It’s that time of the year again. Whether shopping is a joy to you, or a source of headache, when it comes to giving gifts, we are here to help. The challenge of the day: getting a gift for under $10. You may be looking for ideas for a party where you are to exchange gifts, or looking to make a small gesture in spreading goodwill and cheer.

In any case, you will probably find an idea that works in the following list. Note that some of these products may be out of stock – hey, it happens, it’s Christmas – so if you are looking for more ideas, check out our holiday gift guide. And in case you need it, here are some creative gift wrapping ideas you can try out.

Recommended Reading: Gift Exchange Ideas: 40 Gifts You Can Get Under $10

Plug tags T2 Cable Identifier

Do you get your cables mixed up all the time? Then these cable identifiers should come in handy for you. Every set contains 6 tags with different designs and colors.

($7.50)

Work-Less Play-More Notepad

A 48-page notepad featuring prints of balls from 8 diffferent sports. Crumple up a page for a few rounds of wastepaper basketball.

($9.49)

Hamee Aluminum Cap Earphone Jack Accessory

This aluminium cap is designed for a standard 3.5mm earphone jack. Besides keeping your earphone jack clean from dust, it’s also a nice little decoration item for your smartphone.

($5.90)

Disney Character Mickey Mouse Smartphone Stand

Let Mickey’s er… bottom half hold your smartphone in place. This isn’t just a cute smartphone stand, it is strong and adjustable to different angles. Besides Mickey, Donald and Winnie the Pooh stands are available too.

($7.90)

Pac-Man Heat Changing Mug

This heat-changing mug, when filled with hot water, will light up with a scene from the legendary game Pac-Man. A perfect gift for any retro gamer.

($9.99)

Batman Night Light

Are your kids afraid of the dark? This Batman night light comes with a built-in sensor that turns on the light when it is dark. With Batman watching over you, there is nothing to fear.

($9.99)

Green Lantern Costume Can And Bottle Cooler

A can/bottle cooler to futfill the needs of any Green Lantern fans wanting to join forces with their favorite superhero.

($7.99)

Shark Fin Ice cube Tray

Who wants some shark fin ice cubes? Iconic Jaws theme not included – you’ll have to hum it yourself.

($9.95)

Personalised Wooden Spoon

Get a totally unique wooden spoon that is personalised with your name and a short message for just 9 bucks.

($8.98)

Joystand Headphone Tidy And phone Stand

Built in the shape of a good old joystick, this is one handy phone stand that also doubles as a place to hold your earphones. One job at a time, of course.

($8.18)

Space Invaders Earphone Holder

Another cool gift for retro gamers. This cool Space Invaders-themed earphone holder would also look really nice when used as a decoration item for your bag.

($5.50)

Beanie hat With Built-in headphones

On a cold winter’s day, what can be better than having a beanie with comfortable built-in headphones? It comes with a 3.5mm output and is made of 100% cotton.

($5.85)

Human Evolution Bookmarks

A unique, colorful and lighthearted interpretation of the evolution theory.

($6.50)

Minesweeper Post Card

Love Minesweeper? This is the scratch card slash postcard version. There are two levels, easy (80 mines) and hard (120 mines). The problem is, you have to stick your own flags one at a time.

($3.00)

appWheel

Get more out of your mobile gaming experience with AppWheel, a driving wheel that can be used to hold your iPhone while you steer your way to a race victory. It is compatible with iPhone 3GS/4/4S and iTouch 3 & 4.

($9.95)

Bandit Stretchable Organizers

Here are some multipurpose rubber bands with hooks. You can use them to tidy up your cables, organize your keys, and more – all it takes is some creativity.

($5.99)

Thumbies Game Button Controller

Another item to help you take your mobile gaming experience to the next level. These suction cup button controllers are the ideal enhancements for virtual gamepad layouts used in many mobile games.

($8.99)

Star Wars Key Cover With Ball Chain

Show your support for your favorite Star Wars characters with these key covers. With 8 character designs to choose from, the force is strong in these.

