The Geeks Guide to Last-Minute Holiday Gift Giving in 2010

The Geeks Guide to Last-Minute Holiday Gift Giving in 2010

by Nathan Eddy

Time Machine Clock ($49.99)

Using ball bearings to tell time, the Time Machine clock keeps excellent (if noisy) time and adds a bit of mechanical prowess to the room.

Barnes & Noble Nook Color ($249)

Give the gift of e-reading in color with the Nook, which allows users to browse and buy from an extensive collection of more than two million books.

Fallingwater Lego Set ($89.99)

Rebuild Frank Lloyd Wright’s residential masterpiece using 811 Lego bricks, part of the company’s expanding Architecture line.

MacBook Air 11-Inch ($999)

Almost as thin as a couple sheets of paper (and not weighing much more), the MacBook Air is the ultimate alternative to less expensive, less capable netbooks.

HoverSpy Video Cam R/C Copter ($79.99)

Offering precision control and turning thanks to accelerometer, the real prize is the video recorder, giving you CIA-like spying capability.

Samsung Galaxy Tab ($629.99)

Arguably the best alternative to the Apple iPad, this Android 2.2-powered mobile tablet with 7-inch touch screen offers a front and back camera.

Woodgrain Laptop Sleeve by HunterGatherer

Available through Arkitip, this case, designed to stylishly protect a 15-inch MacBook Pro, blows the doors off typical bland bags we see so often.

Block Lamp ($135.00)

Designed by Harri Koskinen and inspired by industrial glass bricks, the bulb is encased between two heavy hand-cast glass blocks that can be placed on the floor or tabletop for ambient lighting.

The New Way Things Work ($23.10)

Author David Maccauley composes a richly illustrated 80-page section on the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits and bytes.

Nintendo Wall Graphics ($49.99-$69.99)

These restickable vinyl wall decals feature Nintendo characters Mario & Donkey Kong and can up the game in any home or office space.