2013 Christmas List

It is the beginning of December and so I thought I would be a bit earlier than last year and put together my annual Christmas list. The idea is to give you an idea of what I would want for myself in the hopes that it gives you an idea for others on your shopping list this year.

Unfortunately computer and electronic gadgets have a tendency to be rather expensive. I try to include one or two low-cost items for that child that wants to get their parent something special. I will start low and then get more expensive. Hopefully there is something that fits everyone's budget.

Older Video Games - With the release of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, we are about to see a decline in the previous generation consoles. Fortunately those older systems still have a lot of life in them and you can find a number of older games for a really good price. This one requires a bit of searching on your part though. You will need to find what games are wanted but haven't been played yet. When I was at Best Buy over the weekend, there were a number of really great games for $19.95 or less. A good starting point is to figure out the genre: racing games, first person shooters, sports games, puzzles, etc. Then do an Internet search for popular games and read the reviews and you should be able to find something that will be enjoyed.

A Remote Control Helicopter - This was on my list last year and I still want one. My oldest son had one and had a great time with it until his roommate crashed and destroyed it. You can pick up a number of inexpensive models including the more powerful quadcopters.

Rocksmith - A few years ago, my wife picked me up a left-handed acoustic guitar. I played that thing every night for several months but became discouraged at my lack of progress. Taking a cue from the success of Guitar Hero, Ubisoft created a similar video game that actually teaches you how to play a real guitar.  I mentioned this to my wife, but she got angry because she thinks I also want a new electric guitar. If you already have an acoustic guitar, all you need is an electronic pickup, which is really inexpensive and allows you to use your existing instrument with the game.

Bluetooth Speakers - I have some really nice over-the-ear headphones (which are also a really good Christmas-list idea) but sometimes I want to share my music. A nice bluetooth speaker would make a nice addition to my music hardware.

A New Monitor - This is not a gift I need at home as I have a couple of really nice monitors already. This is something I need at work. In the office, I have 4 monitors on my desk and they are all rather old. It would be nice to replace them all with a set of 24-inch matching monitors running at 1920x1080 resolution.

A New Tablet Computer - Not all tablets are created equal and my favorite one on the market now is the Xperia Z from Sony. Why do I like it so much? It is waterproof (they claim water resistant up to 3 feet for 30 minutes). This is one that you can take with you while you read in your hot tub. Should it accidentally fall in, no worries.

Non-Computer Gifts
This year I thought I would introduce some new gift ideas. I spend most days in front of a computer and this year I find myself looking at other ideas. At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is spend more time with computer equipment. I have some other hobbies I would like to pursue. Perhaps you have someone in your life like me and so here are some other ideas.

Ratcheting Box Wrenches  - I have been working on cars a lot lately. These in both Metric and SAE sizes would be greatly appreciated. Sears also has a nice set of Craftsman that are a bit more expensive, but have a better warranty.

Wire Arc Welder - I really want a MIG or TIG welder, but they are much more expensive. However I have not done any welding for the past 30 years as my only real experience was a shop class back in junior high. An inexpensive wire welder would give me the chance to learn how to weld using cheap scrap metal before I discover I have no talent at it. With all the work I am doing on cars lately, this may be a skill I need in the near future.

Previous Years
In compiling this list, I made sure to go through my previous Christmas lists and there are a number of gifts that are still valid.

2010     2011     2012

Now all I need to do is send an e-mail to my wife so she knows what I want this year. I found out over the weekend that she doesn't really know. This is a good start.