father's day

Google's Father's Day doodle celebrates dads' multiple roles

Sunday is the day when fathers are celebrated for what they are: bankers.

Well, and stoics, gardeners, philosophers, carpenters, tap dancers, soccer coaches, barbecuers -- and, of course, miserable, grouchy men.

For all these reasons and many more, Google would like you to celebrate the man whose chemicals helped bring you into the world.

In another touching little doodle, you click Google's second "o" and you see in the "l" a compendium of different dads' roles and personalities, as if it's just one day in a dad's life.

Naturally, Google would like to … Read more

Last-minute Father's Day gift: One year of unlimited cloud storage for $79

This is an update of a deal I wrote about earlier this year.

Need a last-minute Father's Day gift for Dad? Nothing says, "Thanks for being such a great guy" like unlimited online storage.

Through Sunday, you can get a one-year Bitcasa Infinite subscription for $79 when you apply coupon code JUSTFORDAD at checkout. That's not quite as sweet a deal as it was last time out (the subscription was $10 less), but it's still a very good price for Bitcasa's unique brand of no-limit cloud hold-'em.

The service supports all the major … Read more

Barnes & Noble slashes Nook HD prices for one week

Wow.

Remember last month, when Barnes & Noble chopped Nook HD and Nook HD+ prices the week leading up to Mother's Day? Turns out they like Dad a little more.

This week only, you can get the Nook HD (8GB) 7-inch tablet for $129 shipped and the Nook HD+ (16GB) 8.9-inch tablet for $149 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

Those are unprecedented deals, especially considering that these are new units, not refurbs. The Nook HD normally sells for $199; the Nook HD+, for $269.

I've written about both these models before, and you can learn … Read more

Father's Day deal: $20 off any Kindle Fire HD

Attention, everyone in my family (immediate and extended): Father's Day is Sunday, June 16. You have less than two weeks left to shop. That is all.

Oh, I mean, just being a dad is gift enough. Heh. Heh. (Seriously, though, where's my cake?)

Never one to let a holiday go by undiscounted, Amazon is offering $20 off any Kindle Fire HD tablet when you apply coupon code DADSFIRE at checkout.

That means you can get the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD (16GB) for $179 shipped, the Fire HD 8.9 (32GB) for $279 shipped, the Fire HD 8.9 … Read more

Google doodles a nerdy Dad for Father's Day

We have much for which to thank Richard Nixon.

If it wasn't for him, the phenomenon that is the Google Father's Day doodle might never have occurred.

For it was one of America's more dramatic presidents who signed Father's Day into law in 1972. So now we can look forward to Google celebrating it the way it forgot to celebrate Flag Day earlier this week.

Generally, Google has looked upon fathers in a traditional manner. Last year, it offered Dad a necktie.

This year, we see Dad in need of a mug of coffee (it might … Read more

Social-media-savvy ESPN show is a year-round Father's Day tribute

Outspoken (which might be the gentlest thing anyone's said about him) Miami sports journalist Dan Le Batard has a show on ESPN2 (4:30 pm ET weekdays; back on the air Wednesday, June 20), "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable" and it consists of him answering sports questions from viewers. Nothing unusual so far, except for the title.

But it's unusual for a lot of reasons.

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: One of them is how well it uses social media. It was the first show I saw to display its Twitter hashtag, #DLHQ, on the screen … Read more

Dad thinks he's the family's tech guy, family says 'Hah'

Being a father involves copious amounts of self-confidence.

Sometimes, though, that self-confidence can merge with other traits, such as arrogance and bloated self-regard.

I mention this, on Father's Day weekend, merely because a fine and erudite survey has revealed the Grand Canyon between dads' view of their tech prowess and their family's views of dad's tech prowess.

The survey, conducted on behalf of TeamViewer -- a company that stunningly provides helpful remote control software -- reveals that 93 percent of dads think they are the family's go-to guy for tech.

You will be stunned into solitary … Read more

Exclusively for CNET Members: Get a Panda Pal Speaker System and help save the giant panda

Did you know that Pandas International estimates there are fewer than 2,000 giant pandas living today? This week CNET Exclusives is pairing up with Accessory Power and asking our audience to shop to help the endangered Giant Panda. Accessory Power is hooking up the CNET audience with its GOgroove Panda Pal High-Powered Portable Mini Speaker System. The company has not only passed on a terrific deal ($16.99 with free shipping), it's also generously donating 5 percent of Panda Pal's net profits to Pandas International's Bamboo Project. Pandas International, a nonprofit organization, is working to help … Read more

Google gives dads a necktie for Father's Day

Google has a Father's Day present for all the dads out there, and as you probably guessed before looking--it's a necktie.

Unlike the traditional gift, Google's new doodle today honoring Dad does a little more than just sit in a box. Sure, it's a thoughtful gift that links to information on the holiday's history, greeting card images, and an IMDb profile of a bad Robin Williams' movie of the same name from 1997.

But most importantly, it reminds you to give the old man a call and suggests using Google's e-mail program to do … Read more

Your dad wants to fight for the right to paaaarty!

Forget the tools and ties for dear old Dad this Father's Day. What he really wants is the Beastie Boys' new tunes on vinyl--or so the message goes from a new video uploaded to YouTube by the band on June 15.

Because of an Internet leak of the Beastie Boys' "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two" album, the band was forced to stream the entire thing (the explicit version), on its Web site before the actual June release date. By the end of April, the CDs and digital downloads of the album were (and are) made available on iTunes, Amazon, and Best Buy.

The focus for this new video, however, is on the sale of the vinyl format, which Mike D. says "...will be slightly different than the other formats. But please know that our corps of engineers and experts have been on this, making sure the wait is worth it and that I can personally tell you that in my humble opinion, the test pressing of the vinyl sounded banging on my home hi fi." … Read more