Make: Online: Gift Guides Archives

Archive: Gift Guides

February 9, 2010

<3 your maker: MAKE's Valentine's Day gift guide

We're all suckers for romance, even if most of us believe Valentine's Day is a holiday dreamed up by industry fatcats. Here are MAKE's staff picks for ways to celebrate with that special someone, maker style. Read on, it's a big list!

Build a bike

A personalized bike built for your sweetie can be really romantic, since all that hard work and custom choices relate specifically to the one you love. MAKE Advisory Board member Saul Griffith built a bike for his lady, Staff Editor Arwen O'Reilly Griffith. She writes:

When my husband and I were dating, we had a running argument about flowers. I love them, whether it's a rare orchid or a weed from the sidewalk, and it mystified me that he could never remember to surprise me with even a dandelion. But one Valentine's Day, he presented this bicycle to me with a grin from ear to ear. His addiction is bicycles, so I knew this was a true gesture of love. He bought the different components on Craigslist and from various bike stores to make a bike that fit me to a T, stenciled my name on the frame, and hand-build the wheels. The spokes were twisted, just like two beautiful flowers.

What are you doing to celebrate Valentine's Day with your maker love? Share with us in the comments!

December 26, 2009

What ya get?

So, what presents did you give? Get? We'd especially love to hear from folks who used our gift guides to buy (or make) presents and how your recipients liked them.

Above image from Tada's Revolution.

December 17, 2009

Crabfu's R/C vehicle gift guide

When we asked some of our maker family what they had on their holiday wish lists, I-Wei Huang, aka Crabfu, responded with so many R/C vehicles (this...er-hurm.. grown man likes toys as much as I do!), we decided to make it into a mini, unofficial gift guide. Thanks, I-Wei! And to all you fellow Peter Pans out there, enjoy!

Beginner R/C

E-flite Blade mCX ($120, E-flite)
Indoor-only micro-coaxial (mCX) helicopter. Very easy to fly, with four channels for full control. Comes in BNF (Bind and Fly) or RTF (Ready to Fly).

ParkZone Vapor ($100, ParkZone)
Indoor 3-channel plane. Easy to fly and maneuverable in small areas. (I've hacked mine to become a biplane Comes in BNF or RTF.

Micro Rock Crawler ($120, Losi)
1/24-scale rock crawler. I just got one of these and it's great fun for indoor crawling. Comes in BND (Bind and Drive) or RTR (Ready to Run) models.

Mini Rock Crawler ($240, Losi)
A bit larger than the micro, great for couch crawling. Comes in RTR.

Rovio ($224, WowWee)
Awesome little robot camera that you can drive over the internet. Here's my review on Trossen Robotics.

Intermediate/Advanced R/C

Ultra-Micro Sukhoi ($100, ParkZone)
Currently my favorite R/C airplane, it is tiny and quick. Made of foam and nearly indestructible. Full function, 4-channels, and comes in BNF.

Blade MSR ($150, E-flite)
Cool fixed-pitch heli. Very easy to fly for a single rotor helicopter, but much harder to fly than a coaxial. It is tame compared to a control-pitch heli, but rather twitchy and unstable if you were to compare it to an mCX. Great for indoors, but can't handle much of a breeze outside.

December 16, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Beekeeper Gift Guide

by Cameo Wood

I opened my beekeeping store in downtown San Francisco in June, and I've found that everyone loves beekeepers or bees, and that beekeepers are serious makers. What they can't find to buy, they generally end up building. I've also been stocking my store with the beekeeper in mind, and here are some of the top sellers, at my store and abroad!

8-Frame English Garden Hive

If you're just getting started in beekeeping, choosing the type of hive can be confusing. The only hive I use or sell is the 8-Frame medium Cypress hive, called the "hive of the future" by Bee Culture Magazine's Kim Flottum. Having one consistent size for all your equipment is a huge time saver, and is ideal for beginners and experienced beekeepers alike. There are two problems with the traditional 10-Frame shallow/deep sized box methodology.

If your bees decide to make honey in your deep, you don't really have any recourse. You now have a 100+ pound box of honey that you need to lift every time you work your hive.
If you get brood (bee larva) in your honey shallows (hive box usually intended for honey only), or honey in your brood deeps (primarily intended for larva), there's no way to switch the frames around -- you're stuck with a mess.

