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2014 Holiday gift guide: Mobile gadget stocking fillers

Some gifts in this feature you just might have to buy for yourself.
By Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer
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1 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Grip strip

Available in various colors, the Grip strip is an inexpensive way to mount your smartphone, and a fun stocking filler. The polymer compound removes the need for magnets and glue, and instead, you can choose to stick a variety of items -- whether a smartphone or pair of keys -- to different surfaces.

Price: £6.99 ($11)

Purchase: Firebox

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2 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Stand Flexicharge Flexible Charger

Another gravity-defying stocking filler, the Stand Flexicharge consists of a tough cable which not only charges a smartphone but can be positioned to display your device where you need it. Connected via USB, the gadget is suitable for computers and vehicles with a USB-32 pin connector.

Price: £10.45 ($16)

Purchase: Genie Gadgets

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3 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Tablet Tux

The Tablet Tux Tuxedo tablet cover is a cute product that will stretch across most tablets. The cover, made from neoprene, will stop scratches from ruining your tablet's screen. It's not as durable or strong as some others on the market, but certainly has a personality.

Price: £8.99 ($14)

Purchase: Iwantoneofthose

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4 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Leather Slip Cover

If you want a cover which is a bit more sober, this leather slip cover -- suitable for the iPad 2, 3, 4, Air and Air 2 -- is a simple but classic design made from Indian leather.

Price: £14.99 ($23)

Purchase: Iwantoneofthose

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5 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

AmazonBasics 4.0 amp dual USB car charger

The AmazonBasics 4.0 amp dual USB car charger is a useful item for those who travel often. You can charge two devices simultaneously while in your car, and the charger is compatible with Apple, Android and Amazon Fire Phone power cables.

Purchase: Amazon

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6 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

The Selfie stick

The Selfie, the popular but somewhat annoying trend across social media to take self-made smartphone portraits, has entered the commercial realm. The Selfie stick is a portable tripod of sorts which can be turned to help you create shots without needing to keep your hands on your smartphone.

Price: £6.95 ($10)

Purchase: Red5

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7 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Jack Rabbit headphone splitter

If you want to share a video or song playing on your mobile device, the easiest way to do so is to share a pair of earphones with your friend. However, the Jack Rabbit headphone splitter means you can both enjoy a full audio experience -- by placing two sets of headphones in the same jack. Simple, but a functional gift.

Price: £6.95 ($10)

Purchase: Prezzybox

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8 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

iPhone Doodle Case

An unusual but fun gift for the kids, the iPhone Doodle Case -- suitable for 4/4S & 5 iPhone models -- contains a black marker pen and clear case for the owner to create their own designs. Once scribbled on, the ink dries, and if you become bored with your design or make a mistake, the solution provided can be used to clean the case and start again.

Price: £9.45 ($15)

Purchase: Genie Gadgets

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9 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Nuvango skins

As an owner of a Nuvango skin, which was a gift, I can recommend the website as a source for unusual, artistic covers designed for tablets and smartphones. You can find anything from well-known artwork to geeky, tech-related icons, and pricing is reasonable.

Price: $various

Purchase: Nuvango

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10 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Veho Pebble Smartstick

The Veho Pebble Smartstick is a small, 2200mAh emergency charger for mobile devices. It is small and light enough to throw in your bag and forget about, but can prove invaluable if you run out of juice on the road.

Price: £9.99 ($15)

Purchase: Iwantoneofthose

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11 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Cardboard smartphone projector

Available for pre-order ahead of Christmas, this inexpensive cardboard structure acts as a projector for media on your smartphone. Thanks to a glass lens embedded within, you can project films and clips from your smartphone on to a wall. However, of note is that the projector is not compatible with larger mobile devices, such as Apple's iPhone 6.

Price: £15.99 ($25)

Purchase: Firebox

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12 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Quarkie Earphones

A fun stocking filler, Quarkie's snake eye earphones stand out from the crowd.

Price: £6.99 ($11)

Purchase: Iwantoneofthose

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13 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

iMagnet cradle-less universal car phone windshield dashboard mount

Suitable for those who travel often and need access to their phones with as little distraction as possible, the iMagnet dashboard mount is a universal stand which uses suction to hold on to most surfaces -- including car dashboards. Once in place, hold the smartphone just above the mount and the device will magnetically stick.

Price: $24.99

Purchase: Amazon

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14 of 14 Charlie Osborne/ZDNET

Rocketfish PadPivot

Another mount, but more versatile than suction-based products, is the Rocketfish PadPivot. You can turn the mount 360 degrees along with horizontal or vertical viewing -- suitable for any number of scenarios, and so makes a versatile gift or stocking filler.

Price: $17.65

Purchase: Amazon

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