12 Tech Gifts for Commuters

Whether someone special in your life travels to work by train, bike, or automobile, here are 12 great gadget gifts that will help make their commute a little more enjoyable.

The latest Apple iPod Nano music players are pretty cool–small and light, with built-in clips and multitouch screens. Plus, they sport myriad colors, come in 8GB or 16GB capacities, and feature VoiceOver gestures–perfect for bikers, walkers, and anyone who uses public transportation.

Best for: Bike, foot, bus, train

List price: $129 8GB, $149 16GB

Assuming that your car-commuting gift recipient already has a smartphone, why not grab an iGrip car mount for the device? The iGrip features phone-specific models for multiple BlackBerrys (including the Bold 9000, Curve 8300, Pearl 8100, Tour 9600, and Curve 8900), as well as for the Apple iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Motorola Droid Bionic, and many more smartphones. The iGrip mount uses suction power to stick to a car’s windshield or dashboard.

Best for: Car

List price: $10 to $60

You shouldn’t text while driving, and neither should your commuting relative or friend. Messing around with the phone to make or answer calls is out of the question too. So pick up a sleek Bluetooth headset such as the Jawbone Era, which is easy to use and has a feature that allows you to shake the headset twice to pick up an incoming call when it isn’t in your ear. Hands-free phone calls all the way.

Best for: Car, bike, foot

Street price: $101

Drivers shouldn’t have all the fun. What if your gift recipient wants to attach their smartphone to their bicycle handlebars? They can do just that with this universal bike-mounted gadget holder from ThinkGeek. This gadget holder lets someone safely attach a smartphone, PDA, or GPS device to their bike handles–just in case they need directions, or they really want to finish watching the latest episode of Modern Family (not that I advocate watching TV while biking, of course).

Best for: Bike

Street price: $13

Here’s a simple stocking stuffer: This cigarette-lighter adapter has two USB 2.0 ports for charging all sorts of gadgets, including iPods, smartphones, or tablets. It’s compatible with any electrical product that can charge via USB, and you can find it for only a few bucks.

Best for: Car

Street price: $3

Sometimes commuters just want to kick back, and not try to cram in an extra hour of work. Enter the Nintendo 3DS, which is now just $170 thanks to recent price cuts. Let your favorite commuter enjoy the gift of awesome, glasses-free 3D gaming.

Best for: Bus, train

List price: $170

Netbooks aren’t quite dead just yet. Give a commuter the gift of productivity with this business-oriented netbook. The stylish Lenovo S205 is a good performer and offers decent audio, though it lacks a mobile broadband option. It sports an 11.6-inch screen, an AMD Fusion E-350 processor, and 4GB of SDRAM.

Best for: Bus, train

Street price: $383

Running out of juice is really annoying–but so is dragging all of your chargers and cables to and from work. The iGo Everywhere Car and Wall Charger lets your gift recipient charge all of their devices, and plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter or a wall outlet. You can make a commuter’s day with this light, easy-to-use universal charger, which comes with one free device tip.

Best for: All commuters

List price: $40

Here’s an even better way for bikers to charge their gadgets–using their bicycling power. The ReeCharge power pack can charge devices via USB, a wall outlet, or any bike with a bicycle-hub dynamo.

Best for: Bike

List price: $100

Apple’s iPad and Asus’s Eee Pad Transformer Prime are awesome tablets–but they’re a bit out of the stocking-stuffer price range. Instead, you can choose a budget tablet such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire or Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet. Each model features a multitouch screen, tons of ebook options, and a price of less than $250. On either device, commuters can enjoy media and ebooks, and they might even get some work done.

Best for: Car, bus, train

List price: $199 Kindle Fire, $250 Nook Tablet

Typing is difficult, especially when you’re on the road. But speaking isn’t. For a boost to commuter productivity, pick up a copy of Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice-to-text transcription software. After the recipient installs it on a laptop, they’ll be super-productive on their long train or bus rides–though the person sitting next to them may not appreciate it.

Best for: Car, bus, train

List price: $100 for the Home edition; other editions available