Welcome to the finale of Wrenches, Gadgets & Hacks Series 3, “Guests’ Choice: AECO Mavericks Unscripted.” In this week’s episode, it’s less about the guest, because we don’t have one, and more about the tech! Get out your pens and take notes as John and Carl give their suggestions for our first annual “AECO Tech Geek Gift Guide.”

Join us for the final episode of the year as we dive into the AECO tech geek gift guide! From 3D printers to outdoor tech and even luxury tech, we’ve got 12 categories of must-have gadgets and tools for the holiday season, with recommendations for a wide range of budgets. Whether you’re shopping for a tech enthusiast or looking to treat yourself, this episode is packed with innovative ideas and tips from your hosts for everyone in AECO tech. Don’t miss out on making your holiday shopping a breeze! 🎄🔧

Be sure to stick around to the end, for the full hack and learn about these points👇(just click the Click to Continue Reading and See Show Notes)

Key Discussion Points:

• Introduction: Welcome to the final episode of the year, focusing on an AECO tech geek gift guide. The episode is structured around 12 categories, arranged alphabetically, and inspired by the “12 Days of Christmas.”
• The Categories:
  • 3D Printing
  • AI
  • Coding
  • Computers/Tablets/Gaming
  • DIY
  • Learning
  • Luxury (Money doesn’t matter, can literally be ANYTHING)
  • Outdoors
  • Podcast/Video/YouTube
  • Tech Accessories
  • Travel
  • Wildcard (Anything you want to add – money does matter 😉)
• Holiday Shopping Hack:
  • Use separate Amazon profiles when sharing an account to keep gifts secret
  • Try Elfster for organizing group gift exchanges

* The above was created with a helping hand from an LLM from the Podcast episode transcript, which was transcribed by AI 😁

You can listen to the podcast, HERE, the Spotify player at the start of this post, or on your favorite podcast app. If you prefer visual content, be sure to check out the video on YouTube.

Show Notes:

John’s List:

3d Printing

• Edge Deburring Tool (https://amzn.to/3CATdJj)

AI

• MyMind (https://mymind.com/)
• Morgen Calendar (https://www.morgen.so/)
• Voicenotes (https://voicenotes.com/)

Coding

• Resharper (https://www.jetbrains.com/resharper/)

Computers/Tablets/Gaming

• Raspberry Pi 5 (https://amzn.to/3AMInzh)
• TP-Link Deco Mesh (https://amzn.to/3V0Ck0U)

DIY

• Wall Anchors (https://amzn.to/4eDrUeE)
• Fanttik E1 Screwdriver (https://amzn.to/40ZZhVE )

Learning

• BIM After Dark Community (https://community.bimafterdark.com/)
• BIMPure (https://www.bimpure.com/#courses)

Luxury

• Samsung 49″ Widescreen (https://www.samsung.com/ca/monitors/gaming/qled-gaming-monitor-with-32-9-super-ultra-wide-screen-49-inch-lc49hg90dmnxza/)
• Tesla – Model 3 (https://www.tesla.com/model3)
• Tesla – Model Y (https://www.tesla.com/modely)
• Get up to $2000 off with John’s Referral code:(https://www.tesla.com/referral/john269537)

Outdoors

• Ryobi Mini Chainsaw (https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-18V-6-in-Cordless-Battery-Compact-Pruning-Mini-Chainsaw-with-2-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-PCLCW01K)
• Blackstone Griddle (https://blackstoneproducts.com/collections/griddles)

Podcast/Video/YouTube

• Elgato Capture Card (https://amzn.to/3YYcfk7)
• DJI Mics (https://amzn.to/3ZjnFR6)
• DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (https://amzn.to/4i0mQ6M)

Tech Accessories

• MX Master 3s (https://amzn.to/4hVfIbT)
• Anker Charging Hub (https://amzn.to/40X9H8z)

Travel

• TP-Link Mini Travel Router (https://amzn.to/3AYVbT2) – Had since 2019
• Fanttik Travel Vacuum (https://fanttik.com/products/fanttik-slim-v9-mix-car-vacuum)

Wildcard

• hiccapop OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat (https://amzn.to/4ic4zDV)

Carl’s List:

3D Printing

• Bamboo Labs – P1S Combo (A1 mini Combo would be good for starters)
• CHEP’s Filament Friday good YouTube for 3D printing beginners

AI

• napkin.ai – Turn your text into visuals so sharing your ideas is quick and effective.
• Ideogram.ai – AI images with good text!
• Noods.io – is designed to make home cooking smoother and more enjoyable.
• Voicenotes – Record voice notes, meetings, then ask AI based on those recordings

Coding

• Scrimba  Free & Paid course, Online IDE to code and learn in, Challenges to help you learn, like the upcoming 24 days of JavaScriptmas 2024 (get daily emails when each day’s challenge is available here).
• Makereal.tldraw.com – Build on tldraw, allows you get code by drawing
• AI – Claude is great for coding, but Gemini is also good for google stuff

Computers/Tablets/Gaming

• Elgato Stream Deck Neo (Instructables DIY version https://www.instructables.com/Zoom-Control-Box/)
• Nelko Label Make neat little Bluetooth printer/label maker
• Analogue 3D – N64 from Analogue!
• Atari 7800 + – This one is so new it didn’t make the episode, show notes only!

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DIY

• Crafting Table (formally Inventro.io) – Explore creative engineering through storytelling and adventure
• Cricut – Ultimate Smart Cutting Machine
• Adafruit – Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits
  • PyBadge & PyBadge LC both from Adafruit and Tutorial on how to make a conference Badge like Carl did for AU 2023 – HERE

Learning

• Micro-learning – like 100 School (100 Days of AI & 100 Days of No-Code) They now also offer 7 day and 14 day “Atomic” courses
• LinkedIn Learning Hack – Many Public Libraries give you free access to LinkedIn Learning with your membership!

Luxury (Money doesn’t matter, can literally be ANYTHING)

• Spot the robot dog from Boston Dynamics
• 5 Axis CNC to go in my wood shop/maker space that also has every Milwaukee Power tool ever made!

Outdoors

• Hamlite Camping String Light (USB rechargeable portable camping lights)
• John Deere 1 Series Tractor – 1 Tractor for all the projects you’ve planned!

Podcast/Video/YouTube

• Descript – Edit your videos & podcasts just by typing.
• Tinykiwi – helps you create better looking images of your work.

Tech Accessories

• Super Bagel Travel Power Strip from Mogics
• HDMI Coupler – Make 2 HDMI cords 1
• USB A – USB C Adaptor & USB C – USB A Adaptor – You never know if its USB C or A

Travel

• Must have a good backpack! I’m an OGIO guy and have used the Renegade RSS Laptop Backpack (as well as an older version of it) since 2010 – YouTube
• Insta360 One X2 – The pocket 360 camera with Invisible Selfie Stick effect.

Wildcard (Anything you want to add – money does matter 😉)

• xTool S1 Diode Laser Cutter – This is an all-in-one, ultra-precision laser engraver, for beginner to expert. (They other companies mentioned – Glowforge and WeCreat)
• EcoTank printer from Epson – No more cartridges

The “Hack”

• Elfster – Cool little tool to help do a “Secret Santa” gift exchange.

You can find all of the WGH links in one place with our 👉 BIO LINK

Also a BIG Thanks to Alex Grohl for our amazing intro and outro music “Indie Hey Song (Lost Fragments)” You can find more great royalty-free music from Alex on Pixabay

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