It’s a well known fact that all men are obsessed with three things and number 2 and 3 are gadgets and barbecuing. What better gift than a sexy little gizmo that combines both of those interests and will give Dad the competitive edge in the neighbourhood backyard grilling Olympics.

The Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer has a stainless steel probe that can be inserted in a slab of sizzling meat while the remote thermometer is carried on a belt clip that comes with the set. If he wanders off to fetch another beer from the fridge or gets distracted by the game on TV, he won’t burn dinner because once the meat is cooked, the transmitter attached to the probe sends a signal to the thermometer to make it flash and/or beep like a pager.

The device ($75 US at www.brookstone.com) increases the sense of being in control (something else men like) because you can specify what you are grilling (chicken, lamb, hamburger, etc.) and how well you like it cooked. Knowing that the potato salad makers are from Venus, while the grill chefs are usually from Mars and in constant need of progress reports, there’s a scientific digital display feature that shows both preferred and actual temperatures, while a graph visually tracks the cooking process. Dad could even plot out the projected results on an Excell spread sheet if he wanted to. But don't get him started.

There IS one drawback, however. This little piece of machinery does eliminate the need to stand self-importantly in front of the kettle drum, staring intently at the food object while waiting to perform that virtuoso moment of “The Flip�. You’ll have to be the judge of whether Dad’s ego can handle another reminder of the obsolescence of his skill sets.