The 8-Frame medium garden hive solves all of those problems. This is a beautiful hive that is all set up. You only have to paint/lacquer it, and you're set to go. Also, get a load of that gorgeous copper A-Line top... Fancy!

Apidan Overalls with Air Openings and Detachable Hood ($175)

The one thing that every beekeeper tends to buy eventually is a full sting-proof suit, for the days when the bees are cranky. Bees tend to sting if something is wrong in the hive, if the queen has died, if there was a recent invader, or if it's really cold and rainy outside. In these cases, the bees would really prefer if you didn't come barging into their home, making a mess of everything they've been building. For all these reasons, but mostly for the ones I can't anticipate, the full sting-proof suit is at the top of my list. These are the best I've found, and they look darn cool to boot. Find them in HMSBeekeeper or in the UK from beeproofsuits.

December 14, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: What's on YOUR wishlist?

Well, after several weeks of nearly daily gift guides here on MAKE, we can't imagine you haven't found more than enough ideas for fun, creative, productive, smart, and just plain cool stuff to gift your friends and love ones this year.

But wait, there's more! We asked OUR friends and loved ones in the extended MAKE family what THEY wanted for Christmas. Here's some of what they lust after (gift-givers take note).

And, as the title to the guide implies, this is a DIY gift guide. What's on YOUR list? Tell us in the Comments.

Bose SoundDock ($360, Bose)
I really like riding my horse to music. It helps keep me energized and it's really neat when your horse gets in the groove, too! The Bose system is really loud, so you can hear it from across the arena, and I'm able to plug in my old school iPhone to play songs, which is great because most devices aren't compatible with the original iPhone and the only other MP3 player I own is a first-genl iPod Mini. I really hope Santa sees this! -- Katie Dougherty Kunde, Maker Media's Account Manager

Joey Roth Ceramic Speakers ($495, Joey Roth)
I'm suddenly lusting after these. -- Dan Woods, Assoc. Publisher & G.M., Maker Retail

December 12, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Handmade Geekery

Handmade gifts make a unique and thoughtful impression, whether you make them yourself or support enterprising artisans who vend their wares at craft fairs and online. All of us at Make: Online have teamed up to bring you this roundup of our favorite handmade geekery from around the web.

CoolRockets

Collector's Edition Giant Custom "The Moon" Rocket Cabinet by Jeff Brewer of Cool Rockets. This is a one-off, 6' tall cabinet in the form of a gorgeous, snazzy 1950's moon rocket! It's a custom job, so you may need to commission your own, and I don't have any idea about the price. It's based on the 12" tall cast resin Fleet Edition rocket, which is arguably more affordable at $64.95. Jeff custom builds, molds, and hand-casts these in resin, then paints and hand-weathers them to perfection. I've have a few friends with these sitting on their desks, and I've long coveted them! -- John Park

December 10, 2009

Make: Gift Guide 2009: Creativity tools

Everyone has those days when they need a little inspiration, something to give those neurons a boost. On a good day, it might be a cup of coffee to get you going, on a bad one, who knows what will work? The following is a roundup of gifts that will hopefully help inspire creativity in their recipients.

Books

Twyla Tharp: The Creative Habit (Simon & Schuster, $25) When I first saw acclaimed choreographer Twyla Tharp's Catherine Wheel performance, I was in awe of the creativity and discipline in evidence. As I watched, I tried to image all of what would go into conceiving and executing such a complex and muscular dance piece. That creative discipline, developed over a lifetime of Tharp being one of the most creative, celebrated choreographers of our time, is laid out in this impressive creativity workbook. Reading The Creative Habit makes you realize how horribly most self-help books are written. This one is a joy to read, filled as it is with great stories, eye-opening insights about the creative process, and exercises that you likely won't be embarrassed to try. Given Tharp's incredible resume, and her intense work-ethic, it's not surprising that this book is extremely practical and focused on developing a discipline around your creativity. As the title makes clear, she argues that creativity, the ways and means for it to happen, anyway, can be practiced and become habitual. Even if a high degree of order in your creative chaos is not your style (it certainly isn't mine), there are all sorts of great lessons and exercises to take away from this book. In fact, I can't imagine anyone reading it and not getting smarter in how they approach their creative process. -- Gareth Branwyn

