Give Dad the Gift of Technology

TDad will always appreciate the dress shirt or cologne that you normally give him for Father's Day. But this year, why not break from tradition and give him an electronic gift that will help him step squarely into the 21st century?

Though shopping for a Father's Day gift can be a challenge, the following ideas from Vonage, the fastest-growing broadband telephone service provider, will help dad have a high-tech Father's Day.

* The gift of on-the-go entertainment: If your dad is a music lover, an MP3 player will give him hours of musical enjoyment. This audio compression technology allows you to store CD-quality sound on a small handheld device. With a portable music player, your dad will be able to listen to his favorite tunes while working out or riding to work.

For dad's viewing pleasure, get him a portable DVD player. It will come in handy on long trips and can even be plugged into a regular TV when he wants to watch movies on a bigger screen.

* The gift of low-priced communication: The broadband phone service by Vonage will let dad relay conversations over a high-speed Internet connection using a regular phone and a phone adapter.

The technology, called Voice over IP, costs less than a regular phone line. In fact, Vonage provides unlimited calling anywhere in the United States and Canada for $24.99. Free features include voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling and in-network calls. Vonage also offers competitive international rates.

Once you sign dad up, Vonage will send him a startup package that includes a free phone adapter. The adapter can be used anywhere in the world that has a high-speed Internet connection. Installation of the service takes less than five minutes.

* The gift of organization: You've given dad many ties in the past. Now give him a place to display them -- a motorized tie rack. With the touch of a button, his entire tie collection will glide past him for easy selection and leave him with a more organized closet.

For work or play, a personal digital assistant can keep dad on schedule. But this handheld device is more than just a personal organizer: Most PDAs include cell phone, fax and Internet features.