The holidays are upon us and what spreads holiday cheer more than decking out your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with lots of holiday content? Whether it's wallpapers, music, movies, apps, or games, it's easy to make your favorite iOS device the center of your festivus festivities.

Holiday wallpapers

One of the nicest treats for the holidays is a seasonally stylish new wallpaper for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Our TiPb Forums have a great thread going to find some really nice ones, and share your own. Check it out!

• Holiday Wallpapers!

Holiday music

If you already have a ton of holiday music in your collection, why not enjoy it on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? If it's on CDs, just load them into your computer and rip them into iTunes. If you've ripped them into iTunes already, you can use Home Sharing to stream them to your device, or use iTunes sync or Wi-Fi sync to move them over. If you bought them from Apple's iTunes Store, you can use iTunes in the Cloud to re-download them right to your device -- or iTunes Match if you've subscribed! If you're starting from scratch, you can check out holiday channels on apps like Slacker or just hit up iTunes and buy yourself some classics!

• iTunes holiday music

Holiday movies

Whether your favorite holiday movie is Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, or Die Hard, curling up with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad is a great way to enjoy them. If your movie collection is scattered in a bunch of different places and formats on your PC hard-drive, you can use something like Air Video to transcode them on the fly and watch them right on your device or beam them via AriPlay to an Apple TV and your big screen television. If they're all safe and sound in your iTunes library, again you have Home Sharing to stream them to your device, or iTunes sync or Wi-Fi sync to move them over. No holiday movies to call your own? Find some on Netflix or go straight to iTunes and check out their holiday collection.

• iTunes holiday movies

Holiday apps and games

When it comes to the holidays, you can bet your last chocolate coin there's an app for that. In fact, there are many apps for all kinds of thats! From cards to carols, books to bells, cutting ropes to angering birds, cooking to candles, fireplaces to fun with photos, there's a ton of stuff to keep you busy.

• App Store holiday apps and games

Your favorite holiday stuff?

If you have a favorite holiday wallpaper, music, movie, or app or game, let us know in the comments. We'd love to check them out!

The New York Times has a great piece up on how app developers for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are in a mad rush to get their apps submitted and approved into the App Store before it goes dark for Apple's annual holiday break.

Each year around Christmas, Apple stops accepting app submissions and updating its store for a while. This year the shutdown starts on Thursday and runs for eight days. In the weeks leading up to the cutoff, developers often pull all-nighters so they can get their work to Apple in time. [...] “There’s a mad scramble for developers,” said Marc Edwards, lead designer at Bjango, an Australian app maker. “In terms of money, it can be a really big deal.”

Apple's App Store approval process is mandatory -- run more like a carefully curated department store than the almost-anything-goes open air bazaar that is Google's Android Market -- and most iOS developers are highly motivated to get approved before the shutdown because being there on Christmas day means big money.

When millions of people unwrap their shiny new iPhone 4S, iPod touch, or iPad 2, one of the first things they'll do is jump into the App Store and start downloading apps to play around with. Flurry, a mobile analytics firm that specializes in tracking such app downloads, estimates that the period between December 23rd and December 26th are the biggest days for developers with around 240 million apps purchased in this small window of time.

Bryan Duke, a part-time app developer in Las Vegas, has seen firsthand how much of a difference one day can make. One of his apps is an air hockey game that costs 99 cents and usually averages about 300 downloads a day. But on Christmas Day last year there were 1,834.

Given the numbers involved, if App Store is a gold mine, Christmas day is an Eldorado bonanza... No wonder developers don't want to take any chances.

Source: NYTimes

Apple has released a new iPhone 4S commercial outlining how Santa uses Siri on the new iPhone 4S to help make his rounds on Christmas.

While Siri is still in beta, and still has plenty of rough edges, Apple continues to make it the staple feature in its advertising campaigns. Whether that troubles anyone or not, the ad itself is very well done. My favorite part is near the end when Santa asks Siri how how the rest of his day looks, to which Siri responds with... Well, watch it and find out!

