Dad may have grown up, but like any other guy, he still a kid at heart, and still loves toys. So here are some big boy toys, gadgets, gear, and various other stuff to keep dad happy, occupied, and generally make his life a little easier. (And yeah, there are a couple of ties too.)

Vers 1.5R

Does your dad have trouble getting up in the morning? Does he have a thing for digital music and sustainable wood construction? If you answered yes to either of these questions, BG has found a great gift for your consideration this Dad’s Day.

Combining two really cool things, sustainable manufacturing practices and digital music, the product engineers at Sprout Creation have come up with the ultimate in bedside beauty: The Vers 1.5R radio/alarm clock iPod dock. It's so damn sleek and retro that it would look right at home next to the ashtray on Don Draper’s desk. Not only does this woodie look good, it’s also stuffed with high-end electronics including a digital AM/FM tuner, 15W full-range speaker, and rear bass ports for enhanced acoustics. Oh yeah, and it doubles as an iPod dock.

They are available in Cherry, Natural Walnut, Dark Walnut, Bamboo and White Gloss finishes and since each one is handmade they are all unique. If your dad is the tree-hugging type, get ready for this bonus: The Vers is made using 100% sustainable practices. From the wood used in the cabinet to the papers used in their packaging, you can keep Mother Earth in mind this Father’s Day. -- Bob Lesher
$199.99
www.versaudio.com


Tateossian Cufflinks

Whether you’re hip and dad’s more contemporary, or vice versa, Tateossian has you “cufferd.” Based out of London and offering distinctive jewelry for men, the collections contain sterling silver, gold, and onyx (just to name a few). The cufflinks are stainless steel and range from $150 to $325.

A few of our favorites are pictured above: Football cufflinks with helmet heads for Sporty Dad, Deco for Downtown Dad and the globe for Globetrotting Dad. Hit the site to see other styles. -- Gabrielle Nicole Pharm
www.tateossian.com


Clear Harmony Foldable Active Noise Canceling Headphones

Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad. Dad... I'm just reenacting every day of your father's life since the day you were born.

Give him the gift of peace and quiet with these active noise canceling headphones from Able Planet. The incredibly affordable Clear Harmony NC200 foldable "cans" provide a full rich sound while blocking out all the ambient - and not so ambient - noise around him.

In-line volume control lets dad adjust the sound without having to hunt around in his pockets for his iPod, and they're lightweight so he can shut out the noise and stress, all day, in comfort.

$99
www.ableplanet.com


NeatDesk

Help dad clear that pile of receipts out of his drawer, get his business contacts in order, get ready for tax season, and generally get more organized.

The NeatDesk high-speed desktop scanner can take all that clutter and scan and process multiple documents at once: up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards and 10 documents... all in a single batch. The software even integrates with his Address Book, so all those business cards are automatically converted to contact files. And each scanned item is transformed into digital information that is stored and organized in PDF format, as well as Spotlight-searchable text. So dad can face that audit with confidence.

$449.95
www.neatco.com


Cyberoptix Tielab

I am a staunch observer of the “no ties rule” on Father’s Day. I mean, seriously, could you be any more of a cliché? Why don’t you throw in some Aqua Velva and a homemade ashtray while you’re at it? But when I laid eyes on this next gift idea, I felt a bit of a tingle in my special place.

Cyberoptix Tie Lab founder and lead designer Bethany Shorb has taken the workingman’s noose to an entirely new level with their line of hand-silk screened ties. If you are looking for traditional stripes and solids with your ties, you can keep on walking. The ties at Cyberoptix, available in 100% charmeuse silk or microfiber, are printed using 100% eco-friendly, solvent-free inks. The off-kilter and beautifully perverse creations feature prints of unicorns, swine flu virus, and woodgrain. There is even a design called Plaguesley that features, what else, a print of Yersinia Pestis bacterium (that’s Black Death to you and me). If your dad’s into taking risks and standing out in a crowd, you can’t go wrong here. Add $10 for their premium packaging option to get a killer FSC wood storage box. -- BL

Silk: $40
Microfiber: $30
www.cyberoptix.com


COOL-ER e-Reader

So your dad is a bibliophile with a knack for electronics? Well, the gift gods have smiled upon you this time.
The new COOL-ER™ e-reader is marketed as a much lighter, cheaper (and much less pimped out) version of the Kindle. It's a thin 5.6-oz reader available in several designer colors and for about $240 less than the Kindle DX. It even supports books in eight languages, which, unless your dad works for the CIA, he may not use a lot. It sports a 1GB SD-card slot along with an iPod-inspired click wheel as the main interface, and a single charge will get you through about 8,000 pages.

