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The best Father's Day gifts: Online tech subscriptions

Get your dad a gift this Father's Day that will last him the whole year. Here are a selection of online services and subscriptions that he can enjoy over the coming 12 months.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
Learning: The Great Courses Plus
The Great Courses Plus
Learning: The Great Courses Plus
View now View at The Great Courses
Mac owners: CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac X
Mac owners: CleanMyMac X
View now View at MacPaw
Genealogy: Ancestry
Ancestry
Genealogy: Ancestry
View now View at Ancestry
Audiobooks: Audible
Audible
Audiobooks: Audible
View now View at Audible
Backup: Backblaze
Backblaze
Backup: Backblaze
View now View at Backblaze
Security: Kaspersky Total Security
Kaspersky Total Security
Security: Kaspersky Total Security
View now View now
Video conferencing: Zoom
Zoom
Video conferencing: Zoom
View now View at Zoom
Yoga: Alo Moves
Alo Moves
Yoga: Alo Moves
View now View at Alo Moves
Games: It depends
Gamer Dad
Games: It depends
View now View at Xbox Game Pass
Books: Kindle Unlimited
Kindle Unlimited
Books: Kindle Unlimited
View now View at Amazon
Show more (5 items)

Father's Day is around the corner, but there's still plenty of time to get your dad a gift that he'll really enjoy. And, for this year's selection, we've chosen to highlight online services and subscriptions that he can enjoy for an entire year. 

There's not a sock -- or sock subscription -- in sight!

Is your dad a life-long learner? If he has a passion for and curiosity to learn new things, then why not get him a subscription to The Great Courses Plus. There, he can access a huge library of college-level courses taught by some of the world's greatest professors from prestigious universities and institutions around the globe.

He can binge-watch and learn at the same time, and there are hundreds of courses in the library, with new content added every month.

Yes, even Macs get kludgy and slow over time. But don't worry, you can speed up dad's Mac wiothout having to buy him a new one!

For dad's that are Mac owners, CleanMyMac X is the perfect gift.

CleanMyMac X is a one-stop-shop tool that cleans, protects, and speeds up Macs. With a few clicks, dad can initiate a scan that digs through his Mac, rooting out junk and malware, and helping to bring back the speed and performance that the system once had.

If Dad has a keen interest in getting to know the wider family better, or in finding out more about the generations that came before, then a subscription to Ancestry will give him access to the information he will need to build a family tree that potentially goes back many generations.

Ancestry has access to billions of records, which means that the family tree he builds will be more than just names and dates, but will be able to go deeper and get personal insights into those family members, from where they lived, how much they earned, and even photos, signatures, and much more.

Binging on Netflix means sitting on the couch in front of the TV, but binging on audiobooks from Audible can be done anywhere and any time -- when walking, at the gym, commuting to and from work, before going to bed. 

Audible has a wide array of content, spanning every genre from fiction to non-fiction, from a huge range of authors and narrators.  Audible is also great because it integrates with a whole raft of devices and platforms, so your dad can listen wherever he wants, and even start a book on one device and pick up exactly where he left off on another.

Very few things can turn a good day bad like losing data. Whether it's precious family photos or boring but no less important stuff like tax and financial records. Having a reliable up-to-date backup can mean the difference between hear-tearing problems and a mild inconvenience.

Backblaze is a great choice because it automatically backs up all files including documents, photos, music, and movies. Unlimited files, no matter how big. Additionally, every device gets unlimited storage and the fastest possible speed. Backblaze also keeps old file versions and deleted files for 30-days, with the option to increase this to a year.

Help your dad defend his computer and other devices from malware and bad guys with a year's subscription to Kaspersky Total Security.

There's a lot to like about this package. Right at the top of the list is its near-perfect malware detection score, along with a negligible effect on system performance. Kaspersky Total Security sits in the background discreetly until you need its help.

Then, there's the five-device license that you get with a yearly subscription that covers Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad, and Android devices. This is a great benefit in that you don't need to spend extra money or go through a different learning curve on each platform.

Has Dad got into the whole "get the family together using Zoom" thing since the coronavirus pandemic hit? Then why not get him a Zoom Pro package?

While the free version of Zoom does a lot, there are limits, such as the 40 minute limit of group meetings, and no ability to record sessions (these seem to be becoming the new family photo).

One thing that has happened as a result of the coronavirus outbreak is that more and more people are doing yoga online as a way to keep fit, get strong, and stay moving. While YouTube has no shorted of free yoga people can dip into, Alo Moves is great, because it has structured packages to suit all, from beginners to advanced yogis, and all levels of intensity.

There's also a great selection of yoga instructors and programs that will appeal to those looking to get into or advance their yoga practice.

There are a lot of different gaming services out there, and which one you go for depends mostly on what kind of gaming Dad does. For console gaming dads, there's Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Now. For PC gamers, there are services such as Uplay Plus or EA Access (which has services for PC and consoles).

Plenty to keep Dad occupied!

Book -- but available for reading on whatever device Dad uses! 

You can gift Kindle Unlimited subscriptions for 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Dad gets to binge read without the worry of finding space for physical books, and without having to carry them around with him.

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