dad

When it comes to make-believe, kids are pretty canny -- a simple refrigerator box can fly them to the moon. But inspired by physicists and educators Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carl Sagan, one dad has gone above and beyond in getting his son into space.

Before Noah was born, Daniel Sherrouse was already planning the spaceship simulator he would build to instill in Noah a love of the stars. "When my wife told me she was pregnant, I slammed my fist down on the table and said 'Gosh darn it, my kid is going to have a better life than me!'" … Read more

Who hasn't called their dad a geek or nerd at some point, right? The thing is, while those monikers might have been an insult or cause for embarrassment back in the day, today, they're a badge of honor for many tech-savvy dads out there.

According to a survey sponsored by Cisco Home Networking Business (who knew Cisco was in the business of geek dads?), these self-proclaimed nerds are eager to pass on their high-tech knowledge to their sons and daughters. And get this: instead of retreating to their rooms and slamming their doors in that special way only angst-ridden teens can, the kids are into it, giving both parties an opportunity to spend more time together.

The survey, called "Confessions of a Geek Dad" and conducted by Answers Research, asked 590 "tech-savvy" men between the ages of 25 to 54, with children ages 17 and under, about their technology habits as it relates to their interaction with kids and other family members. … Read more

Does your dad like golf? With Father's Day this weekend and the summer finally hitting its stride, heading out to the links is probably on a lot of dads' minds. But why let your dad's golfing be limited to the weekend or the warm months of summer when you can bring the links to him on his iOS device?

This week's collection of apps is all about playing a quick game of golf during downtime. The first app lets you play through nine-hole courses in strange, multilevel fantasy 2D worlds. The second lets you join one of the best golfers around, in a more involved golf simulation, playing on real-world courses. The last, out this week, is the sequel to an excellent pick-up-and-play golf game, perfect for when you need a quick fix.

Super Stickman Golf (99 cents) is a 2D golf game that's really easy to pick up and play, with tons of fantastical themed courses, interesting power-ups, and excellent physics-based gameplay. Though the game has a huge number of arcadelike features, the goal is always the same: try to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. The challenge is that it can be much harder than it looks.

Rather than your standard 3D layout as seen in many golf games, Super Stickman Golf offers up a 2D platformer experience. The courses often have multiple levels you'll need to reach and obstacles you'll need to avoid to finally get on the green.

The interface consists of arrows on the left to adjust the arc of your shot, a button in the middle for bringing in bonus items, and a "Go!" button you'll need to hit twice for each shot: once to start the swing, and a second time to adjust shot power.… Read more

There is never enough time in the day for fun. And hackers do like to have their fair share.

However, I am concerned that perhaps they are sometimes being too hasty and too thoughtless in their frolics around the Web.

You see, the rather popular Sh*tMyDadSays Twitter feed, which offers the real sayings of a slightly jaded former nuclear medicine worker, has been hacked. I suppose that when you have almost 2 million followers you become prey to this sort of thing, so perhaps no one should really be all that surprised.

Security expert Sophos explained that a post … Read more

Recently, those in the television and advertising communities celebrated the "upfronts." For anyone unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the third week of May each year when the television networks host massive presentations in New York City to introduce their new shows and fall schedules to the advertising community.

Upfront presentations are so named because they kick off the upfront buying season, when advertisers can buy commercial time in advance for the new season, negotiating for the shows and the rates.

Just as geeks and analysts hold their breath to see what amazing new devices will be … Read more

Cozi Family Organizer helps you stay on top of your responsibilities by letting you access your calendar, journal, and to-do lists from the Cozi.com Web site. The idea behind Cozi.com was to create a place where you could map out your busy family schedule, keep appointments, and make your family life easier. On the site you have access to Living Simply articles about family life and tools to help you maintain your home, plan meals and grocery shopping, and much more. The iPhone app ties the experience together, giving you access to to-do lists, grocery lists, and a … Read more

Natali Del Conte replaces Justin Yu on today's show, as he's out looking for pickles. The name of today's show refers to the news that William Shatner of "Star Trek" fame will star in CBS' new sitcom "S**t My Dad Says," based on the same expletive-filled Twitter phenomenon. We think Jerry Stiller would make a better cranky old man. (By the way, CBS, you own a equally funny podcast/show/Twitter called The 404, available on @the404.)

Jeff has a beef with the number of 3D movie theaters out there right now. Apparently, the success of "Avatar" has led a swarm of 3D films to be released, and many theaters aren't equipped to handle the 3D projections just yet.

Next, we get to Sony building a universal game controller (a la the Logitech Harmony One, but for videogame consoles). We're not exactly sure how they plan on doing this, or whether it's useful in any way. We do, however, reminisce a bit about our favorite game controllers. The original Sega Saturn controller is Wilson's favorite for 2D games. "It melts in your hands," he says.

Finally, we get to some voice mails, and the racist polar bear on Xbox Live has really taken off as a meme now. We're encouraging our fans to send in their renditions of this meme. The best ones we will showcase on the show. Maybe a few Photoshoped images? Maybe a few voice mails as the racist polar bear? Send them in to the404 [at] cnet [dot] com or call us at 1-866-404-CNET (2638).

… Read more

Natali Del Conte fills Justin's diminutive shoes today, and boy it could not be more appropriate with today's stories. Big news of the day is daytime talk show goddess Oprah Winfrey's plans to end "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and we're hoping our very own Natali Del Conte will take over.

According to WholeFitness.com, staring at breasts for 10 minutes will prolong a man's life by 5 years. Yes, this could possibly be the greatest piece of health care news ever, and we're hoping they incorporate it into the current legislation.

After some really awesome voicemails, we finally get into some tech talk with high-definition primetime entertainment. The majority of shows have switched over to high-definition broadcasts, but we're particularly disappointed that "Family Guy" and "American Dad" aren't available in high definition yet. Jeff gets really disappointed to learn that almost all cartoons are animated in South Korea. Guess that makes "American Dad" even more ironic. Included in the same list is "America's Top Model." Wilson is particularly disappointed.

Jeff will be out next week, so hopefully it won't be Wilson alone curled up in a snuggie talking about Apple and washing machines. In the meantime, be sure to keep sending in those voicemails as we prep for Thanksgiving. If you're in the New York metropolitan area, be sure to check out Ms. Del Conte on WCBS as she hosts the local news for Black Friday.

Hey, Dad! Look what Samuel Seide made for his son. How about it? I'm not even asking for an Imperial Walker bed, just a father-daughter mini-arcade-machine building session to sacrifice some games, a DVD player, and random electronics.

There's something awesome about this mini-arcade machine and I want to build one so badly that I even ignored the fact that this video was filmed in a bathroom.

This story originally appeared on Gizmodo.