SALTZMAN: Great gadget gift ideas for ‘dads and grads’

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Some guys like ties, but all boys love toys.

So, with Father’s Day rapidly approaching, you might consider some great gadgets to thank dad for a job well done.

That, and June is also a month to celebrate any graduates in the family, n’est-ce pas?

The good news is there’s no shortage of techy gifts available, online or at retail, some of which are relatively affordable, like a Bluetooth meat thermometer or portable power bank, while pricier gifts could perhaps be a group present from the entire family.

The following are eight great recommendations, starting at $59.

For grill masters

If you don’t want to spring for a “smart grill,” such as an app-controlled Traeger wood-pellet smoker, the MEATER PRO ($139) lets you cook with confidence, as this wireless probe, with five internal sensors, communicates your food’s internal temperature to its companion app on a smartphone. Range extends up to 250 feet indoors, or as much as 2,500 feet in open-air outdoors.

Ideal for grills, smokers, ovens, air fryers and deep dryers, this small doohickey works with all cuts of meat (beef, lamb, chicken, and pork), as well as fish — so you know when it’s time to flip your food and when it’s ready to eat (based on your desired doneness) — and supports high temp limits up to 1000°F.

For sweet tooths

Want to be the popular house on the street this summer?

Speaking of food, the Ninja Creami Swirl Ice Cream Maker ($429) turns your countertop into an ice cream shop.

A TikTok sensation and BestBuy.ca best-seller, this machine is easy to set up and use, and lets you make soft serve ice cream, sorbets and gelatos, milkshakes, frozen yogurt, protein drinks, and much more.

Create recipes from the included book or experiment on your own, by adding cocoa, fruit, nuts, sprinkles, and other ingredients from your kitchen.

Simply pull the arm down to dispense into a bowl, cup, or cone.

For music buffs

While JBL has over-ear headphones starting at $30, those who take their music seriously will appreciate the pristine sound and advanced noise-cancellation built into the JBL Tour One M3 Over-Ear Headphones ($499).

Featuring 40mm drivers and an internal DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), these comfortable Bluetooth headphones deliver exceptional audio, including support for high-res “lossless” audio via the included USB-C or 3.5mm stereo cable (enabled by the onboard DAC).

With its eight microphones, the noise-cancelling is exceptional, blocking out all ambient sounds, so nothing gets between you and your tunes, podcasts, or calls.

Battery life tops 70 hours of playback between charges.

For worker bees

If the dad or grad is in the workforce, perhaps your crew will go in on (or give gift cards that can go towards) the HP OmniBook X Flip 14 Next Gen AI Laptop (from $1,699).

This thin, light and versatile “2-in-1” computer can be used in multiple modes — including a classic clamshell laptop, touchscreen tablet, or tent mode for viewing videos or presentations — and is powered by a Copilot+ AI companion, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and huge 1TB solid state drive (SSD).

For clear video calls, take advantage of the embedded Poly Camera Pro, while multiple ports mean you don’t need a hub to connect several devices simultaneously.

For power users

If the dad or grad in your life spends any time out of the home, it’s best to bring along back-up power, to charge up portable devices while on the go.

The Anker Power Bank ($59) is a 10,000 mAh (milliamp) battery — you can keep in your purse, backpack or jacket pocket – to juice up your smartphone, smartwatch, wireless headphones, or tablet, with its integrated USB-C cable.

Adding even more convenience, when you need to power up the Anker device, simply extend the AC prongs before inserting it into a wall plug or power strip (also built-in).

For busy homeowners

From ECOVACS, the Winbot W2 PRO OMNI ($899) is billed as the first robotic window cleaner with a portable charging station for hands-free (and streak-free) operation.

It features an industry-first edge-cleaning mode and powerful three-nozzle spray for hard-to-reach areas, whether it’s navigating floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, shower doors or windows, big and small.

In other words, leverage this ‘bot to spend time on what you actually want to do this summer, rather than what you have to do.

And it’s a helluva lot safer than getting on a ladder, too.

For TV lovers

Budget permitting, if it’s time to replace the family’s aging television with a stunning big-screen, it’s hard to pull your eyes away from the LG OLED evo G5 TV (from $3,099.99, for 55 inches).

With sizes up to 97 inches, the G5 TV delivers a 45 percent increase in brightness over its predecessor, while the self-lit OLED pixel technology delivers perfect black levels and true to life colours.

It’s also an AI-powered Smart TV (with microphone-enabled Magic Remote) for added personalization and access to an interactive chatbot.

For bookworms

Finally, whether you’re reading at home or on the go, the 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite ($185) now enjoys up to 25% faster page turns, and with a higher contrast ratio than its predecessor — a measurement of how much brighter the white parts of the screen are compared to the black (the text).

If you’re reading by the pool or at the beach (er, or in a bubble bath), Kindle Paperwhite enjoys IPX8 protection, which means it could be submerged in up to 2 metres of water (about 6.5 feet) for up to an hour.

Battery life tops 12 weeks via the included USB-C cable.

Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and author of 17 books, including Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley).

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