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Posts Filed under: Father's Day

Last-Minute Gadget Gifts for Dad

by Switched Staff, posted Jun 15th 2008 at 9:08AMBreaking News

Summer's almost here, and with it comes Father's Day. We here at Switched think it's pretty safe to say that the vast majority of Dads are into gadgets of one sort or another, which is why we always have so much fun compiling our annual list of hot gadget gifts for Father's Day. This year, we've got a mix of high and low, state-of-the-art and newbie-friendly items that will appeal to dads both young and old. Take a look.


Sonicare FlexCare

Is your dad serious about his teeth? (Well, at his age, he should be!) Philips's newest electric toothbrush, the Sonicare FlexCare, is the latest and greatest in tooth-brushing tech. Both the handle and the brush head are smaller, which is more than just a nice aesthetic tough -- it actually helps brushers get deep down in there. And there's even an optional UV sanitizer for the brush heads, just in case dad's germaphobe. If he's a glutton for oral punishment, the new "massage" mode delivers a series of pulses to the teeth and gums (actually, it feels pretty good). Overall, this state-of-the-art electric toothbrush is a bit pricey, but remember: he may not have those teeth much longer. Might as well enjoy brushing them.

Best Gadget Gifts for Dad

by Switched Staff, posted Jun 14th 2008 at 9:15AMFeatured Story

Summer's almost here, and with it comes Father's Day. We here at Switched think it's pretty safe to say that the vast majority of Dads are into gadgets of one sort or another, which is why we always have so much fun compiling our annual list of hot gadget gifts for Father's Day. This year, we've got a mix of high and low, state-of-the-art and newbie-friendly items that will appeal to dads both young and old. Take a look.


Sonicare FlexCare

Is your dad serious about his teeth? (Well, at his age, he should be!) Philips's newest electric toothbrush, the Sonicare FlexCare, is the latest and greatest in tooth-brushing tech. Both the handle and the brush head are smaller, which is more than just a nice aesthetic tough -- it actually helps brushers get deep down in there. And there's even an optional UV sanitizer for the brush heads, just in case dad's germaphobe. If he's a glutton for oral punishment, the new "massage" mode delivers a series of pulses to the teeth and gums (actually, it feels pretty good). Overall, this state-of-the-art electric toothbrush is a bit pricey, but remember: he may not have those teeth much longer. Might as well enjoy brushing them.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 10

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Nintendo DS)

You may or may not have loved the blockbuster movie, but this summer's Indy DS game is pretty irresistible. Like the LEGO Star Wars games before it, the game turns the Man in the Hat into ... the Man in the Hat made of blocks. It has much more of an emphasis on puzzle-solving than its Star Wars cousins, but it's all still pretty action-packed, pick-up-and-play good times: whips, rats, and pretty much everything Indy is rendered in full LEGO style.

While it doesn't support Wi-Fi play (and requires two copies of the game, sadly), there is two-player multiplayer: if you're stuck in the backseat of a long car ride with your friends, you'll definitely have more fun adventuring alongside them with a DS link cable.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 9

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo DS)

At its core, Professor Layton And The Curious Village is a collection of classic puzzles and brainteasers: You're asked to rearrange matchsticks, solve an assortment of sliding-block puzzles, and the like. The puzzles are often brilliant, sometimes frustrating -- but what sets the game apart is the way they're all tied together.

Professor Layton carefully wraps its puzzles into a larger story of mystery in intrigue, lumps several similarly-styled puzzles together, and peppers the solutions with history and trivia. If you need hints, the game gives you just enough help without making things obvious; with each completed puzzle comes another feeling of accomplishment. If you dig games like 'Brain Age' and its sequel, you're going to brain-out on Professor Layton.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 8

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



The World Ends With You (Nintendo DS)

It's nice to see the publisher of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts – all multi-million selling megafranchises -- go the extra mile and release original games like The World Ends With You. The game is set in modern-day Tokyo: most specifically the shopping hub Shibuya, with several real-world landmarks being re-created within the game.