Have a loved one on your holiday shopping list who uses their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for business? Not sure exactly what to gift them? Not a problem, TiPb has you covered! From enterprise to mom-and-pop shops, corner offices to telecommuters, here are some of our favorite device, accessory, and app picks for the business user in your life!

Don’t need anything for a business user? Check out the recommendations anyway, something great might still catch your eye. If not, no worries, check out one of our other 2011 holiday gift guides!

Perfect hardware and accessory gifts for business users

No matter how busy your business user is with leveraging synergies and harmonizing capacity, there's nothing like bringing them back to reality with a present to pick up and unwrap. It's not just what's in the package, but the experience that makes it special.

iOS devices

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is becoming increasingly popular in the board room and more and more of those devices are iPhones and iPads. If your business user has a BlackBerry in his or her pocket and a beige box on his or her desk, and iPhone or iPad can can be just what their spirits need to get going again. If they already have an iPhone or iPad, an Apple TV for the board room -- or bedroom -- can make it easy to push everything from corporate presentations to game breaks to family FaceTime chats onto the big screen.

Not sure which one you should get? Not a problem! Start here:

• iOS device gift guide

Stands and Docks

Business users are, by definition, busy, and they need quick and easy access to their iPhone or iPad. I normally have at least one of them plugged into the computer or wall charging at any given time. I have never been a huge fan of the Apple dock for iPhone or iPad as they don't typically fit a device with a case on it. I've found third party adjustable docks to be much more convenient. Who wants to remove their case every time they want to dock their iPhone or iPad?

• Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle for iPhone is compatible with more than one iPhone model and, since it's adjustable, it will work without having to remove your case.
• Griffin A-Frame is a sharp-looking, easily adjustable stand that's compatible with the original iPad and iPad 2.
• Clingo Universal Podium for iPhone is a nifty little stand that will twist and turn to pretty much any position imaginable and supports all iPhone models.
• Element Joule Stand for iPad is a higher end dock made out of aircraft grade aluminum.
• Grassy Lawn Charging Station lets you add a touch of green to an otherwise drab office, cubicle, or desk.

Chargers

The more you use your device, the faster it will run out. That's just physics. Unfortunately, if you're away from an outlet or charge cable for long periods of time, that can also lead to a dead device. Whether your business user is frequent flyer, convention attendee, or simply constantly on the go for appointments or consults, they're going to need to keep their iPhone or iPad charged and ready to work.

• mophie juicepack offers the lighter, more colorful "air" model or the heftier but more powerful "plus" model. The air will recharge your iPhone to roughly 70%, the plus to almost full. Whether your business user values light weight portability or big battery power, the mophie juice pack is a must-have for anyone who is away from a wall outlet for long periods of time.
• Richard Solo 1800 External Battery Pack is for those who prefer to keep their battery and their case separate. This plugs into your dock port, charges your devices, and includes a handy flashlight and laser pointer as well.
• Kensington PowerBolt Duo Car Charger charges two devices simultaneously -- and charges them FAST. It's compatible with all iPhone and iPad models. So if a certain someone spends a lot of time on the road this would make the perfect addition to their workflow.

Extras

There are a wide variety of accessories that let your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad do a lot more than they can on their own, everything from taking a credit card payment, to tracking time, to taking signatures, and creating invoices. This year, why not give your business user something that makes their -- and their clients -- lives easier?

