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Technically Speaking - Father's Day Edition

Looking for the hottest tech gifts for Father’s Day? In this episode of Technically Speaking, tech expert Andru Edwards shares his favorite gadgets that will make your dad’s special day even more amazing in three categories: speed, choice and control. Here are his picks for Dad:

Speed: Grillbot

What it is: Robotic grill cleaning machine
Available at: www.grillbots.com

Father’s Day isn’t complete without a backyard barbecue. Everyone loves to grill out, but no one likes the clean up! With a simple push of the button, the Grillbot cleaner goes to work, leaving Dad free to enjoy his special day, knowing his grill in is perfect shape for the next cookout.

Choice: PicoBrew

What it is: Personal craft beer brewing system
Available at: www.picobrew.com

Your dad doesn’t have to be a brewing expert to join the craft beer craze with the PicoBrew, a personal craft beer home brewing system. The appliance allows anyone to brew five-liter kegs of professional-quality craft beer using ingredient-and-recipe PicoPaks from great craft breweries around the world. You can go from grain to glass in about a week and enjoy a fresh homemade beverage in the comfort of your home. Talk about something to brag about. Cheers!

Control: Rain Machine Touch HD-12

What it is: Smart home watering system
Available at: www.rainmachine.com

Rain or shine, this gadget will give Dad complete control over his lawn. The Rain Machine Touch HD-12 is a weather-aware, Wi-Fi irrigation sprinkler controller scientifically designed to improve water efficiency and dramatically reduce water waste. Not only can you control it from home, you can also be in control while traveling with the comprehensive dashboard app on your phone. The device allows you to program up to 12 zones and connects to real-time weather data sources  to automatically set and adjust the sprinkler schedule.

Are Andru’s picks Dad-approved? Three National Emerald Club road warriors tested out the PicoBrew in their daily lives and gave us their feedback.

“The directions were amazingly clear and detailed, and it came with everything needed to make a batch. The instructions listed everything in a step-by-step format and even gave times needed to do each step. Several of the steps take time so I wasn't locked down while it was being done. It improves my evenings because I now have a nice home brew to sip on at night while I relax.”

- Gordon S., Carmel, Ind.

“My initial thought was that it was basically a Keurig machine for brewing beer. The product is relatively small as opposed to its competition. The product is hands-on with multiple steps that someone looking for a new hobby might appreciate.”

- Tim H., Lake Elsinore, Calif.

“Bring the brewery home! Being on the road doesn’t give me a lot of time to pick up new hobbies, and now I’ve found one. The speed of the process is impressive and perfect for a business traveler. Even though I travel a lot, when I am home, I can impress my friends.”

- Jimmy, Charlotte, N.C.