Bim says:
Official 7.1 Sony PS3 headset
It's fairly easy to tell if your giftee already has one of these. First you have to find out if he has a PS3. When he's on it, check if he's got something on his head that makes d look it abnormally large. He's likely to be shouting expletives into it a great deal, too.
These babies are sure to be appreciated especially if your giftee is into multiplayer games like KZ3, MW3 or BF3. This'll give a sure edge. It's wireless so he can spaz out like a freak should he need to, totally unrestricted. And with simulated 7.1 surround sound, finding enemies will be so much easier. I can't tell you how many times this thing has saved me. They're comfy and they work really well.
They sell for about Php 3,895.00 ($90) at Datablitz or iTech.
XBox 360/PS3 Controller
This makes for a perfect gift for console peasants because they can never really get enough of controllers. Sure they're likely to have a favorite one, like a trusty sidearm, but they aren't really limited to the number of these they can own. To add variety, controllers come in many colors, themes, button schemes and sizes. Find a special one, like one in a favorite color or a special edition variant and you're sure make someone's Christmas.
They go for around Php 1,800.00- 2,500.00 at Datablitz or iTech. The picture above is the Urban Camo PS3 controller. WANT SO HARD.
Steel Says:
Tony Stark Light Up LED Iron Man Shirt
I have been keeping an eye on this Tony Stark Light Up LED Iron Man shirt from Thinkgeek.com for quite a while now. When I learned about my US-based aunt-in-law's coming to Manila for the holidays, without hesitation I ordered the shirt and had it shipped to her home in Texas. I can not wait to get my hairy Cheetos-encrusted paws on the merchandise come next month.
The shirt costs USD 29.99. Regular shipping cost me an additional USD 5.79. While a small note on the website says they do not ship outside of US and Canada, Thinkgeek's customer service told me otherwise. And now they are offering free shipping on the 28th and 29th within the United States. Sweet!
Dennis Says:
The Art of Drew Struzan
You may not have heard the name Drew Struzan, but you have more than likely seen his work. I've you've ever seen a Harry Potter movie, watched a Star Wars film, or remember seeing Back to the Future way back when, then you saw one of the hundreds of movie posters that Mr. Struzan has painted for Hollywood.
The Art of Drew Struzan is an awesome coffee table book that is available at Fully Booked for Php 1,575.00 and details the over 30 years of Mr. Struzan's work. It's an in depth look at a master that movie and art buffs are sure to love.
Special Edition Lord of the Rings DVD sets
These locally produced sets have exactly the same content as those that were released in the States when the DVDs first came out. Each 4-disc set has the feature films on the first two discs with commentary, a third disc with feature documentaries about the per-production of each film, and a fourth with documentaries on the making of the movie, post-production, and the release.
All in all, there's something like 15-16 hours of extras here, on top of the the extended cut of the films which watched end to end , would run about another 12 or 13.
Be sure sure you include a bed pan and some soda and chips when you gift these (available at Astrovision for about Php 900.00 each) and be prepared not to see your loved one for at least a weekend.
Mark Says:
Adidas Superstar II S.W.
New line of Star Wars apparel by Adidas. In the Philippines, the Adidas Superstar II S.W. is a white sportswear casual shoe but what I really like are the geeky little details that your run-of-the-mill hipster probably wouldn't know. The hockey elements are a reflection of the battle of Hoth, the event that inspired this shoe and its matching apparel (shirt and sport jacket).
Some other elements that add value to the shoe's design:
1.) The rebel alliance logo on the tongue and outer ankle area.
2.) The rebel alliance imprint on the outsole of the shoe
3.) "L. Skywalker 19" can be found on one side of the ankle area, sideways.
4.) Star Wars type logo on the aglets and engraved on the rubber heel.
Functionally:
1.) The tongue and back entry have extra soft padding.
2.) Reinforced outsoles so that rebel alliance imprint will be visible way after the shoe has been used and abused.
