Comic genius
Geeks live isolated lives, misunderstood by most, ridiculed by many and loved by precious few, which makes them all the more grateful for any indication that you not only care, but that you also get it. How to do both, easily and cheaply? With an XKCD poster, that’s how. If your geek somehow still hasn’t come across this online comic strip then introducing him or her to it will earn you a lifetime of brownie points. And if he or she does know it and loves it your geek will love you all the more for selecting the strip that goes with his or her area of interest, be it Wikipedia, blogs, cosmology or programming. Best of all, the comic is Creative Commons licensed, meaning you can download a strip and print it yourself — legally — if you can’t afford the $15-plus shipping at www.xkcd.com. — R5 to R200 plus shipping and import duties
The right T-shirt
Face it, if you try to buy your geek a gadget you are going to get it wrong, because he is the geek and you are the noob. And if you know what a noob is then your geek is also a gamer (and has been angry at your ignorance — vocally so — at least once), in which case the right T-shirt can be found at www.gamer-gear.co.za. Give the “I’m with noob ->” (yes, that arrow is pointing at you) shirt serious consideration. For the less gaming-oriented geek you want to go to www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts; you can’t go wrong with a Wi-Fi detector shirt that actually monitors the airwaves for a wireless computer network. Buying geeks gadgets is dangerous, but buying them peer recognition is easy. — R150 to R300 plus shipping and import duties
Green power
It’s not cheap, but there is one pseudo gadget that is sure to impress your geek: a Voltaic Systems backpack or laptop carrier. Sure, you can buy a small, foldable solar-charging panel over the counter today and much cheaper too. But Voltaic bags have it all: their own battery packs (so you can charge when the sun is down), a huge range of connectors (so you are never foiled by not carrying the right one), green credentials (they are made from recycled plastic) and they are great gadget bags too, with just the right amount of padding and slots for cameras and music players. Go to www.voltaicsystems.com or www.ecotopia.co.uk if you prefer to ship from the United Kingdom rather than the United States. — R2 500 to R6 000 plus shipping and import duties
Andy Hadfield: South Africa’s Mr Web 2.0 and First National Bank digital strategist
What was your best December holiday?
Tyolumnqa River, Eastern Cape. The only thing electronic was the pick-up on my guitar. Every geek needs to unplug once in a while and this is usually where I manage to.
What are you doing this year?
Catching up on those starred items in Google Reader. I think I’ve surpassed the 100 mark — things I know I should have read at least six months ago.
What was the best holiday gift you received?
That would be a toss-up between my TomTom [GPS navigator] and the 46-inch LCD TV. Ok, so I had to chip in for some of my presents. It’s like financial gearing for gadget investment.
What do you want this year?
An Audible.com account. I would have said a Playstation 3, but I think they’re a tad expensive for what you’re getting. Audiobooks are the way forward for the traffic-strung Jo’burg person. Most of us spend up to two hours in the car every day; that’s a book every two weeks. — PdW