($5.90)

Automatic Toothpaste Squeeze Dispenser

This automatic toothpaste squeeze dispenser is not just convenient, but also environmentally friendly. Plus, it spells an end to those squeeze from the middle or from the back of the tube debates.

($6.06)

Accuracy Laser Scissors

A pair of steel blade scissors with laser sighting system – cutting in a straight line has never been easier.

($8.47)

Dustin Screen Cleaner

Get rid of smudges on your screens with Dustin Screen Cleaner. There are two sides to each cleaner: one side wipes away bigger messes and the other erases fingerprints or smudges.

($9.99)

100 Film Toilet Paper Box

They may have done away with Kodak film but you can still have one of these as a waterproof toilet paper container.

($9.54)

Iron Man Hand Model Pen Drive

Although you can only get the 4GB version for under $10, an Iron Man Hand Model Pen Drive still makes an awesomely cool collectible.

($9.67)

Pack of 5 Sharetapes

A sharetype is a device that you can use to store your favorite playlists (from YouTube, Spotify, etc.) and share them with your friends, which can be done in 3 ways: tapping the sharetape on a NFC enabled device, or scan the QR code (unique to each sharetape) at the back of the sharetape, or simply enter the QR code here.

($6.99)

The Bottle Cap Tripod

Turn just about any bottle into a makeshift camera tripod with this bottle cap tripod. A thoughtful gift for your hobbyist photographer friend.

($10)

Know of more gems you would like to share with our fellow readers? Sound off in the comments section below.

Many of the world’s most successful creatives had peculiar habits and rituals that they used to make some of the most celebrated art. The book Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, exposes some of the interesting, funny, and bizarre rituals of painters, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and other famous artists. From lucky charms to special meals to simple long walks, every artist or creative person has their own unique way to harness their creativity and motivate themselves to work.

As a designer, most likely living a much more mundane life than, say, Beethoven, who roused his creative muse by splashing water all around his flat, you may nonetheless be intrigued by the idea of getting more out of your creative brain by adopting a regular ritual. We’re going to explore some ways to go about it, as well as what, if any, the exact benefit would be.

Recommended Reading: 6 Ways To Unleash Creativity In The Workplace

Routine Frees Up Creativity

The main gist behind a creative ritual, regardless of the actual action used, is that the brain responds very positively to routine. All of the artists profiled in Currey’s book did something on a regular basis, which is the most important takeaway and speaks to the way in which we process information and alleviate stress.

When we force ourselves to adopt a routine, whether it’s working out at the gym or swallowing a live goldfish, we remove the hard decisions about when and how to start work that can use up our mental energy. The truth is, every decision you have to make will deplete your willpower and mental energy – even if it’s something insignificant like what you will have for dinner.

The more activities you can put on autopilot, the more you can focus entirely on doing your work.

Jumpstarting Your Inertia

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s difficult for me to get started on a project, especially if it’s very large or difficult. Having a routine to get yourself out of your morning rut can be a tremendous help. Millions and millions around the world use coffee or tea for this purpose, but the excessive caffeine can become an issue.

A routine such as walking, doodling, or journaling can have the same invigorating effect without jeopardizing your health.

Read Also: 26 Adorable & Cute Doodle Artwork For Your Inspiration

Decreasing Nervous Energy

If you’re wound up about a project and are feeling scatterbrained, having a ritual can help calm you down. Something like meditation, reading, or listening to music can help you focus your mind and eliminate the jitters. This is especially helpful for those who are easily distracted or have trouble keeping their attention on the task at hand, and a much healthier alternative to spending hours worrying or self-medicating.

Your brain is very malleable and susceptible to influence from you that will change the way it approaches a task. After a relaxing ritual that you turn into an everyday habit, your brain actually becomes better adapted to focus. Think of it like training a pet to behave the way you want it to. The more you practice a habit, the easier it becomes because you’re actually changing the neural pathways in your brain.

Rerouting Negative Feelings

If you’re dreading an upcoming project, it can help decrease your unease if you briefly practice something pleasant immediately beforehand. In the book The Art Of Learning by Josh Waitzkin, there is a case study of a man who used music and playing ball with his son as relaxation techniques he did each morning before attending a horrible, exhausting meeting at work.

