In this article, I offer you a selection of gifts for programmers. However, before you go on to a specific list of gifts, think about this:
Is he really a programmer? Outsiders are used to calling anyone who has anything to do with computer technology a programmer. But there are a bunch of IT specialties not directly related to programming, and a systems administrator, for example, won’t be too happy about a book called “100 Examples in Java for Advanced.”, but he would appreciate a cozy body pillow. Try to find out aspects of the job by asking colleagues or the person himself.
Wireless Charging
Wires are one of the most annoying things about working with technology – they cling, look untidy, get broken, get tangled. That’s why the more wireless devices you have, the more convenient it is. A wireless charger is a functional and worthy inexpensive gift. The main thing is to make sure that the recipient’s smartphone supports this function.
Suitable for: owners of smartphones that support wireless charging.
Subscription for a week’s worth of food delivery
Not having to worry about food is very cool because it saves time and effort. So if the gift recipient doesn’t have any food restrictions, this gift will make their life more comfortable and enjoyable. Moreover, this is a great chance to try such a service.
Just find out the preferences of the recipient: maybe he is a vegetarian and does not eat meat, or maybe he eats no more than 1500 kcal. Keep this in mind when choosing a menu.
Suitable for: almost anyone.
Fitness bracelet
Some experts suggest that the trend for 2020 will be the Internet of Bodies – it will be possible to collect and process more and more of our body metrics. Now every second person has a fitness bracelet or smartwatch, and for good reason – they are convenient and useful. If your recipient does not yet have one of these devices, they would be a good gift. And quite inexpensive.
The most popular options are Huawei Band 3 Pro or Xiaomi Mi Band 4.
Suitable for: almost anyone.
Kettle
A good option is the Redmond SkyKettle. Stylish, reliable, and with temperature selection.
Lamp
A good choice here is the Xiaomi Mi Smart LED Desk Lamp (White). Minimalistic and stylish, plus you can choose the temperature of the light – cooler and white for daytime work and warm yellow for evening time and reading.
Mugs, pillows, and T-shirts
It’s basically just a blank canvas for a print on a nice pillow. And this is where picking up this print is going to be the hardest part. If you are unfamiliar with what your friend actually does, you can settle on the optimistic and upbeat “Hello, world!” Or you can go further and give an awesome face pillow that will become a funny memory of the event.
Suitable for: Someone who likes themed stuff.
Humidifier
Must-have for comfortable work, especially in winter. Especially if the programmer wears lenses. In Russian apartments/offices in winter, the humidity drops to 20%, while 40% to 60% is the norm. Low humidity not only causes discomfort – more dry mucous membranes – eyes, nose, lips – and skin, but also increases your chances to get sick (especially in offices).
In general, a humidifier is a contribution to both health and comfort. Tip: it makes sense to tell why you need this gift when giving it.
Arduino Kit
The Arduino kit is a platform for creating your own automated devices. It includes both software libraries and electronic circuit boards. If you want and know-how, you can make anything you want out of it. Remember that programming skills alone are not enough to work with Arduino, you need knowledge in engineering, circuitry, mechanics… The rest depends only on your imagination.
If a person has never done Arduino before, look for pre-built kits to make it easier and more interesting.
Suitable for: those who like experiments, those who are interested in working with their hands.
Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a real computer the size of a bank card. It was originally designed to teach basic computer science, but then it turned out that it could be used for many more applications. On the basis of this platform, it is possible to build a media center, a web server, even your own cloud storage.
Suitable for: Those who want to build a custom device but don’t want to mess around with solder and rosin. The Raspberry Pi is a complete computer and connects to the rest of the hardware via standard connectors.
A whiteboard
It’s the ultimate tool for programmers (and beyond). The range of applications is huge, from visualizing the flow of thoughts to writing down information on the current sprint in development. And if it’s in the office, you can also leave notes for your colleagues or just draw on it. Get the biggest one you can. When nothing fits – it’s depressing.
Suitable for: Those who have a permanent place to work. Lugging this thing around isn’t very convenient.
Well, who has friends from the IT world and no idea what to give him? We hope this list was useful for you and helped you make the right choice.