We’ve asked around the Aversan office and compiled the following list of great gifts to help with your holiday shopping, including this year’s top holiday gift ideas for engineers (or tech lovers). Oh yeah, and we’ve ordered it from least to most pricey to make your shopping a little easier.
1. Popular Science Magazine Subscription
This magazine is the perfect gift for an engineer! Grab a one year subscription for only $12. PopSci (the more popular name for this magazine) includes interesting articles from a variety of scientific disciplines such as what a shipwreck looks like after 113 years, or new insight into where water on Earth came from.
2. Wind-Up Salt and Pepper Robots
Now you can bring your love for robots to any meal with these adorable salt and pepper shakers. Wind them up and send them down the table to whoever needs them! A great addition to any engineer’s kitchen. These cool gadgets retail for about $20.
3. Bubble Wrap Calendar
This gift isn’t just great for an engineer, but for anyone. Who doesn’t love bubble wrap? Now you can enjoy the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap everyday with the 2015 bubble calendar! Each day is a new bubble to pop! Grab yours today for only $24.99!
4. Tetris Light
This tetris light is exactly what you’d expect – a light you can configure and build to your liking using tetris blocks! With 7 individual pieces included, the possibilities are endless. The blocks illuminate on contact, creating an eye-catching addition to your home or office. This light retails for $37 with Amazon.
5. Circuit Board iPhone Case
Zazzle has a ton of great choices when it comes to iPhone cases – especially with a cool circuit board design! This would make a great gift for any hardware or computer engineer! The cases range in price from $20-50.
6. OWI Robotic Arm Edge
Who wouldn’t jump for joy when receiving this robotic arm, complete with commands such as gripping open and close, wrist motion of 120 degrees, an elbow range of 300 degrees, base rotation of 270 degrees, and a base motion of 180 degrees. It requires some assembly, but that’s no issue for an engineer! Be sure to have batteries handy so that it can be used immediately after putting together. For around $50, this is a great gift for anyone who enjoys robotics.
7. Fashion Accessories
For Him: 
This clever fashion accessory is sure to appeal to any engineers or mathematicians in your life! This tie includes a variety of math formulas written in white on a dark blue background. This hand finished tie is certainly a classy addition to any wardrobe, this gift retails for $54 with UncommonGoods.
For Her: 
This is a neat fashion accessory! Choose your astrological sign for the appropriate constellation design on the front of your locket! On the inside, feel free to put anything you desire, from a note to a special picture. This handmade locket sits on a long 30” chain, so it goes with any outfit! This gift retails for $75.
8. Mechanical Keyboard
These are keyboards with actual mechanical switches – they’re fun and easier to type on! The Das keyboard 4 Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard retails for under $200, or there’s the Corsair Vengeance Cherry MX Blue keyboard for just $129.
9. Graphics Card
The GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB is a great graphics card for the engineer in your life! For under $200, this graphics card is quiet, has a low-wattage, and finally is at a great price. Need a high performance card? Consider getting the R9 290 or GTX 970 which are made for 1080p gaming on max settings.
10. Biometric Door Lock
You’ll never have to look for your keys again! This cool biometric lock is keyless and reads your fingerprint to unlock. It’s easy to install, waterproof, and includes an RFID tag/fob for use as well. All this for under $250!
11. 3D Printer
For those with a higher budget, why not a 3D printer? The MakerBot Replicator Mini is a great compact 3D printer for $1375. This gift idea is really the gift that never stops giving as there are endless possibilities! As MakerBot’s slogan goes, “If you can imagine it, you can make it.” Experiment with colours, forms, and textures all from the comfort of your home!