Eventually, the man was able to overcome the intense feelings of dread and anxiety about the meeting, and replace them with the pleasant feelings of playing with his son and listening to music. The meetings subsequently became much easier to bear.

If you’re facing a similar situation with a horrible client meeting or something similar, ask yourself if there’s a ritual you could adopt beforehand that can help you carry over those pleasant feelings and eliminate the unpleasant ones. Sometimes spending time with a family member or friend, or doing an activity you genuinely love right before you have to do something you hate can help you convert your attitude about getting it done.

In Conclusion

Whether or not you adopt a specific ritual is up to you. But keep in mind that your willpower will diminish, the less focus and routines you have. Planning ahead and doing things in a methodical way will give you the energy you need to get through your day regardless of how you choose to approach it.

As bring your own device (BYOD) policies become more and more popular with enterprises and their employees, issues related to data security and confidentiality become more and more important. In the past, Android has generally been seen as a less secure platform than either iOS or Blackberry, but this might just be about to change if Samsung has its way with its new security service, KNOX.

Samsung KNOX is a high-level security system that aims to make Samsung smartphones as enterprise-ready as competing offerings from Apple and Blackberry. What KNOX does is it creates a separate instance of Android on your phone that is protected via a multitude of security features.

This instance, the KNOX Container, is completely separate from your personal space, and the two never come into contact. Your business data and apps will thus be protected from leaks, as well as in the case of phone loss or theft.

Recommended Reading: The New Samsung Galaxy S4: Everything You Need To Know

Getting Started

KNOX isn’t available as an .APK or a download from the Play Store. So, if your device doesn’t come pre-installed with KNOX, you’ll have to download and install Samsung’s Android 4.3 Samsung Premium Suite, which will add KNOX support.

If you haven’t gotten this update yet, you can check for it by going to Settings > More > About Phone > System Update > Check for Updates.

Once you have downloaded and installed the Android 4.3 update, you will find a KNOX icon in your app tray. Tap on it and you’ll be asked to download and install the KNOX app itself.

With KNOX downloaded and installed from the app tray icon, you will be asked to set a password and PIN number for your container.

KNOX’s Security Features

As a separate Android installation, the KNOX Container has its own homescreen, apps, widgets and data. It also has security-related limitations – you can’t take screenshots while in KNOX – and there is support for mobile device management (MDM) suites such as AirWatch and Fiberlink. This support will allow device administrators to determine the apps and functions that can be used within the KNOX Container.

All the data within the KNOX Container is encrypted using the Advanced Encryption System (AES) algorithm with a 256-bit key. In addition to this encryption, KNOX also has three additional security features:

• Customizable Secure Boot – manages the apps that start on boot,
• Security Enhancements for Android – isolates data and apps
• TrustZone-based Integrity Measurement Architecture (TIMA) – secures the device’s kernel.

Using KNOX

There are 2 ways to access the KNOX Container from your personal Android space. You can either tap the KNOX icon in your app tray or swipe down the Notifications Bar and access it via the notification bar icon – Tap to start.

The first time you log in, you’ll be prompted to enter the password you set when you installed KNOX. KNOX has a password timeout feature (customizable in the Settings menu) which lets you skip re-entering your password if you have to switch between KNOX and your personal space in quick succession.

To log out, you can tap the Personal icon in the lower left corner of the KNOX homescreen, or you can swipe down the Notifications Bar and tap on the KNOX icon, which will say Tap to exit.

KNOX Apps

The KNOX Container comes with some pre-installed apps such as Camera, Email, Internet and S-Planner. Samsung also has a special KNOX-specific app store, "Samsung KNOX apps". Here, you can find KNOX-compatible versions of popular apps such as Dropbox, OfficeSuite Viewer 7, Evernote, Box and others. See the full list of apps here.

All of these apps will only function in the KNOX Container, and will stay separate from the apps in your personal space. This means that any data entered into or captured with any of these apps will only be accessible within KNOX.

