The Last Minute Geek's Guide to Gadgets

What do you buy the geek who has everything? Well, you have a lot of options.

I asked a few of the top nerds of the trade what their favorite gadgets were - smartphones and iPads were off the table as too obvious. The group came back with a list of great devices that could easily stuff into a stocking or make a perfect last-minute gift for the holidays.

Mr. Thompson, who also still takes notes with paper and pencil, has another favorite gadget he wanted to share, the Blackwing Long Point pencil sharpener, $7. He said: "This sharpener has a two-step process that gives a pencil an incredibly sharp, pointy end - so gorgeous and precise it makes me want to write in pencil all the time."

As for me, my personal favorite gadget these days is probably the GoPro Hero 3, $200 and up. It's a tiny camera you can throw around like a bowling ball. It can go underwater or attach to your bicycle, or you can hand it to a child at a birthday party and not worry about it breaking. The HD video quality is astounding, and the photos are often crystal clear, though pictures and video taken at night can be a little grainy.