Tech gifts for dads (2013)

Father?s day is coming up, and if your family is anything like mine, they?re so stumped on what to get you that they?ll just flat out ask you want. Of course, when anyone asks me that question my mind immediately goes to things like a custom fit replica stormtrooper costume, or a solo trip to Vegas with nothing but a suitcase full of pharmaceuticals and someone else?s credit card. But as far as practical gifts go, I?m usually stumped when I?m put on the spot. So here?s my cheat list of the Top 5 tech gifts for dads, that you can just forward along to your family. Starting off at #5: the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard case. $99 gets you the best Bluetooth keyboard solution we?ve seen yet for the iPad. It works with every iPad model except for the first one, and unlike a lot of the keyboard cases out there, this one protects both the front and back of the iPad, making the whole thing look like some boutique spy computer. If you?ve ever caught dad cursing at the iPad?s touch screen keyboard, this one?s a no-brainer. At #4: the Samsung Galaxy S4. If dad?s a smartphone geek, why not treat him to Samsung?s latest flagship Android phone. You can pick it up on every major carrier and dad will feel like he?s on the cutting edge for the rest of the year. Big screen, some great camera features, and some serious bragging rights. #3 is a little bit selfish: the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200. If dad?s a shutterbug, chances are he?s taking photos of you. My Flickr collection looks like a photo essay of a lovely widow and her child, because I?m always the one behind the lens. So if YOU want to look better in dad?s photos, dropping $500 on this digital camera will do the trick. At #2: the Microsoft Surface Pro. This laptop/tablet hybrid is the coolest thing to come from Microsoft since the Xbox 360. Even if dad?s stuck in the past when it comes to Windows, this gives him a safe little sandbox to play around in without tampering with his precious home PC. Plenty of power. Full Windows 8 experience. Spring for the keyboard cover to watch him really geek out. Finally, at #1, you know dad?s favorite gadget -- the TV. The Panasonic TC-P55ST60 is fresh out of the factory and already climbing the ranks as one of CNET?s best overall TVs. Picture quality is beautiful, thanks to that plasma display which has thinned down a lot since the plasmas of yesteryear. Not a bad price for what you get either, with the 50-inch model coming in at around $1,300. So there you have it, five gifts that are sure to make dad happy he didn?t change his identity and run off to Vegas. For our full list of tech gifts for dad, head over to CNET.com I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.