Have a geek on your holiday gift list?   Here are geek gifts, most under $50.

Crabble: A folding iPhone stand from Seskimo. With rubber grips, you can press buttons without having to use the other hand to steady the holder. It comes in black and translucent colors.

Cost: $5  World wide delivery in 1-5 days.

Joby Gorillapod Flexible Camera Tripod: A great way your friend can get in the photo with you.

“Gorillapod uses its 30 adjustable joints to grip to trees, fences or posts–anything it can wrap its legs around–to provide a steady and secure platform for your digicam! No more hunting for flat surfaces at eye-level: just wrap or hang Gorillapod on any handy object.”

Cost: $40 X-tremeGeek.

LED Brand Scroll cap:    “Is your brand being left in the dark?”  Try this techie LED Scroll Hat featuring ” a personalized scrolling LED display on cap. Use the buttons on the back to enter your message up to 118 characters. Replaceable 3V button battery included.”

Cost: $25 at Computer gear.  ($40 for the t-shirt) .

Get a Wi-Fi detector shirt for $20  at ThinkGeek.

Customizable Laptop Skin:  Your friend can promote their brand offline as well as online, with this easy to apply vinyl laptop skin.  Easy to remove too.

Cost: $30 from Schtickers (that’s my Schticker in the pic)

Laptop Blue Lounge Cool Feet:  Set of 4 detachable rubber feet to elevate a laptop, to let air flow underneath to keep the computer (and the geek) cool.

Cost:   $11.95 from B&H

TruePower USB Outlet. An outlet that  charges geeky USB gadgets (like a darn Blackberry) when you’re away from your computer.

Cost: $10.  The device won’t be out until early in 2010, right now it’s still waiting on the final UL Approval.  You can pre-order one now.  Done.

90 Second Cooler.  Most geeks have no patience, what with surfing the net, twitter, and all.  So, a quick fix cooler.  Add ice, turn the handle and 90 seconds later you sip while you surf.

Cost: $15 + $9 commission from Rinkya.

Singing Toilet Paper:  “Plays a medley of Christmas tunes, including Jingle Bells, Santa is Comin’ to Town, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas, as the paper pulls from the roll. Miniature device installs undetected, serenades the unsuspecting. Batteries included.”

Kinda goes with the 90 Second Cooler (for the gal geeks)

Cost: $5.98 from Taylor Gifts.

Solar Powered Charger: Just unfold the blades. The sun soaking, eco-friendly Classic Hybrid Solar Battery Charger will keep your friend connected to their peeps.

“Holds a charge up to one year, so it’s ready anytime, day or night. Charge it from the sun, via USB port or from an optional wall charger.”

Cost: $79.95 with free ground shipping from Solio.

GPS Dog Collar:   Your geek friend can geolocate their four footed best friend on their computer.

Cost: $129 from LoveMyPetsGPS (comes with a glow-in-the-dark collar with the GPS tracker.)

LED Blow on-off Candles:  Made of wax, these LED powered lights flicker like a real flame. You can even blow them on and off.  Each candle has a switch to select either a cool blue flame, or a yellow flame.  Place these on a shelf or mantle and fool everyone. No danger of  open flames. And, they won’t drip wax all over your friend’s stuff.  Geek-Romantic.

Cost:   $12-15.  Buy Here.  (candles will “burn” for 300 hours on a single set of batteries.)

LED Shower Light: After the LED candles get your friend and their significant other in the mood, they can jump in the shower. But to avoid a cold blast of water to chill the spark, wait til the shower light gives them the red light.  Ahh.

The LED Shower Light easily installs to standard shower pipe. “When the water warms up to 89° F (32° C), the light changes to red.”  No batteries for this hot gizmo.

Cost: $40  here.  (Also get a faucet light too- 19.99.

QR Code T-shirt: Enter your geek friend’s website, blog or F-book URL (or an image) and it will be converted into a QR code and printed on a t-shirt. 100% cotton. Assorted colors and sizes.

