5 Last Minute Gift Ideas From the Comfort of Your Keyboard

I hope you are not frantically searching for last minute gift ideas for that special geek on your list. But in case you are, here are a quick five hints that you can take care of right from your keyboard.

Most of them are gift cards, but then everybody knows geeks love to do their own shopping anyway.

• Amazon.com offers gift cards in any amount you wish to give and you can send them via email.   Of course you know you can purchase just about anything on Amazon.com.
• iTunes Gift Cards. You can hardly walk into a store these days without seeing iTunes Gift Cards for sale and of course you can purchase them on-line. Now here’s the thing in my opinion, these are great if you’re giftee has an iPod Touch or iPhone to fill up with apps, or is selective enough to purchase DRM free music from iTunes. Otherwise, I’d suggest getting your music lover an Amazon.com card so they can get their music DRM free and in most cases a few cents cheaper.
• NetFlix Subscription: Whether they want to have DVDs shipped to them or enjoy movies via streaming, buying a NetFlix subscription for your movie buff is a great way to go.
• Skype Credit: If your geek uses Skype, you can purchase them credit for their Skype account (I think the minimum amout is $10). Handy if they travel alot as it saves on phone calls.
• Other Stores and Outlets: Of course most of the major retailers offer gift cards that you can purchase as a card or on-line. Just be careful though when doing so. We already know Circuit City is having trouble and rumors are others will as well. You don’t want to give a gift card that might not be usable down the road.

And for an added bonus, give your geek a gift that gets him/her away from their geek-dom for awhile. Think about a gift certificate from a local restaurant or movie theatre, (or hey, live theatre!) where you can head out for an evening unplugged. Your geek may not think he/she wants to unplug for a time, but trust me, these kind of gifts always work. (Just make them leave their smartphone at home!)