The Weekender
Posts
Apple gift guides: Buy this, not that

Apple gift guides: Buy this, not that

Tips to make quick work of your shopping list.

Lewis Wallace
December 09, 2023

Apple products make great gifts, but the array of options can prove bewildering. Cupertino cranks out so many models these days, it can be tough to know which iPhone, iPad or AirPods is right for which person on your list.

If you want to give the perfect presents this season, watch our holiday gift guide video to get the quick answers you need.

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Government agencies have been using push notifications to spy on iPhone users. (Android owners, too.)
iOS 17.2 is right around the corner, and it brings handy new features.
New iPads — including a 12.9-inch iPad Air — should land early in 2024. Faster Macs are on the way, too.
If you’re looking for holiday deals, we’ve got ‘em, on everything from an Apple Watch band with a built-in charger to a graphene tactical jacket that will keep you warm, dry and ready for action.
Adventure game Stray, in which you play a cat trying to escape from a robot-filled futuristic city, finally made it to Mac. And it’s great! Read our in-depth review.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

Buying guides

Here’s our holiday buying guide for iPhone, iPad and AirPods [Video]

If you need to buy an iPhone, iPad or AirPods, you need to make a well-informed decision quickly — how do you know which model to get? We put together a helpful new video that will explain the differences, plus in-depth buying guides if you want even more granular info.

How-tos

Apple video demos how to use Find My to locate your gadgets

Find My is built into most Apple devices, and helps you locate them if they go missing. Here's a video on how to use Apple’s device-tracking system.

How to connect an Apple Watch to a Planet Fitness treadmill

You can connect your Apple Watch to gym equipment, like the treadmill at Planet Fitness, for more accurate health data inside the Fitness and Health apps on your iPhone.

News

Apple confirms 'push notification spying' by government agencies [Updated]

Some governments engage in push notification spying, requesting data from Apple about messages sent by apps to iPhone users.

Plus, more on privacy and security:

London's Battersea Power Station lights up for Christmas with giant 'Drawn on iPad' animation

The iconic U.K. power plant, home of an Apple retail store, shines with an enormous seasonal display by iPad artist David Hockney.

New Apple Journal app is right around the corner in iOS 17.2

Apple just seeded the release candidate for iOS 17.2 to developers, so the new Journal app announced last summer is almost here.

More on iOS 17:

12.9-inch iPad Air, OLED iPad Pro pegged for March release

The wait for fresh iPads will reportedly come to an end soon. The first 12.9-inch iPad Air and an iPad Pro with an OLED screen are on the way.

More Apple rumors:

‘Masters of the Air’ trailer blazes across WWII's hellish war in the sky

Piloted by the team behind "Band of Brothers," the new series tells the story of the "Bloody Hundredth" bomber group.

Deals

This Apple Watch band's secret weapon is a concealed wireless charger

Why carry a separate cable when you can wear an Apple Watch charger on your wrist? The PowerBand comes with a built-in magnetic charger.

Graphene tactical jacket provides next-level comfort and capabilities

Stay toasty (and frosty) with a Gamma graphene jacket. This tactical jacket comes with a power bank to warm your hands and charge your gear.

Plus: Stay warm and connected this winter with $12 touchscreen gloves

This $46 wireless magnetic battery pack can charge all your Apple gear

The ZeroLemon MagJuice+ power bank attaches magnetically to MagSafe iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods cases for on-the-go charging.

MagSafe Gravity case protects iPhone 14 with zero added bulk

The incredibly slim case adds zero bulk, works with MagSafe and is available in the Cult of Mac Store for just $19.99.

Top up your Apple Watch anywhere with a wireless keychain charger, now less than $19

Never risk a low battery again with this Apple Watch wireless charger keychain, just $18.99 for a limited time!

Reviews

Meow! ‘Stray’ proves great gaming can happen on a Mac [Review] ★★★★★

In "Stray," you play as a cat wandering through a cyberpunk city. It's a gripping game in an exquisitely designed and immersive world that proves gaming on the Mac is on the rise once again.

This rainbow Apple Watch band will dazzle you with color [Under Review]

"Oooooooh!" my wife squealed when I pulled the Juuk Ligero Rainbow Apple Watch band out of the shipping carton. The brightly colored links in the aluminum band definitely caught her eye!

This Mac app directly beams files over the internet [Awesome Apps]

Blip is a delightful utilty that lets you transfer files across the internet — directly from your Mac to theirs. There’s no middleman uploading to and downloading from a cloud, no pesky web app to sign into.

Plus, more Awesome Apps:

In between space disasters, emotional thrusters propel ‘For All Mankind’ [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★½☆

In "For All Mankind" season 4, episode 3, nobody dies in space -- even with heartstrings fluttering in the void and a massive F-bomb going off.

Mount iPad anywhere with this sleek magnetic pad

Xvida's Magnetic Wall Mount lets you stick your iPad to almost any wall, door or cabinet for hands-free use.

Setups

You won't see a vertical display more nuts than this one

The switch from Mac Studio to an older Mac Pro was one thing, but the move to a 55-inch curved ultra-wide display mounted in portrait mode is just shocking!

Software engineer defends Apple's pricey Studio Display

The owner of this setup praises the 5K monitor for its "perfect resolution and scaling."

Get festive with holiday desktop wallpaper

It's that time of year again. Light up your computer and gadget displays with whatever wallpaper warms your heart this season.