This is the time of year we search to find a gift for Father’s Day (June 19) and Graduation Day (depends on school). There are a lot of choices I’ll try to help you find something that you may not have thought of.

The Gift of Power

MP3 players and especially iPods are so last year (and we already did an MP3 guide a few weeks ago) so how about something that will enhance the MP3 player they already have? Particularly if they have one of the MP3 players that don’t have a replaceable battery they are likely experiencing a severe problem with battery life. It isn’t just MP3 players either, cell phones, cameras and other personal electronics often use up their batteries before we are done using them and while we are far away from a plug, what about a universal emergency Power Supply?

At around $147 dollars at Amazon.com and other retailers the Socket Mobile Power Pack provides emergency power for a host of personal electronics. They can toss it in their carry on bag or wear in on their belt to get that extra burst of juice to recharge their chosen device. It comes with a series of power adapters and should work with any device that can be charged via a USB port.

You need something extra for laptops so how about a universal power supply. For $70 at Buy.com the Kensington Universal Laptop Power Supply will power most laptops on planes, in cars, and when you actually have a plug. It has interchangeable tips that fit most of the common brands and even has a retractable cord which is really cool. It can be used with multiple devices (just like the Socket Above) but it doesn’t have a battery so you will have to find a plug.

If you want a large portable power supply that will do your camera and your laptop then the Valence N-Charge Universal Power System is for your Dad or Grad. For $150 at Circuit City this external battery can increase your notebook’s power to 5 to 10 hours depending on your notebook. It also has a number of tips that come with it and others you can purchase to charge other devices.

The Gift of Sound

If you travel or are around loud noises at all (like kids playing video games or teething) the gift of silence can be deeply appreciated. The best noise canceling headphones are the Bose QuietComfort 2s. At $299 nearly everywhere these aren’t inexpensive but they do fold up and also do the best job of killing the unwanted external noise.

While not as good as the Bose products the Sennheiser PXC 250s at $150 at eCost.com provide a lot of silence for a lot less money. More portable but less effective then the Bose units I carry these myself (they take up much less room in my bag) and I’ve found them to do a great job of providing that moment of silence. Both products work great on airplanes too.

For a PC the LTB-USB-M 5.1 Surround Sound headphones are a lot of fun, they not only good for gaming and music (both for the listener and the other folks in the house that might want to sleep) they have a microphone so you can use them for internet voice calls. At $80 at Amazon.com they won’t break your wallet either.

A more portable headset is the Plantronics DSP-500 Digitally Enhanced Computer Headset. For $85 at Headsets.com it won’t break the bank and it is what I use when I game and don’t want to wake the wife or the folks in the next hotel room.

If you want something extra unique just for Internet Telephone the Plantronics CS50-USB is the product for your special someone. It has a 200ft range so they can talk and wonder around the dorm or home and at $279 it probably is something that few others will have. Since it is for talking over the internet the long distance phone charges you save could actually pay for this device if they use it and you are paying the phone bill.

The Gift of Sight

Flat Panel Displays have become incredibly inexpensive. The Samsung 915-N is one of the very best bargains in the market. With performance good enough for most games and 19” size it is literally stunning. It costs an incredibly low $389 from Directron.com and this is what I use for gaming and swear by it. It continues to amaze me that this outperforms significantly the two $2K monitors I bought just a couple short years ago.

For cameras the coolest camera has to be the Olympus Ferrari Digital Model 2004. With 3.2 Megapixels it isn’t the most powerful and at $590 at Amazon.com it isn’t the least expensive, but it is red, unique and likely to be a collector’s item. Guys see this and their eyes light up like Christmas trees. If you want to be remembered this is the gift for that special someone.

For those that like function over form the more reasonable HP Photosmart R717 with 6.2 Megapixel resolutions and a $300 price at TigerDirect.com may fit the bill better. This camera showcases how far HP has come and it is considered one of the best values in its class. It allows you to do minor editing right from the camera (like red eye reduction) and color matches well with HP printers.

Unique and Expensive

For the Donald Trump set how about the coolest bicycle on the planet. Based on technology developed for the US military the Wavecrest Tidalforce line of bicycles are the most advanced electric affordable vehicles on the market. Ideal for campus or around home these bicycles look like regular bikes with their motors and batteries hidden in their hubs. A great blend of exercise and technology I got one for my birthday last year and bought one for my wife I liked it so much. You can find more information at http://www.tidalforce.com but they aren’t cheap costing between $2,500 and $3.500 depending on model.

TVs

Listen there are two times to buy new TVs, the Christmas Buying Season when the technology is new, and in January where the new technology is discounted. This isn’t either of those times so I don’t suggest buying a TV. I’ve seen the TVs that are coming out in the second half of the year, and trust me, you’ll be glad you waited.

Have fun shopping and remember, you might actually like some of this stuff so don’t be surprised if, while shopping, you buy one of these things for yourself.