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If you're looking for the perfect tech or tech-adjacent present for someone who loves Apple products or just uses them daily, I have a few suggestions that might be helpful to you this holiday season. These are some of our favorite products, many of which I use personally or have gifted to our friends and family members in the past. If you're still looking for a present for someone that's hard to shop for, check out the list. Maclock For Apple fans or fans of classic PCs, the Maclock is a tiny Macintosh 128K that works as an alarm clock. It is super detailed and has all of the design touches of the original, and there's even a tiny floppy disk that turns it on when you put it in. There are multiple display modes, and it can tell you the time, day of the week, and temperature, plus it is a functional alarm clock. There's also a classic Mac face you can set it to. I haven't gifted it yet, but I bought one of these a few weeks ago. It does ship from China, so order ASAP. I've seen a few different versions of this product, but this variant has no third-party logo on the front, and it's just $30. If you want to spend a bit more, RayCue has some retro-style Macs that are actually designed to be docks. I haven't used one, but it looks like a fun desktop accessory. Pico-Mac-Nano While I'm on the subject of mini Macs, I don't want to leave out the Pico-Mac-Nano from Nick Gillard. The Maclock is palm-sized, but the nano is even smaller at just under 2.5 inches, plus it has an actual Mac operating system. Gillard did sell these fully assembled at one point, but Apple asked him to stop. You can still get the parts to make one, and Gillard has instructions. There's a full kit for GBP62.00 (around $100 shipped to the U.S.), and it would be a great gift for someone who likes retro items and a project. Aura Frames Priced starting at $149, Aura digital frames make a good gift for anyone who has digital photos, which is most of us these days. You can load photos on the frame using the Aura iPhone app, and since images are stored in the cloud, there's no limit. Multiple people can upload images to a single frame, so it's a great way to share photos with friends and family members. If you know someone that's not technically savvy, like a grandparent, it's still the perfect gift because you can load photos for them remotely. The $149 10.1-inch Carver is Aura's most affordable option, but there are sizes up to 15 inches, like the $299 Walden. Aura also makes higher resolution options, including the $199 Mason, and all the frames come in multiple colors to match any decor. Everyone I've gifted an Aura frame to has loved it, and it's my go-to for people that are hard to shop for. This year, Aura launched a frame that uses e-ink for a softer, more art-like look. It changes images less often and it's expensive at $449, but it has a different vibe than your standard photo frame. LEGO Retro Radio Priced at $100, the Retro Radio from LEGO has a sweet, nostalgic design, complete with a tuner, knobs, and speaker grille. It's actually functional, because you can remove the back plate from the set and place an ‌iPhone‌ inside so that the radio plays music. There's a built-in smartphone stand that holds the ‌iPhone‌ in place, but if you don't want to use an ‌iPhone‌, there's also a little sound brick that plays different sounds when you turn the knob. I have one of these, and it was a fun build. There are other LEGO sets that make for good gifts, even for people who aren't LEGO collectors. Anyone that likes a puzzle would probably like a LEGO set, and some have wide appeal. Here are a few I've gotten this year that would make for good gifts: LEGO Super Mario Game Boy ($60) - This isn't a working Game Boy, unfortunately, but it does come with swappable screens and LEGO game cartridges. It is possible to make a working version if you're so inclined. LEGO Botanicals Happy Plants ($19) - I'm a fan of the LEGO botanicals, and this set is small, inexpensive, and fun for the desktop. LEGO Botanicals Hibiscus ($70) - All of the LEGO botanicals make good gifts (I'm gifting a set of flowers and a bonsai this year), but the hibiscus is a newer set that has a unique flower shape and it comes with a pot so it matches sets like the orchid. Other great botanical options include the mini bonsais and the tiny plants set (a personal favorite). LEGO Kingfisher ($40) - This set was a lot of fun to put together, and it makes a great desk display because of its bright colors. It would be nice for a bird lover. LEGO Insects ($63) - This set has a butterfly, a Hercules beetle, and a praying mantis, and it's another excellent display piece. This one is delicate and can be a little frustrating, but it's one of my favorites in the ideas series. I do buy LEGO set gifts for people who aren't into LEGO and who haven't done one before, and it tends to go over well. Nanoleaf Display Boxes Earlier this year, I reviewed the Nanoleaf LED Expo Display Cases, and they're one of my favorite Nanoleaf products to date. They're far from cheap at $270, but they would make an excellent gift for someone that collects high-end sneakers, anime figures, or anything in that vein. The boxes can be set to 16 million colors or shades of white, and colors can change in time with music. I think Nanoleaf designed these for sneaker collectors, but anything can be put inside. Like a lot of Nanoleaf devices, these aren't going to go with every decor choice, but collectors and gamers will love them. AirPods You'll never go wrong with AirPods as