In last year's Holiday Gadget Guide, I reviewed the wonderful then-new LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT system. It's a year later and my admiration for this product has only grown. It has been enthusiastically embraced by robot hobbyists and professionals, educators, kids of all ages, R&D departments looking for quick n' dirty prototyping components -- 1,001 uses. read more...

Morgan Webb of WebbAlert gives her tips on what to buy this holiday season for the IT guy in your life:

If you name your magazine Geek Monthly, you better have the goods to back it up. Lucky for them (and us), this magazine ($20/year) is deep with geek cred. Every issue, you'll find coverage of toys, anime, gadgets, TV shows, movies, video games, DVDs, and even junk food. Basically, total geek heaven.

We've all heard about Amazon's entry into the electronic book business a few weeks ago. And while it looks like a great device on paper, several negative reviews have floated about. I won't comment on the device, having not tried it myself. But having alternatives in life is always good. So if you wanted to buy an eBook reader, and don't want a Kindle, there's always Sony's PRS-505 Reader. It has much the same features as the Kindle, but is priced at $300, which is $100 less. read more...

Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple—a match-powered rocket—to the more complex—a scale-model, table-top catapult—to the offbeat—a tennis ball cannon - Link.