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We may be hardcore gadget freaks at Wired, but that doesn’t mean our dads are cut from the same nerdy cloth. In the lead-up to this year’s Father’s Day -- it’s this coming Sunday -- we hand-picked a variety of presents to give to our patres familias, and the gear runs the gamut from borderline Luddite to full-fledged geeky.
We’ve got mobile tech, shop tech, astro tech, and even surf tech. If nothing else, we think we’ve proven that tech geeks know that sensible neckties and drugstore colognes don’t cut it in 2012.
Haven’t purchased a gift for Pops yet? Read on for inspiration -- and in the comments section below, let us know what you’re giving to your dad this weekend.
Emporia emporiaCLICK Mobile Phone
Shown above This Father’s Day I will be honoring an 82-year-old man who has never shot a digital photo. He has never plugged in a computer cable. He doesn’t understand how the “source” button on his TV remote magically switches between cable and VHS content, and he has definitely never sent a text message. But he has to use a cell phone. He needs to reach family, friends, and even emergency responders when he’s alone. He’s fully independent, but has all the health problems you might expect of an American octogenarian. So, no, outfitting him with a “phone for seniors” isn’t beneath me, your Gadget Lab editor. It won’t be available until later this summer, but the emporiaCLICK could be just the right rain-check Father’s Day present for the man who still answers his phone by saying, “It’s Big Herb!” Open up the clamshell, and he’ll find big, easy-to-jab, backlit buttons. Included are three impossible-to-miss speed-dial keys to help him quickly call loved ones -- and each button is marked with a pictograph of a human being to remind him of its purpose. The LCD display and entire UI has been designed for people with poor eyesight. But three features in particular are tailor-made for Dad: The phone includes an integrated LED flashlight, the speakers are hearing aid compatible, and there’s a “Call For Care” button that automatically dials emergency services. No, it’s not a smartphone. He doesn’t need a smartphone. He needs a phone that he can actually use. And, no, I don’t feel bad about discussing his technology challenges in public. He will never read these words on the family internet machine. He simply wouldn’t know how to find them. --Jon Phillips, Gadget Lab senior editor Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired
