Father's Day gift ideas can be the hardest to come up with because dads like to think that they have it all together and "don't need anything from anything from anybody this year" - and that's an exact quote.
The truth is, there are plenty of gadgets that the old man doesn't know about, as he clutches onto that AOL email address and stock of VHS tapes.
As he enters the world of smartphones and tablets, make his life easier this Father's Day with gadgets that bring him into the 21st century, fresh from the 1980s as if this were Back to the Future Part II.
1. Nest - 2nd-Generation Learning Thermostat
Get it at: Best Buy ($ 249.99)
Tagline: "A Thermostat for the Smartphone Generation"
If there's one rule that's ubiquitous among dads it's "Don't touch the thermostat." It's sometimes followed by a second Fight Club-esque rule of "Don't touch the thermostat." Thankfully, this year, you can destress dad by getting him the Nest Learning Thermostat as a Father's Day gift.
This auto-scheduling thermostat can program itself by learning your habits every time you (correction: your dad) adjusts the temperature. With auto-scheduling, auto-away, and remote control functionality, Nest can save your family money on the monthly energy bill, too. Dad's not going to argue with that.
2. VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System
Get it at: Amazon ($ 159.99)
Tagline: "Meet the easiest way to view your world"
The only thing more important than a thermostat in a dad's home is the home itself. That's why it's important to reassure him that everything's okay at the homestead with a video monitoring system that he can use anywhere in the world via a smartphone.
Introduce him to the hassle-free Netgear VueZone Wireless Video Monitoring System this Father's Day, which includes convenient, wire-free cameras that stick to just about any surface thanks to their magnetized wall mounts. The VZSM2200 starter bundle comes with one motion-detecting camera and the require d base station, and more of these tiny cameras can be purchased for a total of 15. Best of all, the new VueZone Night Vision VZCN2060 camera add-ons ensure that your dad's fortress is safe at night time, too.
3. Ancestry.com
Get it at: Ancestry.com ($ 79 for 6 months)
Tagline: "Ready to discover your family story?"
You've probably heard your dad talk about the old family tree one too many times, and he may have even attempted to map it out on paper - paper which no one knows the location of. Bring all of that work to the web with an Ancestry.com subscription that can preserve your dad's genealogical story and help him discover your family's long-lost roots.
Ancestry.com's comprehensive records search and its ability to upload GEDCOM files will keep dad occupied for several weeks, and the site's new iPhone, iPad and Android apps make it the most technologically driven personal hall of records around.
4. iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX
Get it at: Amazon ($ 72)
Tagline: "A germ free, odor free, automated environment"
Dads hate the never-ending job of taking out the trash - it stinks... literally . And while there isn't an invention that eliminates this task entirely, the iTouchless 13-Gallon Touchless Trashcan MX keeps things nice and tidy in the kitchen.
The neat motion-detecting lid keeps smells where they belong, while a plastic retainer ring holds that always-slipping plastic bag in place. The new MX model is a little more expensive, but its extra-wide opening makes taking out the trash as can-venient as humanly possible.
5. Logitech Harmony Touch Universal Remote
Get it at: Amazon ($ 199.99)
Tagline: "More than a remote"
If you have more than one remote for your entertainment system, you're doing it wrong. That 's the idea behind Logitech's controller-condensing line of Harmony remotes, which can course correct dads who typically try to turn the channel up only to have the audio max out to a deafening level.
The Logitech Harmony Touch is the latest among them, featuring a color touchscreen that brings the total physical button count to under 30. With intuitive TV station icons to switch channels and gesture controls to move about the menus, Logitech makes your dad the master of his TV domain again.
6. Garmin nüvi 2597LMT 5-Inch GPS with Lifetime Maps
Get it at: Crutchfield ($ 219.99)
Tag line: "Real navigation"
Stop dad from having to stop and ask for directions - and for the rest of the day question his manliness for doing so - with a new GPS system like the Garmin nüvi 2597LMT GPS. A dedicated GPS device like this is always better than juggling a smartphone with navigation system, which may be illegal in your state under distracted driving laws.
Even if your dad already broke down and purchased a GPS unit a few years ago, there's a good chance that it doesn't have lifetime maps, traffic and Bluetooth, and is therefore outdated. The nüvi 2597LMT will literally bring him up-to-speed with its handy speed limit display and course-correct him with its lane-assist functionality, features that weren't on early GPS units.
7. iDevices iGrill Grilling/Cooking Barbecue Thermometer
Get it at: iGrill ($ 79.99)
Tagline: "Now you're cooking"
Your dad may claim to be the grillmaster, but iDevices' iGrill will hold him accountable as to whether or not his barbecuing skills are up to the right temperature. The newest version of the iGrill has two meat probes so that the Q in his BBQ doesn't stand for "Questionable."
He can also walk away, up to 200 feet, from the grill or oven thanks to the iGrill's Bluetooth support. The free iOS and Android app mean that only Windows Phone 8-owning dads should have burnt burgers and dogs this summer.
8. ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus
Get it at: Zomm ($ 79.99)
Tagline: "Alarmingly Smart"
We're all bad at keeping track of our belongings, namely keys and cell phones, but dads seems to be notorious for losing these items. That's why the Zomm Wireless Leash Plus is the ideal Father's Day gift for absent-minded dads.
This keychain-sized security device can be wirelessly tethered to any Bluetooth phone, allowing dads everywhere to recover their keys from their phone, or phone from their keys. An extra level of protection comes by the way of its one-button emergency assistance feature that allows him to get in touch with 911 during emergencies.
9. Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror
Get it at: ToiletTree Products ($ 49.95)
Tagline: "Fogless For A Lifetime"
Fog. It's that first-world problem that won't go away. You can solve the indiscriminate nuisance of hot water vapor for dad by buying ToiletTree's Pivoting Deluxe LED Fogless Shower Mirror for him this Father's Day.
Its patented water chamber design is "guaranteed" to keep the mirror fog-free for life and its LED lights keep his 9.5-inch by 7.5-inch reflection illuminated. The mirror's silicone adhesive also makes mounting it easier than other products out there. The competition tends to use unreliable suc tion cups, which is like saying "Here, dad, have seven years of bad luck. Happy Father's Day."
10. Rokbed v3 Golf Shooter
Get it at: Rokform ($ 129)
Tagline: "Precise, consistent, down the line view"
Be a caddy to daddy by surprising him with the Rockbed v3 Golf Shooter in his golf bag this Father's Day. Its club-like stand is designed to be embedded in the grass at the bottom and hold his iPhone in place at the top.
With it, your dad will be able to take accurate recordings of his golf swing - with the intention of getting him above par. Used by techy golf instructors, this golf-themed mount for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S also eliminates the need for you to follow your dad around the golf course with a camera all day long.
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