My Tech Talk

Do you need to shop for a savvy Web 2.0 loving, Internet surfing computer enthusiast? This type of person enjoys social media and online services.

Below are a few gift ideas to help you find the right gift for this special someone:

Virtual Gifts

• Visit the Facebook Gift Shop. You and your gift recipient will need to be Facebook members, of course. As a gift giver, you purchase “credits” (100 credits = $1) and redeem them for virtual gifts.
  • Pros: Easy to do yet thoughtful, a variety of gifts available for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.
  • Get Started: Login to Facebook and then type “Gifts” in the Search field.

• Is your special someone a Wordpress.comblogger? Then give the gift of Wordpress.com credits. With credits, bloggers can use additional services like domain mapping, custom CSS or additional storage space. Don’t worry if you don’t know what those services do. Remember, it is the thought that counts. Your grateful blogger may even sing your praises in his/her next blog post!
  • Pros: Useful gift that lasts for one year, inexpensive ($10-$20 should do the trick).
  • Get Started:Login to Wordpress.com and click on the “Upgrades” tab and then the “Gifts” sub-tab.

(Note: If you are not a Wordpress.com user, you’ll need to sign up for a free account. You’ll need to create a blog to complete the account setup but you are not obligated (of course) to actually do any blogging.)

Movies, Music and Photos

The following reputable web sites offer e-certificates for their products and services.

• Netflix - Give the gift of comedy, drama, action and adventure delivered in a little red envelope. You can choose to a gift subscription for any number of months.
  • Pros: Easy to give, convenient, budget friendly.
  • Go Get It! Visit the Neflix Gift Subscription page.

• iTunes - A gift card to the iTunes store will allow a recipient to buy music, movies, TV shows and “apps”, short for software applications. ( The “apps” only apply to iPhones and iPod Touch models.)
  • Pros: Easy to give, convenient, versatile. Prices start at $15
  • Go Get It! Visit the Apple Store online to purchase and ship a gift card today.

(Note: If you use an iPod yourself, you can also send an e-gift card through the iTunes software.)

• Kodak Gallery - A picture is worth a thousand words. So, a $15 gift e-certificate to buy 4″x6″ prints of digital photos for .15 cents each from Kodak is worth…100,000 words!
  • Pros: Budget Friendly, Delivered by Email, Can be used to buy some other photo products* too (restrictions apply*)
  • Go Get It! Visit the Kodak Gallery web site for more details and to buy an e-certificate.

Thinking of Others

Consider donating money to a charity or a cause in the name of your special someone. Below is one that I recommend:

• Tribute Gift to “Nothing but Nets” - Malaria kills and nets save lives. The goal behind this charity is to save lives by sending bed nets to Africa to keep mosquitoes away while sleeping. Read about it in detail how “nets save lives”.
  • Pros: Generous, thoughtful and affordable.
  • Go Get It! Visit the donation page to choose your amount. Don’t forget to check the “Tribute Gift” option at the bottom of the screen.

Mobile Software

• Handango.com – Purchase a gift e-certificate and your special someone can load up their smart phone (Blackberry, Windows OS, Palm OS, Android) with software. Hundreds of software programs are available: Games, city guides, budgeting and expenses, nutrition and fitness, translations, bibles, ringtones, maps, GPS, music, medical, horoscopes and more.
  • Pros:Versatile, helpful, Email-able, an unexpected gift.
  • Go Get It! Visit the Handango web site to purchase.

(Note: Take a moment to verify that your gift recipient has a “smart phone” like a Blackberry, Blackjack, Palm Treo, etc. Handango does not make applications for the iPhone at this time.)

If you have any ideas to share, please post a comment below. Thank you!

More to Read:

SuccessfulSoftware.net’s blog post: What do you buy a programmer for Christmas?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Online/Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.