20+ Cheap Gifts and Gadgets for Christmas 2008

It’s that time of year again when you need to find some cool gifts for office parties, family gatherings, and the poor saps with birthdays this close to Christmas. Sure, it’d be great if you could get everyone on your list an LCD HDTV, GPS device, or iPhone, but not everyone has that kind of dough? (And if you do have that kind of dough, just let me know what I need to do to get on your Christmas list!)

Here are a few of the hottest gadgets of the year (in no particular order) that won’t break the bank, and will definitely earn you some cool points with your geek friends and family members.

Belkin Mini Surge with USB Charger
A nifty travel-sized surge protector with dual USB ports for charging your USB mobile devices at the same time!
Price: $18

Gorillapod Flexible Tripod
Of course, if you have a digital SLR you can pick up the Gorillapod for Digital SLR Cameras.
Price (Regular Version): $22
Price (SLR Version): $50

Blackrapid Camera Strap
The Blackrapid is a camera strap on speed! Designed to give you lightning quick access to your camera while also carrying it in a relaxed and comfortable manner. The strap also features slots for extra memory cards, IDs or cell phones. Trust me, you’ll never want another strap.
Price: $46

Gadget Charger Station
To the geek that has every gadget imaginable, I present you with a charging station so you can charge all your precious accessories in one tidy place.
Price: $45

Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet
While it is one of the pricier items on this list, it’s definitely not one to disregard. If the person you’re buying for has any interest in photography, drawing, illustrations, or graphic designing of any kind, then a good graphics tablet would be an ideal gift. There are several companies that make graphics tablets nowadays, but Wacom is without a doubt the leader of the pen pack. And for the low price, you really can’t go wrong with the Bamboo.
Price: $62

Sanyo Eneloop Rechargable Batteries w/ Charger
Hands down, the best rechargeable batteries I’ve ever owned. Eneloops hold their charge longer than other rechargeables and come pre-charged. If you’ve been let down by other rechargeables, then you should really give Eneloop a try. This set comes with 4 AAs and a charger (that can also charge up to 4 AAAs).
Price: $18

Digital Voice Recorder Pen
Never forget an idea again! With this handy pen, either write the idea down or record a voice message up to 60 seconds.
Price: $15

Red Swingline Stapler
I’ve got one of these on my desk and everyone who sees it makes a comment about it. It’s a very cool collector’s item to have, and it’s actually a very good stapler. Nice and heavy and durable.
Price: $18

Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks
Just about anyone can get some use out of a webcam nowadays. These things are great for fun communication with friends and family members. Or you can just record yourself doing something stupid and become a star on YouTube!
Price: $30

Human Key Holder
For those who take their key storage seriously. Possibly the most expensive key holder you will ever buy, but a pretty neat concept nonetheless. Also comes as a female version.
Price: $25

Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle
It’s a fact: all geeks like stainless steel. Klean Kanteens are stainless, toxin-free, BPA-free, and non-leaching. Slim and sleek design and a nice range of accessories available for the large 27oz size. That’s right. Accessories. For a water bottle. Just check out the shoulder sling, insulated totes, or bike cage!
Price: $15-27

Leatherman Micra Multitool
What geek wouldn’t want a handy little multitool? Leatherman makes some good ones. The Micra has all the essentials: scissors, tweezers, screwdrivers, nail file and bottle opener. Oh, and a knife!
Price: $17

SanDisk 8GB Flash Drive
It never hurts to have a few gigs of memory in your pocket. I’m not a big fan of the novelty USB drives; I’d prefer to pay for more storage space than for a cute idea that might get a few half-chuckles from co-workers. This SanDisk drive is slim, lightweight, sleek, and packs an 8gb punch. Granted, it’s not bulletproof. For that, check out the titanium version for a few bucks more.
Price: $15

Mini File Cabinet for Business Cards
Need a cool, unique way to store your business cards? Try out this small file cabinet that can hold over 700 cards. The top drawer also had a digital display that tells the time and date!
Price: $11

Fender Strobe-E Keychain Tuner
For the traveling musician on your playlist, here’s a handy little tuner that will always be with them. Unless they lose their keys a lot. In that case, you may want to buy them two!
Price: $10

Cold Heat Soldering Tool
Hold cold heat technology in the palm of your hand! Personally, the best thing about these things is that they are cordless (operates on 4 AA batteries…and for those, see the Sanyo Eneloops listed above).
Price: $16

Helping Hands
Well, you need to have someone to help you when you’re soldering with your Cold Heat Soldering tool, right? This thing has two clasping “hands” and a 4″ magnifying glass, helping you out with the detailed projects.
Price: $8

Laser Guided Scissors
Ok. They’re scissors with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads! What more could you ask for! For use on those very, very, VERY detailed cuts.
Price: $7

Thermos E5 Travel Mug
I’ve been through just about every coffee mug and thermos on the market. I can firmly say that this is the best mug/thermos I’ve tried so far. It holds 16oz and keeps the liquid either hot or cold for HOURS. Seriously, I fill this thing up at 8:30am and whatever I don’t drink by lunchtime is still hot when I get back from lunch around 2pm. It’s also leak-proof, gives you a 360 degree drinking surface, and dishwasher safe. I take my coffee mugs seriously, so if you’ve tried one that’s better, please let me know in the comments.
Price: $20

3-in-1 Tripod LED Flashlight
This handy flashlight can be separated into 3 individual flashlights or combined into one bright master light. Features a tripod and each flashlight has a multi-directional head, meaning you can setup light to shine in virtually any direction. It’s also weather-resistant with shatter-proof lenses oh just buy one already!
Price: $28

Moleskine Ruled Notebook
I am a self-proclaimed Moleskine addict. I have several of these things laying around that I have not written anything in yet, but I still can’t keep myself from buying a new one everytime I go to Borders bookstore. My personal favorite is the 12 month daily planner (pocket size), but I also seem to accumulate a lot of the pocket ruled notebooks and the large ruled notebooks.

Big Lebowski Action Figures Set
Relive the good times we had with the Dude with these unique action figures. These are some of the cooler action figures I’ve seen. Each figure comes with a real cloth outfit and accessory from the movie.
Price: $40

Wired Magazine Subscription
Wired magazine kinda sells itself, featuring great articles on technology, science, art, etc. Any kind of magazine subscription is a great way to make someone remember you; they will continue getting issues delivered throughout the year and you are sure to cross their mind when they see it.
Price: $10

Do you know of a gift or gadget that’s missing from this list? Please let us know in the comments!