdom these days is do-it-yourself electronics projects. At the heart of many of these self-made gizmos is the Arduino open-source microcontroller. To get your budding electronics hobbyist going, pick up the Arduino Experimentation Kit from Adafruit, which includes an Arduino (Uno) microcontroller, and all the necessary accessories to build 11 different projects, along with an experimenter’s guidebook. This gift could keep a super-geek entertained for years.
As any techie will tell you, we are constantly fixing things, either for ourselves or our less technically-inclined loved-ones. Help the tech geek in your life get the job done every time with the Cyber Tool 34 Swiss Army Knife. In addition to various sized knives, the Cyber Tool 34 also includes a wire stripper, pliers and a screwdriver with interchangeable bits to take apart any computer or gadget that breaks down over the holidays. To make this gift truly supreme, have your giftee’s name engraved on the blade – do so and this will quickly become his or her favorite thing in the world.
Even inexpensive DSLR cameras can make the casual photographer feel like a pro. The only downside is their giant bulky bodies, which can make lugging one around on vacation a bit of a drag. With the Capture Camera Clip from Peak Design however, your DSLR (or any camera with a tripod mount) is safely stowed away on a convenient clip that fits on a belt or backpack strap. This frees up the user’s hands while still keeping the camera at his or her fingertips for quick picture-snapping action.
Nearly every popular device these days – from smartphones to game consoles – can connect to Wi-Fi wireless Internet. But a weak Wi-Fi signal can put a damper on all the fun. Help the tech geek in your life avoid a dropped signal from anywhere in the house with the Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender from Netgear. This easy-to-set-up gadget simply plugs into to any b/g/n router, and pumps out a super-strong 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal up to 150 feet away. Sure, it might not be the most exciting gadget ever invented – but for anyone who relies on their Wi-Fi as much as we do, it is one of the most useful.
If there’s one thing techies have enough of already, its cords. Help keep the infuriating tangles to a minimum with the re-usable Gear Ties. Made from a strong, bendable wire and a durable rubber casing, Gear Ties can bend and twist into whatever shape’s needed for the job. If all the cables and power cords are in order, a Gear Tie can even be bent to become a stand for a tablet or smartphone. Gear Ties are waterproof, UV resistant, and come in a variety of colors.
Bring your favorite techie’s digital life back into the real world with a custom-made book from Blurb that features all his or her favorite photos take with the ever-popular Instagram photo-sharing app. The 7-inch-by-7-inch book starts at just $11 for a 20-page edition, and can be customized with a variety of layouts. Photos are automatically upgraded to a maximum resolution, making sure they look good on the printed page. Of course, you’ll have to coyly get access to your giftee’s Instagram log-in details – which, we admit, might be a little tricky, but pulling it off will help make this analog present even more of a surprise.
Nobody can ever have too many headphones – especially when the newest addition to the collection is the Aiaiai Tracks headphones with mic. Sporting sleek, modern design, superior sound quality, a comfortable fit and a cord that wont’ tangle the second you look at it funny, this model of the Tracks headphones also include a mic for stylish, hands-free calling. Based on our tests, these are some of the best headphones you can buy for under $100. The Tracks headphones are available in silver, black, blue and sand. Check out our Aiaiai Tracks Review.
Tablets, smartphones and e-readers are incredibly useful devices, but they have a major downside: You have to hold them, constantly. The PadPivot from Rocketfish changes all that. Compatible with “most” tablets (including the iPad and iPad 2), as well as many e-readers and even most smartphones, the PadPivot makes it easy to balance the device of choice on a table, leg or while lying down. And it can even fold down small enough to fit in a pocket or purse.
ChatGPT’s awesome Deep Research gets a light version and goes free for all
There’s a lot of AI hype floating around, and it seems every brand wants to cram it into their products. But there are a few remarkably useful tools, as well, though they are pretty expensive. ChatGPT’s Deep Research is one such feature, and it seems OpenAI is finally feeling a bit generous about it.
The company has created a lightweight version of Deep Research that is powered by its new o4-mini language model. OpenAI says this variant is “more cost-efficient while preserving high quality.” More importantly, it is available to use for free without any subscription caveat.
Star Wars legend Ian McDiarmid gets questions about the Emperor’s sex life
This weekend, the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith 20th anniversary re-release had a much stronger performance than expected with $25 million and a second-place finish behind Sinners. Revenge of the Sith was the culmination of plans by Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) that led to the fall of the Jedi and his own ascension to emperor. Because McDiarmid's Emperor died in his first appearance -- 1983's Return of the Jedi -- Revenge of the Sith was supposed to be his live-action swan song. However, Palpatine's return in Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker left McDiarmid being asked questions about his character's comeback, particularly about his sex life and how he could have a granddaughter.
While speaking with Variety, McDiarmid noted that fans have asked him "slightly embarrassing questions" about Palpatine including "'Does this evil monster ever have sex?'"
Waymo and Toyota explore personally owned self-driving cars
Waymo and Toyota have announced they’re exploring a strategic collaboration—and one of the most exciting possibilities on the table is bringing fully-automated driving technology to personally owned vehicles.
Alphabet-owned Waymo has made its name with its robotaxi service, the only one currently operating in the U.S. Its vehicles, including Jaguars and Hyundai Ioniq 5s, have logged tens of millions of autonomous miles on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
But shifting to personally owned self-driving cars is a much more complex challenge.
While safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has so far taken a cautious approach to the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. General Motors-backed Cruise robotaxi was forced to suspend operations in 2023 following a fatal collision.
While the partnership with Toyota is still in the early stages, Waymo says it will initially study how to merge its autonomous systems with the Japanese automaker’s consumer vehicle platforms.
In a recent call with analysts, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai signaled that Waymo is seriously considering expanding beyond ride-hailing fleets and into personal ownership. While nothing is confirmed, the partnership with Toyota adds credibility—and manufacturing muscle—to that vision.
Toyota brings decades of safety innovation to the table, including its widely adopted Toyota Safety Sense technology. Through its software division, Woven by Toyota, the company is also pushing into next-generation vehicle platforms. With Waymo, Toyota is now also looking at how automation can evolve beyond assisted driving and into full autonomy for individual drivers.
This move also turns up the heat on Tesla, which has long promised fully self-driving vehicles for consumers. While Tesla continues to refine its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, it remains supervised and hasn’t yet delivered on full autonomy. CEO Elon Musk is promising to launch some of its first robotaxis in Austin in June.
When it comes to self-driving cars, Waymo and Tesla are taking very different roads. Tesla aims to deliver affordability and scale with its camera, AI-based software. Waymo, by contrast, uses a more expensive technology relying on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar and lidar (a laser-light radar), that regulators have been quicker to trust.
