Tech Shift: Tis’ the season for some great holiday tech gifts!

Tech Shift: Tis’ the season for some great holiday tech gifts!

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In just a few minutes, we’ll talk to someone from the public library about how you can learn to 3D print personalized gifts this holiday season. But first, lots of people put tech toys on their holiday wishlists. The gadgets that maybe you can’t totally justify buying for yourself but still want. But if you splurge and upgrade computers or tablets this winter, what should you do with your gently used gadgets? There’s a non-profit in Chicago that’s happy to take them off your hands, and put them to work for Chicago residents. Matt Washington from Free Geek Chicago, a nonprofit organization that recycles used technology to provide functional computers and education and job skills training to people in Chicago, joins us by phone with some suggestions. We’ll also talk to John Christiansen of the Chicago Public Library. He works in the Maker Lab, a hands-on space in Harold Washington Library where people can learn software and create things with 3-D printers, laser cutters and other cool tech.