More High-Tech Gift Suggestions for the Obamas

So far he’s given a box set of classic American DVDs to Gordon Brown and an i-pod to the Queen. It seems the President and his lovely wife are fans of the practical, take-it-out-of-the-box-and-use-it gift, more than the “lovely gesture” set-it-on-the-shelf category of giving. (Brown grumbled a bit when he went home and discovered he could not play the DVDs in his home player, due to the difference in technology across the pond. Forget about it, Gordie—you can watch most of those movies on Hulu.com anyway.)

I haven’t decided how I feel about our chosen leader giving the Queen an I-pod with a video of Camelot. What do you think, dear reader? See the new poll.

Meanwhile, if this is the route the Obamas plan to go with their giving, perhaps they would appreciate a few further suggestions:

For the president of France, Nicholas Sarkozy: Remember, he married model Carla Bruni. Obviously an admirer of high fashion and healthy physiques, the Obamas could present him with a digital picture frame featuring rolling footage of Michelle & Barack on their Hawaii trip, strolling the beaches in their extremely buff manner.

For President Hu Jintao of China: Radio Shack offers a great deal on a metal detector, which he could wave like a magic wand over shipments of toys and knick-knacks to the US. It would be a nice symbolic gesture of help and hope for the future coming from the Obamas. It sends the message: we know your toys have enough lead to poison a Roman emperor, but we’re still friends. Sorta.

The most popular car in China for all those bazillions of new drivers is a black Buick. We can assume a similar trend will hit India as that country muscles its way into global economics. What a perfect opportunity for the Obamas to present India’s leaders with a Tom Tom. This nifty directional device takes care of the practical needs of navigating through all the cows and crowds, as well as the larger metaphorical aspect of sending the message: We all get lost sometimes, and now you can get directions and not look like a sissy for stopping to ask at the next BP.

For Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: A pair of spy-quality high-tech binoculars, maybe with some Matrix-like night vision feature. He can use them to keep an eye on his neighbors across the way, those pesky Palins.