great gadget gift?

February 7, 2006 4:51 PM

Best. gadget. ever? Valentines Day help.

Even though my boyfriend thinks holidays are all about corporations trying to separate him from his dollars I figure I'll lead by example and get him something he'll love.

He loves gadgets- and gadgets that make sense. He's a bit handy and likes computers etc so I was thinking something like that cool touch soldering iron or a neat little jump drive. He needs a new alarm clock. Help- does anyone know where I can find the worlds coolest alarm clock or the leatherman like tool that will blow his mind?

posted by beccaj to shopping (15 comments total)

I like thinkgeek for this sort of shopping. They've got a lot of neat things that appeal to the geek in me.
posted by onalark at 4:56 PM on February 7, 2006

Maybe this really cool binary clock?
posted by matkline at 5:01 PM on February 7, 2006

worlds coolest alarm clock

It's not available yet, but maybe for next year.
posted by staggernation at 5:02 PM on February 7, 2006

Does he like cooking? We got some of these for Christmas, and they blow your average juicer away.
posted by anjamu at 5:05 PM on February 7, 2006

Check out the Cool Tools site. Lot's of good stuff like you have in mind.
posted by jefftang at 5:27 PM on February 7, 2006

If he likes putting stuff together, get him the cool touch soldering iron and one of these kits for making a usb cellphone/iPod charger out of a 9-volt battery and an altoids gum tin (which conveniently comes in Valentine's colors). Gum sold separately, of course.
posted by stefanie at 5:41 PM on February 7, 2006

Okay, stefanie's the big winner so far, IIRC. Ditto Cool Tools, and check Gizmodo too.

How expensive you willing to go? Inexpensive mp3 player/portable drive? How 'bout the iconic Swiss Army knife with flash drive? That's leatherman-ish and good for computer dorks.

Actual leathermen you can get at Target. My inner dork would love either a binary clock or a projection clock.
posted by middleclasstool at 6:08 PM on February 7, 2006

s/b IMO, not IIRC.
posted by middleclasstool at 6:21 PM on February 7, 2006

One of the problems with the Cool Touch soldering iron is that it can fry chips, as it uses an arc to solder things. It's cool for soldering passive things on, resistors, things like that, but not cool for chips. However, he probably should use sockets for those.

The Leatherman Wave is adorable.

If you shop thinkgeek, depending on your budget, you may want to look elsewhere after you've narrowed it down. You can usually find things found at thinkgeek for about 70% the price elsewhere.

Let us know what you decide!
posted by adamwolf at 7:21 PM on February 7, 2006

...like that cool touch soldering iron...

I would pass on that. My fiance just bought one recently, and returned it because it didn't work well at all.

ThinkGeek does have a Swiss Army knife made just for computer repair, but it will set you back almost $80. You could also check out Surprise.com's Gadgeteer gift ideas.
posted by geeky at 7:44 PM on February 7, 2006

i recently got a sleeptracker alarm clock.

it tracks your movements as you sleep, records your sleeping patterns, and wakes you up when you are most likely to feel refreshed and ready to start the day.

basically it is a wristwatch with an accelerometer. it records your movements at night. you give it a window of, lets say 30 minutes, to wake you up. if you need to be up by 8, give it a window between 7:30 and 8:00. it will find the time during that period when you're the closest to being awake, and then go off.

it actually works, and i think it is worth the 150 bucks they want for it.
posted by kneelconqueso at 7:50 PM on February 7, 2006

Some pretty good alarm clock info on this recent thread.
posted by rob511 at 8:00 PM on February 7, 2006

I love the Progression Wake Up alarm clock from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Does he play pool?

The Swiss Pen is also handy -- a twist action pen featuring multitools, including the Swiss army knife, screwdriver, file, and scissors; in addition, the pen features a red light flashlight and pressurized ink (by Fisher Space Pen) that enables writing upside down and underwater.
posted by roundrock at 8:11 PM on February 7, 2006

The hands-on type geeks I know devour Make magazine like it's porn. It focuses on regular people making super cool things rather than buying things ready-made. Might be more fun than an alarm clock, and appeal to his anti-corporate-holiday-gift desire.
posted by tula at 8:40 PM on February 7, 2006

Does he play PC games? The Ergodex is pretty mind-blowing.
posted by trevyn at 5:13 PM on February 8, 2006