Gadget Gift Ideas that Won't Break the Bank

As the holidays quickly approach, advertisers seem to be pushing smartphones and tablets as the only tech gifts available this season. However, there are many other good high-tech gift ideas that will make that tech savvy relative happy without breaking the bank, and several of these are flying below the shopping radar. Some are ideal for the eco-conscious, some are good for that inner geek in all of us, and some are even perfect for those lucky ones who already own a smartphone and tablet.

Gadgets make great gifts – whether they’re practical or not

Someone may not love the 40-in-1 Swiss Army Knife, however they may be enamored with the 6-in-1 key chain. Either way, they’ll discover a use for it someday. Tech-geek gadgets are particularly suitable for individuals on a budget. So, while the Starship Enterprise pizza cutter (http://bit.ly/vR8K4y) or these crocheted headphones won’t break the bank, they're bound to please!

Gadgets for the hard-to-shop-for individual


Much depends upon their tech savvy-ness, of course. But you may want to ask a quick question first: do they care about the environment? For those individuals who do, plenty of eco-friendly devices can be found, from hand-powered paper shredders to solar-powered tiki torches. It depends on how much you’re willing to spend on the recipient, but the options are many.


Tablet or smartphone owners

We all have lucky friends and relatives who already own a smartphone and tablet and probably every other tech gadget imaginable! So what do you get that special someone who seemingly has everything? Since the purpose of many of the smart-tech out there is to be touch-screen only, it's likely that they won't have the accompanying keyboard for either their tablet or phone. Follow the links to see two prime examples http://bit.ly/tEr249, http://bit.ly/sGHNgN of great gadgetry where form follows function. Smartphone and tablet accessories are a fantastic option for your already tech gadget overloaded friends.


The wonderful aspect of gadgets is that they are always at hand. Gadgets can make our lives easier and a little more fun. Hopefully these “under-the-radar” gift ideas might enable you to stretch your mind somewhat this holiday season and find that special someone a techy gadget they’ll treasure.

Armed and Dangerous – The Tech-Savvy Holiday Shopper

Though many people will be doing all their holiday shopping via the Internet, many more will be braving the crowds to get those early bargains—and many of them will be carrying their cellular phones. Everyone with a smartphone or tablet will be able to use certain apps to make their holiday shopping a better experience. These apps run the gamut from offering great gift ideas to scanning in-store barcodes to compare prices. Here, then, are just a few of the many ways technology will influence how we shop this holiday season.

Mobile Apps

If you own a smartphone or a tablet, you’re in luck when it comes to simplifying your shopping experience this year. Specifically designed apps provide many services to the hectic shopper, from being able to locate goods, to comparing a product’s price across the board. One app even allows you to take a picture of the product, and it will search the Internet to find you the best price and availability.


Smartphone Marketing

A big trend this holiday season is in the use of online merchants reaching customers with smartphones while they’re at the retail store, specifically timed to catch the shopper in line. For those shoppers waiting around for the doors to open in the wee hours of the morning, many online marketers will present a cunning ambush, offering mobile-only deals at 6am. Though this may be an unwanted and even annoying technology, it's still an interesting difference in this year’s holiday trends.


Economical Technology Trends

Not only will we be using technology to make our shopping lives less difficult, but we will also be on the lookout for the next big development. The trend in technology is seen in the battle of the tablets—at half the cost, the Kindle Fire is posing a threat to iPad’s dominance, and a new iPhone competitor appears to be entering the market every day. Rightly so: the consumer is wary of the economy, will most likely spend less this year, and will be looking for both bargains and value.

Of course not all of us will be camped out in front of our computers making our holiday purchases this year. Many will have their smartphones and tablets at the ready to do battle against shop and shopper alike. But as technology gives us greater freedom as consumers to purchase wisely, we must also acknowledge how the tech itself is in that continuous battle for our money. And, in this economy, the machines, gadgets and gizmos that offer the most value, will be the ones to beat.

Happy Birthday, Intel 4004!

The Intel 4004 was the first CPU on a single chip and also the first available to the commercial market. Recently it celebrated it’s 40th birthday! We wish to say thank you to the microprocessor that grandfathered the CPUs we have today. A CPU is the brain of a computer. Known as the central processing unit, every bit of information in or out of a computer goes though the CPU. Just imagine what the Intel 4004, a tiny yet powerful CPU, did for the computing world in 1971. CPUs have come a considerable ways since then, but they remain a huge part of our everyday lives.

The Intel 4004 was originally created for a calculator, but it quickly led to technological leaps in computing. Many common products would not exist if it weren’t for the powerful CPUs born from the Intel 4004. These products include laptops, streetlights, and cell phones. The Intel 4004 quite literally grandfathered many modern technologies. Check out this article showing the evolution of technology as a result of CPU.

We can’t acknowledge the Intel 4004 without introducing the engineers responsible for developing it. Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stan Mazor made up the team responsible for the design and development of the Intel 4004. It’s easy to lose sight of the humble origins of today’s technological world, but the Intel 4004 reminds us of how far we have come.

So lets set aside a second to show our admiration for the little microprocessor that grandfathered the present day CPU.

Help Your IT Department: Help Yourself

Without question, there'll be an occasion when you will need help from your IT service provider. Bear in mind that they are in charge of aiding a large number of people with a wide variety of challenging problems.  In order to receive the best possible response to your request, be sure to include as much important information when you first ask for help. You can't assume they'll understand your issue if you don't give them all the details. By following these few steps, you can be assured that the whole experience goes smoothly and efficiently.

Write an Informative Email Subject Line
Often, the IT department will get inundated with requests ranging from those that require immediate response - “my computer is smoking and smells like burning plastic” - to those that can handle a one to two hour delay in response - “I want to send this 150 MB file but it just won’t upload to my email.” Using a detailed subject line will let them know the basics up front and help them prioritize the request appropriately.  For instance, the subject line “Installed ___ got error _____” will help them immediately know what your issue is all about.  Put simply, do not write “Computer problems!!!!!!!!!!” This is not helpful as it provides no real description of the problem.

Details, Details, Details
In the body of your support request email, you should add all details you can, such as what OS you use, what actions you’ve taken, and what was the content of any error messages you saw. Error messages might not covey much to those who are not in the IT field, but they do to those in IT! Statements such as “followed some steps I saw online” are ambiguous to the recipient of your email and they may not be able to diagnose the problem without contacting you for further information. It is important to explain the issue in full.


Be Frank
Both you and the members of your IT support team are busy people.  So while it’s important to give details, don’t write a novel about your frustrations. Provide the information needed and send it. Including too much detail about nonessentials only delays the response time to your issue.


In the end, you are all busy people and your IT services provider wants to help you quickly and efficiently. Help them do so by following the tips above!