a gift, and there are two really good options to choose from this year. The AirPods Pro were just refreshed with a third-generation version, and for $249, you get excellent Active Noise Cancellation and sound quality. The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that's more ergonomic and foam-infused silicone tips that fit snugly in the ears to drown out sound. With hearing aid support, ‌AirPods Pro 3‌ could be useful for a family member that has mild hearing loss but doesn't wear hearing aids. If you're purchasing for someone who doesn't like silicone ear tips, the AirPods 4 are an option. You can get them with or without Active Noise Cancellation. The ANC version doesn't cut out as much noise as the ‌AirPods Pro 3‌, but it's enough to make a difference. The AirPods 4 with ANC are a steal at $99 from Amazon right now, so it's not even worth getting the non-ANC version. I prefer the AirPods Pro fit and ANC over the ‌AirPods 4‌ because I have smaller ears and the ‌AirPods 4‌ can be painful. The AirPods Pro can drown out the sound of the heater, leaf blowing outside, the TV in the next room, road noise, and other sounds that sometimes drive me nuts. The ‌AirPods 4‌ are so inexpensive, though, that they're a great option on a budget. Philips Hue Lights I think I've tried every HomeKit smart bulb and light available at this point, and Philips Hue lights are the best you can get. I have no patience for lights that constantly disconnect or have connectivity issues, and the Hue bulbs don't. There is a $65 to $100 Bridge, but it's worth it. I mostly use Hue lights, and I've invested hundreds of dollars in my setup over time. Bulbs I have from almost 10 years ago are still functional. The $143 White and Color Starter Kit comes with two Hue bulbs that can go in any lamp that supports E26 bulbs, and it comes with the hub. It's one of the best bets if you're buying a gift for someone who is new to smart home products. The bulbs can be controlled with the Home app or the Hue app, and they can be set to 16 million colors. Hue has great light effects and scenes that really shine when you have multiple bulbs. For a cheaper option, there's the $99 Essentials Starter Kit that comes with a hub and four lower-power E26 multi-color bulbs. Hue Essentials bulbs don't dim quite as low and the color isn't as precise. Lightguide bulbs ($99) - These are perfect paired with a simple lamp base, because the bulb is meant to be the star. I have two of the ellipse bulbs, and they're enormous and look great. String lights ($132) - For holiday fans or those with patio setups crying out for lighting, the Hue Festavia String Lights would make a good gift. Signe floor lamp ($363) - The Signe floor lamp isn't the most practical light because it doesn't have a wide radius and is meant to face the wall, but it makes for great accent lighting. Hue Go ($99) - The Hue Go is a portable lamp that you can use plugged in or with the built-in battery, and it supports all of the same features as Hue bulbs. It's a nice accent light and good to have around for power outages. Hue Go Portable Table Lamp - This is a lot like the Hue Go, but it's a more traditional looking lamp. It's water resistant, so it can go outdoors, too. I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on the wishlist. Downlights ($66) - If you know someone that has those old can style downlights, a Hue upgrade would make a good gift. Downlights are super simple to swap out, and switching from the older models to Hue saves money and adds new lighting options. I switched all the downlights in my house to Hue and have no regrets. Outdoor Lights ($176+) - I swapped my porch lights and the lights in the back to Hue lights this year. It's more involved than downlight swaps, but provides fun lighting options for the holidays. I installed two of the Appear and three of the Econic, all of which have been working flawlessly. I use these with motion detectors. Hue also has some Festavia globe outdoor lights that look amazing, but I haven't tried them. Bambu Lab 3D Printer Bambu Lab makes a range of 3D printers that you can print to using just an app on your ‌iPhone‌ or your Mac. The A1 Mini is just $219, or $329 with the AMS Lite that lets you print with up to four filament colors. Bambu's printers are sort of the ‌iPhone‌ of 3D printers in that they're relatively easy to operate and have a lot of bells and whistles to streamline printing and cut down on issues. Models like the H2S and P2S come with an enclosure, and there are now several machines like the H2D that also have a laser cutting module. I've had a Bambu X1C for over two years now and do not hesitate to recommend Bambu printers for those interested in getting into 3D printing. It's easy to use, there are thousands of STLs out there for making everything you can think of, and you can even make your own using software like Tinkercad, Fusion 360, or even Nomad Sculpt on the iPad. I use my 3D printer weekly, if not daily, and Bambu printers get better all the time with new print options from Makerworld. I haven't personally used the A1 Mini, but it's a much more affordable way to try 3D printing, and it could make a great gift for an older child or a partner who likes to tinker. They're not entirely problem free, but I've been able to solve every issue I've run into, and there are endless settings to optimize. Portable Anker Chargers I reviewed portable power banks from several different brands this year, and I have two favorites that I keep coming back to from Anker. I love the $54 MagGo Nano Power Bank for wireless charging. It's