The Solution:
Well, here are some gift ideas for the latent geek in your circle of yuletide cheer:

1. ThinkGeek.com is a terrific place to start. From palm-sized R/C helicopters to LED candles you can actually turn on and off by blowing on them, this site has got it all. I’ve shopped there many times and never had a problem with anything. And they sell gift certificates, too.

2. Are you annoyed by those cell-phone yappers, disturbing the peace in perfectly good public places like Starbucks and Borders? Well, now you can instantly shut them down with just the push of a button. Go to www.PhoneJammer.com. Note: Use of these devices is illegal in the United States. However, purchasing a device and owning one is not illegal (I think.)

3. Need something for the one who loves robotics? Lego Mindstorms continues to rock with their robotic kits. Caution: These are high-bandwidth toys. Ideal for your more intelligent friends: Mindstorms.lego.com

4. These days anything Apple is gonna be much appreciated. From iPods to iPhones to their latest Macs, you can’t go wrong: www.apple.com. Enjoy!

5. HP is doing its best to stay viable despite the renewed popularity in Apple. For the Windows lover in your ohana, take a look at HP’s new workstation, called “The Mother of All Workstations”. Designed for business, the new HP XW8600 workstation includes two quad-core Intel processors, anhanced graphic cards with up to 512MB, and 128GB of ram. (I have only 1GB of ram on my computer…I feel so…inadequate!)

6. How about a subscription? Sure you can get all you need just by browsing the racks at Barnes and Nobles. But still, a copy of Wired magazine in the house is probably going to get more than one set of eyeballs per month. www.Wired.com

7. Does your loved one want to work on computers? Here’s a handy set of software tools consolidated on one CD: www.supergeeks.net/tools. Use it to crack administrator passwords, capture important stats on your computer, recover lost/deleted data, scan and remove spyware and much more. Full tested and proven.

8. It’s illegal to bug a phone, but it’s not illegal to just plain bug someone. At www.Audio4fun.com, you can download software which will instantly change your phone voice into a female’s voice…and vice versa. They even have tools for emulating the voices of famous actors and heads of state. George Bush impersonations anyone? Might make a nice addition to a cell phone’s voice greeting…or maybe even a social networking webpage.

And remember. You can get a lot of good things secondhand. Save the money and the environment. When gently used is good enough, shop at CraigsList.com and eBay.com.

Have fun!