If your dad's anything like ours, he probably doesn't need as much help with his gadgets as you think. But he still needs someone to buy him the damn things, and that's where you and your strapping young wallet come into play. Maybe you've got some ideas in mind already for the latest additions to his power tool collection, but we've got a few selections to help you help him get his geek on, Engadget style.
$0 - $100
Oregon Scientific's Crystal Weather Station - Got a dad that's perpetually wondering if the weather's right for a round of 18? What about one's that obsessed with the slickness of his clocks and paperweights? If you answered yes to either of the above, this one's a no-brainer. Oh, and even if he hates it (not that he will) you can always plant it on your desk, instead. Then again, we say that about every gadget we recommend.
$99.99 -
Shop for Crystal Weather Station
SATA HDD Stage Rack - Picking up an external HDD for pops is so played out. This year, show him you really
do care with the SATA HDD Stage Rack. What multitasking hard drive-swapping father wouldn't appreciate the enormous amount of utility and convenience stuffed into this thing?
$46.79 -
Buy from GeekStuff4U
Eye-Fi Wireless 2GB SD card - Granted, we
didn't find the Eye-Fi to be perfect, but that's not to say your padre won't be thoroughly pleased to find one addressed to him. And hey, we totally understand if you're downright tired of getting a phone call each time he tries to upload a new batch, but handing him this sure beats fessing up to the truth.
$99.99 -
Shop for Eye-Fi
Noteworthy Mention: JVC's HA-NC80 noise-canceling headphones
$101 - $250
SanDisk Sansa TakeTV 8GB - Your dad's down with downloadable video? Really? Well then, make sure he gets a high five and a hug when you hand 'em that swiftly wrapped box with a TakeTV inside, a digital media adapter that's actually easy enough for the 'rents. Of course, whether or not his other housemates will appreciate your encouragement of his TV domination is another matter entirely, but we're pretty sure that's the least of his worries.
$143.99 -
Shop for TakeTV 8GB
Hawking HomeRemote system - Your papa just may not be able to shake that controlling demeanor, but thankfully you can channel that habit into something a bit more productive with Hawking's HomeRemote system. And before he asks, yes, you can indeed login and play dictator from any web browser on the planet.
Around $180 -
Shop for HomeRemote
JVC HA-NC250 noise-canceling headphones - Ever wonder how he puts up with taking flack from everyone in earshot? If not, it's about time you started sympathizing. Show a little compassion by bestowing these noise-canceling cans upon him. Just make sure you pick up a AAA cell to bundle in -- no one likes battery shopping on holidays.
$199.99 -
Shop for HA-NC250
Nikon Coolpix S51c - This sexy shooter just slipped down into your price range, and we've got a sneaking suspicion your old man would be delighted if you took advantage and picked one up for him. The 8.1-megapixel sensor and integrated WiFi are surefire winners, and the expansive 3-inch LCD monitor should be plenty large even for his aging eyes. We just wouldn't recommend you phrase it that way when presenting the thing to him.
$239.95 -
Shop for Nikon S51c
$251 - $500
Amazon Kindle - Bestsellers? Check. Free EV-DO wireless connectivity? Check. Glorious-70s-white aesthetic that'll make give him a wishy washy way back when smile? Maybe. If you're feeling that pop's gonna need some paperless reading distraction over the holidays then Amazon's Kindle may be just the ticket. Featuring a store packed with some 88,000 books, access to news, blogs ("What the hell's a blog?"), newspaper subscriptions, and even magazines, we have a feeling this thing already sold itself.
$399 -
Buy from Amazon
1TB hard drive - Nothing says I love you like a cool 1,099,511,627,776 bytes of storage for whatever digital media makes his blessed old heart sing. Seagate, Hitachi, and Western Digital all have you covered for internal drives and external options can be found from the likes of Iomega, LaCie, etc.. Of course, if you ask yourself if he needs storage for 350,000 MP3s the answer may be no, but, if you ask him, we're pretty sure you're gonna get the big thumbs-up.
$350+ -
Shop for 1TB drives
AT&T Tilt - The AT&T Tilt (aka HTC TyTN II) features what a dad needs: HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, quad-band GSM for international roaming, Bluetooth, GPS, and the screen frickin' tilts. If your Dad's a cellphone geek -- or just aspires to be one, like his kid (read: you) -- there is just no better place to get started then at the very top of the Windows Mobile world. Just think, he'll never have to stop to ask directions again. Speaking of which...