Cost: $20 from Zazzle.

USB Fridge: You geekster can keep their beverage icy cold while they tweet, blog or surf the net.  This USB powered gizmo looks like a mini fridge and holds one can and cools it to 8.5º in about five minutes.   The fridge is 19.4 x 9 x 9.7cm in size.

Cost: $24.95 at Scientifics.

CastOven Video Microwave: While waiting for the microwave to zap their snack, geeks can watch a YouTube video on this award winning Japanese microwave.  Video here.

Cost: unknown

Technorati Tags: geek gifts, tech gifts, gadgets, cool gifts

A digital or camera phone is neat but sharing photos is still a pain in the butt.  You have to pass the camera around or post it to on Flickr, F-book, TwitPic or wherever, so folks have to chase them down.  I’ve been asking for a camera with a built-in projector for awhile.

AT&T will soon release the Windows 6.5 smartphone  with an optional snap-on “pico projector“. It will be the first projector phone in North America.  [Samsung released a projector phone in South Korea.]  The release date was supposed to be today.

The LG eXpo will cost $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract.

The attachable LG Mobile Projector will ship in the next few weeks for $179.

The device will be able to project videos and other files stored on the phone onto walls, screens and other surfaces.

Ultimately, phone makers and tech companies such as TI want to integrate projectors directly into phones, as Samsung did with its W7900 projector phone.  Physorg.

Tech savvy real estate agents will impress their clients when they project home listing photos or videos on the client’s refrigerator.

Technorati Tags: cool tools, smartphones, projector camera

Tweetwally is an interesting way to save Twitter searches.  You can search hashtags, keywords and more.  The result is a custom Tweetwall. 

You get a link to share it or code to embed it, as here: (I searched weird and funny). The Tweetwally will update itself.

{Note: Only 1 tweetwall per user. Unfortunately, a future tweetwall will overwrite your earlier one.}

You can experiment with Tweetwally. Insert a hashtag of a conference and have it displayed on a projector. It will be updated with tweets bearing that hastag. Or try adding twitpic as a keyword. Or try it for FollowFriday.

Give it a try and leave your tweetwally links in the comments.

Technorati Tags: twitter, tweetwall, tweetwally, cool tools, sellsius

The US Department of the Treasury (Treasury Direct) has an easy to use Savings Bond Calculator to calculate the current value of paper savings bonds you’ve been holding for years.

I used it to cash in Series EE Savings Bonds received when my son was born in 1986.

Pass this tip to your clients.

h/t Paulette Adams of Bank of America

Technorati Tags: savings bonds, cool tools, technology, treasure depatment

Tomorrow at the Schoenbaum Center at 175 E. 7th Avenue, Columbus OH 43219 -  Map there is a Green Home Fair, from the Columbus Green Building Forum.

The Columbus Green Building Forum website promises :

“Green products for Residential home construction/retrofit and everyday use.”

It’s FREE!

It’s open to the Public

The Green Home Fair is this Saturday, December  5^th from 1:00 to  4:30 p.m.  I heard about it from the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.

The traditional business card gets a quick look before being stuffed in a pocket and later put in a pile. (Sometimes you run out of cards and scribble on a napkin, which gets squished in a pocket and tossed.)   There’s another way– DUB, the mobile business card.

Using DUB, you can easily send your contact information from any mobile phone, including links to your websites and social networks, directly to the address book of another person’s mobile phone.

It’s FREE.

DUB is an app that works on multiple phone platforms, including BlackBerry, iPhone and Android.  DUB is currently available in the USA and Canada only. More countries are coming. Email info@dubmenow.com to add your name for future release notice.

Here’s how DUB works (from the site):

• Swap contact info with a single click! When two people meet and click the Locate button, DUB finds and prompts both to exchange info. No more typing emails or mobile numbers to send your card.