December 9, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Crafting for guys

by Paul Overton

Since I started my blog a year ago, I have been amazed at how many guys have emailed me to say that they've enjoyed doing crafts for years but thought they were alone in the world. Me? I've been doing crafts since I was a kid. Both my parents are artists and my mom worked in the craft industry, so I always had a brush or a hook or a needle and thread in my hand. My craft-type interests are all over the map, and because of that, so is this guide. It's mostly centered on things I own, know, love, and use for the majority of the crafting work that I do, and since crafting is such a wide category, prepare yourself to travel a considerable distance in the next few paragraphs. Also, while there are some relatively inexpensive items on the list, I'll ask you to bear in mind that "cheap tools aren't good and good tools aren't cheap." The same holds true for tattoos, by the way. Let's get started...

Janome TB12 ($199.00)

If you have someone interested in sewing in your house, and you're on the verge of your first machine purchase, I would definitely consider the Janome TB12 Threadbanger (named for those adorable kids over at threadbanger.com). This is a no-frills, 12-stitch machine that is a real workhorse. While it won't do leatherwork, or industrial-type sewing, it'll do most anything else. The motor is super-quiet, the light is good, and there's not a lot of reading the manual that needs to happen before you start laying down some stitches.

December 8, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: All-Arduino!

Arduino lovers have a whole lotta hardware to choose from nowadays. From Arduino clones optimized for a variety of different users, to an arsenal of shield attachments specially designed for nearly every type of project. We've got a lot to cover here, so let's get started, first with the basics -
(Read on for the whole shebang)

Arduino Main Boards

Arduino Duemilanove($34.99)
The new standard Arduino main board. This latest model auto-switches its power source between USB and DC jack, whichever is available. "Duemilanove" means 2009 in Italian (the year of its release). Specs include:

Microcontroller - ATmega168
Operating Voltage - 5V
Input Voltage - (recommended) 7-12V
Input Voltage - (limits) 6-20V
Digital I/O Pins - 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
Analog Input Pins - 6
DC Current per I/O Pin - 40 mA
DC Current for 3.3V Pin - 50 mA
Flash Memory - 16 KB (of which 2 KB used by bootloader)
SRAM - 1 KB
EEPROM - 512 bytes
Clock Speed - 16 MHz

Arduino Mega ($65)
The Arduino Mega is the latest microcontroller from the Arduino team. The Mega is built around the ATmega1280. It's perfect for anyone looking for more room for code or to be able to control a lot more LEDs, sensors, servos, or motors. It has 54 digital input/output pins (of which 14 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs. Another great feature is the Arduino Mega is compatible with most shields designed for the Arduino Duemilanove or Diecimila. Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It's an open source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board.

Arduino Nano ($49.99)
So tiny you'll want to eat it! Arduino Nano is a surface-mount breadboard embedded version with integrated USB. It is small, complete, and breadboard friendly. It has everything that Diecimila has (electrically) with more analog input pins and onboard +5V AREF jumper. Physically, it is missing a power jack and power-select jumper. Since the Nano can automatically sense and switch to the higher potential source of power, there is no need for the power-select jumper. Nano's got the breadboard-ability of the Boarduino and the Mini+USB with smaller footprint than either, so users have more breadboard space.
Features:

Automatic reset during program download
Power OK blue LED on the bottom
Green (TX), red (RX) and orange (L) LED
+5V to AREF jumper
Auto sensing/switching power input
Small mini-B USB for programming and serial monitor
ICSP header for direct program download
Power OK blue LED on the bottom
Standard 0.1" spacing DIP (breadboard friendly)
Manual reset switch

Arduino Mini Board ($36.99) & Arduino Mini USB Adapter ($19.99)
The Arduino Mini offers the same power and flexibility of the standard boards, but in a much smaller package. This makes it an ideal choice for projects where space is at a premium. The USB adapter (pictured above) is used to program the Mini from your computer and can be removed from a project once you're done writing and uploading software.

December 7, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Media for makers

What maker doesn't like to unwind with a good movie, TV show, game, or book? We tend to focus a lot of attention around here on being productive, and consuming lots of non-fiction guides to specific tools and techniques. To change things up a bit, we decided to compile this guide to Make: leisure. Warning: may contain themes of cleverness, mischief, gadget-loving, subversion, and inventiveness. We call it "media for makers." Enjoy, and please add some of your own maker-tinged favorites in the comments.

