By David Gracey
The holidays are here again and, if you’re like me, the gift shopping has yet to begin. The Graceys have fun shopping for Christmas presents for each other. One of our traditions is to have “family Christmas present shopping night” where we all go out to dinner and then hit the mall to get gifts. It’s a lot of fun, especially for my 8-year-old who has no frame of reference for the cost of things.
So in keeping with the technology theme, here are some gift ideas for the nerd in your life:
Nook Glowlight: Barnes & Noble has released its latest version of the Nook eBook reader. If you haven’t used an eReader before, this is a great way to get introduced to them. The Glowlight has a much higher resolution, can store up to 2,000 books and has a battery life up to 8 weeks (that WEEKS not HOURS). Pretty good stuff all for $119.
NanoLeaf Lightbulb: This thing looks like it came straight out of NASA. NanoLeaf is a company that makes LED lightbulbs. They claim their latest lightbulb is as bright as an incandescent bulb (1,600 lumens), lasts 30,000 hours (versus 1,500 for incandescent) and stays completely cool to the touch. At a cost of $35 each, the company claims it more than pays for itself during its lifetime and uses less electricity in the process.
Dark Energy Reservoir: If you have ever had the battery in your iPad, camera or smart phone die at just the wrong time, with no A/C source anywhere in sight, then this is for you. This slim, portable charger stores enough energy to power a typical smartphone for an entire week. This $129 device is a must-have for a traveler or someone who spends a lot of time in the great outdoors.
Onyx Speaker: This is a wireless speaker system designed to play music from just about any standard Bluetooth, Airplay and other standard wireless systems (it has inputs for non-wireless devices, too). You no longer have to compromise hi-definition for wireless as these $500 Harman Kardon speakers put out top quality audio.
Cardok Car Storage: And for that hard-to-buy-for friend or relative, Cardok has come out with a hydraulic car storage elevator. Maybe you want to use the space in your garage or driveway for other purposes or just get your baby out of the elements. But in either case, you can accomplish this with the 10-ton lift capacity. Store that car underground and reclaim that precious space in your driveway. Cardok has yet to name a price for this, but if you have to ask, it’s too expensive.
By the way, if you decide to buy any of these gifts on-line, you may want to reference the Holiday On-line Buying Tips I wrote about last year.
