Saturday | 6 December, 2008

Mobility & Wireless

Ultimate Father's Day gadget wish list

Forget the tie, here's what Dad really wants!

Keith Shaw (Network World) 26/08/2008 10:36:00

The ultimate day for gadget junkies is Father's Day, so if you haven't gotten the special father on your list something yet, check out this dad's list of favorite gadgety gift ideas.

WowWee Chatterbot: This USB accessory attaches to a PC or Mac and then gets animated, commenting on your virtual life with facts, quips and physical reactions. By typing in trigger words, you can activate the device to make random or pithy comments to help lighten your day. If you get sick of that, a line-in port lets you connect an iPod or MP3 player to act as a stand-alone speaker (the character reacts to the music, making it appear to "sing along".

Spracht Aura Mobile BT speakerphone: Dad probably spends a lot of time on his mobile phone, and the speakerphones on some mobile phones are not that good. So get him this portable device, which connects wirelessly via Bluetooth and provides a high-quality speaker phone (with echo and noise cancellation). The device can also be used for Skype calls on Bluetooth-enabled PCs, or connected with a cable to cordless phones for home use.

Panasonic VIERA PZ850 series plasma HDTV: The newest line of plasma HDTVs from Panasonic are now Web-enabled, allowing Dad to access content sites including YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Albums (so he can show off baby photos on the fancy TV) and Bloomberg directly from the TV.

Logitech Pure-Fi Mobile speakers: If Dad owns a fancy new mobile phone that plays music, he can share the music with others through these speakers, which stream via Bluetooth. The speakers also double as a wireless speaker phone with two built-in microphones (one picks up voices and the other blocks background noise), and include a line-in port for connecting to a PC iPod or other MP3 player.

MoGo Mouse X54: Did we mention that Dads love remote controls? This one lets you control several media devices, and also doubles as a Bluetooth wireless mouse for your computer, and can be stored in your laptop's Express Card/54 slot.

Clarity C120 wireless TV amplifier headset: Dads who may have rocked out too much in their youth may be facing some hearing loss, which could make watching TV difficult for others in the room if the sound is always turned up. The Clarity C120 headset can help, amplifying sound by 50 decibels for the user without bothering others.

SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus: Dad probably owns a bunch of USB flash drives, but this one is the first one to offer automatic online backup from BeInSync (every file copied to the drive is automatically backed up). The 4GB drive also features a rugged, crush-resistant metal case.

Westinghouse Digital multimedia monitor (2610NW): Replace Dad's boring old computer monitor with the latest in flat-panel technology. The Westinghouse Digital 2610NW includes a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution, 3,000:1 contrast ratio, HDMI input, 170/160 viewing angles and a 2ms response time for those times when he's gaming when you're not looking.

Griffin PowerDock2 charging station: The dad with multiple iPods (or an iPod and iPhone) is not only one of the coolest dad's around, but he has a charging problem. Solve that with this stand-alone charging dock that can simultaneously re-power both devices. The PowerDock2 comes with six universal dock adapters for iPhone and iPod models that charge via USB.

Samsung P2 Widescreen Portable Media Player: Have Dad stand out from the normal iPod gang with this portable media player from Samsung, which lets him play video, music, view photos, listen to FM radio, and also doubles as a voice recorder and portable file storage device. Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 allows for wireless listening via headphones or speakers. Compatible with music subscription services like Rhapsody and Napster, as well as video download service Cinema Now.

iHome computer/iPod speakers (iH69, iH70): Cool convergence idea -- instead of separate iPod speakers, why not include a docking station into existing computer speakers? That's what these do, allowing users to dock, charge, play and synchronize iPods through the computer speakers without needing extra wires.

Klipsch Image X5 earphones: Dad spent all his money on a new iPod or iPhone, so help him upgrade the earphones by checking out these high-end earphones, which contain ear gels designed to fit comfortably in the ear canal for noise reduction effects. Technology like a full-range armature drive and tuned bass-reflex system provide for clearer high notes and deeper low sounds. The X5 earphones come with aluminum housings and aerodynamic black "tails" to reduce cable stress minimize cable noise.

Chumby: At first glance, this device seems a little too touchy-feely to be a Father's Day gift, but the new Chumby is a cool Wi-Fi Internet device that can display Web news, photos, music, Webcams, weather reports and sports scores. Dad can customize content from more than 700 sources on the free Chumby Network, creating a custom playlist of Web content. Just don't say to Dad, "Hey, I got you a Chumby" when you're giving it to him.

Macally FlexTune Stereo Speakers / Charger for iPod: What may seem like just another speaker system / charger for an iPod at first becomes something more when you realize you can expand the speakers horizontally to fit a widescreen iPod for viewing videos or TV shows. The very tiny and portable unit will be great for Dad as he goes on the road and wants to view his movies or listen to music without donning earphones.

What do you want for Dad's Day? We want to hear from YOU. What's on your Father's Day wish list other than another tie? Let us know!

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The ultimate day for gadget junkies is Father's Day, so if you haven't gotten the special father on your list something yet, check out this dad's list of favorite gadgety gift ideas.

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