Need idea for Christmas presents...

[Chirp]

I've got 2 sons 22 & 25. One is a software engineer (and makes way more than me) and the other is studying to be a chemical engineer. They are gamers. Board games video games etc,

They both have Android phones so I was thinking of the Samsung G2 watches. $300 each is my limit.

I only get to see then during Christmas time so I don't really know what they are into.

I'm sure there are a lot of things I haven't thought of because I am not a gamer.

What do you think about the watches? Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Oh yeah they are not into quads or RC anything at all.

 

[robsquad]

if you are in England i would think a kite, canoe, Wellington's or sandbags the way the weather is

 

[bbfpv]

I've got 2 sons 22 & 25. One is a software engineer (and makes way more than me) and the other is studying to be a chemical engineer. They are gamers. Board games video games etc,

They both have Android phones so I was thinking of the Samsung G2 watches. $300 each is my limit.

I only get to see then during Christmas time so I don't really know what they are into.

I'm sure there are a lot of things I haven't thought of because I am not a gamer.

What do you think about the watches? Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Oh yeah they are not into quads or RC anything at all.

They're nice, but if you care to spend a little more, I picked one of these up for myself a few weeks ago. Huawei Watch Beautiful piece.

 

[phantom1972]

I've got 2 sons 22 & 25. One is a software engineer (and makes way more than me) and the other is studying to be a chemical engineer. They are gamers. Board games video games etc,

They both have Android phones so I was thinking of the Samsung G2 watches. $300 each is my limit.

I only get to see then during Christmas time so I don't really know what they are into.

I'm sure there are a lot of things I haven't thought of because I am not a gamer.

What do you think about the watches? Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Oh yeah they are not into quads or RC anything at all.

I think the watches are very neat, and they'd love them. But I've just been surveying them, and don't have a good feel for which model I'd pick yet. The electronics miracle is a dream come true for gadget lovers like me.

Boy your kids are in two great fields. Great choice of college majors. I hope they are into their chosen areas, and not just trying for the most lucrative. BOTH is ideal! If I could do it all again, I'd be a Software Engineer. I'd have needed a little more crystal ball then I had, because in the early 80's when I started as an Electrical Engineer, the level of integration was still small, PCs were still getting going. 10 years later it was obvious, every piece of hardware being made had embedded processors, needing specialized real time embedded programmers (The norm now I bet), and then the run time compiled programming I was familiar with for simulations, and so many other uses, that I could see Software was going to be the high tech field to be in. I was right.

Chemical Engineering has always been hot from the high starting salary standpoint. I worked at a big hedge fund (That blew up :-( ), and we hired a lot of PhD's and an disproportionate number were Chemical Engineers. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. A high technology background, fits into the quantitative aspect of money management WAY easier than you'd think. It's very mathematical, and computer intensive, and engineers won't be intimidated. PhD's are highly filtered individuals. From the top schools they have demonstrated they are highly intelligent, can follow through with a long term goal, be organized... And to REALLY internalize things like complex mathematical concepts, using them routinely in the performance of another tasks (for years), or teaching it, really produces an expert. And PhD's didn't command a salary premium that their education would seem to warrant.

One thing that bothered me a little was that possibly some of these PhD's really liked the field they got their PhD in, but felt obligated to go where the money was for their families well being. It seems like a shame, and I'm sure it was the case a lot of times. But I think they found the financial arena fairly interesting at least.

 

[Chirp]

if you are in England i would think a kite, canoe, Wellington's or sandbags the way the weather is

Thanks for the reply but fortunately I'm here in the USA so I don't have to try to stuff a sandbag into a stocking. I hope your weather clears up in time for Santa's visit...

 

[Chirp]

They're nice, but if you care to spend a little more, I picked one of these up for myself a few weeks ago. Huawei Watch Beautiful piece.

Thanks for your reply. I did check them out and they are beautiful watches. The commercial I watched seemed to concentrate more on how well they are made and less on what they do. I may need to watch it again or look for more sources of info but I don't remember seeing much on functions like email, text messages etc. Can you tell me what functions your watch has? I think I can pop for the extra 50 if that's what it turns out to be.

