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The hot items this year would have to be the Playstation Portable, the omnipresent iPod (Nano?) and, if you have contacts in the USA, maybe even an XBox 360.

Here in NZ, we're hooked on hi-tech gadgets -- so much so that experts suggest a good deal of our balance of payments deficit is down to our voracious appetite for consumer electronics.

I'm pretty sure that there'll be a fist-full of dosh handed over the counter this year for things such as DVD recorders, LCD and plasma TVs and other items that have become "essential" in all but the poorest of homes.

Now have your say Got something to say about today's column, or want to see what others think?  Visit The Forums While you're here, why not visit the Aardvark Hall of Shame and perhaps make your own nomination. 7

For the record, I have none of the above (cue weeping and wailing :-)

But what does the *real* geek want for Christmas?

Forget regular old consumer electronics items, what are the ultimate gives for the uber-geeks amongst us?

Despite much searching, I've found few really good uber-geek gift-shops on the Net. There is of course, ThinkGeek which does a fairly good job - but what about others?

Well here are a few cool toys I've run across on my journies around the WWW's various online shopping facilities.

Everyone loves a model aeroplane right? The problem is that until recently they were oil, smelly, expensive devices that required a lot of space to use. Well things have changed!

What about this little plane?

It only costs US$30 and claims to be the world's smallest mass-produced RC flying model. Its low cost, electric power and small size means it could go alongside those $9.95 RC cars from The Warehouse in any geek's Christmas stocking and provide hours of fun (chasing the budgie around the livingroom for example)

Over at Amazon.com they've also tried to cater to geek tastes by producing this list of geekware. I'm afraid there's nothing too exciting there though.

I searched the web using Google and must admit that I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of thought that seems to have gone into providing online shopping for geeks. There are gazillions of sites that just offer up portable media players, PDAs and other boring stuff. Where are all the carbon-fibre pocket-protectors, cellphones shaped like Startrek communicators, toilet seats with inbuilt processors and LCD displays, etc, etc?

If you've spotted anything with good geek-gift potential, why not share it with the rest of us?

Tell us all and see what others have to say in The Aardvark Forums

If you feel that this is a good thing and/or you hold a "geniune affection" for yours truly -- then you are welcome to gift me some money using the buttons provided. In gifting this money you accept that no goods, service or other consideration is offered, provided, accepted or anticipated in return. Just click on the button to gift whatever you can afford. NOTE: PayPal bills in US dollars so don't accidentally gift more than what you were intending :-)

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