Movies

The Prestige ($15) When I first saw this film, Michael Caine's character made me want to drop everything and pursue a career as an ingénieur, building tricks for magicians. Prestige is a satisfying thriller about the extremes a stage magician will go to to create the ultimate illusion. Bonus: it's got a wonderful turn by David Bowie as every maker's favorite scientist, Nicola Tesla.

World's Fastest Indian ($15) "A wonderful film about the incredible Kiwi maker Burt Munro, who re-built a 1920s Indian Motorcycle in his garage, in the 50s and 60s. It took him forever because he couldn't find most of the parts and had to build them himself. He used up his savings, and contributions from neighbors, to bring the bike to Bonneville, where all the young turks sneered at him. What happened? Watch it..." -- Dan Woods

December 5, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Hobby Radio

Here are some great hobby radio gift ideas, ranging from radios themselves, to books, to the perfect radio-related vacation, everything you need to transmit a bit of holiday cheer. di-di-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-di-dit dah-dah-dah.

Radios

When looking for radios, I really like Universal Radio. They have comprehensive descriptions of all of the radios they carry and model comparisons of different brands. The site is easy to understand, especially for someone without an electrical engineering degree (such as myself).

Elecraft KX1 ($299.95, Elecraft)
For those who like the challenge of QRP (operating with low power), this is a great kit for a super deluxe, high performance CW (continuous wave) transceiver. Very low power radios transmit Morse code, which uses less power than voice. Small Wonder Labs has a more affordable kit for $55.

Yaesu VX-3R ($154.95, Universal Radio)
This is a really great handheld radio for someone getting started who doesn't have an operating license. The VX-3R is the smallest HT (handheld transceiver) and is super portable. But due to it's size, it has good receive-coverage, but doesn't transmit very far. If you don't have a license, this is a great radio, since you can listen without a license (but you are not permitted to transmit). It's great for listening to local repeaters, nets (meetings on local repeaters), police and fire departments, air traffic control, weather, etc. For more power, check out the Icom IC-91A ($274.95) which works well for both receiving and transmitting. These handhelds operate on VHF/UHF frequencies and can receive broadcast shortwave stations.

Yaesu FT-817ND ($599.95, Universal Radio) This low power (5W) radio is great for portable operation. Like the handhelds, it transmits on VHF and UHF, but also on HF (high-frequency), which can travel hundreds, even thousands of miles (as opposed to VHF/UHF which only communicates locally). However, since this radio is low power, the coverage is not as good as the larger portable and desktop radios. A comparable radio is the ICOM IC-703 ($729.95).

December 4, 2009

Wearable Tech gift guide on CRAFT

Over at CRAFT I posted up a guide to getting started in wearable technology for the techy crafter on your list!

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Dangerous giving

"Security is mostly a superstition," wrote Helen Keller. "It does not exist in nature... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

If you know someone whose life is lacking excitement, perhaps you can kick start 2010 by giving them a few badly-needed thrills. But you don't want to go overboard, so we've developed the list to help you give gifts that fall somewhere between the tedious and the treacherous (with a distinct bias towards the latter).

Make Your Own Gunpowder
In my latest book Absinthe and Flamethrowers, I explain how adding the right mix of danger to your life can make you happier and better adjusted. Now, there are lots of ways of adding reasonable danger, but one frequent suggestion I give maker friends is to attempt making their own gun powder. Sound dangerous? Okay, maybe a little. But not overly so. The directions are in the book and the ingredients are in the Maker Shed's Science Room.

Potassium Nitrate (MakerShed, $2.99)
Sulfur (MakerShed, $2.99)
Charcoal (MakerShed, $4.50)

December 3, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Robots

Another year, another profusion of robot kits, toys, and showy humanoids demo'd by entertainment conglomerates and big car companies. The more things change, the more they stay the same. It wasn't a huge leap year for the evolution of robokind, but there are definitely plenty of new tools and toys to play with, and plenty of perennial favorites, too. Let's have a look...

