Stuck for last minute gifts? We're here to help!

Hey you... procrastinator! Yeah, you, the guy or gal who has waited until the last minute yet again to come up with cool gadget-oriented gifts for your Mac or iOS loving family or friends. Thankfully for you, we’ve assembled some pretty nifty gift ideas, starting with ten choices for the budget-conscious buyer among us. Here’s how to make your $10 per person budget really soar!

Apple iPhone 4 Universal Dock Adapter 3-Pack ($9.00 from Apple.com)

First comes the iPhone 4, then the accessories -- and then you’ll realize you need universal dock adapters to make most of those accessories really sing. Thankfully, Apple offers this handy three-pack of dock adapters, and if your loved one has an older iPhone or an iPod touch instead, just search the Apple Store and you’ll find they’ve got you covered there as well.

“Friends Don’t Let Friends Run Windows” Keychain ($7.60 from Zazzle.com)

That description pretty much says it all! Printed on 100 percent recycled paper, this 2.25-inch diameter keychain will be a constant reminder to the Mac faithful to keep their friends as far away from Windows as humanly possible.

iTunes Gift Certificates ($10 and up via iTunes)

Just because you’re a procrastinator, that’s no reason to give a crappy gift. iTunes Gift Certificates always make a great gift, and you can buy them in increments of $10 and up. Best of all, you can do the last-minute Gift Certificate via e-mail, or print one on your own printer to stick it into a Christmas card if you have a little more time.

 

LaCie Core4 USB Hub ($9.99 from LaCie.com)

There aren’t too many USB 2.0 hubs as hip-looking as this one from LaCie, designed by Sam Hecht. It’s small, stylish and affordable, and best of all it adds four USB ports to your computer and features two built-in USB cables (one regular and one mini-B to work with portable devices).

MacHEADS ($9.99 download from Amazon Video on Demand)

If you haven’t seen it yet, MacHEADS is a fun, 55-minute look at the Mac community, including appearances from former Mac Evangelist Guy Kawasaki. Buy your loved one the download and they can watch it on their Mac, Roku player or other compatible device, or spring

Mac|Life Essentials Guide for iPad ($1.99 from the App Store)

You didn’t seriously think we’d miss out on plugging our new iPad app, did you? The Mac|Life Essentials Guide is 152MB of yummy goodness that shows the buyer how to get the most out of their iOS device, including working from your iPad, buying accessories and even guides for Game Center and iTunes 10. While you’re at it, why not pick up a download for yourself -- after all, you won’t even spend half of that measly $10 budget if you do.

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter ($7.65 from Monoprice.com)

MacBook users with recent Mini DisplayPort models will love this budget HDMI adaptor cable, which sends HD video from your computer to an HDTV for dirt cheap. The downside is you’ll need a separate audio output, but for occasional use, at this price it can’t be beat.

My Other Ride Is a Light Cycle T-shirt ($12.00 from Threadless.com)

Okay, so maybe it’s a couple bucks over your $10 budget, but it’s a TRON-themed T-shirt, for God’s sake! With the sequel now in theatres, we can’t think of a better gift for a gadget lover than this. Note that the $12 price is on sale, these suckers usually go for $20, and you’ll have to order more than $75 worth of stuff to get free shipping.

Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs ($10.20 from Amazon.com)

Author Daniel Lyons has never better than as “Fake Steve Jobs,” his uproarious sendup of Silicon Valley. The website may not be as much fun since he was outed, but you can gather Fake Steve at his best in this paperback edition that will cost you a mere two dimes more than your $10 budget can afford -- or gift the Kindle edition if you’d rather save nearly a buck.

Verbatim 4GB Store ’n’ Go Pro USB Drive ($7.99 from Other World Computing)

Gadget freaks love USB thumb drives, and Mac users will love this one -- made especially for Mac OS X, Verbatim’s Store ’n’ Go allows you to protect sensitive data in a password-controlled Privacy Zone, along with a Public Zone for easy sharing. Sadly, the included V-Safe 100 software isn’t yet compatible with 10.6, but this is still a great buy (on sale from the regular price of $14.95), and Snow Leopard users can format the drive to use it for regular storage.