Regardless of the holiday you're celebrating, I’m sure you’re giving some presents to those most near and dear to you this season. Last year, I did some iTunes store gifting and it was even easier than buying stuff on Amazon: I didn’t have to wrap anything!
This is the lazy and forgetful person’s guide to gift giving. Whether you forget to get your girlfriend’s mother’s friend a gift, or you just want to add a little something to someone’s stocking this year, this guide has something for any occasion.
Stocking Stuffers
So, let’s get on with the remedy for last minute shopping. Let’s start with a few apps that would make some nice small gifts. Plus, a lot of them are currently on sale. Here are a few good additions to anyone’s present stash:
Infinity Blade I (universal) - $5.99
Infinity Blade II (universal) - $6.99
Any iDevice owner who likes to play games at all will appreciate the graphics and gameplay of Infinity Blade. Although Infinity Blade II is the newest version, you may want to consider gifting the first in the series if you know they don’t have it or haven’t played it yet. You can even gift them both apps if you’re really feeling the holiday spirit!
Grand Theft Auto 3 (universal) - $2.99
If you’re looking for a gift for the gamer in your life. This is it. It’s the newest Grand Theft Auto game on iOS and, let me tell you, it does not disappoint.
Scriblenauts (universal) - $0.99
Although this is a great game to gift a child, any young adult or adult would love it too. This game allows you to create anything you can think of and use it to beat the multiple levels. Just think it, type it in, and it appears! It’s full of imagination and creative energy and a great addition to any game collection.
Day One (universal) - $1.99
Everyone needs to let their thoughts out and put ideas down on “paper.” Day One is the most user-friendly and gorgeous journaling app this side of the App Store. There’s even a
Mac version if you want to give them that too.
Paprika for iPhone - $4.99
Paprika for iPad - $4.99
Whether you need a gift for the chef in your family or want to give someone a recipe book so that
you can share some recipes with them, Paprika is an excellent idea for a gift. It’s also available
for the Mac and they can all sync with each other.
1Password Pro (universal) - $8.99
This is the Swiss Army Knife of all apps. Not only does 1Password keep all of your passwords safe and secure, it remembers them so you don’t have to. It also keeps other sensitive and important information: software licenses, credit cards, and other form fill-ins and information we need and use everyday. This is the app that everyone needs, but doesn’t know it until they’ve used it. All of the versions of 1Password are even on sale right now, including the
Mac version.
AppAdvice (universal) - $1.99
We have no shame. I know. But seriously: No better gift for someone with an iDevice then the app that keeps on giving. Reviews, news, free apps, giveaways — all in the palm of your hand. Share the gift of good app advice this holiday season.
Other iTunes Store Goodies
Another idea is to gift some media to your loved ones. After all, I’m sure you know some music or movies they like — or some you know they
will like.
You can gift movies, television shows (or a complete series or two), and music to your heart’s content.
What Apple needs to do now is allow us to gift books from the iBookstore. That would be a great way to send and receive gifts for the holidays, too.
How Do You Send Gifts From iTunes?
Giving the gift of apps and iTunes media is as easy as 1, 2, 3: all you need is the email address of the person you plan on giving the gift to. Other than that, just follow these instructions:
On The Computer
1) Open iTunes on your computer.
2) Find the app or media you wish to give as a gift.
3) Click the arrow in the silver bubble where it shows the price of the item and select “Gift This [Item].”
On Your iDevice (Apps Only)
1) Open the App Store app.
2) Find the app you wish to give as a gift.
3) Scroll down to the very bottom of the screen and tap “Gift This App.”
If All Else Fails
Let’s be honest: Some people are just picky or impossible to buy for. Sometimes we just want to be able to pick out our own gifts instead of having to go out after the holidays to return those ugly sweaters that the dirty hipsters wear.
Consider giving the gift of an iTunes gift card. You can purchase most iTunes gift cards online (try
Best Buy and
Walmart) and have the redemption code emailed to you — just make sure it says “digital delivery” or “email delivery” somewhere in the description. Then, you can have the code to gift to whomever you want.
By the way, I’m pretty sure you can still purchase a
$50 iTunes gift card for only $40 at Walmart.com. The iTunes credit will never expire; you’ve got no reason not to snag one (or two or three).
So, there you have it. To all of my fellow procrastinating, lazy gift-givers: It doesn’t matter
when you buy it, it matters that they’ll like it. Kind of.
Happy whatever-you-celebrate-that-won’t-offend-you-and-cause-you-to-whine-in-the-comments!
