TechRepublic's geeky gift guide for the top 1%

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Jetpack

The technology behind a Jetpack has been around for decades, but the ability to put it into a relatively small package (and not have it blow up on the wearer) is relatively new. Soon, you will be able to purchase your own Jetpack from Martin Aircraft Company for a mere $100,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Personal Submarine

What more could a fan of Jules Verne and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ask for than his or her own Personal Submarine? It is capable of descending up to 1,000 feet, sustaining a maximum speed of three knots, and providing up to six hours of undersea time. The pressurized dome contains all necessary instrumentation for an undersea adventure. This is a bit of a splurge, coming in at $2,000,000 from Hammacher Schemmer, but worth it for the top 1% geek who has been good all year.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Cockpit Flight Simulator

If undersea travel isn't your thing, how about the Cockpit Flight Simulator? Featuring a full set of flight controls connected to a Windows 7-powered Dell Studio XPS computer running Microsoft Flight Simulator X Gold, this machine will make you feel as if you are in the cockpit of your favorite aircraft, thanks to the 28" widescreen monitor that displays the scene and the 20" monitor that displays the essential instrumentation. The simulator sells for $7,000 from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The 20 foot Animatronic Triceratops

Who needs a Jungle Room? With this 20 foot Animatronic Triceratops, you can make yourself a Jurassic Room. The head is driven by embedded servos and cams, which are controlled by customized, advanced software. Cameras embedded in each eyeball enable the triceratops to "see," providing interaction with houseguests. The triceratops also growls and bellows, thanks to a 1,000-watt speaker. The cost? $350,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Genuine 7 foot Robby the Robot

If you remember the film Forbidden Planet, you will also remember Robby the Robot. Hammacher Schlemmer's version of Robby the Robot is created using the exact blueprints, molds, and templates used to create the original costume. Robby is built from fiberglass and machine-grade brass, titanium, and aluminum for the best quality and lifetime. Robby is remote controlled by an operator, including a wireless microphone to project your voice through his built-in, directional speaker mounted in the head. Own your copy of this classic for $49,999.95.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Emotive Robotic Avatar

If a 7 foot robot is too much for you, perhaps this Emotive Robotic Avatar is a better choice. Its 19 motors embedded in the base control the puppet's realistic movements, and multicolor LEDs embedded in the eyes and antennae provide even more visual feedback. The avatar is controlled via an included tablet PC from up to 30 feet away and is capable of expressing five feelings (happy, confused, angry, sad, and embarrassed), and contains a microphone and pinhole camera to send viewer feedback to the operator. Available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $65,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Flying Car

With the Flying Car from Hammacher Schlemmer, you can drive to the airfield, press a button on the dashboard to unfold the wings, and then take off down the runway. On the road, it will achieve about 65 mph and in the air it can reach a maximum speed of 115 mph. The 23 gallon gas tank and 100 hp, 4 cylinder engine have a range of 425 nautical miles, while on land it achieves 35 mpg. The craft is build from carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum and costs $350,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Bionic Bopper Cars

If you played with Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots as a kid, you'll appreciate this life-sized version: The Bionic Bopper Cars from Hammacher Schlemmer. Each bumper car is capable of supporting a driver up to 300 lbs. who operates the car using a pair of joysticks. The cars are powered by gasoline engine and move at up to 3 mph. The pair is $17,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Motorized Monocycle

The Motorized Monocycle from Hammacher Schlemmer is a unique vehicle in which the driver rides inside the wheel. The monocycle is operated using throttle and brake controls on the handlebars and can be steered by leaning to the left or right. It will carry you at top speeds of 25 mph for about two hours per tank of gasoline. Hammacher Schlemmer sells the monocycle for $13,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4-85 3D

You can't go wrong with the Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 4-85 3D TV. Not only is it a massive 85", full HD (including remarkable sound) 3D TV, it also only costs $85,000 -- that's right, $1,000 per inch. (This TV was featured in the CNET 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Ultimate Luxuries gallery.)

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Superplexus

In February 2011, I reviewed the Perplexus for TechRepublic's 2011 Geek Gift Guide. The toy is a handheld, 8" puzzle ball that contains 23 feet of plastic track.