3.) Comes with two colors of laces
4.) Classic leather shelltoe and uppers
Of all the new apparel in Adidas' new Star Wars line, I've only ever seen the Rebel Alliance gear here. But the AT-AT inspired Superstar is also worth getting.
It costs Php 4,695.00. If you're planning any holiday trips to HK, it sells there for as low as 699 HK Dollars.
"The Walking Dead" Compendium One
A compendium of the first 48 issues of "The Walking Dead". This was actually released mid-2010, but with the AMC hit extended to a third season and the second season on hold until February, this compendium will definitely satisfy your craving for zombie-induced mayhem. SRP in the Philippines is 2,250. You can ask Felix from Druid's Keep to place an order for you or you can get it at a higher price of 2,990 at Fully Booked.
Ryan Says:
Iron Man Helmet and Transformers Ashtrays
These items make for great gifts for fans and collectors. Absolutely perfect if that geek happens to be a smoker.
For Php 600.00, you'll have a replica of the helmet that not only lights up, but also doubles an ashtray! How's that awesome? This helmet/ashtray/night light was bought at a bazaar but it's also available through IPMART.com for a little over $9.00.
Next are Transformers ashtrays. There are 2 logos and a Bumble Bee head. I'm not sure if the Transformers ashtrays are available at bazaars, but it's definitely available here and at Sulit.com.ph. Prices range from Php 350.00 to Php 399.00.
HPN Says:
Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E120: Something for the mobile, hard-working codemonkey
What:
A re-badge of the Thinkpad X121e being sold in the UK and JP market with an additional silver stripe along the monitor's edge that says it's now part of the Edge family of products. It comes in a rather somber black and a subtly elegant ruby red (imagine the red E63). Specs can be read here; maybe a review will follow soon.
Where:
Can easily be had from Lenovo Concept stores. Just call ahead to make sure if they have one on stock. I frequent the Lenovo Concept Store in Festival Mall in Alabang because it's nearer to me.
How much?
Damage for the Edge E120 (SKU: 3043RZ8, read here for details) is PhP27,000 (cash) over at the above-mentioned Lenovo Concept Store (operated by PC Express). As per *sigh* usual practice here, buying with a credit card adds a significant amount to the price. I also bought 2x4GB DDR3 1333MHz SODIMM RAM for PhP980 per stick, bumping up the total hardware cost to PhP28960. I got it with a free bag and a surprisingly-good-enough IEM+mic combo headset. No pre-installed OS though.
Why
OK, it's definitely NOT a MacBook Air so don't expect something size-zero sexy and it's not an ultrabook so it's not that fast.
BUT. For less than PhP30k (almost half the price of a similarly-spec'd ultrabook or Macbook Air), you get a pimped-up unit that's less than two kilos and a very portable 11-inch chassis with the following:
- Thinkpad's legendary full-sized keyboard that is a joy to type on with its good feedback and generous spacing, even for a whole day. Codemonkeys all over the world know how valuable a good keyboard is.
- The Mighty Nipple (caps mine, see this XKCD comic for context)
- A modular and upgradable unit. You want more RAM? How about a SSD or a larger, faster hard drive? A WWAN module for that integrated SIM card slot? No problem - just find a compatible part, open up the bottom plate, pop in what you want, close it up. Easy yes?
- 3 USB ports (1 powered), VGA, HDMI, SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC card reader, combo mic-and-earphone port. What else do you need?
- Long battery life. It's rated to last for 8, 9-ish hours so a decent real-world-usage guesstimate would peg that at maybe 6 or 7 hours of actual work. Not bad eh?
- It can run Starcraft 2. Perfect for those times when you'd want to decompress even for a while. True, low shaders, the rest on medium, max resolution. But it's very playable, hitting 30FPS easy thanks to the much-improved Sandy Bridge IGP. I'll see if I can get my paws on L4D/L4D2 and see how it works but if NotebookCheck got it right, it will run just fine.
GeekOut.Ph Says:
We sincerely hope you found this short list useful. If at least one of you got an idea of what to get that special geek in your life from this list, then we consider our mission completely successful. Let us know in the comments below! Merry Christmas, everyone!