BY MECHELE COOPER

Staff Writer

Forget the tie, the socks, and the golf ball washer and give dad a Father's Day gift on June 15 that won't collect dust on a shelf or clutter up a dresser.

Give him a gift that will be appreciated even after the day he unwraps it.

Go techno with a computer helper. Or give him a flying alarm clock (there is such a thing). Have cash to spend? How about a virtual reality exercise bike for $4,000.

There are plenty of gadgets and computer services that deliver quick fixes for techno geek dads on this special day.

To make technology more accessible and easy to use, give dad the gift of time with an account for remote personal computer repair service.

HiWired of Needham, Mass., provides a combination of on-screen or over-the-phone chat along with remote diagnostics and troubleshooting. The service allows dad to step away from the computer to let a qualified technician deal with keeping the home computer up and running.

Singu Srinivas, president and founder of the company, said he started HiWired four years ago, in hope of making lives easier for those who use their personal computer to order gifts for the family, listen to music, manage budgets and run small businesses from home.

"A lot of the time the burden falls on the father," Srinivas said. "All the surveys we've seen show they spend time dealing with three things -- setting up a new device that they just bought, transferring all their old stuff to a new PC and 'I've got an iPod or iTouch (software) and need to set it up on my home network.'"

Most services run between $40 and $179. From now through June 15, dads can receive a 20 percent discount. To order HiWired services call 888-694-4947 or log on to www.hiwired.com

A slim dad

Now, for those dads who want to slim down, video games are becoming part of the exercise routine in gyms and homes across the country. Products available include Expresso Fitness Spark, Powergrid Fitness Kilowatt, Cybex Trazer and Cateye Fitness GameBike.

The Spark, which carries a $4,795 retail price, is a virtual reality-enhanced stationary exercise bike that sports a 17-inch flat screen monitor. Dads can travel through any of 20 virtual courses, including an extreme trek up a steep mountain to a tour of rolling farmlands.

The Cateye Interactive game bike, not as pricey at $400, hooks up to PlayStation 2 and allows dad to use the pedals and handlebars to control any racing game available for that console.

For those tired dads who love to hit the snooze button 100 times in the morning, there's the cute little flying alarm clock made by Hammacher Schlemmer that shoots out a spinning disk when the alarm goes off.

Carly Krug of Hammacher Schlemmer, said the digital alarm clock launches a rotor that flies around the room as the alarm sounds, hovering up to nine inches in the air. The clock won't stop ringing until the rotor is returned to the alarm clock base.

That will get a stubborn sleeper out of bed.

The clock, at $39.95, is available at Hammacher Schlemmer at www.Hammacher.com

For the road

Global Positioning System (GPS) devices are a very popular gift. They are an excellent way to plan trips, travel around town and navigate anywhere on the road. A variety of brands and styles are available to meet dad's individual needs and the giver's budget.

Outdoor dads might appreciate the Verizon Wireless GzOne Type-S handset phone, built to military standards for water resistance, humidity, shock and dust.

A great little gizmo for the house is a wireless Craftsman garage door opener that uses fingerprint recognition technology. This is available at Sears for $99.

Mark Veilleux, manager of the hardware department at Sears in Augusta, said the entry pad attaches to existing garage door openers.

"We haven't sold many as of yet, but it's still early, and we just got them in," Veilleux said. "It's a great system. You don't have to remember a number, you just have to swipe your finger and that's it."

Gaming dads will enjoy the Memorex Poker Chip Fast Drive, which can store photos, videos and other data as well as software for dad to play Texas Hold 'em from his computer. That's available at Target stores for $34.99.

And for the man who enjoys wine over beer, the Nuvo Vino Wine Thermometer is a perfect gift. At $49.95, the high tech thermometer uses an infrared sensor to take the wine's temperature without sticking anything in the wine.

"The best way to make a $30 bottle taste like a $5 bottle is to serve it at the wrong temperature," said Nuvo Vino president Andrew Lumpkin.

Couch-potato dads will love a remote that will allow them to kick back and relax. No more buckets of remotes. One universal remote will control video, audio, gaming, lights and appliances.

Logitech Harmoney is a popular brand carried at Best Buy. Prices range from $99 to $500.

"They're a really good remote. You can plug in just about anything you want to make the different components work," said Brian Leavitt of Best Buy at Augusta Crossing shopping center. "It would be a great Father's Day gift for someone who has a lot of remotes laying around."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com