Here’s a look at some gift ideas for the high-tech dad. Mr. Green Jeans
Dads carry about 28 pounds of garbage to the curb every week, a chore that can be detrimental to their backs and Mother Nature. Give both a helping hand with the Nature Mill Automatic Composter ($399, www.naturemill.com).
About the size of a hamper, the unit composts up to 5 pounds of food and paper waste per day, turning items destined for the landfill into nutrient-rich fertilizer for gardens, trees and lawns.
An internal computer regulates the heat, moisture and air flow necessary to break down organic materials. The unit regularly mixes the decomposing material, and a tray of composted material can be removed easily and taken out to the garden.
It is designed for indoor use. However, when the lid is opened, there is a very rich, earthy odor that is unavoidable but not overwhelming. It does take some time to figure out the perfect mix of items to add to the composter.
Rock on daddy-o
The coolest pops armed with an Xbox 360 can bring their musical dreams of rocking in concert stadiums to life with Activision’s Guitar Hero II ($89.99). The popular PlayStation 2 game has been ported over to (and slightly embellished in) Microsoft’s multimedia console to deliver a perfect musical adventure for the non-musician.
Once an avatar is selected, the player selects a difficulty level and begins his climb to rock stardom, working up from a battle of the bands to a performance at the mystical Stonehenge. Armed with a Gibson X-plorer ax that doubles as the game’s controller, the player hits one, or a combination, of six buttons on its fret in unison with the strum bar to match colored notes that stream down the screen during a performance.
The Xbox 360 version offers 74 songs, including the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” Cheap Trick’s “Surrender,” Pearl Jam’s “Life Wasted” and Dick Dale’s “Misirlou.”
The slickest part of the game, a cooperative mode, will cost more — a second guitar is needed; two controller bundles with the game run $149.99 — but it allows father and offspring to jam together as each plays a different part (lead, rhythm or bass guitar).
Even cooler, dad can go online to the Xbox Live Marketplace and buy some classic songs, such as Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” and Queen’s “Killer Queen,” in three packs for 500 Microsoft points ($6.25).
Turn right, honey — now
Stubborn males who refuse to ask for directions are told where to go with Garmin’s nuvi 680 ($899). The portable GPS navigator boasts one of the largest touch screens available for this type of device — 4.3-inch diagonal — and all of the features required to efficiently get travelers to their final destination.
Owners have full access to the pre-loaded City Navigator NT street maps and, with a few touches on the colorful menu display, can either input an address or select from more than a dozen categories to hone down places to visit.
The driver then listens as a soothing female voice (oh, the irony) delivers the directions. The computer immediately reroutes directions for a missed turn and even can be set to avoid traffic problems.
Additionally, the loaded unit includes Bluetooth wireless technology to sync with a cell phone and make hands-free calls, an FM transmitter to send voice directions through a car’s stereo system and an MP3 player. (An SD card can be used to download songs or images into the device.)
Cooler yet, owners get a one-year subscription to tap into MSN Direct ($49.95 per year after the period expires or a $129.95 one-time charge) on the screen, which provides access to current weather and forecasts, movie showtimes, real-time traffic maps and, most important, gas prices.
Write to Joseph Szadkowski, The Washington Times, 3600 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002; or send e-mail (jszadkowski@washington times.com).
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