$299 (on contract) --
Buy from AT&T
$501 - $1000
TomTom GO 920 T - Look, we're not saying dads constantly get lost. But, like, all of ours do. Which is why you want to hook him up with a little something featuring, say, a 4.3-inch screen, "Enhanced Positioning Technology" -- an accelerometer that helps out when your connection drops -- 4GB of internal memory, and even a Bluetooth remote. Like the GO 920 T, for example. Now, thanks to you, your father will never again get lost on the way to a family gathering -- be that for good or bad.
$595 -
Shop for TomTom GO 920 T
The ultimate flight sim kit - If your dad's a jet pilot (or still has aspirations), he'll know that to get the job done in the flight sim world -- both bombing and landing -- you need quality gear. None of that kid's stuff. We've decided that by pairing CH Fighterstick Pro, Pro Throttle, Pro Pedals, Saitek Independent Flight Sim LCDs, and other like products, his buddies will be calling him Maverick faster than his wingman can pull a failed ejection.
Starting at $100 per -
Shop for CH products
Teac GF-650 Vinyl-to-CD kit - If your dad's Dylan and Zep vinyl is simply gathering dust and taking up space, here's a chance to bring him into the new millennium with ease. The Teac GF-650 not only packs a retro turntable look, AM / FM Radio, and wireless remote, it'll also transfer his old tunes to CD with nary a hassle. Plus, by rounding out the bundle with a few hundred printable CDs, he'll be down in the basement converting his collection well into the new year -- and maybe even next.
$400 + shipping -
Shop for Teac GF-650$30 per hundred CDs -
Shop for printable media
$1000+
Dell Latitude XT - Sturdy enough to take a beating, tablet-y enough to impress his pals, and expensive enough to show the full extent of your gratitude, the capacitive touchscreen on this bad boy will make a convert out of him yet. C'mon, do it for the old bastard -- he bailed you out of juvie for underage drinking and didn't even tell mom, remember?
Starts at $2500 - Buy from Dell in the very near future (ships before Christmas)
Optimus Maximus Keyboard -- Impressing Zeus can be complicated (just ask Hercules), but we're sure the god of keyboards is a winner. 113 fully customizable keys with their own 32 x 32 OLED can make the perfect keyboard as complex or simple as your patriarch would prefer. He won't question whether it was irresponsible to spend this much on an input device, but will instead applaud you for your forward thinking by ordering in advance. You did pre-order, right?
$1,536 - Pre-order from Art Lebedev
Steelcase Walkstation - Dad hasn't taken a break in years, and the Steelcase Walkstation can help keep the streak going. The man just needs to figure out that last step -- keeping in shape while he gets his work done -- and everyone's happy. Except us, after he creates a blogging empire and we are crushed under his incredibly-efficient and well-trained thumb.
$6,500 - Call Steelcase (800-333-9939)
posted Dec 12th 2007 4:42AM
i already have a gift for my dad, but this list make also work for birthday or something. digg on digg: http://digg.com/gadgets/Christmas_gift_guide_gift_for_dad
ok stupid typo, *this list may also work for birthday*
I buried you. Shameless promotion of a submission.
interesting policy :/ i want my fave website to be noticed elsewhere. besides these ARE great advices.
yeah, bury me and forget to bring me flowers
BTW, if you want to give him a power tool, search for supercapacitor (sometimes called ultracapacitor) powered tools... there's no workman that doesn't get impressed by one (exept the ones already have one)..
If you're wondering what the deal is: They charge from empty to full in just a few minutes, and last as long as the ol' battery powered tools (with the same power)
Sounds neat, but why didn't you supply a link? searching is so off-putting.
When I search I only find them mentioned as being great in the future and new and papers on them, but not actual places that would sell them.
Perhaps next year?
Ah WTF? I just realized you are right..
But, then, where did all those memories come from? :-|
I remember reading at least two persons saying they had tried them (from commercial sources)... didn't pay much attention because I was searching about the supercaps themselves, not the supercap powered drills... but still, judging by all that info, they're close... you're right (again), maybe next year... and if not, you can buy a pack of supercaps and do it yourself (looking at the specs of the supercaps, it is not so hard if you know what you're doing) (and a father appreciates electronics made by his son as a gift... or at least my father does :-)
Why the hell would you put the "Takes 10 minutes for screen to change orientation" TILT on there instead of the iPhone...Same price basically... I guarantee you most people would rather have the iPhone over anything else.
Edit: Talking about phones here and really more specifically compared to the TILT but in general too...
Not your father, who, if you are big enough to be reading this, very probably doesn't care about the fashion..
