Minnov8 Gang 193 – We Come Bearing Gifts

There are so many tech gifts for this holiday season it is hard to figure out what is hot and what’s not. On our Holiday Gadget Buyer’s Guide Extravaganza the Gang recaps our top picks and we’re joined by Julio Ojeda-Zapata whose great list of Minnesota (and non-Minnesota) gift ideas is comprehensive and worth a look.

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
Music: Natural Man by Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials brought to us by the podsafe Music Alley.

The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:10:10 — 41.3MB)

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Discussed during the show…

• Spark:
  • Spark and SmartThings work together!
  • Spark’s “Smart Lights” Product Lets People Control Lights With a Smartphone
• Apple:
  • iTunes 11 finally available for download
  • Merrill Lynch: T-Mobile USA may get the iPhone next week
• Tim’s gift ideas:
  • Any ‘Nexus’
  • SwiftKey 3 Tablet
  • Pad and Quill cases
• Graeme’s gift ideas:
  • Kohler wireless Bluetooth speaker showerhead
  • AR.Drone 2.0 and QFO quadcopter  (it’s a tie)
  • Orbotix “Sphero” robotic ball
• Phil’s gift ideas:
  • Spark Sockets
  • Macbook Pro 13” (Retina Display)
  • Arduino
  • PlugBug
• Steve’s gift ideas:
  • Roku boxes ($50-$100)
  • Etsy handmade iPad cases
  • VERY good prices on iPad/Samsung/Amazon cases
  • ThinkGeek store
• Julio’s Holiday Tech Picks 
• Other mentions:
  • Nokia Lumia 822 at Verizon
  • Staples Easy 3D
  • Shapeways
  • Android app: Lookout Security & Antivirus

Upcoming Events…

• Weekly: TechMasters – Toastmasters for Techies
• Wednesday, December 5th: Startup Pitch Night (streaming here too!)
• Sat-Tue, December 8-11: TIES 2012 Education Technology Conference
• Tuesday, December 11th: Minnedemo (sold out)
• Thursday, December 13th: 2nd Annual Minnesota Tech Holiday Bash
• Sat/Sun March 2-3: Midwest PHP Conference
• Thursday, March 21st: Mobile March 2013