This, however, is the Superplexus, which is 36" in diameter, contains 131 feet of wood and metal track, and requires at least 425 turns of the floor-mounted sphere. This is the device that inspired the toy. You can own one for $30,000 from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Authentic Water Blast Arcade Game

For the top 1% geeks with kids (or those who are kids at heart!), there is the Authentic Water Blast Arcade Game from Hammacher Schlemmer. Two players battle each other to light all of the lights on their side of the cabinet by targetting a bulls-eye with a fully movable, 1/2 horsepower water cannon. The cabinet and water system are self-contained and supplied by a easily refillable five-gallon water tank. The game retails for $11,000.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The 30th Anniversary Authentic Pac-Man Arcade Cocktail Table

Pac-Man has been a popular game ever since its inception over 30 years ago. Now you can own this stylish 30th Anniversary Authentic Pac-Man Arcade Cocktail Table for your parlor or den. Or, for those top 1% geeks with less sophisticated tastes, try the 30th Anniversary Authentic Pac-Man Arcade Game, perhaps for placement in a game room. Your choice: $3,500 each.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Razer Blade Gaming Laptop

The Razer Blade gaming laptop is perhaps the best gaming and multimedia laptop on the market. Featuring an Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB RAM, dedicated GPU with 2 GB of RAM, and a 17" HD screen, it's probably a good deal at only $2,800 -- and a steal for the top 1%. (The laptop was featured as one of ZDNet's 20 Favorite Tech Gifts in its 2011 Holiday Gift Guide.)

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Giant Swiss Army Knife

The Giant Swiss Army Knife from ThinkGeek is the only 85-in-one tool I have ever seen. It is a genuine Swiss Army Knife made by Wenger. This item also has a convenient price: $849.99 -- or about $10 per tool.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Yes Zulu Watch

The Yes Zulu Watch does more than just tell time -- it also displays sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, lunar phase, and solstice and equinox alerts and has an alarm with a snooze ability. In addition, the digital displays can be turned off to conserve battery. The watch is titanium with three band choices: titanium, leather, and rubber. It is water resistant to 333 feet and is available from ThinkGeek for only $795.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Robomower

Who likes to mow the lawn? Not geeks in the top 1%. How about this Robomower, available from ThinkGeek? Now you don't even have to pay for a lawn service!

The price varies based on the lawn size. For lawns up to 4,300 square feet, the price is $1,999.99. For larger lawns up to 6,600 square feet, the price is $2,799.99. The Robomower stays within your yard thanks to a electric wire buried in the dirt, similar to pet containment systems. An advanced onboard mapping system allows the Robomower to know exactly where it is in the yard so you always get the most efficient cut.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: Optimus Maximus Keyboard

Who wants 3, 5, 10, or even 20 programmable keyboard keys when you can have 113? The Optimus Maximus Keyboard available from ThinkGeek has 113 programmable OLED screens embedded in the keys for a fully customized keyboard experience. Keysets can be mapped to an application, allowing for even more customization. Pick one up today for a mere $1,799.99.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The External Combustion Kraftwagen

Most geeks are familiar with the idea of a Stirling External Combustion Engine. Now, you can own a working model Stirling Engine in this External Combustion Kraftwagen from Hammacher Schlemmer. Built from machine-tooled brass, stainless steel, and aluminum, and powered by an alcohol-burning engine, this model can putter around for up to 20 minutes without refueling. This item sells for $999.95.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The 9.5 foot Remote Controlled Bald Eagle

This Remote-Controlled 9.5 foot Bald Eagle is the perfect addition to any aircraft model collection. A gimbal-mounted electric engine and propeller provide the necessary thrust, and the realistic carbon-fiber and nylon/polyester wings enable the realistic soaring, turning, and diving. The rechargable battery lasts for 8 minutes of flight with a 20 minute recharge time. $499.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Geek Gifts for the Top 1%: The Genuine 1940s Superman Comic Strip

Our final item is a Genuine 1940s Superman Comic Strip clipped from a WWII-era newspaper. Each frame contains a randomly selected comic along with the Superman logo mounted behind a blue matte. This unique collectible is only $349.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer.

More gift suggestions

• TechRepublic's 2010 stocking stuffer ideas for geeks
• TechRepublic's 2011 Geek Gift Guide (download)
• TechRepublic's gift guide for Star Trek fans
• TechRepublic's gift guide for Star Wars fans
• TechRepublic's guide to geeky gifts under $50
• CNET's 2011 holiday gift guide
• ZDNet Holiday Tech Gift Guide 2011