It’s that time of the year where you think about finding just the right gift for Dad, and with so many choices it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. So here are a few tech-inspired gift ideas for that special guy.
Gift of a Bike Laserlight
Heading outside the home, if Dad is a cycling enthusiast, you want him to be safe, especially at night, so why not light the way for him with a Beryl Laserlight?
Beyond bright LED lighting, this gadget by Beryl, (formerly Blaze) features a patented technology that combines white light with a mini laser diode. It beams a laser image in the shape of a bicycle to the ground, five metres ahead of the bike alerting drivers and others that a cyclist may be in their blind spot or in an area close by too dark to see
Laserlight is housed in a sleek, yet robust aircraft-grade aluminum casing with a sandblasted anodized finish and diamond cut edges. It’s totally sealed and waterproof up to 1m so it’s good for the cold and wet weather.
Beryl Laserlight has a built-in battery rated for up to 13 hours. It comes with a handlebar mounting kit and magnetic USB charging cable. It’s available in silver or charcoal grey and retails for $209 on Amazon.
Peace of Mind Smart Security
Dads are always concerned about the safety of the home. So this might be a great way to beef up the home security and give your Dad the gift of peace of mind with Safe by HUB6.
It doesn’t replace your existing system, but rather turns it into a Smart Home Monitoring System. It works with most Honeywell or DSC models and can be installed in less than an hour. It ties into your current hardware and then cleverly redirects any triggered alert to your smartphone, designated neighbour or monitoring service. Dad can still keep his existing monitoring or eliminate the ongoing monthly fees and self-monitor.
The free HUB6 app for iOS or Android allows Dad or other trusted persons to keep tabs on the home, arm and disarm and get alarm notifications from anywhere in the world. And it still works even if the power or Internet connection goes off-line.
Designed in Canada, Safe by HUB6 works with Alexa, Google Home, etc. It sells for $299 and available from Best Buy.
World’s Smallest USB-C Dock
If Dad is the well-organized type who hates clutter in his workspace yet likes to run both his notebook on his desk with a larger screen amongst other peripherals, then consider the Plugable UD-CUBE this Father’s Day. It’s touted as the world’s smallest USB-C docking station. Measuring just 2.5 by 2.3 by 1.4 inches, Dad is able to connect an external high definition 4K HDMI display, two USB 2.0 devices like a keyboard or mouse, a USB 3.0 device like a thumb drive and even a wired gigabit Ethernet Cable via a single cable.
The UD-CUBE is compatible with USB 3.1-C Windows, Mac and Chrome notebooks equipped with Display Port Alt Mode, meaning the USB port supports non-USB signals. (See Compatibility Chart) UD-CUBE can be powered via the included AC adapter or bus-powered through the USB cable. So it can be used anywhere. The trade-off is that in exchange for this flexibility, UD-CUBE will not charge Dad’s laptop while connected. If he needs that functionality he may want to opt for the slightly larger Mini Docking Station with 85W power delivery.
The Plugable UD-CUBE sells for $109 on Amazon. The Mini Docking Station is $175, also on Amazon.
Unlimited HD Streaming for Dad
If basic cable is just not enough for your Father, the Roku Streaming Stick+might be the answer, giving Dad access to over 5,000 streaming channels 150,000 movies and TV episodes with resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD and HDR. Searching features by name, actor and even director will help him narrow down his choices.
The Roku Streaming Stick+ is not much bigger than a USB thumb drive and can plug directly into the HDMI port on his TV even if it’s already mounted on the wall. It features an advanced wireless receiver for better performance and stronger signal even in locations further away from the home’s router.
It comes with a full-featured yet easy to use handheld remote which includes, TV Power and volume buttons, four shortcut buttons to streaming channels like Netflix and Google Play and a mic button to search by voice.
The free Roku mobile app for iOS and Android also give Dad added functionality. He can stream videos, photos and music from his smartphone, use voice search and even use headphones for private listening at night. It can also double as a remote control.
Roku Streaming Stick+ retails for $89.99 and can be found on Amazon (currently $69.99) and at most major retailers.
Google Home Freedom
Did Dad say, “Hey Google?” If so, then he might really enjoy the Ninety7 Loft Portable Battery Base for Google Home. It’s a sleek-looking nifty gadget that replaces the base of Dad’s Google Home’s base. It features a magnetic attachment so it’s simple to set up and eliminates the power cord giving him the freedom to move it around and place it anywhere in the house without the need of being tethered to a power adapter.
The base features a premium metal sleeve with grill perforations optimized to deliver rich bass and letting the crystal clear highs come through. With an eight-hour battery life before it needs recharging, this compact device, 3.5 inches high, four inches in diameter and weighing only 400 grams makes for an ideal portable speaker for Dad at home or on the road.
Loft retails for $59 and comes in three colours, copper, carbon or snow. You can find it at London Drugs, Chapters Indigo (currently $35) and Amazon.
Bonus Gift Idea for the Gaming Dad
The hardcore gaming Dad can always find a reason to want a new gaming machine – of course, the more horsepower and the faster response time, the better.
If the family budget allows it, why not have a serious look at the ASUS ROG Strix Call of Duty Gaming PC? Running Windows 10, this model features a 9th generation 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-9700K processor with a whopping 16GB of RAM. For smooth efficient and fast graphics processing, under the hood is the NVIDIA GeForce 2080 RTX graphics card with 8GB of dedicated memory. There also a 2TB drive plus an additional SSD drive ( 256GBPCIe)msg Dad can boot up and get his game loaded without having to go for coffee. It also comes with a whack of ports and the latest Bluetooth 5.0
Besides the gaming power, Dad will certainly be into the Call of Duty style chassis with customized Aura lighting effects with a matching ROG STRIX Flare keyboard (mechanical) and the Gladius II mouse. Of course, the package wouldn’t be complete with a copy of Call of Duty Black Ops 4….and a whole lot more.
You can find it at Best Buy right now for $3199. If you want to get even more serious, there is an overclocked eight-core up to 4.9GHz version at Amazon for $6159.
Ok, well now you have six great gadget gift ideas for Dad and still a few more days to make it happen.
Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. Reach him @gadgetgreg or at GadgetGuy.ca.
A syndicated version of this article appears at Troy Media.
To be honest my father should be giving me a gift. I’m the reason he’s having a Father’s Day