• Square Readers - As a small business owner, I use Square to take payments while in the field and in the office. The readers are relatively cheap and ultra portable. If you know someone that uses Square I'm sure an extra credit card reader would be appreciated. Especially if they're anything like me and happen to misplace them frequently due to their tiny size. I always find them weeks later floating around in a random drawer. I've just gotten into the habit of having a few extras on hand just in case I can't remember where I put one.
• Bamboo Stylus for iPad is both functional and beautiful. It's weighted just right and is the perfect thickness. The length is also perfect – shorter than an average pen, but long enough to be comfortable to hold. Leanna loves it and it's the number one item on my Christmas list. (A hint to any of my family or friends reading this post!)
• TK-421 iPhone Case with Flip-Out Keyboard is for those who just can't get over the lack of a physical keyboard on their iPhone. Whether they've moved over from a slider on another platform, or just want to take long trips without a laptop and still pound out their email and reports, this keyboard equipped case can come to the rescue!

Super software gifts for business users

While wrapping paper is nice, nothing is faster to buy or easier to ship than software. Whether you load it up for them on their brand new device, or send it half way across the world, it'll always get there on time and ready to use.

• How to gift iPhone and iPad apps

Productivity apps: Documents to Go

Documents to Go puts your word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation needs into one, Microsoft compatible mobile app, with lots of support for online storage from Dropbox to Box.net. A universal binary, it works on both iPhone and iPad.

• $16.99 - App Store link

Also check out

• Keynote, Numbers, and Pages for Apple's take on the productivity suite. $9.99 each. Keynote in App Store link, Numbers in App Store link, Pages in App Store link
• Good Reader is a powerhouse for PDF annotating and file management. $2.99 - App Store link
• OmniOutliner helps you collect, compose, and organize your ideas. $19.99 - App Store link
• Todo takes task management to the next level, with sync to Dropbox or iCloud among others. $4.99 - App Store link

Note taking apps: CaptureNotes2

Maybe your business user hasn't found that one perfect app to make their iPad come to life in the office yet? Well, if they sit in on a lot of meetings, or take a lot of consults, a good note taking app will make the iPad absolutely indispensable.

This gem allows users to type, write and record - at the same time. It's easy to miss important things that a boss or client says while frantically taking as many notes as possible, so CaptureNotes makes it easy to flag parts of your notes that make it easy to pick up and listen to that exact part of the meeting at a later time. A disadvantage to typing notes has always been the inability to draw diagrams, but with CatpureNotes you can quickly draw a diagram right there with your typed notes. You can also import PDFs and share to Dropbox.

Really, every business user needs this app.

• $4.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• Noteshelf is a powerhouse note taking app for iPad that keeps you organized and more. $4.99 - App Store link
• Elements is a text editor that syncs with Dropbox and has Markdown support. 'Nuff said. $4.99 - App Store link
• Evernote stores text, images, and audio for easy reference later. Free - App Store link
• Awesome Note is a note-taker, to-do list, and diary all-in-one. $3.99 for iPhone - App Store link. $4.99 for iPad - App Store link

Travel apps: NAVIGON

If your business user is also a road warrior, give them full fledged turn-by-turn driving directions on their iPhone so you can keep your eyes where they belong -- on the road. NAVIGON provides on-board maps which means it keeps working in areas where there's no data coverage. You can buy regional, country, or continents at a time, and there are also options for live traffic updates, parking directions, and enhanced panoramic views of the surroundings.

• Varies - App Store link

Also check out:

• Flight Tracker Pro for the jet setting business user. $9.88 - App Store link
• Tripit takes all the heavy lifting out of travel. $3.99 - App Store link
• Trip Cubby is an easy to use mileage log for the iPhone. $4.99 - App Store link
• Card Scanner Pro lets you quickly and easily convert a mess of cards into a neatly organized set of contacts. $6.99 - App Store link

Your picks?

You're a part of Team TiPb too! Have any accessories you think business users would love to get for the holidays? Make sure to let us know what your picks are as well!

The iPhone, iPad and  iPod touch are pretty much the perfect mobile gaming platform and chances are you might be shopping for someone who just loves their iOS gaming. So what to get them? Luckily, there are lots and lots of gifts for gamers to choose from! Here are a few of my favorites, both for the hottest hardware and greatest games!

