We all have horrible people in our lives that we have to buy Christmas presents for -no matter how much we actually hate them.
These people can be some of the hardest people to shop for, which is annoying
since you don’t really want to buy them something anyway.
We’re
here to help with this year’s list of terrible Christmas presents for all the
worst kind of people in your life.
We feature tons of cool stuff from Japan on Technabob over the years, but one of the big deterrents to picking up some fun and unusual gadgets from the other side of the Pacific Ocean has been the cost of shipping them around the world. Well for a limited time only, our pals over at GeekStuff4U are waiving shipping fees, to bring a little bit of Japanese cheer to the rest of the world this holiday season.
From now until December 15th, 2012, GeekStuff4U is offering free international shipping on any item priced at over 5,000 Yen (~$61 USD). Packages will be shipped via EMS, and they’re recommending that you get your orders in by the end of the day on December 13th in your country to get your gifts in time for Christmas.
GeekStuff4U has all sorts of nifty and unusual gadgets and goodies available on their site, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something off-the-beaten-path. Some of my personal faves include the heated USB mouse, the R2-D2 projector, and the mega cockroach backpack.
Here at SlashGear we’ve got a lot to be thankful for, and without a doubt we’ve got more people to thank for making this all possible than we can possibly list. That said, we’re certainly about to try to thank everyone who went above and beyond for us over the past year, starting with you – the readers! We consider you to be not just the people that keep us in a steady job and off the streets with your interest in what we’ve got to present, but our extended network of friends as well – we’re here for you first and foremost, and we want to make sure you understand that you mean a lot to us!
Next it only makes sense to thank our sponsors, without whom we’d still be able to write, but we’d have a lot less food at home to keep our stomaches full. We thank you for continuing to see the tech and gadget publishing world as the strong force it continues to be today. You remain one of the vital connections we make each day and we’re glad to help you reach your consumer base as well.
We’d like to thank the PR teams we get to work with on a consistent basis as well – you’re the unsung heroes that keep us connected with the gadgets and technology we love so well – while under the hood we’d like to thank the UK2Group for sponsoring our CDN for the past 2 years. Thanks too to the companies which have supported us with giveaways; we’re hoping to have more of those soon too.
The teams running both Pepcom and ShowStoppers continue to deserve props for bringing us a more personal experience to the tech event world during gigantic events like CES (coming up again in just 46 days from now) and during the year in-between larger conventions. And every company that has launched a new product this past year, and kept us curious about the consumer electronics world as a whole, today’s the day we toast you!
Of course I’d like to thank my teammates – bosses, new recruits, and everyone in-between – for continuing to create a unique environment in which my unique set of abilities – and your unique set of interests – can match up on the daily. Let us know what and who you’re thankful for as we load up on the only thing we love more than electronics – massive amounts of food!
Happy Thanksgiving 2012 from SlashGear! is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It’s rare that we take a day off here at Technabob, but instead of researchin’ and ‘ritin (and ‘rithmatic) we’re going to gather ’round the table for some turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, pie, more pie, and any other carbs we can get our hands on today.
In the mean time, enjoy this little interlude, courtesy of Mythbusters’ Robo-Turkey and share it with your friends and family…
That said, have a happy Turkey Day with you and your loved ones, and we’ll see you back here on Friday! Gobble, gobble!
Chances are, if you ask a kid in the U.S. what they want to find under the tree (or holiday symbol of your choosing) this year, they’ll ask for an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or iPad mini. Those devices occupied four of the top five spots on Nielsen’s annual holiday shopping study among kids aged 6 to 12, which tracks interest in consumer buying intent over the next six months.
The iPad was far and away the leading device in the poll, with 48 percent of kids saying they wanted one. The Nintendo Wii U took second place, despite debuting to generally lukewarm reviews, grabbing 39 percent of kids’ interest. The iPod touch scored with 36 percent of respondents, tying with the iPad mini, and the iPhone followed with 33 percent. Interestingly, the 6th most popular device on wish lists was the general category of “Computers,” the group iOS and mobile devices in general are likely having the most significant market effect upon as they continue to grow in popularity.
Interest in the iPad among children rose by 4 percentage points compared to last year, and the iPod touch and iPhone both appeared on more wish lists than in past years. Each gained 6 percentage points, and the iPad mini also saw strong interest despite (or because of) being a brand new product category just introduced this year. Tablets other than the iPad also experienced a surge, going from capturing 25 percent of kids’ attention to being on 29 percent of wish lists. In general, it seems like mobile devices are continuing a three-year upward trend, which makes sense given increased adoption rates of smartphones and tablets among U.S. adults, which in turn necessarily leads to greater exposure to these devices among children.