The game's protagonist is the angsty Neku Sakabara, who is forced to play The Reapers' Game, a dark competition in which the evil Reapers assign its players a task every day for seven days. (Fail to complete the task within the set time limit and the player is erased from existence.) And oddly enough, none of the other inhabitants of Shibuya can see Neku or the other players. It's all weird, heady science fiction, and the result is one of developer Square-Enix's finest moments.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 7

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Nintendo DS)

While playing a superfast action game like Ninja Gaiden on the Nintendo DS might sound like an awkward fit, Dragon Sword cleverly uses the DS touch pad for nearly all its input -- and the results are surprisingly smooth. Just point at where you want to go, double-tap to jump, and slash with your stylus to turn your enemies into digital chop suey.

Combos are scored by timing different stylus strokes, and simple touch of your selected orb initiates a magic spell, after which you use the stylus to make it rain with various elemental attacks. It's one of the best-looking titles on the system, and it's a nice change of pace if you're looking for something more kid unfriendly than your average DS title.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 6

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



Guitar Hero: On Tour (Nintendo DS)

You asked for it, and now it's here: Guitar Hero to go. Like its living room-centric predecessors, On Tour comes with its own special hardware, this time in the form of the "Guitar Grip" -- a plastic four-fret controller that fits into the Game Boy Advance slot on the bottom of your DS. The game continues to build on the franchise's easy-to-play/difficult-to-master gameplay, and has the virtual guitarist using a Guitar Hero pick-stylus on the touch screen to strum away at their tunes.

The nearly 30 licensed songs include Nirvana's 'Breed,' Twisted Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take it,' and Kiss' 'Rock and Roll All Night.' Oh, and some newer stuff from the likes of Blink-182 -- you know, for the kids.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 5

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



Patapon (PSP)

For those looking for something a little bit different, Patapon is a gorgeous, experimental experience in music-based gameplay, with super-cute, minimalist visuals that recall last year's beautiful LocoRoco. The concept borrows elements of rhythm-action and real-time strategy games, and turns them both on their head: Essentially, you're in charge of leading your small army of Patapon warriors against beasts, bosses, and the super-evil Zigatons.

It takes a few stages to get used to a rhythm game requiring this much multi-tasking, but once you get the hang of it, you're in for a treat – and a demonstration of the creative potential of videogames. Oh, and at $20, it's a steal.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 4

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



FlatOut: Head On (PSP)

For those keeping score at home, FlatOut: Head On is basically a remake of FlatOut 2 for the Xbox. The concept is simple: Buy a bunch of cars, race them to earn cash, upgrade your cars ... and, like Burnout, destroy everything in sight. The racing itself is superb: The tracks all feel inspired and full of stunt opportunities, and the AI (artificial intelligence) of your opponents is brutally intense. The advanced driver can pull off some crazy power slides, and the physics are waaay over the top (in a good way).

Racing games have always been an excellent fit for the PSP, and FlatOut: Head On is another great example. The intense racing combined with the insane number of destructible objects throughout the world make this one a perfect fit to liven up those long, boring summer drives.

Top 10 Portable Games for Long Trips 3

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jun 13th 2008 at 12:47PM



MLB 08: The Show (PSP)

For many of us, summer means baseball. And for many of us, this summer will mean many, many hours of MLB 08: The Show. It's easily the best handheld baseball game in the history of handheld baseball games. MLB 08 builds upon the last version's superb innovations (great batting and fielding controls, to name a couple), while ironing out nearly all of its kinks (some jerky animations and framerate drops during the action).

The pitcher-batter standoff is a trip: You can feel the intensity and momentum of every swing, and the thrill of making contact. The Road to the Show is a full-on career mode with plenty to do (play through spring training, drive in a run, make contact, etc), and the entire performance gets graded, adding even more depth to the experience. Just be careful not to wear out that thumb -- you're gonna need it to control the television set and air conditioner.

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