the slimmest MagSafe power bank that I've tried, and it's so much better than thicker, bulkier models. I have a 17 Pro Max and it doesn't bother me to use it with the power bank attached because it doesn't add too much extra weight. It's only a 5,000 mAh battery so I don't get a full charge, but it's more than enough to get me through a day of heavy phone usage. My other favorite is the $60 Nano Power Bank with Retractable Cable. I didn't love this one right when I tried it because it's thick and rectangular, but it's turned out to be the power bank that I reach for most often. I like the lanyard, and the retractable USB-C cable is useful because I never need to hunt one down. I tend to prefer this power bank even over the magnetic model because the wired charging is much faster. Next time there's a sale, I plan to pick up another in teal. Ugreen Uno Chargers Ugreen's "Uno" line features chargers with fun little faces, and I think they're great. There's a $35 65W charger with four ports, which has legs and a digital panel with face emoji that change based on charging state. When a device is fast charging, for example, there's a face that looks like it has its mouth full, and when charging is finished, there's a little face with sunglasses. I've used this one on my desktop power strip for the last year. There are also two power banks that have the little emoji faces, one that's 5,000 mAh with Qi2 for $35, and one that's 10,000 mAh with USB-C for $50. They come with built-in stands that look like little headphones, which is a nice touch because you can use the stand for watching videos or FaceTiming. When I want to charge and need a stand, I use these. Nimble's Wall Chargers Nimble has $42 65W Wally Wall Chargers that come with a retractable 2-foot USB-C cable, and I love them. The prongs fold down and the cable retracts inside the enclosure, so they're ideal for travel. I have a cat that likes to nibble cables, and these keep the cable out of the way unless I'm charging. There's an extra USB-C port at the bottom so you can actually charge two devices at once. If you buy them from Apple, you can get fun colors that include deep purple or teal, though they're more expensive at $60. Nimble also has power banks in colors you don't often see, and I am a fan, but I don't love having to supply my own USB-C cable. Bird Buddy Available starting at $99, the Bird Buddy is the kind of gift that almost anyone will like, which makes it great for the person that has everything. It's a Wi-Fi connected smart bird feeder that sends you pictures of the birds that come to visit. You'll need to fill it with seed regularly and charge it up when necessary, but other than that, it operates on its own. To do away with charging, I recommend the solar version, which starts at $149. I've gifted the Bird Buddy and it's been a huge hit, with adults and kids too. Birdfy Bird Feeders Birdfy is a lot like Bird Buddy, but it has product options that Bird Buddy doesn't offer. You can get a standard Bird Feeder for the same $99 price as Bird Buddy, but if you're willing to spend a little more, there's a bigger version with multiple cameras. The $330 Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo has a triple-lens camera, including a dual-lens front camera and a second side camera to capture birds from every angle. It holds more seed than a standard version and comes with a solar panel. If you've gifted someone a Bird Buddy and they love it, this is the next upgrade option. Birdfy also sells the Bath Pro, which is a solar-powered smart birdbath with a camera. It's priced starting at $200 and lets you get photos of birds bathing and drinking. In some areas of the U.S., people in apartments and condos aren't able to put out bird feeders because of rats and pigeons. This is an excellent gift for someone that wants to attract birds but isn't able to have a feeder, but it's also great for avid birders. With bird feeders, you often need a specific kind of food to attract the birds you want, but a bird bath has more universal appeal. Govee Light Projectors Govee came out with some Matter-enabled projectors this year that can project stars or ocean scenes onto the walls and ceiling. I've been testing these for a month or so and have a review coming soon, but I think the lower-priced models would make a good gift. The $56 Star Light Projector has different night sky light effects paired with laser stars, while the $50 Ocean version has more of an under-the-sea vibe. There's a $180 Pro model with swappable galaxy scenes and laser stars, but it's really best for the real space projector enthusiast. Robot Vacuums I tested several Matter-enabled robot vacuums this year, and I am sold. These are excellent at vacuuming and mopping, and can be real time savers. I particularly liked the Deebot X11 Omnicyclone, the Deebot X9 Pro, and the Roborock Saros 10R. Some of these are over $1,100, but you get what you pay for. I've tested some lower-cost versions and have a review in the works, but the lower-end models I've used lack the navigation capabilities of the more expensive versions and add a lot more frustration to the cleaning process. Not all brands are the same, though, so it's worth some research on the best option. