Monthly Archives: August 2008

The best gifts for that beloved geek in your love are always a little geeky and even over-the-top.  ThinkGeek spends their time scouring the Internet to find those things that your favorite geek (maybe even you) will absolutely love.  I’ve been buying “necessary tools” there for years myself!

Digital Measuring Tape -  How about getting accurate measurements from a tape with a digital display.  Here is a tape, that records measurements for easy reference, shows inches and fractions or decimals.  Does metric also.   The Digital Measuring Tape features a large easy-to-read display, memorizing measurements with the push of a button. It can give measurements in either feet and inches or metric units and will even display fractions of an inch (as small as 1/16th) just like a standard tape measure. There is also a setting for adding the case length for taking inside measurements. The Digital Measuring Tape turns on and off automatically.  This is a perfect tool for repair project around the house and cost only $24.99.  Check out more features and functionality at www.thinkgeek.com

Ion USB Turntable – converts LPs to digital format MP3 for preserving music and transferring to your iPOD.  Simply plug this high-quality turntable into the USB port on your PC (Windows or Mac) and use the included Audacity software to rip your vinyl directly to MP3 (or WAV format) for playback on all your newfangled devices like the iPod. The software can remove clicks and pops and cost around $99.99. Check out at www.thinkgeek.com for more details.

Palmsize R/C Helicopter - fun item.  These mini copters can take off from your hand and circle your desk as your co-workers gape in amazement. Full control allows you to hover and turn left or right as your copter moves slowly forward.  5-7 minute flight time.  Indoor only.  You can have Reflex, Firefly and Duelling one depending upon your choice.  The cost starts from $29.99 to $49.99.

35mm Slide & Negative Digital Converter - Now you can bring your relatives kicking and screaming into the digital age with this handy 35mm Slide & Negative Digital Converter. Take 35mm Slides or Negatives and scan them at up to 1,829 DPI for easy conversion to Jpeg or whatever digital image format strikes your fancy.  This handy scanner connects with USB and comes with easy to use Windows software for editing, cropping and resizing photos. Since it comes with a Twain drives, you can connect it to Photoshop too.  So, please make Grandma do some work converting her old photos from 20 years of church bingo.  So what are you waiting for? Start takes slides and negatives and converts to digital for preserving or putting on webpage.  The machines costs around $99.99.  For more information, click here.

USB Memory Watch – This is a James Bond Watch.  In addition to displaying the time, this watch helps you carry your valuable data with you at all times (MP3 files, favorite images, data).  With either 2GB or 4GB of capacity it has more than ample storage space.    The USB Memory Watch has a built-in USB connector and can transfer files to and from most computer operating systems. The USB connector is cleverly stored in the watch band and flips up for easy connecting. There is also a LED light that indicates the device status. The watch is surprisingly sleek and lightweight – it is not a bulky watch. The band is comfortable, flexible, shock proof and Anti-static.  It costs between $29.99 – $49.99.  The 2 GB model costs around $34.99.   Check out for more details.

Indiana Jones Officially Licensed Fedora – This officially licensed 100% fur felt fedora has got to be worn to fully appreciate its majesty. It is so comfortable and soft.  It’s a hand made work of art.  Even the inside is beautiful – with a leather sweatband and satin lining both emblazoned with “Indiana Jones.”  You’ll have to provide your own theme music.  It comes with a price tag of $99.99.

Here’s a list of ThinkGeek’s top picks for the holiday with hi-tech devices.

Nano Drive R/C Ferrari Replica – “Hey Dad, I got you a Ferrari!”   The Ferrari is a bit slower than the larger version but at only 3 inches long these mini Ferrari cars do zip around your desk nicely.  With working headlights and a turbo button you do get some exotic car perks.  This is a wonderful piece and priced at $29.99.

1.3 Megapixel Spy Camera Sunglasses – Not exactly sure why you’d want to arm your father with covert means of snapping pictures via his sunglasses? He’ll be sure to have fun with this gadget – which also comes with built-in ear buds to enjoy MP3s.   These camera sunglasses capture 1.3 megapixel still images (at a resolution of 1280×1024). Built in RF remote-control is ideal for easy, stealth-style photo shooting. It has high-quality lightweight frame material and UV400 polarized flip-up lens. A polymer ion rechargeable battery provides a battery life of up to 9 hours (shooting 1 photo/minute). USB 2.0 interface via a standard Mini USB port for data upload and download & re-charging the battery.  An ideal one for Dad’s to do some shooting at beaches.  This sun glass costs at $99.99.

Version 1.0 and Version 2.0 T-Shirts -  After software version, here comes T-Shirt versions.  If having kids were only as easy as updating your software.  Matching tees reveal that kids are just a chip off the old version.  These T-Shirts will definitely distinguish child – parent relationship.  Comes with a price tag of $12.99 – $16.99

Stainless Steel Wallet – This amazing wallet has the texture of silk – but is made of woven micro fibers of stainless steel. Dad will feel sleek and stylish as he doles out more cash for his children.