Don’t need anything for a gamer? Check out the recommendations anyway, something great might still catch your eye. If not, no worries, check out one of our other 2011 holiday gift guides!

iOS device gifts

Does you gamer in your life not have an iPhone, Pod touch or iPad yet? Not sure which one you should get? Not a problem! Start here:

• iOS device gift guide

Accessory gifts

If your gamer already has their device, there are some great accessories out there to help them take their gaming to another level.

iCade

The iCade is a magical gift for the retro gamer. The iCade arcade cabinet is an accessory for your iPad which turns it into a retro arcade machine complete with joystick, six buttons and a glowing coin slot.

More and more games are being released that work with the iCade; including the Atari's Greatest Hits app. The iCade is designed to work with the iPad and iPad 2.

The iPad slots into the arcade cabinet and the controls are done over Bluetooth. Buying a gamer one of these should keep them happy not just over the holiday period but for the rest of their life too!

• Get iCade at ThinkGeek.com

Fling and Fling Mini

What if you are watching your favorite gamer and they are constantly struggling with their game and can't achieve even the simplest tasks due to their finger and thumb fumblings on the shiny iPhone or iPad touchscreen? Fear not, there is a solution for that too, Ten One Design have come up with a well designed joystick for the iPad and a mini version for the iPhone and iPod touch too. Called the "Fling", it sticks to your screen with some small suction cups and claims to offer a console type gaming experience.

As you control a game with Fling, it pushes gently back towards the center position.  This haptic feedback guides and stabilizes your gameplay, making every action more accurate. Any gamer would love to get their hands on one of these, me included!

• Get Fling and Fling mini at Amazon.com

mophie juice pack plus

It is pointless having the latest games and accessories for your iPhone if the battery on your device is not up to the task. Thankfully we have just the thing to buy for the gamer to keep their iPhone fully charged and ready to play.

The mophie juice pack is a hard shell case which fits the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Built into the case is a 2000 mAh capacity battery. mophie claims that the juice pack plus will double your iPhone's battery life which gives you double the time to play your favorite games.

The mophie juice pack is the ideal gift for the iPhone gamer, it not only protects your iPhone but also doubles its battery life, a perfect gaming combination!

• Get mophie juice pack plus on store.imore.com

Motorola MOTOROKR S10HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

It's a classic story, they love to game, you'd dearly love some peace and quiet. Luckily, there's a gift that can keep on giving to the both of you -- stereo headphones! They get deep base and immersive sound, and the freedom of a cable-free experience, and you get blissful, well deserved silence.

While there are a ton of headphones to choose from, wire and unwired alike, the MOTOROKR looks and sounds great, and has just a touch of that futuristic feel to it.

• Get the Motorola MOTOROKR S10HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones on store.imore.com

App gifts

What better gift for a gamer than more great games to play? The App Store is chock full of them, and iTunes allows you to gift them straight to your special gamer. (If you're not sure how, here's quick guide to gifting apps)

First person shooter (FPS) games: Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation is the ultimate First Person Shooter for the iOS platform. If you want to treat the gamer in your life with a great game then this may be the one to go for. You can play a solo mission with over 13 different levels each with fantastic graphics and enemy AI.

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation also offers a highly polished online multiplayer game experience. You can battle up to twelve players in six maps with seven different modes of play. A word of warning, you can accelerate your gaming abilities in this game via in app purchase of weapons and health kits; some find this an unfair advantage!

It is also a universal binary so this particular game will look stunning on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

• $6.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• Dead Space is a gorgeous, terrifying shooter set in the depth of space. $6.99 - App Store link
• N.O.V.A. 2 is the closest thing to HALO on the iPhone. $6.99 - App Store link
• RAGE HD comes from John Carmack and while it's on rails, it's also off the hook. $1.99 - App Store link
• Call of Duty: Zombies is all the undead you can empty a clip at. $4.99 App Store link

Arcade games: Real Racing 2

If the gamer on your gift hit list is into driving games then they don't get any better than Firemint's Real Racing 2. Real Racing 2 lets you take the wheel of 30 officially licensed cars and each has its own characteristics too. You can race against 16 other cars all at the same time.