 

[bbfpv]

Thanks for your reply. I did check them out and they are beautiful watches. The commercial I watched seemed to concentrate more on how well they are made and less on what they do. I may need to watch it again or look for more sources of info but I don't remember seeing much on functions like email, text messages etc. Can you tell me what functions your watch has? I think I can pop for the extra 50 if that's what it turns out to be.

It has the same functionality of every other smart watch. It runs Android Wear while the Samsung runs their own tweaked version, but in the end they are basically the same. They're basically an extension of your phone, so any notification that happens on the phone appears on the watch, where you can read/respond/swipe away, etc. And the voice functionality is pretty astounding. For eg, when my wife texts me, my watch vibrates and the notification pops up. I swipe the notification left, press reply, and speak a response. I can also say "ok google, what is my agenda?" for example, and a list of my appts for the day pops up. "Ok google, remind me to buy milk when I get to [some location]" and when I get there a notification pops up both on my phone and watch. I can also control my music, launch apps directly on the phone, track my steps for the day, see my heart rate when I'm running, etc. You get the idea.

In the end they're very niche. Do I need it? Definitely not. Is it a fun gadget that looks cool? Yes. At the end of the day, I chose this one because it looks like a real watch and it's super high quality. Will your sons wish you got them this one over the Samsung? Probably not. But again, it's pretty niche. However if they're into gadgets they'll get some good use out of it. (PS, I'm a software engineer myself ) Good luck!

 

[Chirp]

Well you may have just cost me a hundred bucks. Thanks for the help.

 

[Chirp]

I think the watches are very neat, and they'd love them. But I've just been surveying them, and don't have a good feel for which model I'd pick yet. The electronics miracle is a dream come true for gadget lovers like me.

Boy your kids are in two great fields. Great choice of college majors. I hope they are into their chosen areas, and not just trying for the most lucrative. BOTH is ideal! If I could do it all again, I'd be a Software Engineer. I'd have needed a little more crystal ball then I had, because in the early 80's when I started as an Electrical Engineer, the level of integration was still small, PCs were still getting going. 10 years later it was obvious, every piece of hardware being made had embedded processors, needing specialized real time embedded programmers (The norm now I bet), and then the run time compiled programming I was familiar with for simulations, and so many other uses, that I could see Software was going to be the high tech field to be in. I was right.

Chemical Engineering has always been hot from the high starting salary standpoint. I worked at a big hedge fund (That blew up :-( ), and we hired a lot of PhD's and an disproportionate number were Chemical Engineers. I couldn't put my finger on exactly why. A high technology background, fits into the quantitative aspect of money management WAY easier than you'd think. It's very mathematical, and computer intensive, and engineers won't be intimidated. PhD's are highly filtered individuals. From the top schools they have demonstrated they are highly intelligent, can follow through with a long term goal, be organized... And to REALLY internalize things like complex mathematical concepts, using them routinely in the performance of another tasks (for years), or teaching it, really produces an expert. And PhD's didn't command a salary premium that their education would seem to warrant.

One thing that bothered me a little was that possibly some of these PhD's really liked the field they got their PhD in, but felt obligated to go where the money was for their families well being. It seems like a shame, and I'm sure it was the case a lot of times. But I think they found the financial arena fairly interesting at least.

Thanks for your reply. As a community college dropout myself I am very happy to see my sons become engineers. They got their brains from me and money for college from my ex. She hates when I say that...

 

[phantom1972]

Thanks for your reply. As a community college dropout myself I am very happy to see my sons become engineers. They got their brains from me and money for college from my ex. She hates when I say that...

I'm sure she does!

I needed some "seasoning" before going to engineering school with the right attitude. I went to a little school in FL thst anyone get into, premed, and I was away from home the first time, and my parents really weren't even that strick or anything, but I had a blast. And finished that semester with a 1.2 GPA, and flunked Botany, and English. My father about murdered me. I pulled it together, graduated with a degree in Math. Then got a taste of the real world, crummy job, and saw how easy a time engineers were having finding a job. And I thought EE was fascinating. And would see big growth.

But engineering, right out of HS, I don't know. If your kids did it that way, good jobs. It's doable. I felt like an undicplined fool. 13th grade. If I'd waited a couple years, maybe I'd be a rich brain surgeon!

 

[dirkclod]

sandbags the way the weather is