This amazing wallet made from real stainless steel. This wallet has the texture of silk and is woven from micro fibers of stainless steel.  When you touch the silky metallic surface you’ll think they were created by sophisticated nanobots… and almost nothing is more geeky than nanobots.  Available in a bi-fold wallet format (4 card slots, 1 money pocket and 1 clear ID window), or a bi-fold wallet with criss cross card slots.  It costs around $79.99

Pogo iPhone Stylus – Tool specifically designed to let dads fool hi-tech touch screens into thinking they have something other than stubby fingers.   Pogo iPhone Stylus somehow tricks the iPhone into thinking it’s really a finger. The tip of the stylus is a soft felt like material that has the added benefit of keeping your screen clean while you tap away.  It costs around $24.99

USB Storage Carousel for CD/DVD – For hi-tech fathers who have traded in their 45s – an automated storage solution that holds 150 of the non-vinyl discs.  It can store all kinds of discs in 12cm size, such as CDs, DVDs, game CDs, or music CDs. The unit can be connected to your PC via USB cable and the shape of the USB Storage Carousel for CD/DVD means it’s stackable, thus conserving your desk spaces. You can manage the CD database with the included software and you can locate the CD/DVDs by CD title, CD contents, category, remarks, etc. After searching with the software, simply double click the desired disc and the USB Storage Carousel will spin and pull out the CD.    You can also use this as a stand alone unit that index the discs too.  It comes with a price of  $129.99

E-Ink Display Watch – Dads can now stare disapprovingly between curfew breakers and this piece of timekeeping brilliance, which easily changes its face with the push of a button.   It has a look of electronic paper and can be read accurately and instantly from any angle and has LCD screen display system. It comes with the price of $249.99

Stand Alone or Car Cassette MP3 Player – Hip fathers with one foot in the digital age can rock out to their digital music while riding in their cassette-playing Oldsmobile.   This MP3 player is built into a standard cassette tape, letting you use it as either a uniquely old-school-style MP3 player, or with any car cassette or cassette player to play your music. You will have no problems listening to hours of your favorite songs via the built-in SD card slot, and you can easily change to different songs if you have multiple SD Cards. If you are into retro style looks but with a new technology upgrade, this is a MP3 player worth adding to your gear.  It has a price tag of $39.99

Dueling Space Marines Copter Set – This set of two amazingly small infrared remote control helicopters look like Space Marines and can battle by shooting invisible IR beams (and thus answer the question of who gets to drive).  This Dueling Galactic Marines Copter Set gets you a set of two mini r/c helicopters with infra-red laser tag style battle action.  Each Copter can actually run on any one of 3 channels.  You will need to practice up to get good control of these little copters.  Just $39.99

Dough-Nu-Matic – Dads love doughnuts. ‘Nuff said.  Those who love cooking and would like to pursue a career in fast food can have a look at this little automatic machine. It’s just $129.99.

iRecord 1-Touch iPod Video Ripper – Let Dad instantly record episodes of CSI or the entire Die Hard trilogy directly to his iPod, PSP or any USB-based mass storage device.  Now, iRecord you can rip video from your cable box, dvd player or any other video source by only pressing a single button.  Simply connect the iRecord using the standard video and audio outputs from any video capable device, connect your iPod to the USB port on the iRecord and push the red button.  Instantly record movies and TV directly to an iPod, PSP or any USB-based mass storage device.  The quality of video is stunning and uses built in H.264 based encoding.  It records over 3 hours per GB and costs up to $199.99.

You can keep watching thinkgeek for the latest and tech products.

Scott Smith
Co-Founder
Think Geek

Scott Smith -  A biography

Scott has done a number of crazy and stupid things in the past, most of which he can’t really remember. In high school, his mom actually made a list that filled a legal-sized piece of paper and posted it on the fridge with a magnetic holder. he was kind of proud of the list, myself.

Scott select a lot of the gadgets that he sell at ThinkGeek.  So, feel free to send him any suggestions you might have for new and interesting stuff.

About Think Geek:

ThinkGeek started as an idea. A simple idea to create and sell stuff that would appeal to the thousands of people out there who were on the front line and in the trenches as the Internet was forged. From programmers, engineers, students, lovers of open source, to the masses that helped create the behind-the-scenes Internet culture. ThinkGeek started as a way to serve a market that was passionate about technology. Three out of the four founding members started an ISP in the Northern Virginia area way back in 1995. We couldn’t afford Solaris, learned about a free UNIX-like OS, and spent almost an entire day downloading it onto over 50 floppies for installation on an old 486 laptop with no cd-rom (thanks Slackware!). After a few years with the ISP gig, the ThinkGeek idea popped into our heads, and, operating out of a spare room at the ISP office we setup shop and launched the site on Friday the 13th, 1999…

A month or so later they were Slashdotted. Promptly thereafter, ThinkGeek was acquired by the good folks at Andover.Net who through an acquisition and a couple of name changes, is now known as SourceForge, Inc. So we’re part of a cool gaggle of sites including slashdot.org, sourceforge.net, linux.com, and freshmeat.net. Pretty nice company to be amongst, eh? They’re pretty proud of it!

All the founding members are developing product line, expanding staff (including several canines) and enhance the way they interface with customers. Who would have thought…