Nielsen’s survey also checked the wish lists of kids aged 13 or older, and found that again, the iPad took the top spot, finding a place on 21 percent of wish lists. The general category of computer followed that with 19 percent, with tablets other than the iPad coming in third with 18 percent interest. The Wii U and iPhone rounded out the top five with 17 and 14 percent respectively. Among adults, the iPad mini was only on 11 percent of wish lists, just barely beating out the Kindle Fire at 10 percent, and the iPod touch was much further down, striking a chord with 9 percent of Americans 13 and up.
Interest in the iPad actually slid among the older category of buyers compared to last holiday season, and the iPhone also dipped slightly. Apple seems to have very high visibility with children and the youth market, and that’s increasing, but it isn’t necessarily translating into equally big gains among teens and adults according to Nielsen’s survey. Still, the study points to a very strong shopping season for Apple’s devices, both among shoppers with access to their own cash and the younger set who in many households may be driving buying decisions with repeated, persistent requests.
So you might have taken one look at the title and went, "LED lights? What does that have to do with me?" Well, if you’re well aware of what it can do and what people around you have been doing with it, then you’ll agree that it has a lot to do with you.
Care to help the U.S. government dig itself out of debt by buying new dollar bills for $5.95 each? Me neither but these aren’t just any dollar notes, they feature “lucky” serial numbers beginning with “8888” and they’re packaged in attractive red & gold folders to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Year of the Snake.
Do you have empty spaces on your tree that aren’t filled with geeky ornaments? You could cut out your own paper snowflakes, or you could fill up those empty spaces with these laser-cut, acrylic Star Wars snowflake ornaments.
They’re available in stormtrooper, Boba Fett or Yoda designs. Each ornament measures 4-inches in diameter, is 1/4-inch thick, and is full of geeky holiday joy.
Yoda is available in green acrylic or oak plywood. Don’t worry, I’m sure these ornaments are made from wood that was not harvested from Endor. In other words, no Ewoks were harmed to make these. Or Wookiees for that matter.
You really can’t go wrong with these on your Christmas tree. Especially since they sell for just $5(USD) each over at Light Carving’s Etsy shop.
[via Nerd Approved]
We’re on the cusp of holiday retail madness, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll make use of our comprehensive gift guides. Shopping for friends and family may be top priority, but we know you have a gadget wish list of your own. With that in mind, we’ve teamed up with AT&T to give away one of the carrier’s hottest phones for each guide that goes up — that’s 14 devices total. To enter the contest, leave a comment on each of our guides. We’re accepting entries until December 31st, at 11:59 ET, so make sure you get your “pick me!” in for your chance to win a sweet new handset to ring in the new year.
Update: To clarify, if you want to enter the contests you need to leave the comment on the actual gift guides. Comments here will sadly win you nothing, except perhaps our sympathy for your well-crafted and witty, but ultimately wasted, demand that we “pick” you.
Filed under: Announcements, AT&T
Engadget’s 2012 holiday giveaway: win one of 14 phones from AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google is ramping up its online shopping system with the addition of two new features: 360-degree product view and shortlists. Shoppers can now enjoy a more dynamic variety of virtual window shopping, getting a closer peek at products before buying them. The addition of social networking-like tools allows you to share the experience with friends and family, as well.
First up, the 360-degree product view allows users to pull up a larger image of a toy and see it from all sides using grab-and-swivel. The product spins smoothly, and is in addition to a variety of pictures for the product, which give you a view of the top and bottom as well. Not all products have 360-degree swivel, however, so don’t get your hopes up about seeing crockpots in 360-degree goodness.
Next up are the shortlists, which give the shopping experience a social-networking kind of feel. Users can click a button next to a product that says “Add to Shortlists,” at which point the item will be placed in a consolidated area with the other products you’ve nabbed. You can then share the shortlist with your family or friends.
Alternatively, you can create a shortlist by heading over to the Google Shopping Shortlists page, where you’ll be presented with a red button titled “Create a Shortlist.” Click the button, enter a name for the list, then click “Add a Product” and enter a search term or URL. Once a product is added, you can then attach a note to it.
[via Google]
Google Shopping adds 360-degree view in time for the holidays is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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