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9to5Mac Holiday Gift Guide

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9to5Mac Holiday Gift Guide: Benjamin’s favorite iPhone and iPad accessories and gift picks

In my last gift guide, I did a themed roundup of the best HomeKit gear to deck out your home this holiday season. This post is about my personal favorite items and accessories across all of iOS and Mac ecosystems, most of these products I use every day for work and for fun. My picks include the Gorillapod tripod, the Philips Hue HomeKit lights, Rock Jaw earbuds, MH30 earphones, MarsBox Bluetooth speaker, the latest Apple TV, an MFI game controller, some Elgato smart home gear and an iPad Pro. I love technology but I consciously refrain from buying too much stuff and have a relatively slim personal gadget portfolio, so these products are carefully chosen.

Read on after the break to see why I selected these ten items specifically …


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9to5Toys Last Call: $100 iTunes credit for $80, Apple Watch w/ free $100 Gift Card, Afterlight (iOS) free, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Griffin offers 25% off all its Apple Watch accessories: WatchStand $23.50 (Reg. $30), more

$100 iTunes Physical Gift Card for $80 w/ free shipping (20% off)

Apple Watch comes w/ a free $100 gift card right now (effective savings up to 29%)

Apple’s latest freebie is Afterlight image editing app for iPhone and iPad ($1 value)

Justin’s Holiday Gift Guide: speakers, Lightning mics, storage, pocket synths & more to up your home recording set-up

Giveaway: SanDisk USB flash drives for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

This Leviton wall outlet has a pair of powerful USB ports, get it for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Grab Nomad’s gorgeous aluminum Apple Watch Stand at its best price ever: $41 shipped (Reg. $60)

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Razor details its new Hovertrax Smart Scooter ahead of release

Anova Culinary updates its sous vide Precision Cooker w/ Wi-Fi  for cooking away from home

9to5Mac Holiday Gift Guide: Some of the hottest tech products of the moment, at all prices

For many people on your gift list, you probably knew right away the sort of thing you wanted to get them, and at best needed a little help narrowing it down to a specific model. Hopefully one of our gift guides focusing on specific areas like entertainment, photography or audio will have helped.

But there may be others on your list who are trickier. You know they love technology, but there’s so much to choose from. That’s why we’ve also put together some more varied guides – all the way down to stocking stuffers.

But if you’re still looking now, you probably need more inspiration, so in this guide I’m rounding up what both 9to5Toys and Amazon have identified as some of the most popular tech products of the moment … 
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9to5Toys Last Call: Jabra MOVE Bluetooth Headphones $60, Quadcopter w/ HD Camera $39, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

App Store Free App of the Week: Monument Valley goes free (Reg. $4)

Bluetooth Headphones: AUSDOM M04 Over-Ears $30 (Reg. $43), Jabra MOVE On-ears $60 (Reg. $90), more

Daily Deals: 6-axis Gyro RC Quadcopter w/ HD Camera $39, Energy Bookshelf Speakers pair $100more

$100 iTunes Gift Card for $80 with email delivery from PayPal (20% off), more

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Knock out a huge chunk of your Xmas list with Razor sale at Amazon, scooters start at $14, electric ride-ons $19, go cartsmore

Host a Christmas party that doesn’t suck with these rowdy adult board games

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/672428515074121728 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

TextExpander 5 for Mac, award-winning productivity app now $22 (Orig. $45)

Free PS Plus Games for December: Far Cry 3, Gaunlet Slayer Edition, more

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for December: Thief, Adventures of Van Helsing, Sacred 3, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Mounts for the new Apple TV (4th gen) keep your HDTV setup looking super clean

Sugr Cube enters the fray of Wi-Fi speakers with touch-based controls & a myriad of sources

9to5Mac’s Entertainment Holiday Gift Guide: best picks for every budget

Welcome to our Entertainment Holiday Gift Guide! Apple this year has breathed new life into its kick-back offerings with the new tvOS-powered fourth-gen Apple TV and the larger iPad Pro. Both offer new ways to relax with your Apple products and binge watch your favorite TV show, listen to the new Coldplay album, and more.

The new Apple TV is the first to feature support for Bluetooth peripherals, including headphones and speakers. The new device also features support for gaming with MFi controllers, opening up an entirely new market for Apple TV developers and users.

These are essentials accessories you need to get the most out of your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV to have the most fun and enjoyment.


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Gift Guide: The best stocking stuffers for the Apple lover on your list

There’s no need to go straight to stuffing your stockings with socks and other go-to but boring gifts. If you have an Apple lover on your list, there are a ton of great must-haves for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users that can be had for under $10, $25, or $50. And if you’d rather let them decide, stick with a gift card that any Apple product user can take advantage of from places like iTunes and Amazon.

Head below for our roundup of the best stocking stuffers for Apple lovers at every price point:
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9to5Mac’s iPad Holiday Gift Guide: best picks for every budget

Welcome to our iPad Holiday Gift Guide! There’s currently a lot of excitement around the world of iPad, and rightfully so.

