Father's Day

Outspoken (which might be the gentlest thing anyone's said about him) Miami sports journalist Dan Le Batard has a show on ESPN2 (4:30 pm ET weekdays; back on the air Wednesday, June 20), "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable" and it consists of him answering sports questions from viewers. Nothing unusual so far, except for the title.

But it's unusual for a lot of reasons.

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: One of them is how well it uses social media. It was the first show I saw to display its Twitter hashtag, #DLHQ, on the screen … Read more

Being a father involves copious amounts of self-confidence.

Sometimes, though, that self-confidence can merge with other traits, such as arrogance and bloated self-regard.

I mention this, on Father's Day weekend, merely because a fine and erudite survey has revealed the Grand Canyon between dads' view of their tech prowess and their family's views of dad's tech prowess.

The survey, conducted on behalf of TeamViewer -- a company that stunningly provides helpful remote control software -- reveals that 93 percent of dads think they are the family's go-to guy for tech.

You will be stunned into solitary … Read more

Did you know that Pandas International estimates there are fewer than 2,000 giant pandas living today? This week CNET Exclusives is pairing up with Accessory Power and asking our audience to shop to help the endangered Giant Panda. Accessory Power is hooking up the CNET audience with its GOgroove Panda Pal High-Powered Portable Mini Speaker System. The company has not only passed on a terrific deal ($16.99 with free shipping), it's also generously donating 5 percent of Panda Pal's net profits to Pandas International's Bamboo Project. Pandas International, a nonprofit organization, is working to help … Read more

Google has a Father's Day present for all the dads out there, and as you probably guessed before looking--it's a necktie.

Unlike the traditional gift, Google's new doodle today honoring Dad does a little more than just sit in a box. Sure, it's a thoughtful gift that links to information on the holiday's history, greeting card images, and an IMDb profile of a bad Robin Williams' movie of the same name from 1997.

But most importantly, it reminds you to give the old man a call and suggests using Google's e-mail program to do … Read more

Forget the tools and ties for dear old Dad this Father's Day. What he really wants is the Beastie Boys' new tunes on vinyl--or so the message goes from a new video uploaded to YouTube by the band on June 15.

Because of an Internet leak of the Beastie Boys' "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two" album, the band was forced to stream the entire thing (the explicit version), on its Web site before the actual June release date. By the end of April, the CDs and digital downloads of the album were (and are) made available on iTunes, Amazon, and Best Buy.

The focus for this new video, however, is on the sale of the vinyl format, which Mike D. says "...will be slightly different than the other formats. But please know that our corps of engineers and experts have been on this, making sure the wait is worth it and that I can personally tell you that in my humble opinion, the test pressing of the vinyl sounded banging on my home hi fi." … Read more

D Day is upon us, for both veteran and fairly new fathers who love their tech gadgets.

From the "Daddy Tech Tandem" Scott Stein and Joseph Kaminski, here are iPad apps our kids love. Why the iPad? Currently, for both of us, it's our sons' gadget of choice. Joe's son's apps now populate more than an entire page on his iPad 2. (Joe bets his son's apps exceed his own in total cost.) Scott's "son apps" folder has bled over into a sequel. More and more, our iPads are becoming theirs. … Read more

Jedi training just got cheaper. Nearly a year ago, "The Jedi Path" by Daniel Wallace hit the market and changed the destiny of many Force-sensitive padawans. Now, some good Father's Day news for those of you who want to help enable Dad to confidently swing a lightsaber during his next home improvement project. The price of the anthology just dropped from $99 to around $60.

After Order 66 and The Great Jedi purge(s) nearly eliminated most Jedi, it became nearly impossible for one to learn the complexities of the light side of the force. Luke Skywalker eventually opened up a New Jedi Order on Yavin 4, but getting there from Earth is a tough proposition. The 160-page hardcover Jedi training manual, created in collaboration with Lucasfilm, is a great alternative for those not wanting to travel millions of miles to a galaxy far, far away. … Read more

Father's Day is coming up Sunday and I've been trying not to do a "perfect gift for dads and grads!" post of any kind because ubiquitous rhymes make me want to shoot small, cute things in their small, cute faces. But then I came across the Pillow Tie on Geekologie, and it makes me wish I was a dad or a grad so someone would buy me one.

It's an inflatable microfiber/silk-blend necktie that goes for about $20, and that's about all. But that's all it has to be, as a simple … Read more