Real Racing 2 also offers 15 locations to race in with over 40 miles of highly detailed race tracks, speedways and city center circuits. You can also choose to race in the daytime, twilight hours or evening.

If you are lucky enough to own an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 and an Apple TV (Black) you can even play wirelessly on your HDTV. Friends can join in too with split screen multiplayer and Party Play.

• $9.99 - App Store link

Also check out:

• Infinity Blade brings the Epic Unreal 3 engine to iOS. 'Nuff said. $2.99 - App Store link]
• Street Fighter IV Volt puts the classic fighter in the palm of your hands. $0.99 - App Store link
• Extraction: Project Outbreak is a fresh take on the top-down 3D shooter. $0.99 - App Store Link
• Atari's Greatest Hits brings the oldest of old school to your brand new advice. Free - App Store link

Casual Games: Amazing Breaker

Amazing Breaker is a game for the more casual gamer. It involves ice sculptures; you remember them, popular at high class parties but nowhere else. Anyway, the aim of the game is to destroy the ice sculptures with bombs, and try not to leave any shards of ice behind.

Amazing Breaker is a highly addictive puzzle game with over 80 levels to keep you busy. Designed for the Retina display, it offers high resolution graphics, easy to learn game play and Game Center achievements. The bombs you use to destroy the ice sculptures come in many different flavors too with Spike Bombs, Ghost Bombs, Helicopter Bombs and even Split Bombs. The game is a lot of fun and once you start it, you will struggle to put it down. A great gift for the gamer in your life!

• $0.99 - App Store link]

Also check out:

• Catan is a great version of a great strategy game. $4.99 - App Store link
• Words with Friends isn't Scrabble but it is an all out, all online spelling war. $0.99 - App Store link
• Carcassone is a beautiful rendition of the medieval strategy game. $9.99 - App Store link
• Poker by Zynga let's you get your Texus Hold'em on your iPhone. Free - App Store link

More great games for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Every day, TiPb covers the best new games and best new game updates, so if you're looking for more great game gift ideas, check out our gaming section! Likewise, the iTunes App Store has a games section with lots of great choices.

• TiPb Games
• iTunes App Store games

And if you're still not sure what to get, consider an iTunes Gift Card, that way the special gamer in your life can pick their very own gift!

• Get iTunes Gift Cards

Your picks?

Remember, you’re part of Team TiPb too, so if you’ve already picked the perfect gift for your iPhone or iPad gamer, or have the perfect idea for one, let us know in comments!

Georgia and Rene discuss strategies for coping with the holidays, including dealing with family, friends... and the in-laws. This is ZENandTECH!

• Our podcast feed: Audio | Video
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Hosts

• @GeorgiaTiPb (Georgia)
• @reneritchie (Rene)

Contact

You can reach all of us @ZENandTECH, via email at podcast@zenandtech.tv, or leave a comment below!

Thanks everyone, you're the best community on the web and we love having you with us!

Disclaimer

While Georgia is a therapist, she's not YOUR therapist. Everything said or implied on this show is for informational and entertainment purposes only. And shouldn't be taken in any way as a replacement for proper, professional care.

Credits

Music is Peace on Earth by wellman.

Are you buying yourself or a loved one, a new iPod, iPad or Apple TV this Christmas? Maybe you want an iPhoto Card or Album? Make sure you get your orders in before its too late. Here's a list of this year's holiday deadlines, after the break!