On the software side, Apple injected new life into prior models by adding side-by-side apps and picture-in-picture video with iOS 9. In hardware, the smaller 7.9″ iPad mini family got major speed and notable display quality improvements with the iPad mini 4, while brand new 9.7″ iPad Air 2’s are being sold at prices lower than minis, and a completely new class of iPad debuted in the just-launched 12.9″ iPad Pro.

There are essential accessories in all price ranges for every iPad regardless of which size you’re addressing, and we’ve tested a lot of products over the years. Read on and please share our iPad Holiday Gift Guide so you and your loved ones can buy the best iPad accessories for the holidays.


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9to5Mac’s Mac Holiday Gift Guide: best picks for every budget

Welcome to 9to5Mac’s official Mac Holiday Gift Guide! This has been an exciting year for Mac lovers, thanks to the cool new 12″ Retina MacBook and 21″ Retina iMac, as well as great accessories from Apple and others. I’ve been canvassing all things Mac throughout the year, so what you’ll find inside are some great options at various price levels — everything from stocking stuffers and apps to “best gift I’ve ever received” material. Also included: the best (limited time only) prices I’ve found anywhere on new Mac computers.

Before you go further, I’d recommend that you bookmark and/or send this page to your favorite people, because either you or someone you care about is going to get a great gift from this guide. Beyond great Macs, apps, and accessories, some of my picks are designed to help an old Mac run better than new…


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9to5Mac’s premium audio gift guide: special gifts for the music lover in your life

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If you’re buying gifts for music lovers in your life, there has never been a better time to do it: there’s a vast range of products to choose from at every price level. But here I’m focusing on the premium end of the market – a main gift for someone who you love as much as they love music!

These are products consistent with my philosophy of buying the right thing once. Gifts that will be appreciated as much a few years down the line as they will when first unwrapped.

Let’s start with headphones … 
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9to5Mac’s iPhone Holiday Gift Guide: best picks for every budget

Welcome to 9to5Mac’s iPhone Holiday Gift Guide. Bookmark it or send it to your favorite people, because either you or someone you care about is going to find the ideal iPhone holiday gift inside!

I’m genuinely excited to present this collection to you, because the iPhone is the one Apple product I take everywhere — and couldn’t give up. Since I’ve been using iPhones and their accessories since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, I have a lot of experience sorting the good and great stuff out from the junk.

My iPhone Holiday Gift Guide picks are all best-of-breed options, selected for their combination of reasonable pricing and excellent performance. Whether you’re looking for the perfect case, great headphones, a smart car mounting solution, a battery pack, or a way to improve your iPhone’s camera, you’ll find the smartest iPhone gift picks below…


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Apple releases holiday gift guide featuring iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Beats accessories and more

Apple has launched a holiday gift guide microsite today, featuring Apple products and accessories targeted at a wide variety of audiences. The list is separated into six main sections: Gaming, Photography, Music, Fitness, Learning and Travel. Naturally, Apple prominently features its own devices in the recommendations (iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, Beats headphones) alongside third-party accessories and suggested apps.

For example, in the Photography category of its gift guide, Apple lists the brand new iPhone 6s as the ‘world’s most popular camera’ alongside silicon cases, the olloClip Active Lens telephoto mount, a Gorillapod tripod as well as apps like Instagram, VSCO and Darkroom. Also, check our own gift guide for photography here.


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9to5Mac Holiday Gift Guide: Best picks for the Apple photographer

If you own an iPhone or Mac, you’re probably a photographer — either with your iPhone’s camera or a standalone camera you connect to your Mac. Just as iPhoto’s simple editing and storage tools helped Apple sell iMacs, photography has become a major marketing focus for iPhones, empowering people to capture increasingly beautiful images and videos with the one device they’re always carrying.

Over the past year, I’ve reviewed some of the very best hardware, software, and services available to Apple-loving photographers. And I’ve spent the last month adding new choices to the list. So just in time for the holidays, I’ve put together 9to5Mac’s Holiday Gift Guide with top photography picks, at price points ranging from $2.99 to $2,200. From basic accessories to smart photo backup solutions to amazing photo-to-wall art printing services, there’s something for everyone inside…


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9to5Toys Last Call: 15″ Retina MacBook Pro (2014) 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB $1,749, Canon WiFi printer/scanner $68, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals

Last Call Updates:

VIZIO 49-inch 120Hz 4K LED Smart HDTV $600 (Reg. $720), 43-inch $548 or $528 w/ Prime (Reg. $599)

15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (mid 2014) 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB: $1,749 shipped (Orig. $2,499)

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,100 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Amazon Gold Box – Canon PIXMA Wireless Color Photo Printer w/ Scanner & AirPrint $68 shipped (Reg. $95)

Daily Deals: TDK Life on Record TREK 360 Wireless Speaker $50, M-Audio Studiophile Active Studio Monitors $99, more

Back to school gift guide: essential tech gear every student should be using

Get a free download of the AirPano Travel Book iOS app courtesy of Apple ($3 value)

Giveaway: Jaybird’s new X2 Bluetooth earbuds are the ultimate workout counterpart ($180 value)

