father's

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

Jobs in his own words: Meeting his biological dad

In a preview clip of a "60 Minutes" interview airing Sunday, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who died earlier this month at the age of 56, tells biographer Walter Isaacson he "didn't like what I learned" about his biological father and asked at the time that they never meet.

Of course it's just one of the many revelations Isaacson reveals about the complex life and personality of Jobs, who was adopted and unknowingly met his biological father.

The show airs on CBS Sunday at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Isaacson's biography "Steve Jobs&… Read more

Jobs on his biological father: 'I didn't like what I learned'

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs unknowingly met his biological father several times, with Jobs finding disappointment in the man upon discovering his identity, according to biographer Walter Isaacson.

In a "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft that airs this Sunday, Isaacson said Jobs had met his biological father, Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, when Jandali was running a Mediterranean restaurant in Silicon Valley, without either man knowing the two were related.

The discovery of Jandali's vocation was made by Jobs' sister Mona Simpson, who tracked Jandali down and met with him as part of her and Jobs' … 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

Best iOS golf games for Dad

Does your dad like golf? With Father's Day this weekend and the summer finally hitting its stride, heading out to the links is probably on a lot of dads' minds. But why let your dad's golfing be limited to the weekend or the warm months of summer when you can bring the links to him on his iOS device?

This week's collection of apps is all about playing a quick game of golf during downtime. The first app lets you play through nine-hole courses in strange, multilevel fantasy 2D worlds. The second lets you join one of the best golfers around, in a more involved golf simulation, playing on real-world courses. The last, out this week, is the sequel to an excellent pick-up-and-play golf game, perfect for when you need a quick fix.

Super Stickman Golf (99 cents) is a 2D golf game that's really easy to pick up and play, with tons of fantastical themed courses, interesting power-ups, and excellent physics-based gameplay. Though the game has a huge number of arcadelike features, the goal is always the same: try to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. The challenge is that it can be much harder than it looks.

Rather than your standard 3D layout as seen in many golf games, Super Stickman Golf offers up a 2D platformer experience. The courses often have multiple levels you'll need to reach and obstacles you'll need to avoid to finally get on the green.

The interface consists of arrows on the left to adjust the arc of your shot, a button in the middle for bringing in bonus items, and a "Go!" button you'll need to hit twice for each shot: once to start the swing, and a second time to adjust shot power.… Read more

iPad dads: Father's Day top app picks for kids

D Day is upon us, for both veteran and fairly new fathers who love their tech gadgets.

From the "Daddy Tech Tandem" Scott Stein and Joseph Kaminski, here are iPad apps our kids love. Why the iPad? Currently, for both of us, it's our sons' gadget of choice. Joe's son's apps now populate more than an entire page on his iPad 2. (Joe bets his son's apps exceed his own in total cost.) Scott's "son apps" folder has bled over into a sequel. More and more, our iPads are becoming theirs. … Read more