Am I Blu?: I read a funny user review of the new Panasonic DMP-BDT210P (discounted to $169), a device so attractive I recently bought one myself. Although marketed primarily as a high-quality Blu-ray/DVD disc player with 3-D functionality (and a free 3-D copy of "Avatar" thrown in), this other buyer had used his, so far, only for the Viera Link extras. With a reasonably fast (mine's 7-10 Mbps) Ethernet or close-by Wi-Fi (wireless hub) Internet connection, this Panny player smoothly delivers standard and high-definition movie streaming/download services like Amazon Instant Videos (free to Amazon Prime subscribers), Netflix, Vudu and Cinema Now. It also taps into Twitter, Pandora music and Picassa photos. And with an accessory ($99) video camera and SD card installed, you can carry on two-way Skype video conversations and even leave audio/video messages! The box is super slim, the remote's decent and the top-mount touch control is magical. Don't need the wireless connectivity feature? The Panasonic DMP-BDT110 ($120) is otherwise equal. Just remember to upgrade player software periodically!
Jonathan Takiff: The perfect gifts for your techy dad (or grad)
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Showstoppers: Action-adventure "buddy pics" - both new and new-edition - tell Dad he's your best bud. We're talking the Blu-ray book editions of John Wayne (and Stuart Whitman) in "The Comancheros" (Fox), directed by the same guy who did "Casablanca," and Sean Connery and Michael Caine in the exotic John Houston/John Foreman production "The Man Who Would Be King" (Warner Bros), plus the 25th-anniversary edition of Oliver Stone's "Platoon" (MGM/Fox). And for someone now or soon getting 3-D gear, the bundled 3-D/2-D Blu-ray version of Nicolas Cage's made-in-hell partnership with hottie Amber Heard in "Drive Angry" (Summit Entertainment) and 3-D/2-D Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack of "The Green Hornet" (Sony) are eye-popping blasts.
Console gamers (Xbox 360/PS3) will get a thrill and a half if you give 'em "Portal 2" (Valve) or "Crysis 2" (Crytek/EA.) 'Tis also the season for "Major League Baseball 2K11" (with Roy Halladay on the cover mound) from 2K Sports, and the PS3 exclusive, 3-D/Move compatible "MLB 11 - The Show" (Sony).
Case Closed: A 14-inch computer (and a few books) pack away safely and handsomely in the charcoal-toned Case Logic DLBP-114 slim-line backpack ($37.49 at Amazon.com). Dads 'n grads also travel lightly and well when their iPad is wrapped in a Built Neoprene Messenger Bag ($60 at www.builtny.com), available in three color combos.
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