Techie Gifts that you will love
With Christmas almost upon us, I’ve seen the usual Christmas Gift Guides popping up in magazines, newspapers, on TV and online. When I start paying attention to the “techie” gifts they always seem to be targeted towards men or teenage boys (actually I can’t tell the difference sometimes between those two buying groups).
So I decided that for the December Celebration edition of The Calm Space I would put together a list of so-called techie gifts that most women would love to get.
iPod shuffle
As you know the iPod has been around for a few years now. If you have kids they were probably begging you for one for the last couple of years. Well much of the hype, and some of the teething problems, have settled down and now they are just a great way to carrying your music around with you.
In my book the iPod Shuffle is the perfect gift for the woman who loves music, audio books, or listening to her favourite podcasts without being tethered to the computer. It is small and doesn’t scream “look at me I’ve got an iPod!”
It can handle up to 240 songs and has a battery life of around 12 hours - more than enough time to escape the loud demands of others and slip into your own world for a while.
As an added extra benefit if you purchase one of the (PRODUCT) Red Special Edition ones, Apple gives its portion to the Global Fund’s fight against AIDS in Africa.
Not bad for an all up price of $99.
Digital Picture Frames
No longer do your digital photos have to be printed before you pop them in a frame and put them out on display. Now you can pop the photos you want to display onto a memory card (just like the one in your digital camera) and then put the memory card into the digital frame.
You also get the added bonus of being able to display either a single photo or a slideshow of several images (so there will be no getting bored with the same old photo any more).
The frames are still at the luxury end of the gift scale with most of the quality frames costing between $180 and $400.
There are a variety of models on the market from well-known manufacturers such as Phillips and Kasier Bass, as well as some new names like Sun and Rock being distributed by DigiVista.
Some things you need to be aware of :
Power - all are powered either via batteries (which will only last about 1 hour before you need to recharge or replace) or via a 240v mains connection (so you will need to have a powerpoint nearby and some way to hide the cable).
Memory Card - Unless you want to be using either your camera or the digital picture frame you will need to get another memory card to store the photos you want to display.
Image Resolution and Type - Most frames will require that the image be a jpeg and will require you to reduce the size from the original size taken by the camera (most required 640×480 pixels). But if you are handy with some image software like Google’s Picassa or the one that came with your camera then this should be a breeze.
Replace a Mouse with a Pen
Did you know that most mouse designs can be a big pain in the wrist (and arm/should/neck) if you use them for long periods at a time? And when it come to precision pointing then a mouse can leave a lot to be desired.
A pen tablet used to be the domain of serious designers with serious price tags to match, but not any any longer. Wacom have brought out the Bamboo tablet targeted at the everday computer user. This is not just a replacement for your mouse but can also be used for taking hand-written notes that will be transferred straight into your computer and also a great tool for any of those photo touch-ups you might want to do over the holidays. From $129 there is now no excuse to be stuck with that painful mouse.
Funky Laptop Bag
While technically a laptop bag is not a “techie” gift, it definitely is technology related - after all why must we women be stuck with ugly grey laptop bags? I’m sure the standard ones were designed by the same geeks that designed the computer.
Some of the most refreshingly different laptop bags I’ve found online in Australia are at Rushfaster (I think they need to get a little Calm Space about that name).
If you can’t find a laptop bag there that really expresses you and your personality then I don’t think you are looking hard enough. They even have a lovely range of soothing calm colours, just perfect for the Calm Space reader run off her feet at the computer all day.
Comments
7 Responses to “Techie Gifts that you will love”
Got something to say?
Subscribe to Updates
Current Articles
- Stay Tuned to Your Eco Behaviour
- Listening to the melody of life
- Your Breathing Space for August
- Tune In and Turn On … Online
- Relationship Rescue the Low Tech Way
- Sound Space - Brendan Maclean
- Tuning in to our planet and ourselves
- Spiritual Tuning In
- What Is Your Stuff Telling You?
- Are You Tuned In To The Power Of Your Own Words?
- This month we’re tuning in…
Areas of Interest
- Breathing Space
- Challenge Space
- Digital Space
- Happening Space
- Money Space
- Music Space
- Organising Space
- Reading Space
- Relationship Space
- Serenity Space
- Spa Space
- Spiritual Space
- Sustainability Space
- The Space
- Writing Space
Leah - you really know how to entice a girl, don’t you? I’m not really a techie, gadgety person - but have always wanted a digital photo frame because it’s not about the technology but about the photos we love. Thanks for the tips on what to look for.
I am very intrigued about the pen tablet. Since my mouse is an extension of my right hand, how hard do you think it would be for me to adjust to using a pen?
Thanks Leah, its just what I needed, more encouragement. Although I’m not into “Look at moy Look at moy” - ipod 80GB Classic here I come!!
What can I say - I have a lifetime of favourite songs to compile, yes I am thaaaaaat old…:)
LOVE the funky laptop bag, Leah. Thanks for the tips!
Leah, like Karen I am most intrigued by the idea of the pen tablet - I’ve thought of one before for some application or other, but thought it a luxury - I didn’t realise it could be a substitute for a mouse. Could you tell us a bit more about how that works?
Joanna
Glad you are all liking the suggestions!
@Angela - I think my “boss” might be treating the whole company to a new funky laptop bag this Christmas
@Marj - I can just picture you on the treadmill blasting along to one of your 2000 songs.
@Karen and Joanna - seems I have gotten you very interested in the tablet. First and foremost you can pop along to http://wacom.com.au/bamboo/index2.php?sect=ExploreBamboo&chapt=Bamboo and have a look at the information from Wacom. The tablet plugs into your computer just like a mouse (via a USB connection) the pen then communicates with the tablet as you write. As a mouse substitute it is very straight forward as both are just pointing devices used to move your cursor around the computer screen. If you are interested I will post a longer article on this later.
Yeah can i join the crew? I’m a bit intrigued by the pen as mouse too!
More detail please Leah.
Came across this very popular coupon site (run by a Melbourne based-entrepreneur) and found some coupons that might just be valid for one of those funky laptop bag from Rushfaster
http://www.retailmenot.com/view/rushfaster.com.au