Fully-Assembled Robots

Roborover (WowWee Toys, $79)
Joebot (WowWee Toys, $99)
WowWee keeps cranking out the robot models, most variations on the theme of the Robosapien. This year, two of their bots included the Roborover and the Joebot. Both of these robots are clearly designed to act as synthetic "buddies" for kids, and have amiable personalities and programmed "can do" attitudes. Roborover is geared towards younger children, has a simple remote control interface, and tread mobility, so it can traverse low-lying objects. Joebot is the first WowWee robot that responds to voice commands. He's a lot more versatile than Roborover and can store up to 40 programmed steps in a playback sequence. Like his Robosapien forebots, Joe has a wacky personality and uses animated LED lights on his face to express various "emotions." And given his constant chattering, bad joke telling, and general mischief-making, it's comforting to know he comes with a volume control.

i-Sobot (Maker Shed, $126)
We got a bunch of these in the Maker Shed last year after TOMY discontinued them. We still have a few left and are selling them for half their original price. This is a very hackable little robot. It is a 6-1/2"-tall humanoid that uses 17 servomotors to somersault, stand on one leg, do push-ups, perform martial arts, and more. It has 180 pre-programmed movements, responds to verbal commands, and performs up to 240 movements in sequence, allowing you to design countless routines, such as programming him to say "hello," introduce himself, play air guitar, bow to an audience, and say "good night." Oh, and he farts, too. Using the included action chart as a guide, you simply enter the alphanumeric codes into the remote control and i-SOBOT reacts in earnest with acrobatics, verbal phrases, and greetings, or you can control his movements manually using the dual joysticks and trigger buttons on the remote. In voice recognition mode, the robot moves in response to ten verbal prompts, such as "Go forward" or "Back up," and acknowledges questions like "How are you?" with appropriate retorts.

Robots-Dreams.com has some links to i-SOBOT hacking-related resources here.

December 2, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Made in Japan

The Maker Shed is the exclusive US distributor of Gakken products, allowing shoppers to get high-quality kits from Japan without paying out the nose for shipping costs. Gakken's kits provide the perfect mix of DIY, science, and history as they entertain as well as educate. Gakken's popularity is certainly not limited to Japan, as their following has spawned tributes such as the Gakken Flickr pool where users are eager to show off what they've done with their kits. In addition to MAKE's relationship with Gakken, MAKE has a Japanese version of the magazine as well as a very active Japanese version of Make: Online. Make: Japan has also been very proactive in their own version of the Maker Faire (the successful Make: Tokyo Meeting series), having just recently completed the fourth round of this lively event. For your gift-giving guidance, here are a few of my favorite Gakken items for the Maker Shed, as well as a few other items I've found in my travels.

New Edison-Style Cup Phonograph Kit ($36.99)
This cup phonograph sits proudly on display in my home, and pretty much everyone who sees it wants to give it a try. This replica kit uses the same technology that Thomas Edison used, replacing Edison's waxed pipe and stylus with a plastic cup and a needle, but the end results are the same: You record your own voice on a plastic cup -- and play it back! Here's how it works, your voice vibrates the air minutely when it gets into the horn. Then the vibration is conducted to the needle and is translated into a wavy movement of the needle and carves a groove onto the cup. When replaying, the reverse is true, the waves of the carved groove vibrate the needle and the vibration is conducted to the horn and the sound is produced from the horn.

December 1, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: MAKE's Toolbox Gift Guide

All of us here at Make: Online have banded together to produce this guide. Each of us has submitted at least one review of a favorite tool, which hopefully, will help to inspire many of you who are still looking for gifts for the makers on your list. The tools are arranged in order, from the least to the most expensive, so you can scroll as low as your budget allows! Happy Holidays from all of us at MAKE!

Tri-Wing Screwdriver ($4 from Play-Asia)

If using this to get into my Wii remote and Wii Nunchuck controller (I used one for the Make: Television Roller Coaster Flight Recorder project) wasn't already reason enough to love this little security driver, how about this: I used it again today to open and fix a corroded contact in a battery-operated Thomas the Tank Engine train! They're also good for getting into GBA cartridges, the Nintendo DS, Zune HD, and a few other products. -- John Park

Swiss+Tech UKCSB-1 Utili-Key 6-in-1 Key Ring Tool ($8 from Amazon)

With the Utili-Key on my keychain, I'm perfectly content dealing with most situations where I'd usually opt for a pocketknife. It's so small, you'll forget you have it with you. I've often forgot about mine until I've already passed through airport security. And at under $10, it's easy to replace. The key unfolds to a very serviceable combination flat and serrated blade. It also comes with a bottle opener and various screwdrivers, including a Phillips head. -- Adam Flaherty

