Buying gifts for a creative person isn't always easy. Amid a swarm of varied interests, specialized tools, and jargon, it's easy to opt for a nice coffee table book or a bottle of wine. But if you're looking for the perfect gift for the tech-savvy futurist in your life, we've got you covered.
The Stocking Stuffer
Google
Vrtual reality is a medium endorsed by gaming icons like PlayStation, social media monsters like Facebook, visionary artists and filmmakers like Chris Milk and Spike Jonze, and media juggernauts like The New York Times and our own VICE News. The simplest way to get started on this burgeoning new style of communication that Milk calls an "empathy machine" is with Google Cardboard. At just under $25, it's the minimum barrier to entry for a whole universe of immersive worlds, and you can order any number of colors and shapes—though the price may vary. Plus, it fits cozily inside a stocking.
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If you've got a bit more money to burn, HTC's VR headset, the VIVE, is among the top models out there today, though you may have to find one on eBay as authorized sellers are pretty dry at the moment. Other options include the Samsung Gear VR, which is only $100, but requires one of their latest smartphone models to act as a screen, and the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) hacker dev kit, which costs $300 and is part of the same open source ideology that fuels Linux.
A photo posted by Future Hendrix (@future) on Aug 28, 2015 at 11:44am PDT
Walking is so last century. From the Silicon Valley elite, to rap icons with an eye on tomorrow, the hoverboard (a.k.a. swagway, handsfree Segway, weekend shoes, or Self Balancing Electric Unicycle) is a must-have. The gentleman riding one in the Instagram above, being Atlana trap icon Future, is the ultimate futurist, no?You can get on his level for between $400 and $1,800, depending on factors like how fast it can go, how much it weighs, and how much weight it can handle. Oh, and whether or not it's likely to burst into flames—though if you stay above the $400 mark, you should be fine. Get a $400 Swagway here, the $599 Razor Hovertrax here, and a $1,799 IO Hawk here,
The Obscure Find
For the transhumanist in your group, the most accessible body mod we've seen (no surgery required!) is Chaotic Moon's tech tat. It's a temporary tattoo with a built-in biosensor. That can range from RFIDs, fitness trackers or vital sign monitors, or even a chip linked to your bank account that lets you pay for food with your arm. Put it on, and you not only get tech-enabled superpowers, but you proudly wear the future on your sleeve.
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The Book
Harper Collins
Apocalyptic fiction has been the workhorse of science fiction for years, from H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds all the way through this year's explosive Mad Max: Fury Road. Neal Stephenson's Seveneves deserves a place among these sci-fi staples slamming a phone book's worth of detailed future history into a massive two-part tome. Stephenson imagines a world in which the moon breaks into tiny pieces and eventually disintegrates, raining hellfire onto Earth and destroying all life—except that which escapes onto a hastily-built orbital spaceship called the Cloud Ark. His attention to detail is fodder for those with their heads far, far above the clouds, who envision a space-faring society as achievable within their lifetimes. If you have a friend who always retweets Elon Musk, they might enjoy this book. Buy it for $15 in paperback on Amazon, or hardcover direct from Harper Collins for $28.
The Dream Gift
Suidobashijuko
Remember the Japanese giant robot company that US giant robot company Megabots, Inc. has challenged to an impossibly awesome-sounding mechanized duel? It's called Suidobashijuko, and it has listings [on Japanese Amazon](http:// Giant Japanese Robot http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%B0%B4%E9%81%93%E6%A9%8B%E9%87%8D%E5%B7%A5-SHI-KR-01-%E3%82%AF%E3%83%A9%E3%82%BF%E3%82%B9-%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AD%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/dp/B00H6V3BWA/ref=sr11?ie=UTF8&qid=1421414650&sr=8-1&keywords=kuratas). For ¥ 120,000,000 (about $975,000), you can purchase this five-ton, 12.5-foot-tall behemoth and, er, fight crime? Play giant robot basketball? What does one do with a giant robot when they're not challenging other ownerns of giant robots to battle? We guess you'll have to bring it to that upcoming millionaires-only White Elephant your personal assistant says is on the schedule to find out.
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