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 For printing photos, Epson's printers are some of the best, though Canon has its fans too. I recently got the EcoTank Photo ET-8550, and I think it's a great option if you want to get your images off of your phone. It's normally $800, but Best Buy has it for $500 right now. EcoTank printers are more expensive than your standard printer because the ink is cheap. These use refillable liquid ink rather than printer cartridges, and that is the main reason why I chose this model. Epson has to make its on the printer upfront because the ink lasts so much longer and is so much more affordable. There are other EcoTank printers that aren't as expensive, but this one is optimized for images and prints at up to 13"x19". Plant Grow Lights An iPhone-connected light is a great gift for someone that's into plants, and you will never go wrong with a light for an indoor plant collector. I like Modern Sprout light options for the clean aesthetic. There's a $90 light bar, a $200 grow house ideal for the kitchen counter, and a $270 Growframe that goes on the wall. The app lets you set the brightness and the schedule for the lights, which is essential. Aerogarden is also a good option, with prices that start at $16. I have the $50 AeroGarden Tabletop Grow Light that I've been using for a few years, and it works well. The lights are programmable with the Aerogarden app. $349 iPad and Apple Pencil For someone who is creative or wants to get into drawing, 3D sculpting, modeling, or similar, an ‌iPad‌ with an Apple Pencil is the best possible gift. Apps like ProCreate and Nomad Sculpt are powerful, and the ‌Apple Pencil‌ gives you a level of control that's hard to get on a Mac or PC. The ‌iPad‌ does a lot and it's an ideal gift for anyone, but it could really spark the creativity of an artistic child, or provide a new medium for an adult that already likes to sketch and draw. I have an iPad Pro with an ‌Apple Pencil‌ Pro, but all of Apple's iPads can be used with an ‌Apple Pencil‌, even the $349 model. The $499 iPad mini is the best for something to use on the go, and the $899 13-inch iPad Air is a good option if you want the biggest screen without paying ‌iPad Pro‌ prices. Gift Suggestions Have a great product suggestion we don't have in our list? Let us know in the comments below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these companies and may earn commissions on purchases made through links in this article. This article, "MacRumors 2025 Holiday Gift Guide" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

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The Signalgate scandal that enveloped US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in March appears to be symptomatic of a wider lax attitude towards the use of non-approved messaging apps by officials and employees, a Senate Committee has concluded. In March, the US Senate Committee on Armed Services set out to examine issues raised by the Signalgate incident: the need to clarify the existing rules on using “non-controlled” apps, and looking at whether Defense Secretary Hegseth adhered to them in his use of Signal, and whether his actions were evidence of a wider culture of insecure app usage within the Department of Defense (DoD). This week’s dual reports have come back with a mixed assessment of these points. Broadly, what Hegseth was accused of doing – communicating sensitive information using a third-party messaging app – appears to have been happening at the DoD in less serious contexts since at least 2020. This mirrors issues familiar to enterprises: unsanctioned or unmanaged messaging apps, including ones touting end-to-end encryption (E2EE) security, quickly become an IT backchannel that can invisibly undermine carefully-assembled security, compliance, and data retention policies. Shadow communications The first report, an assessment of the Defense Secretary’s use of the Signal app to communicate with senior colleagues in advance of a military operation against Yemen on March 15, is used to illustrate the point. It confirms the widely reported fact that two hours before the raid, Hegseth revealed details of the operation to a Signal group of 19 people, including a journalist who had been added to it in error. In doing so, the report agrees he violated security policies by sending sensitive information from a personal device, and using the non-approved Signal app in a way that revealed important operational details in advance of the strike. The report ducks the issue of whether this information was classified at the time it was sent, noting that Hegseth was senior enough to determine this for himself. The second background report has uncovered evidence of a more general culture of shadow communications in the DoD, including widespread use of video-conferencing apps during the Covid 19 pandemic. The evidence gathered is sparse and partly redacted, making it difficult to assess the seriousness of any breaches. Because the scope of its remit was limited to the evidence from previous audits, one of the committee’s recommendations is to undertake a more comprehensive assessment of unsanctioned app usage inside the DoD. There’s also a question mark around how old audits analyzed by a Senate committee could accurately measure something that, by its nature, is hidden and only recorded on personal devices. Nevertheless, the report says it is certain that Hegseth’s actions were not an isolated example, noting that staff had “used non-DoD-controlled electronic messaging systems for a variety of reasons. For example, some personnel used them because of the systems’ perceived appearance of security. As a result, DoD personnel increased the risk of exposing sensitive DoD information to our adversaries and did not comply with the legal obligation to retain and preserve official records.” In short, while there was no evidence that