Ghost? Zombie? Nixon? Man, these costumes are old news. This Halloween, why not dress up as something from the geek universe? Here's my picks this year for the scary, the provocative, and the outright absurd.

Sony Laptop Battery Pack - What you need: Rectangular piece of cardboard or foam, black paint, a lit cigarette (to simulate the smoking effect). Bonus points for carrying those little poppers that explode when you step on them.

Sony Rootkit-Infected CD - Large circle of cardboard covered in aluminum foil, evil laugh. (Just as scary as the battery.)

LonelyGirl15 (pictured) - What you need: T-shirt or tank top, pony tail scrunchy, tweezers (to pluck eyebrows immaculately), age-diminishing cream, Aliester Crowley books, feather boa, purple monkey puppet, general sense of rebellion and ennui about life.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs - Black turtleneck, blue jeans, iPod, glasses, smug grin.

Firefox - What you need: Fox outfit, lighter fluid, match, sense of irony, fireproofness, legion of geek followers. (Kidding! Please don't set yourself on fire!)

The TRON Guy - Awesome TRON bodysuit, pot belly, no sense of shame.

Former HP Chairman of the Board Patricia Dunn - Liza Minnelli haircut, expensive women's suit, reporter's telephone records that you have no idea how you got, pink slip.