Well, if you don’t want to have to think about it too hard, why are you driving yourself nuts thinking about it so hard? Give 'em cash, or an online gift card someplace they like to shop, and be done with it. Obligation fulfilled with pretty much thought or effort on your part.
I know you don’t like the idea of giving to charity in someone else’s name, but awhile back I “bought” my dad a laptop from One Laptop Per Child for his birthday. (So yes, essentially a donation in his name to OLPC - he didn’t actually receive one of the laptops they make. Although you can buy one for yourself, if you like. At least you could when I did it.) He’s big on education, and has the ability to buy himself anything and everything he wants, but he was delighted with “his” laptop.
Perhaps something like that might be an option, if you think any of your family members might be interested in such a thing.