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Issue Date: December 5, 2004
Cheap tech
We shopped around for presents that will please, from the somewhat silly to the eminently practical -- all for under $30.
By Linda Formichelli
You'd like to buy a tech gift for a loved one, but your budget is more suited to a used Walkman than an iPod. Well, USA WEEKEND Magazine has found tech gifts for less than $30 -- an eclectic lineup that includes the kitschy and the quite useful:
Snoopy used to carry his dog bowl in his mouth when it was low on grub, but today's tech-savvy pooch needs the ThirstAlert! dish from JoBananas Club; it lights up when the water level is low. And the deluxe version scheduled for release next year will be able to send an e-mail or text message to let you know when the bowl is empty. Starts at $19.95 (gojobananas.com).
Parlez-vous français? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? No? The 5-Language European Translator is ideal for the traveling techie. This hand-held gadget provides instant access to 210,000 translations to and from English, French, German, Spanish and Italian, along with 5,000 conversational phrases grouped in categories such as travel/ directions, dining, shopping and emergencies. The translator also comes with currency converters, plus a clock to check local and world time ($24.95, franklin.com).
Carrying a ton of storage around your neck was never so easy, thanks to the Crucial Gizmo! Hi-Speed USB Flash Drive. In this case, we're talking computer storage. The flash drive is as small as a pack of gum and can hold anywhere from 128 megabytes to one gigabyte of data. (For you non-techies out there, that translates to "a lot.") USB flash drives are data-storage devices -- much like your hard drive -- that you can slip into your pocket, wear around your neck or hook to a key chain. To transfer files, just plug the flash drive into the USB port on your computer and drag the files you want to take with you into a folder that appears on your screen. The 128 MB USB Flash Drive costs $19.99 (crucial.com).
You've seen the show "Pimp My Ride" on MTV? Well, now you can pimp your PC with Mutant Mods. These cool-looking goodies can replace existing parts in your computer or add new parts that contribute funky light and unique designs. Are your cables a boring gray? Replace them with cables that light up. And why have plain silver screws when you can have copper skulls instead? Some products have a functional purpose -- such as LED (light-emitting diode) fans that illuminate your PC while cooling its components -- while others are strictly for appearance, such as the Electro Luminescent Wire that makes your PC's insides glow. Prices vary, but you can give your computer a decent tweaking for $15 (www.mutantmods.com).
If your tech friend is attached to her cellphone and her computer, here's a gift that combines the two. APC Mobile Phone Chargers are cables that let you charge a name-brand phone via the USB port on your notebook computer. No more cellphone calls that go kaput ($14.99 to $19.99, apc.com).
It's a pizza! No, it's a computer! Disguise your laptop from thieves with a PowerPizza -- a case that looks like a pizza box. Best of all, you can use your laptop inside the case, so the bad guys will think you're having a pineapple-and-ham for lunch while you're actually preparing a last-minute presentation (about $24, humanbeans.net/powerpizza).
What jock wouldn't love a baseball that reveals the speed of his throw as it hits the glove? The Laser Baseball displays pitch velocity on impact. With the size, shape, weight and feel of a regulation baseball, it measures speeds up to 120 mph. That's plenty, because big-leaguers top out at around 100 mph ($29.95, sharperimage.com).
If the techie in your life can't go two minutes without checking his e-mail or viewing his stock portfolio online, this is the gift for him: a PCTEL WiFi Seeker that attaches to his key chain. Wi-Fi allows users of wireless laptops and PDAs to go online through access points known as "hot spots," which cover about 300 feet and are located in many hotels, libraries, airports and bookstores. The PCTEL WiFi Seeker tells you whether you're within range of a wireless hot spot and shows the strength of the signal ($29.95, pctel.com/seeker.php).
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