Ars Technica’s gift guide for Father’s Day: Give dad some cool things
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I can't speak for GreenHills but I do always prefer ethernet when ever possible so I like to have that option and when it comes to storage having it and not needing it is always better than needing it and not having it. $20 isn't a huge price to upgrade and have it just incase things change and you can switch to wired or you do end up needing the storage space.
I've actually started noticing storage space issues on my Roku as periodically it will have to reinstall something we haven't used in a while and even saw some out of space messages. In general things just get bigger and take up more space over time so while you might not think you need it now it might be handy in the future.
As a possible minor thing I would expect the upgraded version to hold onto it's used value better over time if you eventually sell it.
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This thread made me realize I haven't seen Dealmaster in a long time. What ever happened to it?
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I asked my daughter if her friend was coming over Sunday like she had mentioned earlier in the week and she said no. I asked what changed and she said it was Father's Day. Was first time I realized this weekend is Father's Day.Fathers get things??? My wife and kids briefly remembering that it is, in fact, Father's Day IS my Father's Day celebration...
She's way ahead of me.
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There were a lot of them at one point, nearly one per day, and a lot of readers lodged complaints about the volume and seeming lack of effort in curation. So far as can be seen, Ars stopped running them and appears to have taken more care in curating the deals listed.
They pivoted to escooters and are more or less the most prominent brand in the field. I guess it's harder to ride off a cliff when the chassis base is longer than two wheels side-by-side.
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Seems kind of expensive though isn't it? Admittedly, I'm a soldering novice, and mostly just do the occasional small fix or basic electronics project, but I've been doing just fine with my little Pinecil plus a few accessories, at a fraction of the cost of that iFixit kit.
I do have some of iFixit's other tools and like them very much, but that soldering iron seems egregiously overpriced.
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Scone Muncher
Ars Centurion
I don't have time to look it up, but IIRC there was a viral video in which someone's car...caught fire?…and the Stanley tumbler both survived and still had ice in it. Stanley marketing pounced, and here we are.
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It's the 100W soldering station that makes it so expensive, they sell the soldering station by itself for $249. Weller's 75W station is around $200 and it doesn't include the battery pack of the iFixit station so it's not portable.
I think a $250 100W soldering station is probably overkill for most hobbyists, something with good temperature control like the $35 Pinecil (up to 88W if your power supply can support it) is probably a better value for most. If my wife bought me that $300 iFixit kit, I'd probably try to find a gentle way to return it without making her think it was unappreciated. There's lots of other iFixit stuff I'd rather have for $300.
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We said we didn't like it and Ars listened and adjusted. Affiliate links are still worked into various stories, such as this one, but to my eye, Ars is upfront about it.
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As a dad, I'd like to say that one day I'll be happy with nothing more than the company of my kids on the day. Not there yet. My current preference would be for a pizza, a glass of wine/beer and to be able to enjoy them without distraction.
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QuarterSwede
Ars Praetorian
Kids did mine last weekend for reasons and got me an onn WiFi speaker. It’s absolutely excellent sound quality for $79. It supports WiFi, Airplay 2, BT, and even as an Aux jack and USB-A 2.1A port. It’s got a 20 hour battery and has a normal wall plug as well. It’s got a nice retro mod look and absolutely satisfyingly clicky volume knob (yes, knob!). This on sits on my bar in the dining room most of the time but travels outside to the patio when I fancy the outdoors. Totally recommend it.
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YetAnotherAnonymousAppellation
Ars Praefectus
It seems to me that every Ars-dad should have a can of Moonshark repellent handy.
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Full disclosure it was a couple of Christmasses ago, but would have been an equally excellent Fathers Day gift, my adult son got me a beer brewing kit. Just a 23L plastic barrel, kit-in-a-can and a dozen bottles, but it has paid for iteself in spades and I love it.
Who knew home brew was so cheap and easy? And if your dad already does brewing, tech it up and buy him one of the wifi floating fermention monitors (hydrometer) like an iSpindel.
Who knew home brew was so cheap and easy? And if your dad already does brewing, tech it up and buy him one of the wifi floating fermention monitors (hydrometer) like an iSpindel.
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I'm 65 and would love getting a scooter. Pretty sure I would love one at 70, although my wife would likely have some objections.
