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5 DIY Valentine's Day gifts for the geek at heart
While the rest of America is purchasing bouquets of roses and See's candies, take a stab at these easy, one-hour (or less) projects that any technology-loving guy or gal would appreciate.
(Credit:
Sharon Vaknin/CNET)
Nothing says "I love you" like a DIY gift for your tech-loving partner.
Valentine's Day is on the horizon, and if your partner could be classed as the type who downloads too many apps, chooses social networking over face-to-face contact, and says things like "Duh" when you mention a new gadget, look no further than here.
While the rest of America is purchasing bouquets of roses and See's candies, take a stab at these easy, one-hour (or less) projects that any technology-loving guy or gal would appreciate.
Take it from a geek girl: these gifts will likely make your partner geek the heck out.
1. Hack a pair of touch-screen gloves.
When it's biting cold outside and you've got your gloves on, it's impossible to use a touch-screen phone. Solve the problem by making your honey a customized pair of gloves that will work with any touch-screen device. (Now there's no excuse to miss your calls!)
2. Bring your gifts to life with QR codes.
QR codes, those funky-patterned squares, allow you to embed media and extra information to real-life things. When scanned, a QR code on a photo can take the recipient to the full Web album or slideshow. Even geekier, you can create a QR code gift tag that, when scanned, plays a personal video recorded by you.
3. Turn a USB drive into a romantic last-minute gift.
"I'm too busy" is a lame excuse for showing up without a gift on Valentine's Day. If you're running out of time, grab USB drive and follow this guide to find out how to pack it with goodies and make your date say "Awwwwwww."
4. Gift a collection of Instagram photo strips.
Incite nostalgia by crafting photo strips made from your very own Instagram photo gallery. Better yet, mix them up with photos from your partner's gallery and surprise him or her with fun, printed versions of their creative shots.
5. Send a snail mail postcard from your smartphone.
If you can't celebrate Valentine's Day with your far-away lover, do the minimum and send him or her a postcard. Postagram (iPhone and
Android) lets you create postcards from your smartphone's photo gallery, and charges just $1 to send them anywhere in the country (U.S.).
Bonus: Need to come up with a gift immediately? Like right now, right now? Consider gifting your smartphone-loving partner with an app (iOS).
