This Sunday, June 17, is Father’s Day. If you’re stuck for gift ideas, we’ve looked around for products (dadgets?) that go beyond the seemingly obligatory staple Father’s Day gifts of ties, socks and aftershave.

The Man Iron

A few years ago, appliances manufacturer Philips decided to release an iron designed especially for men. A macho look was achieved by shaping it to resemble a rocket, colouring it black and manufacturing it from robust, durable materials such as the scratchproof, high quality anodilium used in its soleplate.

Now, while we know that many dads in South Africa never have to launder their own duds – let alone get rid of the wrinkles in it – this might be a nice bit of revenge for that ill-advised time that he gifted mom with a vacuum cleaner for Mother’s Day. Gag gift potential aside, the Philips Azur GC4890 truly is a decent steam iron. Packing a manly 2 400 watts of power and providing a continuous steam blast of 40g/min (with a 100g boost and a 335ml water tank), Dad is not bound to run out of steam in the middle of the job. To make sure that his masculinity does not decrease along with the creases he has to iron out, there is a handy dial that will help him to keep the various fabrics straight (pun intended), which he can set to “Wool”, “Linen”, etc.

The Philips Azur GC4890 is available from online retailer TakeALot for R1 145. We know it’s a hefty price tag, but for the priceless look on his face when he opens the gift, it might be entirely worth it. Besides, you can always hit him up for more pocket money again later.

Pacemaker App

While receiving an iron might cause some dads to, quite possibly, have heart attacks, this is not THAT kind of pacemaker. If your dad wields a BlackBerry PlayBook, you can help him unleash his inner Disc Jockey by buying him this brand new Pacemaker app. Based on the popular Pacemaker device, which was the first mobile DJ system in the world, the newly launched Pacemaker app brings that award-winning interface to the PlayBook’s touchscreen, enabling Dad to play around, mix up a few tunes and drop some beats anytime, anywhere.

As for why it was developed for the PlayBook and not for any other tablet on the market, Jonas Norberg, inventor of the Pacemaker device and CEO of Pacemaker, offers this explanation: “PlayBook is based upon QNX, the only true real-time operating system running on a mobile device. When developing a DJ system, it is very important to have the kind of control that the BlackBerry PlayBook delivers.”  

And even if your dad is a professional DJ, this app will appeal to him too. “The Pacemaker app on the BlackBerry PlayBook is fluid, alive and fun. It not only serves the needs of professional DJs, but will appeal to anyone wanting to create their own amazing content,” says Martyn Mallick, VP, Global Alliances and Business Development at BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM).

The Pacemaker app is available from BlackBerry App World for R118.00.

12-in-1 Multitool Pen

This is perfect for those dads who like to tool around. Appearing to be a sturdy, stainless steel ballpoint pen at first glance, this pen indeed has the potential to be mightier than the sword, because in just a few swift moves, it can be morphed into eleven other useful tools. These are a hole puncher, a stainless steel file, a short cutting blade, a flat screwdriver, a saw (yes, really!), a wire stripper, a long cutting blade, a tweezer, a Philips head, a stainless steel fork and a scraper. With this in his pocket, Dad will be prepared for any eventuality.

The 12-in-1 Multitool Pen is available from Mantality for R165.00.

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