Olfa Heavy Duty Cutter/Ratchet Wheel ($8 from Amazon)

I got turned on to this utility knife when it came in my starter art school kit, and I haven't let it out of my sight since. The blade adjusts easily with the satisfying clicks of the ratcheting wheel. The blade sheath holds the sharp snap-off blade securely, providing optimal control over your slicing action through model-making foam board and heat shrink tubing alike. In writing this review, I examined the condition of my Olfa knife after seven years of continual use. Its handle bears only light surface scratches.The letters of my Sharpie-scrawled name now fade from the dense yellow plastic, once deflecting tool-thieving studiomates. I'll very readily share any of my tools with friends, but I think twice before lending this knife. -- Becky Stern

Scotch Transparent High Performance Duct Tape ($8 from Amazon)

Oh gentle duct tape, boon to the tinkerers, the dabblers, the fixers of things since days of yore. But forget the classic silver or black, this duct tape rocks it colorless! And when it comes to wrapping gifts, cast aside the boring old Scotch tape, for now, you can wrap gifts with the real deal. Let songs of joy ring out throughout Nerdonia! -- John Baichtal

Microplane Cutting Tools ($9 and up from Microplane)

Known as "the woodworking tools that crossed over to the kitchen," Microplane has a wide offering of sturdy kitchen and workshop cutting tools, each made up of tiny, incredibly sharp planes. I have their classic grater, which works magic on everything from nutmeg to lemon zest to parmesan, transforming that hard lump into the fluffiest cheese shavings you've ever seen. They now, of course, offer zesters, spice graters, a rotary Parmesan grater, and even a sea salt shaver -- I get giddy just looking at all the options! Whichever you get, it will surely have a myriad of uses. -- Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

Zibra Open It! Package Tool ($12 from Zibra)

Only twice in my adult life has design innovation brought me close to tears -- the extra legroom and a footrest I encountered on a TransPacific flight was the first. And using the Open It! tool to get through the clamshell packaging of a calculator, then opening a new CD with the same tool (and the same ease), was the second. Seriously.

Opening packages, whether its a new gadget for yourself, or something you've got to set up in your role as Santa's helper, is a bear. Am I right? The plastic is tough and sharp! Those little wire tie-wraps are twisted into a mess and are always in those hard-to-reach places. Until now. Two women (naturally!) have come up with the Open It! tool, and suddenly, my holiday season is looking better already. The Open It! is actually five tools in one. These smart women even thought to include a little screwdriver to get into the battery bay of your toy/gadget/begging-to-be-hacked object. The clippers cut through nasty plastic with ease, and the bend in the clippers makes it easy to get to those wire wraps. There's a retractable blade that easily takes care of DVDs and CDs, and if these features haven't convinced you yet, there's even a bottle opener. Cheers! -- Shawn Connally

DuraScoop Original Cat Litter Scoop ($14 from Amazon)

Our two huge cats share a litter box, and we switched from pine (lightweight) to clay (heavy) litter when we realized that it spread around less (we have two young ones and our apartment is a perpetual mess, but that's another story). Our local pet store carries several litter scoops, and I've tried and broken all of them. Plastic just can't handle the strain; it was a constant source of frustration. So, I searched online and found the DuraScoop, which is sturdy metal, scoops a lot, and doesn't bend and flick back. This product has made my life easier. -- Paul Spinrad

Antex C/3U Miniature Soldering Iron - 15 Watt ($29 from Minute Man Electronics)

I'm amazed I haven't found someone else who's heard of these before. They're great for intricate work, heat up in about 30 seconds, and they're as nimble as a ballpoint pen (resist urge to do 700˚ spin/flip-tricks). The slip-on tip installation left me doubting the iron's durability, but after a few months of use, everything still stays put nicely. And hey, it's yellow! -- Collin Cunningham

SK 73676 21 Piece Stubby Ratcheting Screwdriver Set ($30 from Amazon)

SK, formerly known as SuperKrome, makes a heck of a tool. They mainly focus on immortal socket sets, but they also make a mean ratcheting screwdriver. This small-profile driver (known as a stubby) ratchets like a Swiss clock, fits all standard attachments, and comes with a bunch of bits, as well as extenders to help you get at hard-to-reach screws. -- John Baichtal

