Iomega SuperHero Backup and Charger for iPhone ($60)
Though much of its functionality took a hit when Apple rolled out iCloud, I still use the $60 Iomega SuperHero dock to charge my iPhone every night. Aside from being a handsome charging dock, the SuperHero pulls double duty by backing up my phone’s contacts and photos to a memory card inserted in the base of the dock. Iomega’s free SuperHero iPhone app handles the heavy lifting with a simple press of the “Start Backup” button when the phone’s docked.
Netflix Streaming Membership ($8 to $96)
I held off on ponying up for a Netflix membership until recently, but it’s been well worth it when it comes to watching TV shows. The movie selection leaves a bit to be desired, however (the selection of holiday movies, for instance, is downright silly). But for powering through an entire TV series (I’m watching The Kids in the Hall right now), the $8 per month has easily paid for itself in a world where per-episode downloads from other services run two bucks apiece. You can gift a membership to someone in one-, two-, three-, six- or 12-month increments ranging in price from $8 to $96.
Polara Ultimate Straight XS Golf Balls ($35 per dozen)
It’s frightening how well these golf balls—which appear to be an overpriced gimmick at first glance—work. The concept is simple: The golf balls are pocked with shallow, small and deep dimples instead of the same-size dimples you’d find on a standard golf ball. These offset dimples cause the balls to cut through the air with a much straighter trajectory. The company not only promises 75% straighter drives, but that otherwise wayward shots will self-correct instead of ending up over in the next fairway. I played a handful of rounds this summer with these balls and they definitely live up to the hype. They’re not tournament-legal, so don’t use them to cheat your friends out of money. If you’re having a terrible round, though, these things can brighten it up pretty quickly. The biggest downsides are that they’ve got a weird ball flight (not a whole lot of height), you’ll lose a bit of distance (especially on your drives), and they sound like you’re hitting a rock with a lead pipe. All minor quibbles for dead-straight shots, though.
(MORE: Holiday Giftables: T-Mobile Prepaid 4G Mobile HotSpot)