Sree's Annual Thoughts on High-Tech Father's Day Gifts
Thursday, June 6, 2002

With just a week until Father's Day, you're probably like me: looking for ideas.

Instead of getting the man in your life another predictable tie or after-shave lotion, you might consider a high-tech gift.

Like last year, prices are coming down now and overstocked inventory means you might be able to get something futuristic and fun at the same time. Most dads and dad-like folks appreciate high-tech gifts, so it's hard to go wrong. It's all about your budget and what you can afford.

I have chosen a few items to highlight today in a wide range of prices.

1. SONY CLIE ($599): If you can afford it, get your dad this high-end gadget which will really be talk of the office. The Sony Clie (pronounced klee-AY) NR70V, runs all the regular Palm digital assistant software, plus has the following unusual features: a built-in keyboard, a color screen that swivels 180 degrees, a low-quality digital camera, an MP3 digital music player. It's a thing of beauty that does (almost) too much. Since it's a Sony, it uses the brand's proprietary "memory stick" removable data storage, a sort of small floppy disk that can be used in other Sony devices. Cost: $599. In order to justify the cost, be sure dad is adventurous when it comes to technology.
Details: http://www.sonystyle.com/micros/clie/

2. FOREVER FLASHLIGHT ($39): Here's an unusual gift. It looks like a flashlight, but has no batteries. In order to make it work, you shake it for 15-30 seconds and it will give you five minutes of light. It generates electricity using principles of physics I learned (and forgot) in high school. Cute product - unless you need light instantly, of course. But if you leave it, say, in the glove compartment of your car, you needn't worry about batteries that you have forgotten to change.
Details: http://www.excaliburelectronics.com/foreverflashl.html

3. MASSAGE PEN ($19): If the man in your life sits at a desk all day, here's a gift that might relieve his stress. It's a regular pen that has an accupressure massage head at the other end. Just turn it on and hold it against your tired muscles and it promises to re-energize you.
Details: http://www.excaliburelectronics.com/massagepen.html

4. EMERSON SMARTSET CLOCK RADIO ($39.95): Every time I set my clock-radio alarm for the morning show, I worry that if the electricity gets knocked out, I will not be awakened in time. I also hate having to reset the clock each time I unplug it and plug it in again. Same for having to adjust the clocks around the house at the beginning and end of daylight savings. To tackle all these issues, there's this revolutionary clock radio. It looks like a regular one, but the magic happens when you plug it in. It automatically sets itself, using a little chip that the company says will last until 2096 (and uses a lithium backup battery). It's amazing to watch it do its work, setting the exact time and the date.
Details: http://www.emersonradio.com

5. EBAY GIFTS: Instead of going from store to store tofind a gift, you might want to consider buying a gift for dad from an online auction house like eBay. There's a special section of gift ideas for dads where you can bid on things that cost less than $50 to really expensive gifts. For the sprots fan, there's a "one-of-a-kind experience behind the scenes at ESPN's ESPYs awards show." And plenty of items on eBay are sold new by merchants and aren't just things offered by people trying to clean out their attics.
Details: http://pages.ebay.com/promo/dadsgrads/

6. NETFLIX: If your "giftee" has a DVD player, you might want to consider getting him a gift subscription to Netflix. This DVD-by-mail delivery service, which I reviewed last year, works well and has a nice discount offer at this time for gift subscriptions: A month is $16.95, with better prices for longer periods. He can try it and stick with it if he likes the service.
Details: http://www.netflix.com/GiftCertificates?linkcount=gcMemberLeftNav

Send your feedback -- and ideas for coverage: techguru@sree.net

 

Sree's Site of The Week

Time and Date
http://www.timeanddate.com

The best site for keeping track of world time - allows you to build a Web page with personalized time zones. Very useful and easy to set up. I have a personalized setup with local clocks in three continents. I consult it before I call my family and friends overseas. Avoids calling them, say, in the middle of the night. Try it today.

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