gifts for geeklings

[Steff]

On 6 October 2010 10:35, Michael Lush <mjlush at ebi.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> Christmas is coming (not to mention birthday) and I've got to come up with
> main presents to get my boy (will be 12  we've already done the usual
> suspects Wii,  DS, phone, camera, LEGO Mindstorm and he has enough LEGO! )
>
> Rather idealistically I'm looking for somthing that will not be used for an
> hour or two then gather dust for the next 10 years.

FWIW one of my favourite presents as a child slightly younger than
your son (but which I continued to enjoy at least until his age) was a
Merit electronics kit. Consisted of a sheet of laminated cardboard
with components and spring terminals, a bundle of colourful wires and
a very good book of clues. I believe the modern ones have all sorts of
digital goodness - mine ended up set up semi-permanently as an FM
radio with the addition of a few more components bought from Gee's in
Mill Road (doubtless familiar to Cambridge geeks).

S