Father's Day Gadgets

It's a big-ticket item, but what man doesn't drool over a wide-screen, flat-panel, high-definition television? "This ultra-slim, elegant HDTV offers a quality image; not only is it compatible with virtually any video source, but it will likely consume less energy than his old television set," says Hubert Nguyen, managing editor of Ubergizmo. Along with vivid colors and crisp detail, it also has v-chip parental controls.

$1,100, Sharp, Amazon.

This supermobile mini laptop with built in Wi-Fi has a rapid start-up time and unparalleled shock protection. Though it doesn't have a big hard drive or use commercial software like Microsoft Office, it does come with its own word-processing software and weighs less than two pounds. "The Asus Eee is a hot trendsetter in the PC world, tailored for what has become the main consumer focus: e-mail, IM, and Web-based applications like Facebook, Google Docs, or Flickr photo sharing. It's a great pick for ultraportable computing," says Nguyen.

$400, Asus, Amazon.

This next-generation digital camera has high-speed and digital functions, perfect for sport or social photography. It'll allow him to capture 60 still images per second, and it has high-speed movie recording at up to 1200 fps. It also offers incredible slow-motion playback—he'll love it for the kids' soccer and Little League games. "This is a hell of a toy. I can't wait to see the videos people make with these," says Rob Beschizza, editor at Boing Boing Gadgets.

$894, Casio, Preferred Photo.

Enable your husband to browse the Internet on a full qwerty keyboard, show off family photos, and listen to music from the palm of his hand. The device also offers a built-in webcam for video chats with grandparents and an integrated GPS receiver. "This unit is bigger than a cell phone but smaller than even the tiniest of laptops," says Beschizza. "It's only four inches long but has captured the best of both worlds."

$419, Nokia, Amazon.

With this palm-size, cordless mini keyboard, he can download movies on his PC and watch them on his TV. "It combines the utility of a miniaturized keyboard/mouse with that of a video-game controller and is the most impressive home theater input device currently available," says Gregory Han, managing editor of Unplggd. "This is definitely a wow-factor item that any tech-loving dad would appreciate."

$150, Logitech.

Think powerful surround sound in a wireless, mountable design. The built-in DVD player automatically converts standard DVDs to high-definition. Plus, it connects to any Bluetooth-enabled headset, so he can enjoy the heart-stopping sound of his favorite action films without waking the kids. "He'll be impressed with the performance of this sexy Steinway-gloss black soundbar speaker and wireless subwoofer," says Han, "and you'll be pleased that the aesthetics of your décor aren't compromised."

$700, Samsung, Circuit City.

"Getting video onto your iPod or other portable device can be a bit of a pain," says Shane Peterman at Think Geek. "With iRecord, you can rip video from your cable box, DVD player, or any other video source with the press of a single button." It can also record encrypted DVDs, by the way. (Not that we recommend that.) And its firmware will allow easy upgrades as more product features are added.

$200, iRecord, irecord.

Each of the 113 keys on this keyboard contains a tiny OLED display (organic light emitting diod) that doubles as a tiny screen that can be programmed to perform a function. "Set a key to monitor your CPU usage or display what iTunes track you are currently playing," says Peterman. "Or, make a key into a tiny clock with moving hands, play animated GIF files or even QuickTime movies." Thankfully, each button can be easily removed to clean or replace just in case little fingers find their way to Daddy's computer.

$1,590, Art Lebedev, Think Geek.

There is an audio je ne sais quoi about needle on vinyl that just cannot be created digitally. But this turntable will allow him to play old albums and convert what he's listening to into audio files, so he can enjoy that nostalgic sound on his iPod or computer system. "There are other USB turntables out there that rip your vinyl to a PC, but some of them look more like plastic toys than real record players," says Arlen Schweiger, managing editor at Electronic House. "Audio Technica is a solid brand."

$100, Audio Technica, J&R.

What differentiates this iPod docking station from others is it's high-definition radio with iTunes tagging. If he hears a new song he really digs, he can tag it, then transfer it to his docked iPod, and it'll appear in iTunes the next time he connects his iPod to the PC. Of course, he'll also be able to "pop in his iPod, crank up the tunes and take 'em anywhere in the house or even outdoors while he's at the grill or hanging by the pool," says Schweiger. And like other iPod docking systems, he can keep this one by the bed to use as an alarm clock.

$500, Polk Audio, Crutchfield.