Tech Gifts To Update the Low

There are plenty of new gadgets on the market to keep them busy, regardless of their interest or hobbies. The cool new products weve selected range in price from $10 to $1,600. There are music players for the shower, tools to help the budding guitarist and even a flask that doesnt hold alcohol. 

Your dad is likely going to tilt his head to inspect this gadget, then laugh a bit at it, then love it. The Moxie is a waterproof, wireless speaker snookered into a specially designed showerhead and held in place by magnets. The showerhead mounts onto the common pipes found in most shower plumbing hardware, but similarities to a regular showerhead end there. 

If you want to spring for a new tablet computer for Dad, but think the iPad is too commonplace, you would do well to consider the VivoTab Smart from Asus. It offers a vivid, 10.1-inch display, plenty of social networking apps and the bonus of running the Windows 8 operating system for more demanding applications.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a ledtubes can authenticate your computer usage and data. This is the full version of Microsofts system, not the lightweight Windows RT that can run only apps specifically designed for it. 

Im not totally in love with Windows 8 and its new interface for regular computing, but Windows 8 is slick for tablet use.Elpas Readers detect and forward 'Location' and 'State' data from Elpas Active RFID Tags to host elevatorparts platforms. The response in swiping from one application to the next is lightning fast and intuitive. There are plenty of free and paid apps for Windows 8, and the list is growing. 

The VivoTab Smart is light and well designed. It comes with a thin, wireless keyboard and a sleeve that doubles as a stand for the tablet. It has a powerful Intel processor and Bluetooth to keep Dad connected to the aforementioned Moxie, or similar wireless speakers. 

All that texting and swiping can take its toll in the form of oily finger smudges on your tablet or smartphone. Heres a better solution than cleaning it with a T-shirt: a microfiber cleaning cloth with colorful and customizable designs. The Toddy Wedge goes one step further in providing the same cleaning material wrapped around a beanbag-like wedge that also serves as a stand for your phone, e-reader or tablet. Its a lot better than laying your device down flat on a desk and risking scratching up its back.

To that end, the Vox StompLab 2G is a sound-effects pedal with preset sounds. Dad can simply plug his guitar into it and play rock, blues, metal and variations of each with the proper tone. Guitar pedals such as the StompLab can, for instance, give an electric guitar a crisp jazz sound as opposed to the sound of distorted grunge music. But it usually takes several pedals to cover the wide range of styles. The StompLab offers dozens of effects with just one pedal. Just press on it and use dials and knobs to choose the effect. The heavy metal overdrive effects are the best. 

If out-of-tune instruments are Dads real bugaboo, Korg has the cure with Wi-Tune, a wireless tuner. The small transmitter clips on to a guitar or other instrument. A receiver, about the size of a deck of cards, rests nearby. The receiver has a screen that will tell Dad if hes flat or sharp and what the nearest note is. The Wi-Tune can also generate tones if Dad prefers to tune his instrument by ear. Its sharply designed and has a backlit display for use in low light. 

If Dad is still using phones or point-and-shoot cameras, now is the time to set him on the right path. Splurge on the Nikon D7100, a full-powered, interchangeable-lens camera commonly known as a DSLR, for digital single-lens reflex. The D7100 offers so much value, its hard to know where to begin. 

Consider its 51-point auto-focus system. This could quickly become Dads best friend, despite the fact that hell learn more about proper shooting by going into full manual mode. The auto focus is fast and accurate. The D7100 has a 24-megapixel sensor that delivers vivid contrast and color in default mode, without any custom setting enhancements. Ergonomically, if feels good in the hands and is light enough not to wear down your wrists when shooting over a long period of time. 

It also shoots full high-definition video at 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. In my tests, it tracked the motion of my scrambling dog nicely without any noticeable blurring. It offers a steep range of ISO speeds for low-light photography, though I found anything beyond ISO 2000 susceptible to an uncomfortable level of image degradation. 

With all of this high-tech gear, Dad needs a dependable way to keep things powered up. The PowerFlask is up to the task. It looks like a leather-bound drinking flask that fits nicely in the back pocket. But whats inside isnt booze. Its a 13,000 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, with USB ports for charging as many as three devices at a time. Although it wont do any good for gadgets that require regular wall sockets, many devices such as smartphones, tablets, e-readers and GPS watches can be charged with USB. If Dad is on a long hike or otherwise away from an outlet, the PowerFlask has him covered in case of an emergency. 

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