Presents

In Defense of Re-Gifting

I have a confession: I bought almost no Christmas presents this year. Don’t get me wrong, my Sikh ass loves this glitzy Christian holiday, so I gave people gifts, and good ones at that. I gave my sister some cute earrings, my childhood friend a dope scented candle, and my boyfriend’s mom’s boyfriend a copy…

I Desperately Need This Lego Machine That Measures Presents and Perfectly Cuts Wrapping Paper to Size

As enjoyable as the holidays are, there are parts that you’re happy to be done with—like wrapping presents. It’s a process that seems overly complicated, especially when your hard work is going to just be torn to shreds, which is why I desperately want this giant Lego machine as my gift-wrapping assistant. This machine measures…

Research Shows That Doing a Bad Job Wrapping Presents Will Make a Person Like Your Gift Even More

The hectic holidays are approaching, but according to a study shared in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, you shouldn’t waste your time immaculately wrapping the gifts you bought everyone—they’re more inclined to like what’s inside if the presents are wrapped poorly. The common assumption is that if someone were to hand you a gift that…

Dads With Drones Are Ruining Christmas

Lots of thoughtful people gave their father a drone this Christmas, because they had already gotten him a Kindle last year and an iPad the year before that and you sort of stall out on gift ideas from there. But! Drones can be difficult, and dads can be clumsy*, and the result has been nationwide…

How to Use Your Fancy New Camera Like a Pro

Congratulations, you just scored an awesome new camera. Welcome to our annual guide to getting started with your new tool. Whether you’re shooting on a DSLR, mirrorless, or a top-notch point-and-shoot, these tips will get you on your way. The rest is up to you. What do I need to buy? Extra lenses All but…

How Many Gifts Are You Selling on eBay?

Every year, without fail, we all receive some bad gifts. Sure, you may’ve scored that phone, e-reader or laptop that you were lusting after, but there will be shockers, too: a hand-knitted sweater from your grandma, novelty socks, or, perhaps if you’re incredibly unlucky, an $80 Walmart tablet. And with gifts that bad, there’s only…

Hey last-minute shoppers, good news: Apple just brought back the ability to gift apps from your iOS devices.

Nerdy Gifts for Comic Book Fans

It’s been a long time since being a comic fan was a shameful thing. Comics are cool now! Kind of. But buying for a comic fan can be tough, since you never know what they’ve read, and what’s any good. Here are some good bets for the comic fanboys and fangirls in your life. Hey…

The Gadgets We Really Want This Christmas

With all the gear passing through Giz headquarters, we fall in love with our fair share of tech. Sadly, we have to return the objects of our desire. Just as we fall for one, we’re forced to covet from afar. These are the gadgets we’ll be crushing on the hardest this holiday season. Hey there!…

We’ve Bought $41 Billion in Unused Gift Cards Since 2005

Gift cards are the laziest, lousiest, most convenient, popular and widely given present. And this is your yearly reminder of just how much they stink. Since 2005, we’ve tossed out more value in gift cards than the entire GNP of Ghana. https://gizmodo.com/the-vile-history-of-gift-cards-and-how-they-came-to-des-5434783 $41 billion is pretty hard to defend. We’re lazy; we have things to…

The Gadgets We Really Want for Christmas

We see a lot of gadgets. We play with a lot of gadgets. We write about a lot of gadgets. So we thought you might like to see the few gadgets that we really want for Christmas. 1. Joe Brown: SousVide Supreme Demi Sous Vide Water Oven “I have been dropping hints like a motherfucker,…

The Ultimate Father’s Day Shopping Deadline Guide

You know that Father’s Day is coming up. But if you’re anything like me, “June 19th” still sounds distant enough that you haven’t gotten off your ass to actually buy a gift. It’s not too late. (But it almost is!) Here’s a list of places that should have presents your dad won’t hate, and that…

I Wish All Airlines Were as Awesome as This One

Now, here’s a story that makes me happy. European airline Spanair decided to surprise 190 passengers flying on December 24 from Barcelona to Las Palmas—in the Canary Islands—with Christmas Presents. And not just stupid little gifts. Real presents. When the passengers went to pick up their suitcases in Las Palmas, they watched in amazement as…

So You Got a Fancy New Camera: Here’s How to Use It

Congratulations! A loved one loves you back enough that they bought you a brand new fancy camera. Now what? 1. Pimp your camera Get Lenses Unless they really love you, whoever dropped dime on your shooter probably didn’t load up on the accessories. First priority! More lenses. (If you got a DSLR, anyway.) And this…

So…What Did You Get?

Santa’s long gone and you’ve finished unwrapping all your gifts. Now we want to know: What did you get? Did you find everything your heart desired under the tree or were there only lumps of coal waiting? Personally, I had many pleasantly surprising gifts but most definitely did not get everything that I wanted—unless one…

Didn’t Get Anything From Santa This Year? Here’s Why

Didn’t get any gifts from Santa this year? I think I know why. You see, last year a boy wanted to get some revenge on the old man in red and—well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. At least now we know how to extort the Easter bunny for whatever we didn’t find under our…

What the Hell do You Buy an Audiophile for Christmas?

Sound snobs are the easiest—and yet hardest—folks for whom to Christmas-shop. You know they want something audio-related, but you’re probably not qualified to choose something. No problem. We’ve got this. Go Mono Before he became famous for giant wigs and homicide trials, legendary producer Phil Spector used to proclaim, “back to mono!” An interesting retro-trend…

Wrap Nerds’ Gifts in QRapping Paper for Further Unlockable Treats

Not only does this wrapping paper look brilliant, but it also hides 50 video-gifts, readable using QR code apps. There are drunken carol-singers, flaming gingerbread houses, and who knows what else. 2 sheets cost $20. [QRappingPaper via JoshSpear via OhGizmo]

Guaranteed Awesome Gifts For The Bookworm

Bookworms are quiet creatures who live for peaceful corners and lazy weekend reads—and they can be hell to shop for. So here are some gift ideas for the the bibliophiles in your life. Note that with the exception of The Complete New Yorker, I’ve refrained from making specific book suggestions. That’s because it’s pretty rough…

The Vile History of Gift Cards and How They Came to Destroy Christmas

Gift cards have ruined Christmas. An utterly depressing fact: They’re the most popular present in the United States. Did you know Blockbuster is responsible for the modern gift card? The Big Money’s history of gift cards is a fascinating timeline of how they spread like a virus, infecting every gift-giving tradition we hold dear: Neiman…