Christmas/Diwali/Thanksgiving present ideas for the geek in your life

Slightly off topic, but here are some present suggestions for the geek in your life.

Computer on a stick

It’s easy to install an operating system on a USB stick or flash Thumb Drive. Your portable operating system can then be taken with you, and run from any computer that can boot from the USB flash device. This means you can bring your applications, files, email, bookmarked favourites and games with you, when you’re travelling light.

How to do it

Cost:£5-10

Network Attached Storage drive

A Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive is a large hard drive that you connect to your router in order to keep all your content in one place on your home network and to create your own personal cloud.

Having your own personal cloud enables you to share files, stream media and access your content anywhere. If you can access the Internet from a computer or mobile device, you can access your media and files securely anywhere in the world – in a hotel, around your parents’ house, at the railway station, in the gym etc. If you’d forgotten to update your MP3 player, you’d still be able to access your music.

Western Digital offers free WD 2go remote Web access with its NAS devices. Once you log in, WD 2go mounts the NAS to your computer like a local drive and your remote folders are available. There’s a free app for Android and iPhone devices, for accessing it as well.

Cost: £100-£150 (1Tb-3Tb)

Active speakers

Active speakers contain an internal amplifier, which means you just need to plug in your MP3 player, computer or mobile phone to create a music system.

The Audio Engine A5 is a set of audiophile quality speakers loud enough to rattle the tea cups, but small enough to sit on a bookshelf.

Cost:£200-£250

What other presents would you suggest?

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