Mophie Powerstation 4000mAh
A USB backup battery in your favorite dad’s daily carry gives him the superpower of unlimited battery life. The Mophie Powerstation 4000mAh sits in your bag until it’s needed, quietly biding its time. Then, when his phone runs out of juice, he plugs into the Mophie, and before he knows it, he’s back to full charge. The Powerstation will charge an iPhone 5 battery more than twice, or most iPad batteries a time and a half. I like the Powerstation better than the phone-specific case chargers because this will charge just about everything I carry on a day-to-day basis.
To buy: Mophie, $80
Nest Learning Thermostat
What if your thermostat was as easy to use as an iPhone? That’s the promise the Nest thermostat makes, and it delivers 100 percent. For the first few weeks after it’s installed, you control the temperature by twisting the outer ring. Meanwhile the Nest is constantly tracking a ton of information to learn your preferences. After a couple of weeks, it will know that you get home a little late on Monday because of ballet practices, that you make pizza on Friday so you don’t need as much heat, and that you sleep in on Saturday morning. If that isn’t enough, you can make fine controls to the thermostat using your smartphone or tablet.
To buy: Nest, $249
'The Last of Us' (Playstation 3)
If your favorite dad is a video game guy, check out The Last of Us. It’s a PlayStation 3 exclusive from the team that made the Uncharted games, and it tells the story of two people’s journey across post-apocalyptic America. Be warned though, this isn’t lighthearted fare. It’s gritty and extremely dark at times—think of it as The Road: The Unofficial Video Game of the Book. It's a different kind of gaming experience: where Uncharted featured Nathan Drake murderering thousands of faceless baddies, The Last of Us is about smaller encounters, with less violence and more consequences.
To buy: Target, $60
Velodyne vPulse
Quite simply put, these are the best-sounding $100 (technically $99) earbuds I’ve ever used. They provide a shocking amount of bass, and I love that the flat ribbon cable is difficult to tangle and easy to untangle when it does. The Velodynes also include headset functionality, including an iOS-compatible remote. If you want to level up these earphones even more, spend $15 on a set of Comply T-400 Earphone Tips.
To buy: Velodyne, $99
Element Sector 5 Case for iPhone 5
It’s expensive, but this is the case that Adam Savage uses for his iPhone 5. It requires Allen wrenches to attach to your phone while adding minimal bulk to the device. Element also makes a version of the Sector 5 in carbon fiber, if you want to level up the give, and there are similar designs compatible with the most popular Android devices.
To buy: Element Case, $140
Comply T-400 Earphone Tips
If you want to level up most earphones, spend $15 on a set of Comply T-400 Earphone Tips. These replace the stock tips with soft memory foam, for even better noise isolation and a more comfortable fit.
To buy: Comply, $15
Pizza Making Apparatus
I love making pizza with the fam, and it’s dead simple to do if you have a couple of key items. While you can buy an expensive pizza stone at Williams-Sonoma, I’ve found that heat bricks from Lowe's or Home Depot do a better job at a fraction of the price. Arrange them in a tight grid on the top rack of your oven and you get a decent analog to a pro pizza oven. Then, grab a couple of different size aluminum pizzeria-style pizza pans. They’re easier (and safer) than trying to transfer the uncooked pizza to the baking surface with a peel. After that, you just need a decent dough recipe, and you're good to go. Pizza night will never be the same.
To buy: Home Depot, $28
'Animal Crossing New Leaf' (Nintendo 3DS)
If you’d like to get dad a game he can play with the kids, Animal Crossing: New Leaf is just right. In Animal Crossing, you are the mayor of a small town full of anthropomorphic animals. Your job is simple: Make enough money using agriculture, archaeology, fishing and bug collecting to buy a nice house, and keep the residents of the town happy by chatting, sending them gifts and helping them with their problems. There’s a strong multiplayer element—players can visit other towns, where they can trade for fruit and other items. It’s the kind of game that you’ll play for 15 or 20 minutes a day over the course of a year. Oh, by the way, writing thank-you notes is one of the most important skills in the game.
To buy: Target, $35
