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Last-minute geek holiday gift-buying guide

It's not always easy to buy gifts for a techie or geek, especially if you're one of those people who couldn't tell the difference between an iPod and a pea pod. But with only a precious handful of shopping days left before Christmas, you can still find a great gift for that tech-loving fanboy on your holiday list, and you don't have to look that far, either.

If you've got a little extra cash to spend and the techie on your list is also a gamer, you can't go wrong with the Playstation 3 console - that is, if they don't own one already. This next-generation console is not only a state-of-the-art game-playing machine, but it's also a DVD player, Blu-ray player and it surfs the Internet – plus a whole lot more. All that and for under $300, too! If I didn't already own one, I'd definitely be blackmailing Santa for one this year.

You may want to pick up a movie or two to go with that new Playstation 3, and I've never met a geek who didn't love movies – and especially DVDs. That's because DVDs are usually loaded with all sorts of interviews, deleted footage and extras that are pure gold for any fanboy. You're pretty safe to go with anything in the superhero or science fiction genres, but since we're talking tech-loving geek – may I suggest the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of the latest Star Trek movie? Not only does the set feature a regular and digital copy of the movie (for your iPod – not your pea pod), but also a ton of cool extras documenting the modern reboot of the all-time-geek-favourite franchise – plus a little "augmented reality" surprise.

The inside liner of the DVD notes directs you to a website that, when accessed, turns on your web camera (if you've got one). The site has a little view screen showing the picture being transmitted from your camera, and when you hold the DVD package in front of the webcam – it turns into a virtual Starship Enterprise! So looking at the screen, it appears that you are sitting there in your office or bedroom, holding a very cool-looking and functional spaceship in your hands. Trust me – geeks and technology lovers alike will find this very awesome.

Those same Star Trek fans, if gamers, would also probably like to boldly go where Kirk and Spock went before, and thanks to the upcoming Star Trek Online game – they can! The game allows players to become captains of their very own starship and explore deep space, fight Klingons, beam down with away teams to planets and generally live out their ultimate Star Trek fantasy along with thousands of others online. The game only launches in February, but if you preorder it now (at a retailer or online at Amazon or GameStop), your fanboy can get into January's open beta test, a head start on playing, as well as some extras like different uniforms and a special ship at launch.

A simpler option is to purchase an iTunes gift card at Apple's website, so the tech-lover on your holiday list can use the cash to purchase apps, music or movies for his Pod of the i, but not pea persuasion.

Remember, if you're having trouble deciding if a particular gift is geek-worthy or not; just find an attractive young girl and if she rolls her eyes – it's perfect!

Happy Holidays.

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