Even your paternal luddite should be able to manage this one. And if you are worried about content, a decent selection of books, including bestsellers, is available for download at coolerbooks.com. If colors are your thing and you’re looking for an economical, no-frills e-reader for dad, your search is over. With the COOL-ER e-reader he’ll have a new problem; what to do with all that extra shelf space. -- BL
$249
www.coolreaders.com


Soiree Bottle Top Wine Aerator

It’s Friday night and your Mother calls you reminding you about the Father’s Day picnic and politely suggests you show up with a gift better than last year’s 30-pack of Keystone Light. Not that Dad won’t appreciate beer, but it’s the thought that counts. So this year instead of the polyester tie, why not add a touch of class to your last-minute gift and go with the “Soiree” wine decanter, a device that enables the common wine drinker to easily serve, aerate, and enjoy their wine to the maximum potential.

Aerating wine is an essential way to amplify your drinking experience. Mixing the wine with oxygen unlocks the nuances and makes for a more balanced consumption. The Soiree fits securely on the bottle and infuses wine with oxygen naturally while it is poured, delivering a truly “open” aroma and taste. When one is finished serving, the wine that does not leave the Soiree filters back into the bottle and helps to redistribute oxygen into the unused wine. -- Benjamin Mennell

$24.99
www.winesoiree.com


PaperShow


If Dad spends his days in the conference room, running meetings, brainstorming, giving presentations, or just goofing around with doodles, he's gonna love PaperShow.

It's a unique digital whiteboard system consisting of interactive paper (really), a USB key and a Bluetooth pen. Anything dad writes, draws, scribbles, appears on his monitor... or on a projection screen in the conference room. All in real time. And it can be saved as a PDF and emailed or printed like any other document. Or, depending on what dad has a habit of doodling, earn his 10 hours of "sensitivity training."

$199
www.shoppapershow.com


The Tie Bar Tie of the Month Club

Before you yell at us for recommending ties for Father's Day, it's not like this is the giant polka-dot tie of The Cosby Show fame. With well over 300 different 100% silk tie designs, not counting the bow ties available (should dad have an academic streak), the Tie Bar has any tie your Dad could want. For just $15 each.

And you can help Dad upgrade his work wardrobe by signing him up for the Tie of the Month club. Choose between Traditional, Trendy or Trenditional... Or sign him up for The Best of The Tie Bar, and let other customers' picks for Most Popular drive your Dad's style upgrade. -- Kirk Ward

12 months/1 tie per month - $199
12 months/2 ties per month - $369
Includes shipping
www.thetiebar.com


Soda-Club Home Refreshment System

If you hate the thought of your dad going without his gin and tonic in the morning, or are kept up at night wondering if he’ll have enough club soda to make your mom those white wine spritzers she needs to get in the mood, you've come to the right place. This Father’s Day you can give your dad the gift of constant carbonation with a home refreshment system from Soda-Club.

Soda-Club, makers of all things home-bubbled, has a complete line of home-produced sparkling beverage systems. Don’t bother with the soap-on-a-rope this year; get your pop some pop with one of their several models of CO2 infusers and complete beverage kits. Soda-Club soda-making sets use a proprietary system of gas cartridges, drink mixes (if flavored fizz is his thing), and non-electric carbonation equipment to produce bottle after bottle of brilliantly bubbled refreshment. As if that weren’t enough to make you feel good about gifting this gadget, you can rest assured that you’re helping Mother Earth along the way. It doesn’t use batteries or electricity and since you can reuse the bottles, the Soda-Club systems virtually eliminate wasted containers. -- BL

From $89.99
www.sodastream.com