unsanctioned app use is routine or normalized, it is likely that enough staff are using them to make a serious breach possible at some point. The report concludes that one of the reasons staff have taken to these messaging apps was that they lack convenient alternatives. It recommends developing approved apps to remove this need, implementing a training program to ensure existing communication regulations are complied with, and limiting the authority to use messaging apps to senior staff, in specific circumstances. What’s surprising about this is that it has taken a major political row at government level to raise an issue that enterprise CISOs have been grappling with for years: the effects of BYOD, shadow IT (and now shadow AI), and unsanctioned apps that creep into organizations without anyone realizing it. Over the last two decades, the rise of mobile devices, the cloud, and apps has radically de-centralized IT in ways that top-down management models struggle to control. Meanwhile, nothing has changed; the Signal app at the center of this scandal remains hugely popular on both sides of the political divide, despite the appearance of additional issues with the technology. View the full article

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Chinese state-sponsored threat actors are backdooring VMware vCenter and VMware ESXi servers with a malware program written in Go, allowing them to maintain long-term persistence in victim networks. According to a joint report by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) organizations from the government services and facilities and IT sectors have been the primary targets. The malware program, known in the security industry as BRICKSTORM, was first reported by researchers from Mandiant and Google’s Threat Intelligence Group in September. At the time, Google said the backdoor remained undetected for 369 days on average and was found inside the networks of US legal services firms, SaaS providers, business process outsourcers, and technology companies. For its part, CISA has thus far analyzed eight separate BRICKSTORM samples, including one collected from a VMware vCenter server of an organization where the infection went undetected for over a year and a half allowing attackers to move laterally through the network. From web shell to domain control In the incident investigated by CISA, the attackers originally compromised a public-facing web server, though it’s unclear through what method. This was followed up by the deployment of a web shell — essentially a web script that serves as a backdoor to enable the attackers to remotely execute commands on the server. From the web server, the attackers were able to extract credentials for a service account and used it to access a domain controller from where they copied the Active Directory database. Credentials for a second service account were used to access another domain controller on the internal network and copy the AD database, which included credentials used by a managed service provider (MSP). Using the MSP credentials, the attackers were able to access a VMware vCenter server and deployed the BRICKSTORM malware in the /etc/sysconfig/ directory. Designed to work in virtualized environments The CISA, NSA, and Canadian Cyber Center analysts note that some of the BRICKSTORM samples are virtualization-aware and they create a virtual socket (VSOCK) interface that enables inter-VM communication and data exfiltration. The malware also checks the environment upon execution to ensure it’s running as a child process and from a specific path. This is part of a set of self-monitoring capabilities that ensure its persistence by reinstalling and executing itself if it detects something is not running correctly. The malware mimics web server functionality for its command-and-control (C2) communication to blend in with legitimate traffic. It also provides a SOCKS5 proxy for attackers to tunnel traffic during lateral movement operations. In terms of features, BRICKSTORM allows threat actors to browse the file system and execute shell commands, providing them with complete control over the compromised system. “Once the secure connection to the C2 domain is established, Sample 1 uses a custom Go package wssoft2 to manage incoming network connections and to process commands it receives,” the CISA analysts said. “Commands are directed to one of three handlers based on the function it needs: SOCKS Handler, Web Service Handler, and Command Handler.” Mitigations The joint advisory includes indicators of compromise for the analyzed samples as well as YARA and Sigma detection rules. The agencies also make the following recommendations: Upgrade VMware vSphere servers to the latest version. Harden your VMware vSphere environments by applying VMware’s guidance. Take inventory of all network edge devices and monitor for any suspicious network connectivity originating from these devices. Ensure proper network segmentation restricts network traffic from the DMZ to the internal network. Disable RDP and SMB from the DMZ to the internal network. Apply the principle of least privilege and restrict service accounts to only needed permissions. Increase monitoring for service accounts, which are highly privileged and have a predictable pattern of behavior (e.g., scans that reliably run at a certain hour of the day). Block unauthorized DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) providers and external DoH network traffic to reduce unmonitored communications. View the full article

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