Ask HN: What is the ultimate gift to a hacker?
My father turns 50 in not too soon. He's an old hacker who learned C in the 80's to be able to do Linux. He was a computer pioneer in our country.
Now he works with security at a big company, and is very interested in cracks.
One idea is to get him a RFID scanner and a lot of tags. Or a complete Arduino set, with everything. Have you given something to a hacker?
You can get a raspberry pi. It's a credit card sized arm linux computer. http://www.raspberrypi.org/
Something like this? Credit card sized computer like a raspbery pi but with the later Samsung handset processors, quad core ARMs.
http://www.hardkernel.com/renewal_2011/products/prdt_info.ph...
Some ideas here - http://hackerthings.com
How about the Gumstix. It is tiny linux computer which has been used for robotics. You could maybe think of working with him to build drivers in order to install doom on it. :-)
Lockpicking kit and a book about it? Not quite computer-hacking, but still very related.
I would say either: a) an arduino kit, b) a sphero (especially if he has an iOS or android device), or parrot drone.
Does he have a Pi yet?
No, but are they really as fun as one thinks? I mean, theyre cool because theyre small, but other than that it's nothing I could not do with any other computer. That is, run debian.
Or maybe I just don't get the fun of them?
I don't know, I'm waiting on mine and I've already got a list of robotics-related activities planned for myself.
The size and software really makes it appealing for robotics tinkering.
Time.
A signed presidental pardon