Alan Warriner

Gadgets Programmers Love

Finding a perfect birthday gift for someone can be troublesome, especially if they are developers, designers, or programmers. How do you get something for someone if you are not a part of the same sub-culture? Luckily, we have come up with a list of several gadgets your friends will be very grateful for.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

There is a reason many programmers work from home. The office environment does not only impose an insufferable amount of human interaction, it is also very noisy and distracting. If your programming friend is an introvert, or has trouble focusing, that’s all the more reason to get them these headphones. Shop around to find the best price-to-quality ratio you can afford. Nothing will make it easier to tune out.

Giant Enter Key

Work causes stress – otherwise it wouldn’t be work. Sometimes the troublesome deadlines make us want to scream and break something. Enter the giant Enter key. For just under 10 quid, you can plug this bad boy into the USB port and smash it to your heart’s content. Its spongy exterior is perfect for when you want a pillow or a stress-ball and can’t seem to find one lying around in the office.

Portal 2 Sentry Turret

Have you ever played Portal? It is a great puzzle game, and if you are in the market for a vigilant sentry that notifies you whenever someone is loitering around your desk, this is the gadget for you. It talks just like the sentry in the game and the price varies depending on the variation you choose. If you don’t like the USB guard, you can opt for a figurine, instead.

Cozmo

Cozmo has been all the rage during the previous year. It is a tiny robot with boxes he uses to play games, solve puzzles, or just likes to move them around. Think Tamagochi, but eons ahead. He even has his own set of moods: happy, sad, and angry. What’s particularly interesting about this AI wonder is that you can learn coding through playing with him. It starts with simple building blocks and pretty soon Cozmo will be able to sing to you, among many other things. It’s a perfect gift for kids and geeks alike. Cozmo is available for a little above 150 pounds.

Projected Keyboard

Nothing says futuristic like a keyboard that doesn’t take up much space. How does it work, you ask? The Bluetooth device connects to your computer, tablet, or phone and projects the keyboard onto any flat and clear surface. Lasers follow your finger movement, so you can just type away at your desk without a care in the world. Not to mention the fact that it’s much easier to clean.

Gadgets Programmers Love