Ando Muneno

A Popar book in action. If you look at the card through a smartphone, webcam or tablet with the right software, the card will project a 3D image of a planet. You can move the cards around to get a better view and the image in the device will rotate appropriately.

Christmas has become awfully technical in the last decade or so. But if you've already caved and bought your child a smartphone and iPad or anything else with a webcam on it, you might consider buying them a Popar book to go with it.

These books employ augmented reality to overlay interactive digital images and games into a standard children's book. Or if you need to sell this to your 4-year-old daughter, "It's a magic pop-up book that you can play with if you look at through the iPad."

The technology is pretty impressive and they've pulled down a number of awards including a nod from "The View" for being one of the best toys at the New York Toy Fair.

See Also:
- T-Post: A Wearable, Interactive, Jan Brewer-Slugging Magazine
- Seven Reasons Why Book Art Makes Me Uncomfortable

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Laurie Notaro is an author, crafter, and expert at finding a good cocktail. She grew up in Phoenix, but is currently based in Eugene, Oregon. Each week, she'll be joining us to share a crafting adventure, draw a flowchart, or remember a few of her favorite things about Phoenix. Today, she shares a few special finds on eBay that could easily be given to that special someone in your close social circle this holiday season.

ebay.com

Everyone's holiday list has someone on it that is impossible to buy for, but imagine if you had a tweaker, Neo-Nazi or sex offender for a close relative! Try looking for those categories on Amazon's sidebar! No dice, mi amigo, no dice.

Therefore, I present to you a handy gift guide for those hard-to buy for everyone on your list who's living off the grid or on the fringe. But should something strike your fancy, move on it quickly, because the only thing more common on eBay is people in their basements selling their dead grandmas stuff is the pool of regrets the minute after you lose an auction to NikNakNut (12337).

See also:
- Laurie Notaro Writes a Handy Manual for Her Husband ... In Case She Dies Before He Does
- Laurie Notaro: Toss the Book You Have in Your Purse and Read These Instead
- Six Words Laurie Notaro Demands People Stop Using Right Now

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Fashion-Obsessed.

Rizzoli

Shopping for a shopaholic is a tough game to play -- tougher yet to win. Between trends, sizes, and taste (good, poor, or otherwise) there are plenty of ways to foul up when it comes to gifting fashion. But that won't happen this season, no siree.

See also:
- Oprah's Favorite Things 2012: The Wants, The Wishlist-Worthy, and The Whatever Pile
- Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection: The Good, The Give-Aways, and The Gimmes
- Jackalope Ranch's 2012 Gift Guides

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends -- and family. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Mom.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ashleyweber

We'd be flying high if someone gave us a piece of Ashley Weber's jewelry for Christmas.

She gave you life, for crying out loud. So what do you give her? Nothing but heartache, pal. Nothing but heartache. Change it up this year -- we've made it easy.

See also:
- Hard Goods: Designs and Concrete Goods by Local Artists in Uptown Phoenix
- Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection: The Good, The Give-Aways, and The Gimmes

5. For the Whimsical Mom: Ashley Weber's Kite Necklace (price: $46)

Has Mom ever told you to go fly a kite? Tether her heart to yours with this beautiful necklace, created by Phoenix artist Ashley Weber. You can find Weber's jewelry for sale at the ASU Art Museum as well as on her etsy store, Against the Grain.

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Film Fanatic.

Finding the perfect gift for the cine enthusiast in your life can be as impossible as finding a good Nicholas Cage film. Movie tickets are painfully generic -- even if you package them creatively in a popcorn tub. A movie rental gift card is even worse considering the nearest Blockbuster has long since been boarded up.

What to get that person who displays Grinch-like behavior at the mere suggestion of watching classic holiday flick The Santa Clause (or any Tim Allen movie for that matter)?

See also:
-The Death of Film (Again): A Short History of an Art Form's Long Passing
-Five Must See Movies in November

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Book Lover.

Tis the season to give, give, give

It's getting down to crunch time and by next weekend leisurely strolling around the mall hoping to come across the perfect gift just isn't going to cut it. You need a plan of action and we're here to offer plenty of suggestions for the book worm in your life.

See also:
- Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guides 2012

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Bike Geek.

Trotify

Let's be totally honest: the one thing every cyclist wants for the holidays is a new bike.

It doesn't matter if they just got a brand spankin' new all-carbon rig just a couple of months earlier -- there's always room for another ride in the garage or storage room or spare bedroom or bedroom or ... let's just say there's always room.

Unfortunately for us cyclists, a new bike may not be a plausible option for the gift givers in our lives. Luckily, there is always lots of bike stuff to go around, no matter the type of cyclist you may be or may be shopping for.

See Also:
- Cycle: Five Gifts for the Bike Geek - 2011
- Cycle: The Bike Geek's Gift Guide

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Culture Geek.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brain-hat-knitting-pattern-not-actual-hat

Gift giving for the nerd in your life is a near impossibility. Due to our obsessiveness over any given topic, we've likely headed you off at the pass for any retail item that remotely smacks of sci-fi, fantasy, history or any subject area that requires a background in higher math.

A mint-on-card variant Catwoman action figure? Check. The latest piece of consumer electronics? Yawn. We probably worked on one of the components. The special edition, 4 disc, 30th Anniversary Blade Runner Box Set on BluRay? No, thanks. Everybody knows this one isn't Sir Ridley's complete vision. We're holding out for the multi-version neural implant with director's commentary in 2017. See what I mean?

See also:
- Jackalope Ranch's "Fanboy" archives
- Bob Beard's Merry ChristNES
- Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the End of the World Prepper

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the End of the World Prepper.

Ando Muneno

Scottsdale based Gear Up has recently opened a retail location to act as a showroom for their previously online only operations.

While we're not convinced that the world is going to come to a Mayan flavored ending in December, it still might not be a bad idea to stock up for other civilizations crumbling eventualities.

See Also:
--Arizona Survivalist/Prepper Expo Returns This Weekend
--The Arizona Survivalist Show: Five Tools You'll Need to Survive, Well, Anything

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