2020 Tech Geek Gift-Giving Guide

Here at Pythian we love being helpful, and that desire to help extends to the holidays. It’s become a tradition for us to offer a round-up of gifts for lovers of all things techie, and this year is no exception.

Whether you’re looking for a big gift, or something to finish stuffing a stocking, we hope these ideas are useful for you.

Note: All prices are approximate and all items were available at the time of publication.

Techie Toys & Tools

Tile Sticker

By now many people are familiar with Tile’s Bluetooth-enabled devices and the tracking app that helps you find things that go missing. Attach these Tile stickers to remotes and other electronic devices, outdoor recreational equipment and travel gear, or any other smaller item you want to be able to track and locate. ($40)

Sony Extra Bass Portable Bluetooth Speaker

This extra-bass speaker is wireless, waterproof and dustproof and offers up to 16 hours of battery life. Weighing just over 300 grams, and measuring 8.61 x 8.61 x 10.8 cm, it will fit in a small bag or cup holder. ($50)

Tractive LTE GPS Dog Tracker

If you’ve always wanted to track your furry friend in real time without any distance limit — or if you’ve never thought of doing it before, but suddenly it sounds like fun — this lightweight, waterproof tracker lets you access your pet’s location history on your smartphone. ($60)

Hercules Tuff Charging Station

In today’s work-from-home, learn-from-home environment, with devices in use all day long, it’s hard to think of anything more useful than this charging station with six USB fast ports. ($65)

SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Therapy Lamp

Routine is important, especially these days. If you’re trying to wake up at a consistent time, this lamp is supposed to be scientifically proven to be an effective way of waking up; leaving you more energized and in a better mood upon awakening. Happier, more energetic people are probably a gift for everybody! ($70)

Kitchen Utensil and Tablet Holder

Low-tech meets high-tech in this kitchen holder. With a convenient notch specially designed to fit your tablet, the holder keeps the screen in view and your counter clutter-free. The dock / holder is slip cast from white stoneware finished with a subtle speckled glaze. ($85)

iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

From the 64 Bit Driver Kit to the iFixit Opening Picks, this toolkit is the one thing every DIYer, fixer, hacker, hobbyist and professional needs to tackle any job. Sound like something the techie in your life could use? ($85)

PhoneSoap 3 UV Cell Phone Sanitizer and Charger

Given everything happening in the world today, we probably don’t have to spell out why this might be a super-handy gift. It cleans and charges all phones. Sounds good to us! ($120)

BioLite CampStove 2 Wood Burning and USB Charging Camping Stove

Sticks and twigs found around your campsite provide the fuel to drive this portable camping stove. It cooks meals and boils water in minutes while charging your devices. ($170)

Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector

This easy-to-use projector has simple one-touch controls and near-universal device compatibility with support for USB, microSD, and HDMI inputs. With no remote, no external speakers and a play time of up to two hours, it will display videos up to 1080p on a screen up to 100″. It even comes with threading for a standard tripod mount on the bottom, so you can enjoy steady viewing wherever you go. ($260)

Books

A gift guide isn’t a gift guide without some good reading (or browsing) recommendations. Here’s a mix of the fun and the serious for the tech-lover on your list.

Fiction

Neuromancer, by William Gibson

Often compared to 1984 and Brave New World, Gibson’s tale of a hired-gun hacker caught the spirit of the coming networked world and laid the groundwork for everything from Neal Stephenson to The Matrix. This Canadian novel is the first shot in a science fiction revolution. ($12)

Ready Player Two: A Novel, by Ernest Cline

The highly anticipated sequel to the beloved worldwide bestseller Ready Player One; the near-future adventure that inspired the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film. ($25)

Non-Fiction

Home Computers: 100 Icons that Defined a Digital Generation, by Alex Wiltshire & John Short

This book celebrates early home computers, with specially commissioned new photographs of 100 vintage computers and a generous selection of print advertising, product packaging, and instruction manuals. ($28)

A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond by Daniel Susskind

From mechanical looms, to the combustion engine, to the first computers, new technologies have always provoked panic about workers being replaced by machines. Daniel Susskind writes about breakthroughs in artificial intelligence in this perceptive, pragmatic, and ultimately hopeful book. ($30)

A World Without Work, by Daniel Susskind

The Ultimate History of Video Games: from Pong to Pokemon and Beyond …, by Steven L. Kent

Revealing everything you ever wanted to know about the unforgettable games that changed the world, the visionaries who made them and the fanatics who played them, this book is a must-have for anyone who’s ever touched a joystick. ($35)

Art of Atari, by Tim Lapetino

Get behind-the-scenes details on how dozens of games featured within were conceived of, illustrated, approved (or rejected), and brought to life. This book offers the most complete collection of ATARI artwork ever produced! ($38)

Craft Meets Tech

You could definitely argue we’re saving the best for last with this fun group of crafty-techie gifts that stand out from the rest.

First Computers Patent Print Art Set

The Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) and Electronic Numeral Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) are the two earliest electronic programmable computers ever built. These patents are printed on heavyweight matte paper using archival pigment and reactive dye inks for high color quality and durability. ($20.50)