• Add your photo, links to your social networks (including your blog),  instant messenger and more to your card so your contacts can connect with you wherever you are online.

• Send a LinkedIn invite along with your contact info

• DUB will even update your information automatically, so if you change your address or phone number your contacts will always have your current information.

Sample:

I signed up and created a DUB card online but was not happy since I apparently could only add one social network.  Apparently,  it’s better to input your DUB info from your phone.  Hmm… maybe I’ll just email my Cardly.

Anyone use DUB? How does it compare to other mobile business card apps?

Related Business Card Posts:

New Social Media Business Card: Poken (a futuristic business card)

Social Media Business Card: Cardly (I like this one)

3D Business Cards: Snapily

Video Business Card: rCard (not sure this exist anymore)

Use Retaggr to Create an Interactive Social Business Card

Send Your Busines Card by Phone Using DropCard

Technorati Tags: mobile, business card, dub me now, cool tools, technology, social media

HomeGain inducts 18 new agent members into its elite commissions based award clubs for closing home sales; Half million dollar Diamond Club grows to 23 members.

Emeryville, CA (PRWEB) December 2, 2009 – HomeGain®, the first web site to provide instant online home values, today announced it has inducted two new members to its Diamond Club for earning $500,000 or more in gross closed commissions from closed home sales using AgentEvaluator®.

HomeGain announced the induction Therese Albertini, CEO of LifeStyleMOVES, and Carl Medford of Windermere Properties of the East Bay into its elite Diamond Club.

Therese Albertini stated: “Service, commitment and caring are three attributes you want from a business partner. Our relationship with HomeGain has been wonderful for our company and those we serve. Helping families and individuals achieve their homeownership dreams is what makes our team passionate about what they do. Thanks, HomeGain, for your partnership over the years.”

HomeGain also announced the induction of 16 HomeGain member agents into its other elite clubs, including:

• Five new HomeGain Platinum Club members (now totaling 352 members who have earned $125,000 or more in gross home sale commissions from AgentEvaluator)

• Six new HomeGain Gold Club members (totaling 279 members who have earned $75,000 or more)

• Five new HomeGain Silver Club members (totaling 231 members who have earned $50,000 or more)

There are currently two members in the HomeGain Million Dollar Club.

“We are pleased that we can quantify the continuing success of our members using AgentEvaluator,” stated Louis Cammarosano, General Manager at HomeGain. “AgentEvaluator now has nearly 900 elite club members. We are proud to that such highly devoted and successful real estate agents have chosen HomeGain as their marketing partner.”

AgentEvaluator® is an online marketing program for real estate agents who are looking to connect with home buyers and sellers. Learn more about how to become an AgentEvaluator member and how to receive a free plush gorilla with a new HomeGain membership this month.

About HomeGain

HomeGain® is a leading provider of online marketing solutions that connect real estate agents and brokers with home buyers and sellers. HomeGain offers free services to find and compare real estate agents, research home values, and view homes for sale. Since 1999 REALTORS® have used HomeGain’s real estate marketing programs, products and tools to connect to consumers, promote their services and grow their business. HomeGain.com receives an average of over five million web visits per month, ranking it in the top 10 real estate websites worldwide.

Contact:
Jessica Gopalakrishnan

510.594.4154 office

PR@homegain.com

Poken is an interesting ’social business card.’ But it doesn’t look like any business card you’ve ever seen.

A Poken contains your contact information and social networks. Rather than the ancient ritual of shaking hands (or rubbing bodies), rub two Pokens together and there will be a “glow”— a signal you’ve shared your stuff with another person. When the Poken is slipped into a computer’s USB port, the data is downloaded. This product is called a Poken Spark.

According to the website:

Poken holds your contact information: name, address, email, mobile phone, and the rest, and it also holds your social networking account names. Poken contains your FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn and other accounts.

Already know all your friends’ profiles? Even better. When you Poken and they Poken, you’ll automatically have updates when they open a new social networking account.

