The Best Gadgets for Dad on Father's Day

Okay, so father's day is coming up and your father is one of those techno geeks. There are a lot of gadgets in the market, however, the question remains: What would be the best gadget for dad? Hopefully, this article will help you.

For the hip and young dad

You know the type, they're the ones who are still teenagers at heart and most probably enjoy watching cartoons more than their kids do. The best gift to give them would range from MP3 players, gaming consoles, to novelty gadgets.

MP3 Players - If you're going to give an MP3 player, the safest bet would be an iPod. iPod Shuffles range from $74 to $86 dollars depending on the memory capability. However, if you're like me who thinks iPods are so overrated, there are a lot of alternative MP3 players in the market that rivals iPod. The iRiver iClix is a good alternative. It has an FM radio, a voice recorder, alarm clock, photo, video and text viewing, and supports OGG and subscription content. The price ranges from $94 from online auction sites to $194 from Amazon.

Gaming consoles - By now, you would have known that the best gaming console to give your dad is a Nintendo Wii. Everyone wants one and it is the top choice on CNET's must have gadgets. It's fun to play with its revolutionary controller and the game titles for the console are entertaining. Prices for the wii range from $250 in Walmart to $375 in Amazon for the console only. If you have another 300 dollars to spare, go for the Playstation 3. In addition to dad/hubby being able to play, he can watch DVDs and Blue-Ray movies, no need for a stand alone Blu-Ray player. But if you have only $200 to spare, a Sony PSP isn't that bad either. In fact, it would be my first choice of gaming console, it's ultra portable, there are a lot of titles out already, and you can tweak it so you can make the most out of your PSP. You can get the PSP at $169 from Amazon, probably cheaper in Ebay.

Novelty Gadgets - These are really cool gadgets the main purpose of which is not to be useful but clearly just to show off to the guys. These range from USB to LED products, to watches that are geeked up. Thinkgeek.com has a lot of these nifty gadgets, my favorite of which is a LED fan. The fan has 42 LEDs mounted on the blades and creates a moving picture. Really cool, you have to check out the link. However, it would set you back $389.99 dollars and I haven't seen one in Ebay. If you're looking for more useful gadgets, then I'd recommend the Fossil Bluetooth watch. It has a vintage digital/analog style and communicates with your phone through Bluetooth technology and notifies you when you have a call or text message by flashing the caller's name or text alert on the OLED display, very James Bond. It's only $250 in Fossil stores but as per Fossil's website, the watch is currently not available, though I've seen a few in Ebay. There's a similar watch branded under Sony Ericsson but costs $310 excluding shipping.

For the hobbyist dad

Whether your dad is into hunting, golf, photography, there are gadgets out there that could tickle his fancy.

GPS - A GPS is a must-have for dads who are always traveling or whose hobby includes the outdoors. If camping, hiking, trekking, or simply trying to find his way to the mall is your dad's main hobby, a handheld GPS is a good gift. Garmin Etrex Vista is the best GPS for hiking and trekking use. It's lightweight, has a 12-channel GPS receiver, built-in compass and altimeter and 24mb of memory. Price for this product ranges from $150-$199.

Photography - For the photography buff, I would definitely recommend a digital frame. A digital frame is a small LCD screen around 7-10 inches which displays your digital photos via memory cards. It's really cool. The more expensive ones can play videos. Imagine someone seeing moving pictures in your living room! It would definitely bring back images from Harry Potter movies. I'd recommend searching Ebay for the best deals on digital frames, just type in "digital frames" or "digital photo frames" in the search box. Prices range from $80-$350 depending on the frame size and playback capabilities.

Golf - If your dad is into golf, he's probably trying to find a way to improve his swing. You should give him a golf swing analyzing watch. The watch records statistics about your swing including tempo, rhythm, backswing length, club-head speed, and time. Analyzing your swing is no child's play so the watch would set you back around $399.95 at Hammacher.com. Again, there's always Ebay so you can search for cheaper alternatives.

For the office dad

Fathers who are always traveling on business or those who're always at the office also need some gadgets to keep them preoccupied. If you have a lot of money to spare, Mobile phones, PDAs, and laptops are great gift ideas, but if you're low on cash, USB drives, and USB gadgets, are cheap but really cool gifts.

Mobile Phones / PDAs - I've integrated these two because I think the only great mobile phone and PDA out there is rolled into one great gadget, the Cingular 8525. It is the first UMTS/HSDPA smart phone in the US which translates to faster web browsing and email checking. It operates on Windows Mobile 5 and already has the Word and Excel Mobile, there are also other third party productivity tools that would definitely suit a businessman's lifestyle. Right now, it's on sale at $199 available at Amazon.com under contract from A1 wireless.

Laptops - If you're on a budget but still want stellar performance from your laptop, except for the battery life, then the Acer Travelmate 2480-2153 is your safest choice. It has a 14.1 inch LCD screen, 1.73 GHz Celerom M processor, 512MB of RAM, 80GB hard drive, intel integrated graphics, cdrw/dvd rom, and already comes with the Vista Home Basic Edition. It has no firewire ports, a poor battery, and you cannot configure it to your fancy. It costs $539.99 at buy.com, shipping included.

Other gadgets - if you're on a budget but you still want a techie gift for dad, here are some gift suggestions. Get him a USB mini fridge. The USB fridge is designed to look like a mini refrigerator complete with door and light. It can store one can, is USB powered, has an internal LED light, and weighs 362g. It costs $33 at http://gadget.brando.com.hk. You can also give him a computer mouse shaped in his favorite thing, be it a car, beetle, heart, even a mouse with a picture of a Japanese Manga. Custom mouse typically costs under $50 and the best place to find them is Ebay.

Well, that about sums it up. Always remember to compare prices to get the best deals and if everywhere else is expensive, there's always Ebay. Visit gadget reviews and how-tos for more reviews in the future.