5 apps to give as last minute Father's Day gifts
So in case you hadn't heard, it's Father's Day soon. As in this Sunday. If you're reading this and this is news to you, it means you haven't bought dear old Dad a present yet.
That's bad. After all those hours he spent playing football with you even though he knew you were never going to grow up to become the next Wayne Rooney, you just went and did him dirty like that. And now it's too late to order anything online, because it's not showing up in time.
Not to worry, because you can give the gift of apps. Assuming you father isn't so old or tech challenged that he doesn't have a smartphone, giving an app is always an option. We've gone out and found five of the best apps around, ones that Dad will actually appreciate and enjoy.
One thing though: You might want to tell him these aren't free apps (well, most of them, anyway) so he knows you spent some money on them. No need to compound being forgetful be being cheap as well.
If your dad loves golf ...
V1 Golf: Golf Swing Analyzer
FREE!
Not only will this app allow your dad to record his swing (and probably only play it back when you're not around to needle him), V1 Golf can break it down in slo-mo or even frame by frame. Then the swing can be compared to those of over 50 star golfers so he can see how far he has to go to hit the big time. Because nothing says love like saying, "You've got a lot of work to do."
If your dad loves playing the guitar ...
Tabs & Chords HD by Ultimate Guitar
FREE!
Yeah, Dad's best chance at becoming a rock star is probably behind him. That doesn't mean he can't still learn how to shred a little bit with some practice and the right tools. Ultimate Guitar Tabs can be the helping hand he needs, what with interactive lessons and a library of hundreds of thousands of guitar tabs. Don't give up hope.
If your dad loves staying on top of his finances ...
HomeBudget with Sync
$4.99
Not the most exciting gift, but oh so thoughtful. HomeBudget can sync between a PC and a phone or tablet to allow Dad to track expenses, income, bills and all that fun adult stuff. Juggle recurring and one-time expenses, attach images of receipts, and generally do all the things you should be doing to keep from ending up a pauper. The graphics are simple and inviting too, just the way he likes them, probably.
If your dad loves trying to stay fit ...
Runtastic Running Tracker PRO
$3.99
Let's face it, Dad has an uphill struggle to keep from letting himself go completely as he ages. It's harder to find time to get to the gym with you kids about, and then he's not always sure how hard he should go even when he gets there. Runtastic PRO can help by not only tracking all manner of workout data but also encouraging him and allowing others to do so via social features. Just don't complain when he ends up more ripped than you.
If you don't know what your dad loves ...
Giftagram: Gifting Made Easy
FREE!
So you've read through all of this and decided to throw up your hands in despair and give up. Shame on you. We've got one last option for you. Download Giftagram for free and let the app figure out what dad wants. It's a gift guide with curated categories (including one for Father's Day, ahem) and allows you to send a present to anyone on your contact list in just three taps. Then you can spend all Sunday letting your siblings try to figure out if they got Dad what he really wanted, hide out for a few days with a convenient excuse, then have the perfect gift magically show up at his house next week. Voila! You're back on top of the will just like that.