MacVoices Holiday Gift Guide

I was on MacVoices this week as part of their annual Holiday Gift Guide series. Chuck Joiner and I talked through some of my favorite gift recommendations for the Mac users/Explorers in your life.

The episodes also feature recommendations from Bart Busschots and Kirschen Seah, so check out the full conversation for their gift ideas. You can watch the full conversation here:

• Part 1
• Part 2

My Recommendations

GuideAlong– A GPS-based audio tour app that acts as an offline travel companion. Perfect for road trips to national parks where cell service is nonexistent. Tours are $14.99-$29.99 each. I wrote about using GuideAlong on our national parks quest. GuideAlong.com

MacWhisper Pro– Local AI transcription for macOS using OpenAI’s Whisper technology. The free version works great, but the Pro license (~$60) lets you integrate with Claude’s API for cleaning up transcripts. I use this constantly as part of my dictation workflow. MacWhisper on Gumroad

“The Holding It Together” Bundle– My dad-style DIY kit: gaffer tape, Bongo Ties, and 550 paracord. Total cost around $35-40. These are the things I keep reaching for when something needs fixing or organizing.

• Gaffer Tape at B&H Photo (~$20)
• Bongo Ties or at B&H Photo (~$9 for 10)
• 550 Paracord at The Paracord Store (~$5-8)

Peak Design Tech Pouch– The origami-style organizer that finally made my cable chaos manageable. I wrote a full post about my tech pouch setup a few years ago, and this is still the foundation of that kit. Peak Design Tech Pouch ($59.95)