Christmas Catalog

The 2012 Tools & Toys Christmas gift guide. For the gadget geek, the coffee connoisseur, the writer, the nerd, or just the guy who's hard to shop for. As always, only the finest gifts suggested.

Kool New Kindles

1. Kindle Paperwhite: The best Kindle out there, and the best gadget there is for reading long-form books. The new Paperwhite Kindle is very affordable, sleek, and the backlit display is very welcome update. ($119)
2. Leather Cover for Kindle: The Kindle Paperwhite is pretty sturdy on its own, but if you'd like a custom-fitting leather cover then this is the one to get. ($40)

Coffee Coffee Coffee

1. AeroPress Coffee Maker: For the persnickety coffee maker in the family, the AeroPress makes a cup of coffee as delicious as you’ll get from a french press or siphon, yet with the easiest clean up of all. I use mine every day for single-serving caffeinated wonder. ($26)
2. Baratza Encore Conical Burr Grinder: Baratza has a fantastic reputation for making some of the highest quality coffee grinders on the market, and their customer service is second to none. If you're looking for a world-class grinder at non-commercial prices, this is one of your best bets. ($129)
3. Espro Press: This is, in our opinion, the best french press pot you can buy. It has a double-walled micro filter that is unlike any french press filter I’ve ever seen and it works wonderfully. The pot itself is a double-walled steel vessel that will keep your brewed coffee hot for over an hour. ($99)
4. Airscape Coffee Vault: The best way to store coffee beans. The Airscape has an adjustable plug that fits inside the canister and which you press all the way down until it’s against the top of the coffee beans. Thus forcing out all the excess air and keeping your beans fresher for longer. ($25)

Hot Gadgets

1. Olympus E-PL5: Looking to upgrade a bit from your iPhone? The newest Micro 4/3 Camera from Olympus has camera enthusiasts everywhere raising their eyebrows. It has an internal sensor taken right out of more expensive cameras, but packed into a sleek and compact body. It comes with a zoom lens, and also works with the plethora of world-class Micro 4/3 lenses already out there. (**Sale: $599**)
2. Doxie Go: A battery-powered, lightweight, paper and photo scanner. I use mine every week to keep my office paperless, as they say. It works like a charm and tucks away in my desk drawer when not in use. ($199)
3. Jawbone Jambox: This little bluetooth speaker packs a surprising amount of punch. It's ideal for pumping jams in any room of your house, or outside, or at a picnic, or just about anywhere else. ($179)
4. Velodyne In-Ear Headphones with Inline Mic for iPhone: A good-looking, well-made, good-sounding pair of in-ear headphones also have an inline microphone so you can use them with your iPhone. ($99)

Movies and Books and Fun, Oh My!

1. Dark Knight Trilogy: The trilogy ships on December 4, and is available for pre-order now. This edition comes with all three films, as well as bonus material and *The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy.* ($30)
2. James Bond 50th Anniversary: 22-Film Collection Every 007 flick to date (save Skyfall) in high-definition Blu-Ray? Yes please. ($149)
3. Puerto Rico Board Game: This game is awesome. If you enjoy fun strategy games like Settlers of Catan, you'll love Puerto Rico. There are no dice and so it’s almost entirely a strategy-based game with no good or bad luck injected to swing the game one way or the other. And even though it has rounds and turns, everyone is playing all the time — it’s very involved and doesn’t get boring ($30)
4. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: It’s been 10 years since the last edition. This new version includes new quotes from new people including Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, Emily Post, David Foster Wallace, and more. ($30)

Awesome Attire

1. Bellroy Wallet: This is the wallet in my back pocket. It's not your ordinary bi-fold, and it's great for folks who want something slim and simple but who also can’t get by with those super-mega-ultra-minimalist wallets that hold little more than an ID and a debit card. ($90)
2. Timex Weekender: Inexpensive, simple, classic, and works with any number of 20mm Nato Watch Straps. ($27)
3. Mountain Hoodie: Graphic designer and fellow snowboarder, Jeff Sheldon, brings the majesty of the mountains to a hoodie with a simple cool design. ($42)
4. War Bag: Built with high-quality, rugged, materials and Hand-made, one at a time in Portland, Oregon, Beckel Canvas Products come with a lifetime guarantee — if the stitching fails, send it in and they'll repair it at no cost. ($72)

Apple Affectionado

1. iPad mini: Thinner, lighter, easier to hold with one hand, and it runs every single iPad app. ($329)
2. HiRise for iMac: A stand for your iMac (or Cinema Display) made from aluminum and stamped steel, and with 6 different height settings, including one that will align a Thunderbolt Display and iMac perfectly. Inside, the stand doubles as storage for things like your keys or wallet. ($80)
3. Apple TV: It's no wonder this little black box of awesome is Amazon's Number One best seller in Home Audio and Theater Products. If you've got any sort of iDevice and a television, then for less than a C-Note you can't beat having an Apple TV as part of your rig. ($99)
4. Origami Workstation for iPad: If you travel with your iPad often and are in want of a better way to integrate a Bluetooth keyboard, this bad boy may be just the ticket for you. It's designed to work with the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, and it's one of those things you can leave at home or in your bag, instead of attaching it to your iPad. ($33)

Stocking Stuffers

1. Vacuum Beard Trimmer: Tired of cleaning up left-over beard hairs after trimming? (Ew. Who isn't?) The Norelco vacuum trimmer has a vacuum built just under the clippers to help contain those cut hairs and keep your sink and face looking fresh. ($50)
2. Signo DX 0.38mm Gel Pen: If you like ultra-fine-tip gel pens, look no further. The Signo 0.38mm DX is the best there is. And it's cheap to boot. ($3)
3. Moleskine Paperback Cahier Journal: Not your standard Moleskine, the paperback Cahier Journal measures 7.5x10 inches and is inexpensive as they sell in packs of three. I always have one with me and use it for both note taking and list making. ($15)
4. Lightning Cable: Having an extra charging cable around is always helpful. ($19)

Want more? Check out all the items tagged as awesome.