If you ask me, one of the greatest tragedies to occur every year is when kids get painfully lame gifts for their dads on Father’s Day. Let’s face it, when it comes to being thoughtful, we all tend to put our best effort into Mother’s Day. Mom gets flowers, jewelry or a nice dinner. What does dad get? A cheesy tie, cheap cologne or tube socks. Now, I understand that sometimes our fathers can be difficult to buy for, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t put forth some effort.
And what if your dad is a geek? If you are the child of a ‘geek dad’ who has somehow not inherited the ‘geek gene’, well then I’m sure you’ve had many a sleepless night trying to figure out what to get him. As a public service to all you ‘norms’ who need a little help this Father’s Day, I’m going to offer you a few suggestions on Geek Gifts for Dad:
Batman Mimobot (Mimico & DC Comics)
Mimobots from Mimoco.com
One of my favorite gadgets is the ‘Mimobot’ USB Flash Drive from Mimoco. These neat little dealios are stylishly-designed to resemble any number of fun characters like Darth Vader, R2-D2, Batman and Green Lantern. They also run in data storage capacity anywhere between 2 – 16 GBs, depending on how much you want to spend. I have the 8GB Darth Vader Mimobot myself, along with a Stormtrooper (that’s revealed to be Luke Skywalker when you remove his ‘helmet’) and a Darth Maul that was given to me by a rep from Lucasfilm. (You’ll have to pry that one out of my cold, dead hands.) The drives come preloaded with desktop wallpapers, themes and icons, but you can make this a personalized gift by loading family photos and video for dad.
Mimobots range in price from $22.95 to $59.95. For more info or to order a Mimobot click HERE. (Also be sure to enter the contest at the bottom of the page for a FREE Mimobot!)
Star Wars Boba Fett Bluetooth Headset by Earloomz
Star Wars Bluetooth Headset by Earloomz
Okay, to be perfectly honest, I’ve never been a big fan of the bluetooth earpiece since using one tends to make you look like a crazy person talking to yourself. But once I got a chance to try out the Star Wars themed Boba Fett headset from Earloomz, I started to like it. For one, it was pretty easy to sync up with my android phone. The piece is small and unobtrusive, but the signal is really clear when receiving phone calls. Yeah, you have to speak pretty loud when using it outdoors – hence the odd stares you might get from passer-byes – but it really shines when you’re driving. You can also use the headset with your X-Box or Ps3 for when you’re in co-op play fragging noobs. (I didn’t use the piece for that myself since I tend to be the noob getting fragged.)
There are several designs you can go with as well. Of course you have the bad ass Boba, Darth Vader, and the classic duel scene from The Empire strikes Back. One look at this ear piece and folks will go from thinking “oh, look, another crazy person with split-personality disorder” to “oh look, a Star Wars geek!”
The ear pieces retail at $59.99 each. Learn more about Earloomz by clicking HERE.
"Swirly Tie" by Magnoli Clothiers
Doctor Who “Swirly Tie” by Magnoli Clothiers
Okay, I know I mentioned ties as one of the lame gifts we give our dads, but this tie is special. See, it’s a custom replica of the tie worn by David Tennant when he played the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who! This is an item that true geeks will recognize and give your pops major props on if he wears it to the office. And for those who don’t get it, well at least it’s an interesting pattern. I’ve been wanting one of these ties myself for some time now. Hopefully someone in my family will read this in time for Christmas. Okay, okay, I know…let’s stay focused on the dads!
The tie retails for $60.00. For more info and to order, click HERE!
Darth Vader Hawaiian Shirt (via shop.starwars.com)
Star Wars Darth Vader Hawaiian Shirt
Does your dad like to hang out on the porch in his shorts, socks and sandals? Well then help him complete the ensemble with this Star Wars-themed Hawaiian shirt! He can soak in the sun while sucking down mai tais, looking ready for a game of shuffleboard or just barbequing. And since it’s Father’s Day, indulge him by not laughing when he starts making heavy breathing sounds and proclaiming “I AM YOUR FATHER!”
The shirt is a Star Wars Shop exclusive and retails for $59.99. For more info or to order click HERE.
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Okay, now on to the contest! I have TWO Mimobot USB Flash Drives to give away to my readers! One is a 2GB Batman Mimobot and the other is 2GB Darth Vader Mimobot. If you’d like to win one of these devices to give as a gift to dear, old dad – or keep for yourself because you are a “geek dad” – there are TWO WAYS TO WIN!
#1: Comment below and tell me the geekiest thing about your father. Does he like watching Stargate? Did he take you to see a Lord of the Rings marathon at the local theater? Is his favorite t-shirt emblazoned with a Superman logo? Let me know and everyone who comments will be entered into a random drawing for one of the Mimobots.
Now as for the other way to win…
#2: FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! On Thursday, June 8th, I will give the Mimobot to one of my followers with a ‘surprise tweet.’ What does that mean? Well…I’m not sure yet, but if you’re one of my followers you’ll know that I like to give stuff away on Twitter quite a bit and it’s not hard at all to win something if you’re keeping an eye on my feed. So give me a follow!
Sorry, but this contest is open to US Residents only. Drawings will be held on Thursday, June 9th, 2011. Winner to be notified via e-mail (or Twitter DM). One entry per person please. Let’s keep it fair. Winners to receive one (1) 2GB Mimobot provided by Mimoco. Shipping will be done via USPS. I will try to get the flash drive to you in time for Father’s Day, but apologize in advance if I am unable to. I will do my best.