Gifts ideas for hackers 2020
This blog is a fun list of gift ideas for the hacker or tech savant in your life. Nobody needs help with obvious gifts so this is more of a collection of less mainstream gadgets and toys.
Raspberry Pi 400
The recently released Raspberry Pi 400 is contained within a keyboard. Under heavy load the RPI 4b automatically underclocks to avoid overheating but slows down considerable as a result. Fortunately the new keyboard design resolves the issue while adding extra speed. Not to mention the new design saves you from buying or building a case yourself!
Yubikey
This hardware authentication device acts as a second factor of authentication. Multifactor authentication is a great deterrent for hackers so you won’t need to worry about getting a gift receipt for this purchase.
Thinkfun Hacker Board Game
This educational board game about cybersecurity requires logic and problem solving to win. As a member of the white hat hacker team you solve coding puzzles and avoid viruses to progress through the game, simultaneously learning how hackers can damage systems and what you can do to secure them in the future. The game includes beginner to expert challenges and can be single or multiplayer.
OSCP course
Help your hacker get certified with the Penetration Testing with Kali course. This foundational course is great for anyone with solid hacking skills who wishes to pursue a career in penetration testing and wants to get the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) certificate.
Wifi Pineapple
HAK5 makes lots of cool stuff! If you’ve ever wondered why your WiFi AP alerted you about a nearby rogue AP it’s because there’s a WiFi Pineapple pretending to be your network. Everything can be compromised if your devices connect to the rogue AP. Obviously your hacker friends would be very interested in this device even if it looks nothing like a pineapple.
Nvidia Jetson
Nvidia’s Jetson modules power autonomous systems (read: robots!). You’re going to need some of these if your friendly neighbourhood hackers dreams of making their own self driving robot or R2D2. There are lots of projects using video machine learning to propel robots for inspiration. Check out James Bruton’s “Really Useful Robot” to get started.
Creality Ender 5 Plus
Who doesn’t need a 3d printer? This one is large enough to print the body for that replica R2D2 or a matching helmet for its operator. If you might think the 3d printer is a fad or will collect dust just check out some of my 3d printing projects like the rack space bracket and coronavirus projects. I am currently printing HO scale train models for my family.
Leatherman Skeletool
Multitools, as the name implies, are infinitely useful. In fact you might consider getting one of these for any of the hard-to-please folks on your gift list. The convenience and efficiency of this strong yet lightweight multitool is so valuable I’m sure Douglas Adams meant to include it, along with your towel of course, as a satchel staple.
Solar-Powered wireless keyboard
Normal wireless keyboards usually operate off a single AA or AAA battery. Their low energy requirement makes them perfectly suited to solar power integration. The specs allow for at least three months of operation in total darkness.
Ostrich Pillow
I never nap in the middle of the day but many businesses like Google provide sleep pods for their staff. Forbes and LinkedIn have written extensively on the subject. For example, since studies show a direct relationship between sleep and performance. Your hacker may not work at a place that provides sleep pods but you can certainly gift them a personal sleep pod they can use anywhere in the form of this pillow.