Take a peek at Poken in this video:

Poken Explained from Poken on Vimeo.

You can order Pokens from a dealer in Chicago. $19.95 each, with discounts for multi-packs (e.g. 12 for $199)
See all prices here.

You can customize Poken with your logo.

Other products are also available.

Hmm… I wonder if Pokens could store information on house listings?

Technorati Tags: marketing, real estate marketing, poken, business cards, social media advertising

Improved overall sentiment amongst real estate professionals across the U.S. puts forward looking confidence gauge at 6.03 on the one to ten scale and reverses two months of declines.

Saskatoon, SK and Vancouver, BC – December 01, 2009 –Real estate professionals in the United States sent Point2 Technologies Inc.’s (“Point2”) forward looking Real Estate Confidence Index (RECI) to new highs in the company’s November survey of 2000 real estate brokers and agents nationwide, Point2 announced today.

A 7.87 percent jump in confidence signaled renewed optimism and more positive sentiment amongst real estate brokers and agents across the U.S., with the RECI recording a new high of 6.03 on the 1 – 10 Index scale (1 being “bad” and 10 being “good”), in a dramatic reversal that follows October 2009 results which saw the industry’s forward looking sentiment gauge dip to an all time low of 5.59 after two months of increased uncertainty about the future of the real estate market.

With a more overall positive tone underlying commentaries offered by real estate

brokers and agents in the majority of U.S. markets and who participated in the Point2 survey, improved sentiment took all three RECI Index components to new highs.

The Current Sentiment, which measures real estate professionals’ opinion of present market conditions, moved up 0.27 points to 5.16, a 5.52 percent increase versus the October reading of 4.89 and a 1.98 percent improvement versus the Index variable’s most recent high of 5.06 on the scale, recorded in September 2009.

At 5.96 on the 1 – 10 scale, the forward looking Short Term (3 – 6 months) Optimism/Pessimism gauge saw the largest improvement amongst the RECI’s three variables, increasing 10.99 percent versus the prior month’s reading. The 3 – 6 month outlook barometer’s November results are also its highest since registering 5.80 on the scale, in August 2009.

Long Term (12 – 18 months) Optimism/Pessimism also reached a new high, increasing 0.47 points versus October, or 7.22 percent. The Long Term Outlook’s previous high of 6.88 was also recorded in August 2009.

The RECI (www.RealEstateConfidenceIndex.com) tracks the opinions of thousands of real estate brokers and agents, measuring their forward-looking sentiment of the real estate market, across the United States.

The monthly survey tracks current market sentiment, short-term (3 – 6 months) optimism/pessimism and long-term (6 – 12 months) optimism/pessimism of real estate professionals in the United States. The median across all three time periods represents the forward-looking national Index measure for the month.

To obtain the complete RECI Report including respondent commentaries presented by State, visit www.RealEstateConfidenceIndex.com.

2001 licensed real estate professionals across the United States participated in this month’s survey.

Survey Instrument and Methodology

The Real Estate Confidence Index (RECI) tracks the real estate market opinions of thousands of licensed real estate professionals, brokers and agents, across the United States, accounting for seasonality, on a scale of one to ten (1 being “bad” and 10 being “good”). The RECI also rates respondent sentiment for market conditions 3 – 6 months and 6 – 12 months into the future on a ten-point scale (1 being “pessimistic” and 10 being “optimistic’). The median across all three time periods represents the Index measure for the month.

The RECI is open to the Point2 Agent membership and to tens of thousands of additional licensed real estate professionals across the nation at the beginning of each month, for up to seven days. Respondents complete a simple, four question survey through third party survey solution providers, Survey Monkey. The data is tabulated electronically, median averages surfaced for quantitative questions, and qualitative feedback is captured and presented in Point2’s monthly RECI Summary Report.

Between 2000 and 3300 real estate professionals participate in the RECI survey each month.

Technorati Tags: press release, Point2agent, real estate confidence index