Things I want to Share

Is your father a nerd? We know you love him but do you sometimes get a chuckle out of him for being so geeky? Does he program everything in sight, from the remote control to his computer? Is he the in-house tech support and network administrator? If “yes,” your father just might be a nerd and here are a few compatible gifts for him.

Power meter
Here’s a gift for the technically savvy Dad that could help save the environment too.

Eee PC from Asus
This mini-PC makes a great carry along computer. It has a 7 inch display, weighs just less than 2 lb. and comes in colors. You can get a Windows version or Linux version for around $300

Nerd tie
If your Dad has a sense of humor and you want to get him the traditional father’s day tie, here’s a good suggestion.

Hand powered radio
What techie Dad wouldn’t appreciate a good multi-band radio that you power with batteries or hand powered magneto? A device like this could make a good addition to your disaster preparedness kit. The Solar Hand-Crank radio costs about $25 and includes a flashlight. The Eton FR400 costs about $60 and includes an analog TV audio tuner that unfortunately will be useless after February 2009 but then any self-respecting techie would have known that.

Bluetooth Phone Home
Plantronics Calisto is a Bluetooth based cordless phone. Your Dad can wear the Bluetooth headset around the house and as long as he's in range talk on the phone and keep his hands free to tinker with whatever needs tinkering with. It costs around $250 but you also get a Bluetooth headset you can use with your mobile phone.

Dads love gadget gifts too; and especially more if it’s multi-functional camera, GPS, cool phone or electronic books. Your Dad might already have a good collection of gadgets but there’s always room for more cool gear that will enhance your Dad’s digital lifestyle. Here are some ideas of gadget gifts to give that new or expecting dad in your life.

Ultimate Father's Day Gift
Here's a wild suggestion; buy your father a new Apple Macbook Air. This super svelte laptop is so thin it fits inside a manila envelope yet it still boasts a full size keyboard and 13.3 inch LED backlight display.

Digital Photo Frames
In the briefcase, on the bureau, or on the desk at the office, digital picture frames are starting to replace the old wood and glass picture frames. You can buy an 8 inch frame or even a smaller one to take on the road for under $200. The Pandigital DPF802 is an 8 inch 800 x 600 photo frame that gets good ratings and sells for around $150. The Westinghouse DPF 0561 is a smaller 5.6 inch photo frame that can be purchased for around $80. The Kodak SV811 is a similar frame that sells for a little over $100 but gets some mixed reviews. For the ultimate in portability load up a keychain photo frame with some pictures of the family and gift it to Dad.

Headphones
For the frequent flier Dad, a noise canceling headphone is always an appreciated gift. Put one of these headphones on and the roar of the jet engines vanishes, replaced by the soothing music from your MP3 player. Sony's MDR-NC500D are even more expensive at around $400. The Bose QuietComfort 3 headphones get good ratings from users and experts. They're light and small and aren’t cheap at around $350.

Electronic Books
If your Dad likes to read books, newspapers, magazines, or online articles one of the latest electronic books might make a great gift. Two popular readers using electronic paper are Amazon’s Kindle and the Sony Reader. The Sony Reader PRS 505 can be purchased for around $300. The Kindle which includes high speed 3G internet access for downloading books and browsing the web sells for $399. The Kindle has received mixed reviews due to some ergonomic issues but gets many rave reviews as a groundbreaking product. Books cost more to purchase on the Sony reader and you have to go through a computer connected to the internet to download them but the Sony gets good marks for style and usability.

Father's Day is coming up soon. The best time to tell him how much you love him. Each year, it's a hard time choosing unique gifts for your dad. For the sports fan, TV-watching dad here’s some TV and sports related gadget recommendations.

Universal Remote Control
If your household is like most multimedia-enabled homes you probably have a basket-full of remote controls. This year you can make everyone's life simpler and give your Dad a cool present at the same time with a universal remote that can consolidate all or most of your remotes. The Logitech Harmony 880 will set you back about $200. It has a color LCD screen and gets good ratings from users who say it can control all their devices. The Logitech Harmony 1000 is a bit pricey at $400 but it’s like having a small computer with large color touch screen in your hand. Users say it’s easy to program and fun to use.

Blu-ray DVD Player
It might still be a little too soon to buy a Blu-ray DVD player. While we wait for Profile 2.0 to appear in stand-alone players you could easily rationalize getting Dad a PlayStation 3 that already includes a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player and is a pretty good deal at around $300. Just think of the cool simulation and sports games many of which support 1080P high definition resolutions. NBA 2K8 gets high marks for realistic graphics as does MLB 08 and Madden NFL 08.

HDTV Sets
Okay, before you say, "I can't afford to buy my father an HDTV set," maybe you can be creative and get the family to pool some money and buy a reasonably priced HDTV set. For example, the Vizio VU42LF is a 42 inch LCD TV that supports 1080P and can be purchased for under $800. The Toshiba 42LX196 is another 42 inch, 1080P LCD TV that costs a little over $1000. The Olevia 242T doesn't do 1080P but only costs a little over $700. For a little under $500 you can get a 23 inch Samsung LN-T2342H that does 720P.

Following the Games Away From Home
If your father is a huge sports fan and doesn't already have a Slingbox then maybe you should consider getting him one of these devices that will let him watch whatever is on the TV at home on his computer at work or wherever he is. You can get a Slingbox AV for around $100 or move up to the Slingbox Pro version which supports HD for under $200. For a more portable gadget that gets Dad instant sports scores away from home, check out the Wireless Sportscast that pulls in sports scores to a handheld device.