BTW, the iphone doesn't have a built-in GPS.... and WinMo 6 has a damn lot of applications so that you can actually be productive (that is - people doing real work on their smartphones while you loose your time watching YouTube videos), while in the iphone you barely have 3rd party apps..
And don't tell me a iphone can do office documents - that doesn't count as real work.. my palm can calculate the 3D power balance for me (that's no easy task if you know anything about electricity) -- good luck doing that with an iPhone
Yes because your needs (based on your ridiculous post) are CLEARLY representative of the status quo. I'm sure everybody reading this post are gonna be spamming your inbox wanting to know how to calculate 3D power balance on their phones too... *rolls eyes*
And if you really think the iPhone is all about fashion and YouTube, then you need to talk to my mom who is about ready to throw her Blackjack through a window because A) It won't stop freezing/crashing B) The email just flat out sucks compared to the iPhone's both in setup and most importantly functionality. I mean seriously is it too much to ask for, for Windows Mobile to know how much space it has available and start deleting old emails? Phone rookie Apple seems to be able to figure that bit out. I won't even get into the web browsing or voicemail aspect of it.
Oh and by the way, having owned/used both Windows Mobile 6 Pro and standard I can honestly ask this question: 10 years making mobile email clients and Microsoft still can't figure out how to do HTML email. I mean seriously you have to click a link to scroll right... what the F*** is that...
As for apps, well as I'm sure you know there are plenty now and when the SDK comes out in 2 months all those will easily become legitimate and they will multiply. Since the iPhone is faster than most phones on the market, its applications are and will be more advanced as well. Also having a huge touchscreen doesn't hurt either [for applications].
Wow did I just put "Everybody are" it's definitely way too early in the morning...
Ok, now it's obvious that you have not used PalmOS (and I must say I have not used WinMo, but I know it runs PalmOS apps using StyleTap quite well)
There are programs for everyone, for the ones who work with computers, for the ones who have wine collections, for the ones that simply play, for the ones who save lifes (doctors), or to put it simple: for everyone.
And BTW, there's always WebMail... you know, GMail has a pretty nice webmail setup you can always use, my mom uses it on her palm TX, and i've never got a complaint about it... granted, the TX isn't a phone, but the treo is, and it runs just as well
BTW1: GMail displays a different page when viewed from a palm, it adjusts well to the screen
BTW2: This thing needs an "edit" option... and a "delete" would also be nice.... and no CB17 i'm not accepting you're right, i'd just have liked to add this to my previous message
@DarkLightConnection
My father has an iphone, not because it is a fashion item but because it is a damn good phone that works well as an internet communicator, a phone and an iPod. The iPhone has an Assisted-GPS using Navizon's application.
Also are you are saying that people on WinMo are stuck-up non stop workers? Wow. Sounds like fun. I'm sure a dad would love a phone which is primarily work related as a present, after He has spent a lot of his life working to support his family. YAY!!! MORE WORKKK!!!!! Try having some fun sometimes, its good for you.
lol wtf? BTW you can also have fun... WinMo devices with VGA screen are pretty damn good video players, actually :-)
CB17,
I do admire the iphone. While it's not my type of device I feel its effects on the entire mobile phone industry to be quite positive. I also admire Apple, for they are bold enough to sacrifice broad software and hardware compatibility for beautiful elegance and (alleged) security. It is my humble opinion that Steve Jobs is one of the most charismatic, cunning and clever businessmen in the technology sector. He has resurrected a company that was all but written off, demonstrated an uncanny knack for diversity and independence, and through sheer force of personality he's managed to cultivate what very strongly resembles a quasi-religious cult.
That having been said, while I personally respect all of their positive qualities, yet will never willingly own their products of feel any sort of slavish devotion to the man known as Jobs. It is my belief and opinion that the vast majority of hatred directed towards Apple, Jobs and the iphone stems more from the sheer idiocy, snobbishness, arrogance, and blind zealotry of its more... obsessive fans. Frankly I place the vast majority of the blame for the distaste of Apple these days on your shoulders and those of your ilk.
@Naris
You weren't doin' too bad until you ignorantly called me an Apple fanboy. I mean there's just no way that I could be using a custom built vista desktop everyday as well as use and love my MICROSOFT Xbox 360. No I'm sure you knew that I didnt do any of that and that I instead hacked an Apple TV run Halo 3 instead.
No, the Apple TV sucks as well as other Apple products (like the hifi). I pledge allegiance to no one company and its clear that you should be reading some of your own writing as you just said that you would never buy apple products... Why? Simply because of some enthusiasts? Sounds like someone is a little biased to me.