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A few things I've gotten for Father's Day over the past decade that I really like
- Snark clip on guitar tuner - don't know how I lived without this?
- Tidbyt gen 1 old school LED smart display - yeah not a great value but that's why it's a gift. Probably asking for future heartbreak, though since apps currently have to be cloud hosted.
- Nixie tube clock with LED under-lights - nice Fallout vibe and there are DIY kits at reasonable prices. I am currently building a display holder to improve aesthetics and stabilize on the desk since orig unit weights <200g so power cord tends to tug it gradually backwards.
- Stainless steel grill-top griddle - weighs ~40 lb and covers most of the grill surface (maybe 500 sq in?). Liked it so much I got a second smaller one so I can grill and griddle at the same time.
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Also from Stanley on deepdiscount right now is a French Press for $53...
Stanley Classic Stay-Hot French Press Coffee Maker 48 oz | 5 Minute Brew, 4 Hours Hot | Mesh Filter for Coffee Grounds | Insulated Stainless Steel French Press | BPA-Free | Hammertone Green
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L6LQHB4
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Disappointed there wasn’t a pen or pocket protector recommendation, based on the thumbnail.
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Enjoy your gadgets.....I'll be getting socks
Drop some hints for the good ones!
Feetures Elite were an amazing find for me because my big toes are substantially taller than my little toes. Or go Balega Hidden Comfort for maximum new-sock squish!
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I got my FixHub kit last week - preordered May 2 - and I feel like it has some growing pains to resolve. Firmware updates are STILL only via Web Serial online applet, so if the applet goes away or you dislike all of the browsers which support Web Serial, that's not great. And since I'm attempting to use mine as a main bench iron, I'm discovering some issues.
I turned off the "auto off", set a charge limit of 95%, and leave the Power Hub on all the time - iron connected but switched off, so it doesn't heat and always glows blue. Every morning I go in and there's a B02 battery error, charging disabled message on the screen. (Unplug charge power, hold both front buttons for ten seconds, plug back in, and it's good until the next day usually.) This is my first cartridge-style iron, though, and functionally it's awesome. Heats up fast (sensor is up to temp in 3-5 seconds, double that and the tip is truly ready to go) and has plenty of heat for my needs. Sure a 200 watt iron can handle thick boards with lots of copper for ground planes or heat sinking, but I have a cheap Amazon soldering hot plate (big blue cube looking thingy) for those boards. And I LOVE that I can pack this up into a neat little tool roll and take it anywhere.
And since years ago I did some system hardening, went in and turned off every permission and capability in Edge, I don't know what I need to turn back on to allow their Web Serial firmware updater app to run. (I would uninstall Edge if I could, but at least if something opens Edge without my consent, risk is reduced.) I don't think iFixit is going anywhere, as a company, so I doubt they're going to just disappear. But I'm REALLY creeped out by critical functionality being locked in a web app that I can't back up or replace with an offline tool. (And that I currently can't run.)
I want this to succeed, but I also want them to do the right thing.
I turned off the "auto off", set a charge limit of 95%, and leave the Power Hub on all the time - iron connected but switched off, so it doesn't heat and always glows blue. Every morning I go in and there's a B02 battery error, charging disabled message on the screen. (Unplug charge power, hold both front buttons for ten seconds, plug back in, and it's good until the next day usually.) This is my first cartridge-style iron, though, and functionally it's awesome. Heats up fast (sensor is up to temp in 3-5 seconds, double that and the tip is truly ready to go) and has plenty of heat for my needs. Sure a 200 watt iron can handle thick boards with lots of copper for ground planes or heat sinking, but I have a cheap Amazon soldering hot plate (big blue cube looking thingy) for those boards. And I LOVE that I can pack this up into a neat little tool roll and take it anywhere.
And since years ago I did some system hardening, went in and turned off every permission and capability in Edge, I don't know what I need to turn back on to allow their Web Serial firmware updater app to run. (I would uninstall Edge if I could, but at least if something opens Edge without my consent, risk is reduced.) I don't think iFixit is going anywhere, as a company, so I doubt they're going to just disappear. But I'm REALLY creeped out by critical functionality being locked in a web app that I can't back up or replace with an offline tool. (And that I currently can't run.)
I want this to succeed, but I also want them to do the right thing.
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