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4. For the Worrywart Homeowner: The Home Heartbeat
Is the garage door open? Did anyone turn off the coffee maker? Did the kids leave the bathroom faucet on? Yikes, the basement must be flooding.

If your dad is a worrywart, the Home Heartbeat is coming. This is a device that will give you 24-hour surveillance over any single part of your domain that requires micromanagement.

Just attach Home Heartbeat's open/close sensor to the garage door or basement window. Each time it's opened or shut, the base station will send a text message to your cell phone — or a special LCD key chain that comes with the system.

Home Heartbeat offers on/off sensors that can attach to any appliance. Is your kid watching TV when it's homework time? Is your baby sitter spending most of the time raiding your refrigerator? Now, you can check.

In "1984," George Orwell warned against the dangers of 24-hour surveillance. But maybe it isn't such a bad idea, if you can avoid leaving the air conditioner running when you go on vacation. Big Brother is watching — and saving.

The system — which hits the market in a few weeks — can now be pre-ordered on the Internet, with prices starting at about $150. For more money, you can order additional sensors, including a $150 to $200 water detector that will alert you when your basement is flooding (and allow you to shut off your plumbing).

If you're thinking about buying one of these devices while you're at work, just consider that your boss may have a similar device attached to your keyboard to detect when you're goofing off.

5. For a Man With a Million Passwords: The Mouse That Never Forgets
Forgetting your passwords isn't a sign of senility — it's a sign of the times. There are so many password-protected Web sites, in addition to passwords required for your computer, voicemail and ATM card, it would make Einstein feel like an idiot.

If you want to take a lot off your dad's mind, consider a computer mouse that will recognize his fingerprints and automatically store all his passwords. The $60, APC Biometric Password Manager works like any other mouse, except for the fingerprint sensor. The APC keeps a different set of passwords for every fingerprint it registers — so that people who share the same computer can have a little privacy.

Good news for Paris Hilton: Authentec, the company behind this fingerprint recognition technology, will soon offer this service for cell phones. Once your cell phone is set to recognize your fingerprints, you don't have to worry about all the information that will be stolen when it's misplaced. You also won't have to worry about your jealous spouse checking who you've got on speed dial.