You can also add shortcuts for any of these KNOX apps onto your personal homescreen, for quick access without first switching over to the KNOX Container.

Limitations

There are a few limitations to KNOX:

• KNOX is only available for Samsung devices that get the Android 4.3 Samsung Premium Suite Upgrade.
• If you have rooted your Samsung device, it’s best to skip using KNOX. It will detect if your phone has been rooted, and if it has, KNOX will void your warranty. It is part of the design to protect your sensitive business data.
• The applications available in the Knox app store are also somewhat limited.

Conclusion

Overall, Samsung’s KNOX is an interesting and useful security solution that will appeal to enterprise owners as well as their employees, particularly those operating in a BYOD environment. Its KNOX Container will ensure that work and personal data do not mix, and the various security features will help ensure that the data remains secure in any eventuality.

If the features and functionality of KNOX are anything to go by, it looks like there’s now a new player in the enterprise-ready mobile device market.

You probably have stories in your blog you want to highlight to your readers. This is commonly referred to as "Featured Posts" or "Featured Content". If you are using WordPress, displaying these featured posts can be achieved in various ways, one of which is using a plugin like Jetpack.

Jetpack consists of the features that we find in WordPress.com. At the time of the writing, it holds 30 features including WordPress.com Stats, Photon, Infinite Scroll, and our focus of the day, Featured Content. Let’s get to it.

Add theme support

The first thing you need to do is add the add_theme_support function in functions.php of your theme.

 add_theme_support( 'featured-content', array( 'featured_content_filter' => 'mytheme_get_featured_content', )); 

After adding it, you will find a new form, Featured content, under the Settings > Reading page.

Specify the tag name for your featured content, set the number of posts you want to show, and tick the checkbox to prevent the tag from appearing on your blog. Assign the posts you want marked as Featured with the tag.

Displaying the Content

We will add a few lines of code to display the featured content in our theme. And, as an example in this tutorial, I’m going to use TwentyTwelve.

Usually the featured content is displayed on the front page. If your theme follows the WordPress standard theme strucuture, the front page is rendered either in index.php, home.php, or front-page.php.

Open functions.php, and add the following function to get the featured posts and put them in array.

 function twentytwelve_get_featured_content() { apply_filters( 'twentytwelve_featured_content', array() ); } 

We can further extend that code, like so.

 function twentytwelve_get_featured_content( $num = 1 ) { global $featured; $featured = apply_filters( 'twentytwelve_featured_content', array() ); if ( is_array( $featured ) || $num >= count( $featured ) ) return true; return false; } 

The above conditional statement will show the featured content if at least there is one present and while the page is not being paged (it is not in the second page onwards).

Additionally, we can also set a new thumbnail size for the featured content. In this example, I created a new size, which is 250 by 160 pixels. You can add the following code somewhere below the add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnail' ).

 add_theme_support( 'post-thumbnails' ); add_image_size( 'twentytwelve-featured-thumb', 250, 160, true ); 

Next, let’s create a new template called featured.php, and add this code below to put the featured content in proper HTML structure.

 <div class="featured-post clearfix"> <figure class="post-thumbnail"> <?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ) { the_post_thumbnail('twentytwelve-featured-thumb'); } ?> </figure> <div class="post-entry"> <h3 class="post-title"><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h3> <?php the_excerpt(); ?> </div> </div> 

In the index.php, we call that template by using get_template_part() and put it in the loop like so:

 <?php if ( twentytwelve_get_featured_content(1) ) : ?> <div id="featured"> <h2><?php _e( 'Featured Content', 'twentytwelve' ); ?></h2> <?php foreach ( $featured as $post ) : setup_postdata( $post ); ?> <?php get_template_part( 'featured', get_post_format() ); ?> <?php endforeach; ?> </div> <?php endif; ?> 

At this stage, we are technically done, and after adding some CSS, we will have a nice little section of featured content.

We hope this tutorial will be useful for you, and if you are having trouble following the tutorial, feel free to let us know in the comments.