Graduation gifts for the geeks in your life is very easy if you know what they like, and what equipment they have, for the rest of you here is what I am calling a geek gift guide but after looking at it again I think I have a great going to college or heading out into the world gift guide.
All of the items on the list are under a 100.00 and everything on the list comes with a link so you can read reviews of people that actually have the item or get inspiration and find it or something like it at a retail outlet near you. I have not been paid any fees from anyone in exchange for the items on this list. These are good geek gifts and as I learned putting it together not just for geeks but for the geeks in all of us.
Storage
We all use them and we all need them. They are cheap and if you are going to college or work these come in handy. This link is for a three pack in different colors, handy for different classes or different types of music or documents. Priced at 20.00 these are great gifts, not just for geeks anymore.
For serious storage the Western Digital Portable Hard Drive for less than 99.00 is a great deal. These are great units to have for backups, file and picture storage, movies and music. This is a geek bag must have. See it here
Charging
This is one of the best roll up travel chargers I have ever seen. No coincidence that it is from Restoration Hardware and you can charge up to 4 items at a time on one included ac adaptor. Check it out here and at 49.00 it Is a great gift, again not just geeks anymore.
Old School
The best notebook that I have ever used. The Moleskine Ruled Reporter Large. This notebook flips over the top and not right or left, the binding is super tough and once something is written on the page you can go back to it forever if you need to, with no fading and no smears. These again are great for the geek and the not so geek alike. Check them out here for 9 to 30 dollars apiece.
One thing never changes, you still need to write something down the old fashion way and these will do it every time on everything for the younger grad heading off to class this pen will always work and its small and fits in the pants pocket, backpack, or purse. One of the things I love about these pens is that they will write on almost anything. See the Bullet here for under 20.00.
The other option is the Original Space Pen, this pen looks sharp in a pocket or as a main writer. It is a click pen and it is a Space Pen. You get all the benefits of the pen above but with a professional look. See the Original Space Pen here for less than 40.00.
Honorable Mention: uni-ball Power Tank RT. Much like the Space Pen above these are pressurized ink containers, big difference is the container, The Power Tank did not do as well on the hammer test as the Space Pen. On the upside they are more roller ball type than the ball tip on the Space Pen. Box of 12 here for 22.22
Headphones
When you need to study or you are riding the train to work you need to be able to listen to music or hear your favorite podcast, you need good noise canceling headphones.
The Sennheiser CX150 Noise Attenuation Earbuds are a wonderful choice if you like the buds over the cans. See them here for 40.00
Some prefer the over the ear style and there are some wonderful options in that category as well. Here are two great choices: first the Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case. I like the way these look and they fold for easy travel, and this design has been made by Koss for years. See them here for 42.00
Second the Klipsch Image ONE On-Ear Professional Headphone, with mic. These are top of the line headphones that have controls for iPad or iPhones and a mic for Skype or FaceTime. See them here for 100.00
Bags
One of the best-selling backpacks out there right now is the SwissGear Computer Backpack, everyone that I know that has one of these love them. Carry lots of books, your laptop is strapped into a padded pocket. On the weekend, dump out the books and fill it with some clothes and your off. See it here for 65.00.
I love the function of a great bag and this one has too many features to count. It’s the Timbuk2 D-Lux Laptop Messenger: Racing Stripe. This is a great messenger bag that has lots of pockets and a very well-padded laptop pocket. See it here for 70.00 to 110.00
Honorable Mention: This bag is a contender because it is a Bag of Holding, I am not kidding, a real life Bag of Holding. It is way bigger on the inside. See it here for 60.00 to 70.00
Last minute gift ideas
Gift Cards, you can get many gift cards at your local supermarket and in most cases you can send a e gift card to the grad in your life, big winners include:
Think Geek: Any geek or nerd will find something here that they will love.
Amazon: They have everything.
iTunes: Music. Movies and TV Shows.
X-treme Geek: More Geek Goodness
These are just a few ideas of what to get the geek in your life for this year’s graduation, if you are looking for something else or have some good geeky gift ideas, post them in the comment section.