I love the holidays—the togetherness, the time off work, and the free flowing supply of cookies and alcohol all rank high on my list of reasons why. Not on that list? Shopping for gifts. (Basically, the mall in December is my own personal hell.) So if you’re like me, don’t sweat it. Take the legwork in this article and get thee to thy favorite Internet retailer. Then kick back with another eggnog, ’cause you’re good to go.

Susie's gifts for giving...

My road-warrior brother is constantly calling from rental cars. The GrooveTooth’s magnetic clips will let him mount it anywhere—drive safely!

With friends and family scattered nationwide, keeping in touch is paramount. And talking on the phone while commuting is about to get easier—and much, much safer—at least for my giftees who will get the Cygnett GrooveTooth Talk ($79.95, www.cygnett.com). It’s a Bluetooth speaker for hands-free speakerphone calls that promises a whopping seven of hours of talk time or 460 hours on standby. It includes a car charger, or you can charge it at home via USB.

The tiny Tritton AX Micro is comfortable and stylish.

But some of my friends don’t drive cars, and for them I’m going with the Tritton AX Micro ($59.99, www.trittontechnologies.com/products/TRIBH200.htm), the smallest, coolest Bluetooth headset I’ve seen. It doesn’t even hook around your ear—great for glasses wearers—yet it still stays securely in place. Now we can jabber on and on, and hopefully no one will veer distractedly into oncoming traffic.

Susie's gifts for getting...

These pro-quality cans deliver sonic bliss and a comforting head-hug.

Frank Zappa said it perfectly: “Music is the best.” And I’m undoubtedly happiest with a supreme set of cans hugging my ears—it’s like a security blanket for my head. M-Audio has a set of studio-monitoring-quality ’phones called the Studiophile Q40 ($179.95, www.m-audio.com) that I’d love to unwrap this year—the soft cups comfortably surround your entire ear, the 3-meter cable is replaceable in case of accidents, and most importantly, they sound crystal-clear and totally amazing. Speaking of amazing, Rock Band 2 is pretty much the best thing ever invented (starting at $49.99 for console versions, not available for Mac, www.rockbandstore.com). Need a bandmate? Invite me over, I’m awesome—I promise we will blow the roof off your living room.


TV too small? Watch movies or play games anywhere with the MovieMate 55—all you need is a sheet or a wall.

To mitigate such wanton destruction, consider the Epson MovieMate 55 ($699.99, www.epson.com), a sleek 8-pound unit combining a widescreen projector, CD/DVD player, and built-in speakers. It’s a snap to hook up an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii and play your games outside. I’m sure your neighbors will love it as long as you invite them to play too.

In 2009, Susie resolves to...

Get organized. In 2008 I’d flit between organization systems like a hyperactive hummingbird, but in 2009 I plan to rock Zenbe Lists (free, lists.zenbe.com) on my iPhone to keep my to-dos and shopping lists at the ready. It’s easy to use, a snap to share lists, and checking off completed tasks is oh so satisfying. I’m also looking forward to Bento 2 ($99, www.filemaker.com), the next iteration of FileMaker’s personal database. It will allow me to organize everything from contacts to projects to research to events, plus it will let me design my own templates and even share them online with other Bento users. If I can lock in an organization system and stick with it, 2009 should be a very good year.

With the publication of this feature, the Mac|Life staff does not endorse any particular winter holiday—religious or not—that might be observed—or not—in your particular household. All we know is, we like unwrapping new things, especially those that help us trick out our Macs and enjoy our Apple gear all the more.