2015 Gift Guides
It has become a bit of a time-honored tradition for me to do gift guides around the holidays. This year I decided instead of making yet another post, I’ll create this page and child pages that I can update each year. I have some big plans for when I (finally) redesign this site, but for now, check ’em out:
What other gift guides do you want to see? I was thinking about putting together one for cigar smokers as well as some stuff I use every day. Have an idea for a guide I could make? Leave it in the comments!
Creating a Wedding Registry
Over the weekend, Erin and I started shopping for our wedding registry. We decided on 3 stores – Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We made it to the first two. We went in with no plan and were a bit overwhelmed, but it was a good experience! We have a good starting point, but I think I’d do things a little differently from the beginning.
Quick Tip: Turn off Amazon Wishlist Spoilers
While talking to my mother, whom I sent my Amazon Wishlist to for gift ideas, she told me to not check Amazon until Christmas because she bought stuff off of my list and didn’t want me to see what she got. Luckily, Amazon has thought of this, and there is a really simple way to make sure that you don’t see when people buy things off your list.
- Go to your Amazon Wish List.
- In the List Actions drop-down (towards the top of the list, on the right), click Update list profile.
- Check “Don’t spoil my surprises.”
- Click Save.
That’s it! You can now view your list without worry of spoilers.
2014 Gift Guide for Web Developers
I recently published a new gift guide on this site- one for Remote Workers (as a matter of fact, there’s some good stuff on that list that could be on this list). I think it’s a pretty good one, so you should check it out if you haven’t already. Today I’m giving you my slightly more annual list: theGift Guide for Web People. There are some constants on the list that I’m going to list at the bottom, but I’m going to try to add mostly new stuff for this year. Check out the list after the jump.
2014 Gift Guide for the Remote Worker
Working remotely/from home is not only something I started doing this year, it’s something that’s becoming more and more popular. Big companies are allowing it, there are books published on it, and it makes a lot of business sense too. I thought in addition to my regular gift guides, I’d put something out there for all the remote workers and their family and friends.
Read More “2014 Gift Guide for the Remote Worker”
Why Kickstarter is bad for Christmas Gifts
Don’t get me wrong. I love Kickstarter. I spend too much money there. I almost buy something everyday and have 2 projects I’m patiently awaiting the arrival of. But now that Christmas and the season of gift giving is upon us it’s important for people, especially first-time Kickstarter users, to know that the release dates are not always reliable. It’s nothing against the creators or the products. It comes down to something that people seem to forget: Kickstarter isn’t a store where you buy things. It’s a place where you show your support for projects and you get rewarded for that support.
The 2013 Gift Guide for Web People
Here’s a little secret: I love these lists. I love writing them, I love reading them, and I love buying stuff, so I love researching them. Plus, 2013 is a great year for web development and technology. Responsive Design is now in full swing as it’s pretty much standard practice to build a responsive site by default now. Great people like @wilto are pushing the standards fight forward for responsive images, there are great podcasts, and more. Shopping for web people shouldn’t be a difficult task, but I’d like to narrow it down for you. This list isn’t just going to be a list of books, or even a list of computer things. It’s going to be a list of stuff I like, and that I think other web people will also like.
Gifts for Web Developers / Geeks 2012
Thanksgiving and Black Friday officially kick off the Holiday, and subsequently the gift-giving, season. I often like to publish lists like this, that will help you shop for the web nerd (or just nerd) in your life, and 2012 is no different. With all kinds of new services, gadgets, and toys, 2012 is a great year to be a nerd! Here are some of my recommendations.
Great Tech Gifts 2010
This is something I’ve wanted to become more consistent with, as I usually post these lists sporadically and at poor times. I figure Black Friday is a good day to settle on this type of post, since it is the official start of Holiday Shopping.
Amazon Kindle: This is number one on my list of recommendations. E-Readers have been around for a few years now and I think the Kindle has proven king. It’s a great way to read books (it’s a lot like reading a real book), it’s easy on the eyes, and with apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, you can keep your books with you and synced at all times. Plus, they are also offering a very affordable Wifi Only version. I truly love mine, which I got last Christmas. ($189 for 3G + Wifi, $139 for Wifi only)