Yet again, I’m buying gifts for people and need gift ideas. This crowd really came through last year and I’d love to try it again!

I don’t want to make rules, but I think we need a couple:

  1. Let’s at least cap them at $50ish. Telling people you want a DJI Drone, a Steam Deck or PS5 simply isn’t realistic. I’m not looking for ideas in that price range (even though I’d probably love all these, myself).
  2. Avoid intimate stuff. I’m not talking sex toys (though avoid those too - I’m not buying my sister-in-law a dildo), but more things that are really personal like jewellery, watches and stuff that you need to know the person’s tastes to get right.
  • _deleted_@aussie.zoneEnglish
    4·
    9 days ago
    • a set of whisky stones. You keep them in the freezer and then they chill your drink but don’t dilute it like ice when it melts. I found some at the newsagent, you might have to go looking
    • Good quality sound blocking earplugs. I got some that reduce ambient noise by 27dB, at the local pharmacy
    • staple free stapler. It cuts the paper and folds it a certain way to hold it together but comes apart easily when you want it to
    • t-shirts with witty jokes or cultural references. Might be too late to order online
    • those multi tool gadgets that go on your key ring. It’s always useful to have a bottle opener, small screwdriver, and something to open boxes with, as well as all the other doohickeys that they often have
    • Nath@aussie.zoneOPMEnglish
      5·
      9 days ago

      I don’t know where to get either of these things any more, but I would replace them like-for-like if either died if possible:

      The key multitool is never plan A. I’ll always reach for a better tool if possible. But I always have this on me, and it has saved my bacon more times than I can count.

      It’s so small that you can get it through airport security.

      • _deleted_@aussie.zoneEnglish
        2·
        9 days ago

        I don’t know where to get either of these things any more

        I have bought both on eBay, but probably too late now for Xmas

        never plan A

        No but all of these are good for stocking stuffers, if you’re into that sort of thing

      • kudra@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        9 days ago

        omg this is brilliant. I have had mini screwdriver sets taken from me at airports, so effing annoying. this is perfect and they appear to be from $2.50 if you want to wait to get it from China, or around $10 in AU on ebay, so possible to still get. what exactly is the usb (device?)

        • Nath@aussie.zoneOPMEnglish
          2·
          9 days ago

          The utili-key looks like a regular key on your keyring, which is why I’ve never had it confiscated at airport security. Frankly if you can hijack a plane with one of these things, you can hijack a plane without one of these things.

          The USB is a “Lacie imakey”. Lacie has since been assimilated into one of the big hard drive companies (Seagate I think). These USB keys are a victim of their success. You just buy the one, and never need another. This one is over ten years old.

      • Taleya@aussie.zoneEnglish
        1·
        9 days ago

        Usb shaped keys are everywhere on ebay and temu. I’ve seen the multitools on mighty ape

        • Nath@aussie.zoneOPMEnglish
          1·
          9 days ago

          Yep I know, but this thing is built like a nuclear bunker. Honestly: 11 years of daily carry, being knocked and crashed and squished about like a set of keys. Even Gotten wet a few times. I have doubts they make them on temu or eBay like this thing.

          Lacie made the “rugged” range of disks and this is representative of their build quality. It’s only 32gb, and only usb2. I wish it were bigger and faster, but I’ll take its amazing toughness over those traits.

    • Taleya@aussie.zoneEnglish
      1·
      9 days ago

      Re whisky stones: you can get stone and you can get ceramic cubes. The former look cooler, but the latter carry zero absorption