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Tech the halls with gadgets and gizmos for great holiday gifts

Chargers, speakers, toys, Star Wars accessories: Tech expert Katie Linendoll showcases gizmos that make great holiday gifts.
/ Source: TODAY

Every year I love playing the role of Santa’s tech support, as I share my favorite gifts to tech the halls. Chargers, speakers, toys, Star Wars geekery — I’ve got it all covered!

Here are my top picks for this holiday season:

thinkgeek.com

iPhone Merry Charger, $14.99, thinkgeek.com

I purchased 40 of these as gifts for the TODAY crew! Love the bright, festive LED lights (10 of them). Fill your office or home with that holiday glow as you charge your iPhone 5 or 6.

thinkgeek.com

Candy cane charger, $14.99, thinkgeek.com

How sweet it is! This candy cane charger scores you three hours of additional charge time. It has both lighting and micro USB charger options and fits most devices, including iPhone 6.

olloclip.com

olloclip, starting at $59.99, olloclip.com

Take that Instagram shot to the next level: Slide olloclip over your iPhone lens and be prepared to be amazed with professional-grade shots. Options include 4-1 (includes wide-angle, fisheye, macro 10x and macro 15x), macro, telephoto, selfie and more. Fits iPhone 5 and up and Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5.

Budsies, starting at $79, budsies.com

Want to see your art become a stuffed animal? How about a selfie plushie? With Budsies, you just email a photo, art or text and it’s transformed into a plushie. The site even notifies you of the different steps throughout the process.

thinkgeek.com

R2-D2 indoor/outdoor lawn ornament with Santa hat, $89.99, thinkgeek.com

Star Wars fans know that R2-D2 is a droid for all seasons, including yuletide. This officially licensed Star Wars lawn ornament comes with a removable Santa hat, so he can be a perennial presence indoors or out. So cute! Takes very little time to assemble and no tools are needed. Weighs 3 pounds.

barnesandnoble.com

Star Wars Death Star Bluetooth speaker, $49.99, barnesandnoble.com

It’s a Death Star. No, wait, it’s a Bluetooth speaker! Rechargeable via USB. The speaker lights up upon use.

Jimmy Fallon Chic Pocket Square iPhone case, $48, jcrew.com

It acts like an iPhone case but looks like a pocket square: brilliant! And even more brilliant? Net proceeds go to David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a Kenya-based non-profit dedicated to elephant and rhino conservation that I had the pleasure of visiting not long ago.

propsinabox.com

Props in a Box, $74.99, propsinabox.com

Let your kids’ imagination (and inner movie producer) have at it! Each durable canvas box includes a backdrop, accessories and outfits (princess and chef, fisherman and astronaut, dinosaur and pirate, doctor and farmer). Download the free app and your kids can make mini movies! In-app special effects are also available.

Follow technology expert Katie Linendoll on Twitter and Facebook. For more, check out her top tech podcast Katie.Show: This week she interviews Matt Lauer and Willie Geist.