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2017 Father's Day tech gifts and gadgets for under $100
A gift guide to help you buy gadgets for dads who enjoy their gaming, mobile devices, travel and more without the day costing you a fortune.
Stargazer's watch
Rather niche and somewhat special, if your dad is an astronomy fan or has a fondness for the skies, why not have him carry it on his wrist with the Stargazer watch?
Price: $59.99
Purchase: ThinkGeek
iFixit toolkit
IT experts and general hobbyists alike need tools for when their devices break or in order to make changes and improvements. iFixIt, well-known for hardware reviews for the latest devices on the market, is now offering a range of toolkits -- many of which are affordable as gifts this Father's Day.
Price: $19.99 (£55.95 Pro)
Amazon Echo Dot
The smaller cousin to the Echo, the Dot is a more affordable version of the device which can be used around the home to tap into your Amazon account, set alarms, order goods, send and receive messages, and more. While you can't expect much from such a small speaker, the device can also be hooked up to your smart devices to control them from any room in the house.
Price: $49.99 (£49.99)
Power Up 3.0
A real boy's toy, the Power Up 3.0 is a modern take on the days of school and paper aeroplanes. The aeroplane is sent forward through a small propeller and can be controlled via smartphone -- likely to keep your dad and other kids around amused for some time.
Price: $49.99 (£38)
Purchase: Power Up
Roku Premier
Roku is an affordable media streaming player which, while suitable for HD and 4K Ultra HD TVs, is in budget for this Father's Day. As a gift, your dad will be able to access free and paid channels, and can also link the device to subscriptions such as Roku or Netflix.
Price: $68.99 (£149.99 import)
Amazon Fire TV stick
Another streaming dongle of interest this Father's Day is the Amazon Fire TV stick. Now under $50, the device can be used to access Amazon Prime content, other subscription services, third-party apps, movies, and television shows. The company also offers games and a selection of free music.
Price: $39.99 (£39.99)
Keyport Slide
The Keyport Slide is a handy organizer for pocket tools, keys, and inserts such as USB drives in one handy piece of kit. If your father is the kind to constantly lose keys and smaller devices, he may enjoy this gadget.
Price: $39+
Purchase: US | UK
Retro-Bit Generations
My Arcade
My Arcade is another option for dads who enjoy their old games. This one, however, is a small arcade-style machine with traditional buttons and a joystick. There are over 300 games to play which are similar to classics such as Super Mario and Defender.
Price: $29.99
Purchase: US | UK alternative
Ridge Wallet
The Ridge Wallet is a fashionable accessory which can be used to carry around cards and cash. Made from aluminum, titanium, or carbon fiber, the wallet also includes RFID-blocking technologies.
Price: $65+
Purchase: Ridgewallet
Photojojo smartphone camera lenses
For budding photographers on a budget, PhotoJoJo's set of magnetic smartphone and tablet lenses -- suitable for Android or iOS -- could be a great gift for enthusiastic dads on Father's Day. They come in a range of sets and can include FishEye, Telephoto, and Macro variations.
Price: $49+
Purchase: PhotoJoJo
Circuit Board tie
Yes, it's geeky, and for any dads out there who might enjoy such an accessory, you can find a circuitboard necktie over at the Etsy marketplace.
Price: £24
Purchase: Etsy
Porsche 911
One for dads who are car fans, this Porsche 911 engine is a replica of the Classic 1966 Porsche 911 flat-six engine, containing moving parts and realistic engine sounds.
Price: £99
Purchase: Red5
Grip Strip
An accessory which, while small, can solve one of life's problems, is a grip strip. The flexible polymer strip can be used in a car -- or anywhere else, for that matter -- to keep smartphones, keys, and pens or other odd bits in one place.
Price: £6.99
Purchase: US alternative | UK
Samsung Gear VR
Slightly over $100 but bound to make an impact, the Samsung Gear VR is a good entry-level virtual reality headset which would make a special gift this Father's Day. You'll want one of Samsung's latest smartphones or tablets to get the best out of it, in which apps, games, and other software can be downloaded from the Oculus store to enjoy VR and 360-degree panoramic views.
Price: $105 (£45)
Star Wars model kit
One for the Star Wars fans among us, perhaps your father would like a 1/44 scale model of the AT-AT Imperial Walker this year as a gift.
Price: $49.99
Purchase: ThinkGeek
Google Home
One for Android and Google fans in general, your father may enjoy a Google Home speaker and voice assistant around his house as an alternative to Amazon Echo or Apple's upcoming home speaker device.
Price: $109 (£129)
Purchase: Google
Subscriptions
Amazon Kindle
E-readers are now a common sight and as such, the price of these devices has dropped in the last few years. Consider picking up Amazon's Kindle e-reader this year as a Father's Day gift -- especially if your family are due on holiday soon and do not want to take a suitcase full of paperbacks with them.
Price: $79.99 (£59.99)
Bamboo Spark
If your father is involved in business or enjoys brainstorming in a pen-and-paper fashion, perhaps an e-folio would do this Father's Day? The Bamboo Spark, for example, is a lightweight and portable notepad which saves scrawls and notes for exporting later to PCs, tablets, cloud storage or smartphones. This model, currently on sale, is the older version but can still make a great gift.
Price: $49.95 (£92.15)
Entry-level drones
While some drones may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, enjoying this new hobby doesn't have to be expensive. Consider purchasing an entry-level quadcopter or similar this Father's Day as they will not only entertain and likely be received well, but they don't have to cost the earth.
Price: $69.99
Purchase: US | UK alternative