Tech gift 50squid… Go

Need a short notice gift idea list for someone who hasn’t got someone a gift yet. It genuinely isn’t me i am legit asking for a friend.

So nerds of singletrack.

40ish year old man dad of some boys. Really likes technology in a geeky way.

What you got.

£40 bank transfer

Miniature (key ring) Swiss Army knife with suitable tools for their geeky needs.

https://www.victorinox.com/en-GB/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Small-Pocket-Knives/c/SAK_SmallPocketKnives/

here

Useful, high speed usb charger

https://www.theverge.com/24224043/holiday-gift-guide-2024-best-ideas-unique-tech-gadgets

Edit: should say it’s an American list, but most of the stuff is available from Bezos’ Tat Store.

Currently sold out but one to bookmark for next year perhaps:

https://thepihut.com/pages/advent

Failing that, this is next on my project list and is a quid under your budget:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ELEGOO-Complete-Ultimate-controller-Compatible/dp/B01IUY62RM

Hard to say without knowing what sort of thing he’s into.

How about a ugears mechanical model kit? Might be too late to order online, but large, fancy garden centres (Dobbies, Blue Diamond, Van Hague) often seem to stock similar type models.

Or those bookshelf cardboard or wood scenes?

Like this: https://www.ergonomist.co.uk/collections/book-nook-kits

Or something like an Arduino project kit. I got one of these a few years ago. Tons of projects to get you up & running and a decent range of components. Arduino Project Kit

Gerber Suspension NXT multitool £37 on Amazon

Its not really tech, but the bug a salt fly gun is useful and fun, and people are not likely to spend £50 on one for themself

MS Flight Simulator 2020 – 40th Anniversary Super-deluxe Edition, £42

FS 2024 is out, but still very new & buggy – meanwhile you can get the “best of the best” edition of FS2020 for not much money, and it will play fine on 5-year-old hardware, including Xbox.

Lots of great suggestions ^^^

Hows about a torch, all boys love a torch

OLight tiny orignal clip on

Upgraded verion of the OLight

WUBEN E7 1800 light upgradable light

If you’re considering Olight (and you should), it’s worth going direct to their site. There are always offers and “just pay postage” freebies, I snagged about £40 worth of illumination the other day for £4.95.

Amazon voucher, so He can buy something he actually wants in the January sales…

Raspberry Pi?

A 4 with 2GB leaves a wee bit for a power supply and SD card.  Or £2 over budget gets the 4GB version.

Ideal for a geeky guy, and loads of projects to get stuck into from PiHole to Home Assistant.

Of course, Home Assistant will lead to them spending a small fortune on Zigbee hub, and devices from IKEA and Ali Express. Ask me know I know.  But the wife loves the fact the bedroom lamp gradually turns on from warm and dim to cooler and bright over 5 minutes, triggered by the phone alarm. And only on workdays.  Pi, £20 dongle and a £10 bulb.  Pretty amazing.

Useful, high speed usb charger

Ta!  Just bought one as a stocking filler for a lad who is always juggling Switch, Phone and headphones on a charger.  Brilliant!

Multimeter? Always useful if they don’t already have one

On a similar electronics note – but not short notice…

Pinecil soldering iron?  Order for delivery, put the order confirmation as a ‘voucher’ in a card?

https://pine64.com/product/pinecil-smart-mini-portable-soldering-iron/

A decent little multi-tool?

Amazfit smart watch?

compressed air duster.

I have a ‘Duster’ brand and it’s mega powerful and dinky

Some good suggestion all.

The arduino and pi ones are great ideas.

But in the end he dropped a wish list into the app and all is good. (Nothing technical either ?)

40 year old man with a Christmas wish list?

Just get me socks or booze like every year and stop bothering about this nonsense.