Don't worry though, you're not alone there's plenty of other stupid people out there.
Great guide indeed, but I need cheap gift ideas! Stocking stuffer ideas anyone?
the only thing i think my dad would ever use is the crystal weather station one, but then again, while he is technically inclined, hes not "into" gadgets
Holy my Christmas shopping is already complete, Batman!
I appreciate these guides and I know that the editors of Engadget work hard on them, but they'd be a lot more useful in late November and the first week of December.
Sweet list guys, thanks for the ideas!
I think this should be on the list: http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/mp3/90a0/
Its the USB turntable from thinkgeek.
Yep, that would be a nice addition to the list... I can see a lot of fathers putting that to good use (without looking obsolete by using a stand-alone turntable)
the optimus maximus keyboard is under $500, not still $1536
500$ will get you only one active key: the space bar. 1535$ will get you the entire 113 keys. You can also get different configurations with different amounts of keys.
aah, now i see there are 4 configurations.
That treadmill seems pointless, how can you focus on a screen that close while running?
Also that TEAC vinyl-CD thing is one of the cheapest gadgets I've ever encountered... on the floor model I saw the tone arm to the turntable was seriously so cheap I could have snapped it off right there.
You guys should have replaced that with a USB turntable...
At least there's a mac.
just a heads up, they had 1TB drives at newegg for 250$ last week with coupons [western digital gp]
pretty effing good deal, imo
I'm a son and, to me at least, this list is better than the son list...
Needs a m800...
We knew there was roughly a 50:50 chance that you were either a son or a daughter.
Haha...
I mean that I am in the age range that the son list was aimed at...
Not that has any thing to do with what I was saying...
I can't see recommending a pocket digital camera that lacks an optical viewfinder--especially for dads (when you want a truly sharp pic you use the optical viewfinder for a steadier hold and thus better image). I'd recommend canon's IS800 instead--with a 28mm wide angle max that makes great scenics and makes taking family pictures indoors do-able. (from a 61-year-old dad)
This is a terrible list of ideas. Considering that 99% of our dads are probably between 40 and 70 years old, do you really think they'll even know what a 1TB drive or a SATA HDD Stage Rack is? What are you people smoking?
You're right Paul. This gadget blog should've recommended a pair of socks with your dad's name on 'em or a novelty necktie.
Why would you pay $350 for a 1TB HDD? They sell for $200 on good sales. I found a Seagate 500GB for $80 on NCIX.com.
And why would you buy a Nikon when you can just as easily buy a Canon? I bought the SD750 (3" LCD at the back with no viewfinder) and it would make a great present. Needless to say, I like it a lot.
I bought the SD430 because it had Wifi. BIG MISTAKE. I have a vista PC, rendering the WiFi Useless, just because Cannon won't update their software.
At least I can sync my Zune with Wifi now :)
I think this should be on the list too: http://www.gisteq.com/DPL700.html
It's the PhotoTrackr Lite from GiSTEQ.
"Nothing says I love you like a cool 1,099,511,627,776 bytes of storage"
I can't believe I'm actually the first nitpicking geek to point this out, but 1TB hard-drives are usually 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
Like, ZOMG guys!
I can't believe you called yourself a geek after "pointing out" that 1TB is "usually" 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. If you were any type of geek, you'd know the conversions that follow the base-2 numbering system. 1,099,511,627,776 bytes is the correct amount for a 1TB in theory. In reality, however, bad sectors and formating slightly reduce the maximum storage capacity. Out of the entire 1TB, you're really only going to get 990-1020GB of storage. Still not a bad deal considering.
Yes, but if you check the manufacturer's disclaimers about the hard-drives, you'll find that they define a Terabyte as "one billion bytes" - they DON'T use the base-2 numbering system to measure the size of the disc, so a "1 TB" hard-drive is really only 931 GB - which has always seemed a little dodgy to me.
Why bother with the tilt? It has one of the absolute WORST carriers known. Go for the Voyager on verizon. Why? you ask, well it may not be a smartphone, but it is, as told by Engadget, one of the best dumb-phones out there. Not only that but you get the fastest EVDO connection possible, plus a full html browser. How can you beat that?
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=3299
How about an Internet Radio unit.
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=4202252&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.SGN+WFR20
My dad likes listening to jazz but not the rest of the family.
I think there should be a "for the technologically illiterate" gift guide, because my dad wouldn't have the slightest clue how to use any of these.