Buying gifts for dads and grads gets easier as technology advances, but it’s also more costly. For those on your list who are on the cutting edge, or are hard to buy for, dig deep. Here are a few suggestions:

The Kyocera Smartphone by Verizon — This gadget conveniently packages the handheld computer and wireless phone. It’s a good fit for a handheld computer, but a bit bulky for a phone. Those who’ve already mastered the graffiti writing area of a handheld will be comfortable with this device. For everyone else, a keyboard option is available for use with the stylus, which requires dead aim. It’s a fun gadget and will help the unorganized who can be dedicated to entering all the information patiently into the Smartphone. One of the biggest drawbacks is the oil residue left by the user’s cheek on the screen after holding the phone up to hear. It’s a little slow online, but it gets the job done and goes just about anywhere in cyberspace. All Wireless Application Protocol-enabled sites come in on the easy-to-read, 2 1/2-by-1 3/4 inch screen. One of the best features is the speakerphone, loud enough and clear enough to use in a vehicle. The phone is 5.5-by-2.6-by-.08 inches and weighs 7.35 ounces. The battery provides up to 270 minutes of talk time and the phone costs $495 plus the monthly service plan fee.

Sanyo SCP-5000 — The new picture phone by Sprint is fun, as long as you like to read directions. Sporting a 2-inch 256 color display with back lighting, this phone is more toy than earpiece. The screen can handle color animations, color screen saver and color wallpapers. Users can download up to 20 of their own photos into the device. Caller ID allows for the photos to be linked with address book entries — but be prepared to thoroughly study the directions to figure this out. Preprogrammed incoming calls flash the photo programmed with the address listing. Internet is accessed easily with the push of one button. Yahoo, MSN and AOL are all programmed for easy e-mail use. This phone is 3.74-by-1.93-by-0.94 inches and weighs 3.53 ounces. The battery provides about two hours talk time or 120 hours of standby time in digital mode. Cost is $499.99 plus monthly service fee.

Stowaway Portable Keyboard by Think Outside Inc. — The software for this is easy to install and the rest is history. The keyboard is a great way to enter data in a Palm or Handspring handheld computer. Forget trying to write graffiti letters with a stylus and hoping your device deciphers your scribble. The foldable keyboard fits in a purse or large pocket and expands to act almost like a desktop keyboard. It fits most hands and is easy to key. This makes writing while on a plane or in a car as simple as sitting at a desk. At $99, this is what most handheld device users would deem a great buy.

RCA eBook — The size of a paperback, the eBook downloads stories to a digital bookshelf allowing readers to view them on a backlit high-resolution liquid crystal display. The downloads are easy, albeit slow. The eBook has an internal modem and only a phone line is required for connection. No software or computer links required. It’s very convenient to carry and comfortable to read as the text can be turned in four directions. A nice feature is the built-in dictionary that allows for word definition from Webster’s Dictionary while reading. Text may be browsed, searched, annotated and bookmarked. The backlight can be adjusted for daytime or nighttime, perfect for bedtime reading next to a sleeping partner. A big drawback, however, is the limited number of new releases. Publishers participating in the eBook service are limited and not all noted authors are included. Memory is 8MB, enough to store about 20 novels or 8,000 pages. Memory cards are available. The eBook retails for $299 and the digital books range in price from $7.99 to $15.99.

The eMarker — This little gizmo resembles a fishing lure and is small enough to attach to a key chain, although the button is a little too sensitive for this. Created by Sony, it’s for music listeners who can’t always identify a song or artist playing on their radio. When you hear a song you want to remember later — wherever you are — pushing a button on the device allows the user to capture and mark information for later reading by a computer. The system is very easy to download to a PC or Macintosh from the eMarker Web site. Connect the eMarker to a computer via the USB port and www.eMarker.com instantly is launched through the Internet browser and the time and date you captured automatically is downloaded to your personalized site. All the eMarker does, however, is capture the time and date you’ve entered by pushing the button. You have to know the radio station you were listening to at that time and then must go through the process of changing your preferences on your personal site to make that radio station your favorite. eMarker.com will display the emarked songs by matching the time the song was played to your pre-selected favorite stations. Users can purchase albums online from Amazon.com or CDnow. The eMarker sells for $19.99 at Wal-Mart, Good Guys and college bookstores.

BlackBerry RIM — With BlackBerry, you can choose the size of handheld that suits you best — pager-sized or palm-sized. Both are powered by an Intel386 processor with e-mail/organizer software, keyboard, trackwheel and backlit screen. The key to this is simplicity. It’s so simple to use you don’t have to know how to work it. The BlackBerry is continuously connected and your e-mail automatically is sent to the device. Also included is a personal organizer. The unit is synchronized to your PC; calendar, address book, memopad and task list automatically are updated. All the attorneys and management at Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich carry them for continuous contact with each other and clients. Attorney Jeff Baglio says he likes it better than a handheld computer because it’s so simple and requires no maintenance. “People are so much more focused on e-mail today than ever before, so it’s really important to stay connected,” Baglio says. The BlackBerry RIM 950 is $399 and the RIM 957 is $499. Monthly service is about $40.

Kryptonite Combination Cable Lock — I’ll bet Irwin Jacobs wishes he’d had one of these safety devices on his laptop when he lost it to thieves. Great for laptop writers on the go, the vinyl-coated steel cable attaches to the computer and anchors it to the nearest structure. The cables have either a combination or key lock and retail for $29.99.