686 Original Tool Belt ($40 from REI)

I really like tools I don't have to carry. If I have to lug something around, it had better be useful. Lately, I have just enough patience for my wallet, keys, and phone. Needless to say, I was rather stoked when I came across this belt from 686. 100% full grain waterproof leather, double prong buckle with bottle opener, #2 Phillips and flat head, 8MM, 10MM, 11MM wrench loop, and a brushed nickel finish. -- Adam Flaherty

X-Mini iHome Capsule Speaker ($25/mono, $50/stereo from ThinkGeek)

When my son gave me one of these capsule speakers last year, I thought it was cute, but didn't expect that it'd become an indispensable part of my mobile gear. He gave it to me because it had become an indispensable part of his mobile life, and he wanted to pass the tech goodness on. Now I do the same. I use the X-Mini in hotel rooms with my iPhone, when I want to hear music "in the air," in bed, with my BlackBook when I'm watching TV, and other situations where I don't care to have earbuds in. Here's the best situ, which just happened to me recently: you're hanging out with a few people, at a little impromptu party, and somebody says: "I wish we had music." You whip this little black ball out of your pocket, expand it, plug it into your phone or MP3 player, and fire up the tunes. Party joy ensues. ThinkGeek claims the sound is "shockingly huge." That's a bit of an overstatement. It certainly is impressive for the size of the unit, but it's not going to win any fidelity or power awards. They now have a MAX Stereo version with two capsule speakers. "Oh son... guess what the old man wants THIS year?" -- Gareth Branwyn

November 30, 2009

Make: Gift Guide 2009: Retro Tech Guide

by Eric Archer

Straight from the 1890s to the 1980s, I would like to suggest any of these fun bits of retro technology for the tinkerers, makers, and geeks on your shopping list. I've included plenty of affordable items to help you spread the good cheer. Some are kits that require assembly, others are enjoyable right out of the box.

LD40 Pink 8-digit Calculator Watch (Casio, $19.99)

CA53W-1 Twincept Databank Watch (Casio, $18.95)

Many of us remember the futuristic thrill when calculator watches hit the scene. I knew I had to have one, so I made a business deal with my dad when I was in 7th grade: I painted the entire exterior of our house in exchange for a Casio Databank watch. Although the cellphone is probably the most common calculator in use now, the wrist-calculator is far more likely to start a conversation. Casio has indeed released an entire series of affordable and retro-styled calculator watches that will take your recipient back to future.

November 29, 2009

Holiday gift guides on CRAFT

We hope you've been enjoying our lineup of gift guides so far this year, and there's much more to come! I wanted to let you know that we're writing lots of gift guides on CRAFT, too! Check out Crafty Tools, For the Foodie, Gifts You Can Make, and more each day up until the middle of December. Keep checking back for gifts for the outdoor enthusiasts, green crafty gifts, the wearable tech guide, and more!

November 27, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Gifts you can make

Forget Black Friday, 3am sales, and long lines of unhappy people buying giant flatscreen TVs, it's time to MAKE something this holiday season! Impress your loved ones with a truly special gift from the heart, not from a store. Spend the day after Thanksgiving with your family and friends, making gifts instead of trying to remember where you parked the car. What are you making as gifts this year? Share with us in the comments.

Beer

Homemade beer makes a fantastic gift. It's fun to make and celebratory to share! I've found the best way to get started in brewing is to brew with an experienced friend (thanks to Contributing Writer Matt Mets for being that friend to me), but if that's not feasible check out the Home Brewing Wiki to see what you'll need to get set up and even find a local brew store near you.

November 25, 2009

Make: Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Blinky Blinky

What's better for a holiday gift then LEDs? More LEDs! Trick out your festivities with these blinky kits!

MiniPOV Kit ($18)
The canonical LED project, this persistence of vision (POV) kit spells out a message when you shake it. Perfect for someone learning to solder, the kit includes everything you need to build and display your own messages on a screen that you have to shake to see.

Peggy 2 LED Display Kit ($100, LEDs extra)
An updated version of the original Peggy, this board should provide all of the LED action that one can handle. Solder up to 625 LEDs into the circuit board, program in some animations, and you've got a re-usable holiday decoration or radiant gift!