Dads and gadgets go together like burgers and beer, so we rounded up some cool gear that we’re betting his friends haven’t seen.
—Robotic lawnmower
This smart mower is like a Roomba for your lawn. You don't even need to rake the clippings, because they're small, and they fertilize the soil. This maintains 1/2 acre lawns in any weather, even with rough terrain and slopes up to 35 percent. It'll redirect when it hits trees or other obstacles. Start, stop and park it using your phone. Starts at $1,999.95 at Husqvarna.com
—360-degree camera
It's a 360-degree camera, so he won't miss a thing. Dad can ski downhill and also film the mountains behind him. It has a 16-megapixel image sensor that's water-resistant, shockproof, dustproof and streams live. $499 at Shop.360fly.com
—Portable grill
It has all the goodness of a charcoal grill — the taste and the smell — without the mess or the wait. Once he ignites the charcoal and turns on the battery-powered fire control fan, it gets hot in 3 minutes. A grill drain removes grease and fat so there's less smoke for this portable grill. $199 at Sharperimage.com
—Smart grill
Pop meat onto the Lynx Smart Grill and get back to the party. This grill will read the recipe, tell dad when to flip the meat and alert him when he's done. It'll even tell him which burner to use. $6,999 for the 30-inch grill at Lynxgrills.com
—Smart record player
This smart record player connects wirelessly, so dad can listen to it in another room sans cables. Store up to eight pairs of speakers or other Bluetooth devices in its memory, then press a button to connect to a set. $179.99 at Brookstone.com
—Smart frying pan
This pan will practically cook the steak itself. It's got a temperature sensor, which monitors the food and tells you when to flip, to stir and to add ingredients or adjust the heat. It works with dad's recipes, and he can connect with optional accessories to go on autopilot, and let the pan adjust the heat for him. $199 at Pantelligent.com
—Virtual reality headset
Virtual reality has long been promised, but it's still hard to come by these days. Still, the HTC Vive is available, and offers the experience of gaming, playing and doing all sorts of crazy experiences in the virtual world. Painting, sports, immersion into an aquarium — they're all available through the headset. $799 at Htcvive.com
—High-tech wine preservation
For the times dad only wants one glass of wine, this infuses the rest of the bottle with nearly 100 percent pure argon gas so he has a few more months to finish drinking. $349.95 for the Coravin Model Two Wine System and two Coravin capsules at Coravin.com
—Karaoke machine
If dad lacks singing skills but is still determined to serenade you, get him this karaoke machine. It'll correct his pitch and even provide backup harmonies created from his own voice. $337 at Singtrix.com
—Circular skates
Because skateboarding is old school, and these are new. Lean side-to-side to glide, to spin and to turn. Stop by touching the ground with your toes. $99.95 at Hammacher.com
About the Author
