Father’s Day is nearly upon us and if you’ve been scratching your head about what to get for dear old dad, we have some ideas for you. GeekDads Jonathan Liu, Z, Tony Sims, Brad Moon, Erik Wecks, and I have collected some of our favorite gift ideas for this year. Check them out!
Computer Apparel Laptop Rucksack
I’ve been a messenger bag guy for decades, but recently I decided to break with tradition. Change came in the form of the Laptop Rucksack. Computer Apparel’s designs are all about injecting functional fashion into device protection, and the Rucksack is no exception. Solidly constructed of flannel wool with durable canvas accents, everything from the oversized zipper and adjustable straps to its spacious padded pockets and multiple pouches screams “comfort” followed immediately by “quality.” Whether you’re hauling a 15″ laptop and full-sized tablet or just your 3DS and MacBook Air, The Computer Rucksack is an ideal (and astoundingly flexible) solution. (Z. Review materials provided by: Computer Apparel)
YOU by Austin Grossman
Austin Grossman’s novel about the rise of video games is the perfect gift for anyone who grew up in this brave new world of arcades and computers and digital entertainment. Read Jim Kelly’s review here, or click here to purchase from Amazon. (JL)
Laptop Wrappers
If you’ve had it with flimsy shells and bulky cases, there’s a name in elegant phone, tablet and laptop sleeves that may’ve escaped your notice. Wrappers is a UK outfit that offers unique solutions from their .RECYCLED line—limited edition products made from locally sourced fabrics—to luxurious Alcantara sleeves constructed from the Italian super-fabric that also graces Formula One seat covers and the ear pads of high-end headphones. Whether you’re looking to protect dad’s Samsung Galaxy or grace his MacBook Pro with a custom wrap, Wrappers has a lovingly crafted cover in just the right style and color. (Z. Review materials provided by: Wrappers)
Geek Polo Shirts
For the “business casual” geek, you could not go wrong getting your dad one of WeLoveFine.com’s awesome polos. The two most popular currently are Stark Industries and Star Trek – of course. (TS)
Kobo’s Aura HD e-reader
While many people are bypassing the old school E Ink e-reader for tablets (are e-readers really old school already?), if you love reading there’s a case to be made for Kobo’s new Aura HD. It combines the best of E Ink —notably that amazing battery life— with a highly effective and even lighting system that’s easy on the eyes, a slightly larger than average 6.8-inch screen and an incredibly sharp 265 dpi display. The Kobo Aura HD is available in Onyx (black), Espresso (brown) and Ivory (white) and like all Kobo e-readers, supports the ePub format. (BM)
Shelby Foote’s Civil War Trilogy
The end of June marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. If the dad on your list is a history buff, Shelby Foote’s comprehensive and compelling massive three-volume narrative of the war of the states is a fantastic addition to anyone’s library. Available in hardcover and paperback. (DB)
Raising Cubby by John Elder Robison
Finally, a memoir about being a dad that isn’t just full of lame jokes about breast milk and diapers. Raising Cubby is a deeply moving story about a father and son, both with Asperger’s, navigating a world that doesn’t understand them. Buy it on Amazon. (JL)
Geek Tees
For the plain casual geek, WeLoveFine.com has some award-winning new shirts featuring Star War’s Boba Fett helmet emblem and X-Men. All of WeLoveFine.com’s shirts are quality made and guaranteed to please. (TS)
Pocket Spotlight
The Pocket Spotlight from Photojojo is great for when you need some light but a flash would be too harsh. Use the hot shoe mount on your camera, or switch to the headphone mount to plug it into your iPhone. Dad’s Instagram pictures never looked better. (JL)
Kingston MobileLite Wireless
Kingston’s Wi-Drive came into my life like the answer to my road-weary prayers. The gadget streamed hours of drive-time entertainment to my family’s iOS and Android devices with only minimal setup. Recently Kingston has made this great idea even better with the MobileLite Wireless. This next gen product still wirelessly streams movies, music and photos to three simultaneous users, but rather than rely on limited internal memory it now integrates with USB flash drives and a grocery list of SD cards. And for the dad on the go it also serves as an emergency charger for your own phone! (Z. Review materials provided by: Kingston)
The Making of the Return of the Jedi
If dad is OK with a raincheck, consider the upcoming The Making of the Return of the Jedi. Like J.W. Rinzler’s other volumes, The Making of Star Wars and The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, this book is exhaustively researched and written. It’s packed with production photos, facts, interviews, and inside scoops on essentially everything you might want to know about episode six. Rinzler was given unlimited access to Lucasfilm’s archives and it shows. All of these books are absolute treasures for any Star Wars fan. The Making of the Return of the Jedi is scheduled to be released in October. (DB)
Kinivo BTX270 Bluetooth Speaker
This little Bluetooth speaker has a pretty big sound. It supports apt-X for CD-quality sound, and includes a microphone so you can use it as a speakerphone. Now Dad can make the whole family listen to his iTunes playlist whenever he wants. Buy it from Kinivo or Amazon. (JL)
The Space Book by Jim Bell
The Space Book is a thick “coffee-table” book with hundreds of gorgeous historic photographs related to astronomy. Laid out chronologically from the beginning of time to the end of the universe it catalogs the development of universe and our understanding of the cosmos around us. Each photo is accompanied by a short one page explanation by Astronomer Jim Bell, which highlights its importance for our understanding of the universe. For even the casual fan of space, looking at how far we have come in our understanding is awe inspiring. Mark this as the perfect gift for the space geek in your home. (EW)
Good to see some people still read! So many of these lists have techno gadgets or fashionables – neither of which portray my Dad’s interests. My dad loves reading-in fact I sometimes think his fishing trips are actually an excuse for some peace to read. So for me, I’ll be getting him a book and perhaps suggesting he gets some lone time to read on Father’s Day. Quite a nice site to check out if you’re looking for ideas, is bookreportradio(dot)com. It’s actually a radio show, but I often miss the show, so catch the recording online or just see what books are lined up for the week and whether they’re my kinda thing. Go through the archives and check out that weeks theme to find something you know dad will like…who knows, maybe you’ll be buying for yourself instead! 🙂 “The Making of Starwars/Empire Strikes Back also look like good options.
Thanks for the diverse choice here!