United States

• Free Shipping

  • iPods - 20th Dec
  • iPads - 20th Dec
  • AppleTV - 20th Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums - 18th Dec

• Next day delivery

  • iPods - 23rd Dec
  • iPads - 23rd Dec
  • AppleTV - N/A
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums - 19th Dec

• Engraved models cannot be delivered "next day" and need to be ordered by:

  • Engraved iPods - 20th Dec
    
  • Engraved iPads - 19th Dec
    

United Kingdom

(shipping times in the UK are being severely effected by the weather)

• Free Shipping
  • iPods - 21st Dec
  • iPads - 21st Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums - 18th Dec
  • Engraved iPods - 21st Dec
  • Engraved iPad (with other items in order) - 11th Dec [X]
  • Engraved iPad (no other items in order) - 13th Dec [X]

Canada

• Free Shipping
  • iPods - 20th Dec
  • iPads - 20th Dec
  • iPhoto Cards/Albums - 13th Dec [X]
  • Engraved iPods - 18th Dec
  • Engraved iPads - 17th Dec

If you want to know your estimated "last shipping" date for your country, visit your local Apple Online Store, and look for the "Store Services" section , and you should find the list. Obviously, the sooner you order, the better.

The iPad has won a recommendation from Which Computing magazine. Which? Magazine is a highly respected UK publication known for its unbiased and extensive product reviews. The iPad came out on top of the pile in the must-have gadgets' and the tech buys that make great Christmas gifts.

This was one of the most-hyped gadgets of 2010. Its sleek design, slick touchscreen interface and those all-important apps mean it’s the tablet that's on almost everybody's wish list.

Which? carry out extensive testing of products to provide consumers with information to enable them to make correct buying decisions, the process is extremely thorough. Which? do not accept any advertising in their publications; to ensure all of their reviews and recommendations are legitimate and without bias.

Every month, we conduct independent and extensive tests on hundreds of products and services. Every aspect of product performance and specification – price, running costs, efficiency, and reliability – is compared against exacting criteria. The highest scoring products or services are awarded Which? Best Buy status, and the test results are published in the magazine and on Which.co.uk.

So there you have it, according to Which?, the iPad makes an ideal gift for the holidays. Are you planning on splashing out on an iPad for your loved ones? If you are let us know in the comments!

[source]

We always see (almost entirely incorrect) 'outlines' of keynotes in the runup to any Apple event, now we're getting them before the runup starts. It's a pretty safe be that Apple will be doing something in late September or October, they always try to have new iPod announcements before the holiday season. So go grab your salt shaker, pour out a few grains (actually, you might want to use them all), and take a gander at what Anonymous has told to expect in a "late September event," after the break.

Our take on the list you're about to read: real iPhone file access would be a godsend and it's a natural next step for the platform. iTunes Unlimited Music Subscriptions have been oft-rumored but given how strident Jobs has been about people wanting to own music instead of subscribe to it, we're still doubters. Then again, he did say the same thing about mobile video right before the iPod got video support. Basically, there's nothing there that we really think is a lock.

Here's a better question: what do you think Apple has in store for us this coming holiday season?

The outline from Anonymous:

New iPhone / Mobile Me Enhancements

• Enable disk use on the iPhone
• When enabled for disk use, iDisk folder accessible on the iPhone
• iDisk app on the iPhone
• Viewable formats can be opened, other formats grayed out
• Button to sync with MobileMe
• Photo syncing support via MobileMe
• October launch

iTunes Unlimited Music Subscription

• iTunes Unlimited
• 256 Kbps music; highest quality digital music subscription service ever
• 50% of U.S. store available for iTunes Unlimited at launch, U.S.-only launch
• Available through iTunes or retail box a la MobileMe, funds applied through iTunes gift cards cannot be used towards subscription purchase
• $129.99 stand-alone or $179.99 with MobileMe, current MobileMe subscribers can add iTunes Unlimited for $99.99
• One-year subscription period
• Current a la carte options unchanged
• When signed in to subscription account, “Buy” is “Get”
• “Download and Play throughout iTunes Unlimited Subscription” or “Buy and Keep”
• “Buy and Keep” option available for downloaded subscription songs, purchased version replaces subscription version
• Late October launch with iTunes 7.8