Cool Gifts for Dads and Grads

Celebrate the cool Dads and Grads in your life with some super techie, ultra-modern, not to mention mucho useful gifts. Need some ideas? Check out some of our favorite picks.

For the Dad or Grad that has almost everything, now they will when you give them the Wenger EvoGrip Swiss Army Knife. With 15 features including a double-cut wood saw, can opener, and a Phillips head screwdriver, they’ll be equipped to handle any situation that may confront them on their upcoming adventures – whether it be opening up that imported beer that Dad enjoys while relaxing in the hammock – or the new Grad’s camping trip across the country.

The Reveal Watch is not just cool and sleek, but also truly unique in its display of time – the minutes and hours fade in and out as time passes. Part of the Projects series, where architects & designers are commissioned to craft timepieces, Reveal is the work of computer graphics pioneer Daniel Will-Harris. Your special Dad or Grad will never lose track of time with this special watch.

The Perpetual Calendar from MoMA runs circles around all the others! Designed by Gideon Dagan, this boldly original calendar is intended to be used year after year. Simply move the two magnetic balls to mark the date and month. It can be wall-mounted or used on a desktop. It’s a gift that will be appreciated this month and for years to come!

They won’t miss a thing when taking pictures with this high-tech panoramic camera. Cyber-shot® Digital Camera HX1 is the world’s first digital still camera with Sweep Panorama mode. You can also shoot at an amazing 10 frames per second and capture crisp details in low light with 9.1-megapixel resolution. They’ll thank you with oohs and ahhs – and maybe even with some great pictures.

A wallet is always a welcomed gift – especially if it’s the Paul Smith Vintage Multistripe Wallet. On the inside there’s a yummy chocolate brown leather liner, with four compartments and a place for credit cards. Your Dad or Grad will always be organized and at-the-ready with this stylish, fun, and practical gift. (Side note: just because it’s ‘billed’ as a men’s wallet, doesn’t mean that us ladies can’t enjoy it. Its bold colors make it easy to spot in any handbag!)

The Novatel MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot lets them log in and grab e-mail anywhere…even when a signal is desperately needed and there’s not a single bar to be had! MiFi uses 3G and 4G cellular networks to create instant hotspots that can be shared by up to five Wi-Fi devices, even in a moving vehicle. Its available with a pay-as-you-go broadband service from Virgin Mobile ($10 for 100MB of data, $50 for a month unlimited), or free with a two-year data contract from Verizon or Sprint.

Help them look spiffy with Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Collection Pocket Squares. Pocket squares may be the quintessentially cliché Dad gift, but any guy will get a kick out of this brightly patterned set of three. And, why not set your Grad up for the fun times to come? You’ll be proud to accompany the recipient that sports one of these stylish squares. To buy: $48 for three, saks.com.

If your Dad or Grad prides themselves on being a bit of a bookworm, get them an e-reader – end of story! The Kindle 3 is thinner than a pencil, has great contrast and is priced right! Whether for school, commuting on the train or just for fun, the Kindle 3 e-reader is the way to store and read all their books.