More new gear from today:

Bluetooth Headphones: SoundPEATS In-Ear $17 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), MEElectronics Over-Ear $38 shipped (Reg. $62), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/636546841404964864 align=’center’]

More deals still alive:

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for September: Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Battlestations Pacific, more

Free PS Plus Games for September: Grow Home, Super Time Force Ultra, Twisted Metal, more

New products & more:

Sensel’s Morph is an ultra sensitive Force Touch Trackpad look-alike

The new limited edition BIT.TRIP vinyl LP comes with free game download codes

Back to school gift guide: Great stuff for Apple-obsessed students

The new school year is rapidly approaching, and that means stocking up on supplies and the latest tech to be ready for class by early next month. Since we’re tracking the latest deals from around the web incessantly over at 9to5Toys, and reviewing the best in tech for your Mac, iOS, and Android devices on 9to5Mac and 9to5Google, we’ve rounded up the team to put together a gift guide with our top picks for gear, supplies, apps and more to get you through the year.
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Holiday Gift Guide: Health gadgets — get a healthy start for 2015

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When the new year rolls around, a lot of us have New Year’s resolutions to become a healthier person and plan to exercise more. Last year I set my New Year’s resolution to do just that. However, last year was the first year I really used technology and wearables to help me with my journey, and I successfully lost sixty pounds. These gadgets helped me with my weight loss journey. They can keep you focused, inspire you, motivate you, and carry your gear.


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Jeremy’s holiday gift guide: Mac, iPhone & iPad gear you can trust

My first post for 9to5Mac is on a topic near and dear to my heart: best-of-breed Apple products and accessories. Why should you trust me? I’ve been a professional product reviewer for 23 years and an Apple user for 28 years. Last week, I finished an 11-year stint running the editorial side of iLounge, the leading Apple product review site, where I tested literally thousands of Apple accessories from every major company on the planet. Readers have praised my reviews as accurate and insightful, and I always put my readers’ needs first when testing new products.


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9to5Toys Last Call: MFi Lightning cables from $7, iPhone 6 tempered glass screen protector $5, Pebble Smart Watch $80, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

 

Storage: SanDisk iXpand 32GB Lightning flash drive $60, Seagate 1TB wireless HDD $127, more
Amazon Gold Box – Logitech Harmony Smart Control for iOS/Android $80 shipped (Reg. $130)more

Kingdom Rush Frontiers is IGN’s free iOS game of the month ($2.99 value)

iPad Air 2s and Mini 3s $50-$100 off at Best Buy, matching Black Friday prices or 20% off select iPads at Staples

More new deals:

More deals still alive:

Holiday Gift Guides:

New products/ongoing promos:

Chance’s holiday gift guide: the products I use everyday

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I’ve already broken down the best gifts for students this holiday season, but now it’s time to talk about the best gifts for all the Apple lovers in your life. These are most of the products that I use on a daily basis. Whether I use them on-the-go, while working, or pretty much 24/7, these are some of the best products that have earned a coveted spot in my daily routine.


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Must-have iPhone, iPad, & Apple Pay apps for holiday gift shopping this year

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Shopping this year through iPhone and iPad apps is significantly more convenient thanks to Apple Pay and Touch ID. The latest iPhones and iPads allow you to avoid the arduous process of re-entering your credit card information each time at checkout and instead pay for your purchase with the touch of your finger.

Hopefully our holiday gift guides are steering you in the right direction for what to buy this year, especially with guides focused on using your iPhone and iPad in the carmaking music with Apple devicesoutfitting your home with connected smart devices, and more, and these shopping apps should continue to help you along the way.
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Holiday gift guide: apps and products for students and teens

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Technology has totally changed the lives of teenagers and students in this generation, both for the good and the bad. There are apps and products that dramatically make our lives easier and more efficient, but also things that kill our productivity. I’m generally more favorable to the latter of those two, but I’ll breakdown the best of both worlds and exactly what gift the teens and students in your life today might be interested in this holiday season.


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Ben’s holiday gift guide: a mix of the fun and the functional

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Choosing holiday gifts for the techies in your life isn’t always easy, so we’ve put together a series of gift guides to give you plenty of ideas. These include category guides, like making musicsmart home and in-car, as well as across personal recommendations from the rest of the 9to5Mac team – with more to follow.

For my personal guide, I’ve opted for a mix of the fun and the functional – ranging from action cams and drones to backup drives. Mix-and-match to the personalities of your lucky gift recipients as appropriate … 
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Zac’s holiday gift guide – a little something for everyone’s iPhone, iPad, & Mac

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Most of my favorite gift picks this year fall into the category of using the iPhone and iPad on the road so I already shared my favorite gift items for road warriors including CarPlay in-dash receivers and more. The Mac, though, is less transit-friendly when it comes to gifts unless you’re looking for a power adapter for charging in the car, so below I’ve collected some more Mac-friendly gift picks as well as a few analog options and more. Catch up with the rest of 9to5Mac’s holiday gift guides for more ideas and follow 9to5Toys.com for the latest deals. 
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