Last-Minute Tech Gifts for Father's Day

[Read how the iPhone software update looks underwhelming.]

Headset with ears (BlueAnt Q1, $130). Bluetooth headsets have been around for a number of years, and they can't get much smaller. They can get smarter, though. Last fall's BlueAnt V1 was the first earphone/microphone combo to respond to voice commands, making the headset easier and safer to use. The newer Q1 adds what the company calls "true multipoint," meaning the headset can connect simultaneously with two phones, such as a personal and work phone. Take a call on one line, and the other remains connected and waiting in the background. Also, a button on the Q1 switches to better cut noise from a bustling room or a windy hilltop.

But the headset's main distinction is the voice-response system, which adds convenience within its limits. The headset can recognize only certain commands, such as dialing up to eight numbers programmed into the handset's speed dials. Still, the voice recognition and audio prompts make it easy to set up the headset—linking it wirelessly to a Bluetooth phone, for example—without having to consult a manual. That alone is a tech breakthrough.

[Read more on BlueAnt's innovative voice controls.]

GPS with connections (TomTom Go 740 Live, $400). Some navigation receivers have found ways to get wireless updates, including warnings that can help dodge teeth-grinding traffic jams. Most have done it with awkward and limited connections through cellphones. The new TomTom 740 is an early GPS receiver that builds in a cellphone connection. The device automatically fetches traffic updates, fuel prices, and local search data.

The dash top receiver has other high-end features, including a Bluetooth link that makes it a hands-free kit for a phone. It's otherwise a fully capable navigator with a sharp, 4.3-inch touch-screen. But it's the wireless Internet data that set this model apart from others. The downside is that the service costs $10 a month (after a three-month trial period) and isn't always accurate, particularly when it comes to traffic. Also, a smartphone with a data connection can do all that and more, though there is added convenience in getting the data on a dedicated navigation device. Subscription prices are sure to come down with competition. And nobody yet offers flawless traffic data—not even the radio-station chopper that's flying overhead.