In the kitchen
The hearth is heaven for gadgeteers. The percolator. The waffle-iron. The George Foreman Grill. But those are all old hat. Consider something new, such as the DOUGH-NU-MATIC ($129 at perpetualkid.com), which is exactly what you think it is. Add dough, flip the switch, and in 60 seconds you'll be the proud new owner of a delicious batch of tiny donuts. Of course, such an indulgent breakfast necessitates something healthier for lunch. Like yogurt. But if you don't like paying for a dozen or so cartons at the store, consider making your own, just like grandma did in the Old Country. Except the SALTON YM9 1-QUART YOGURT MAKER ($26 at amazon.com) makes it easy and modern. All you need is some milk, some yogurt culture, and a willingness to follow basic instructions.
What's for dinner? Consult the bazillion recipes posted online at epicurious.com and recipezaar.com, and consider storing your favorites on assorted FOOD-SHAPED USB THUMB DRIVES — hamburgers, sushi and sashimi, BBQ drumsticks, and more (available for about $15 or so each at sourcingmap.com). Stocking stuffers don't come better-tasting than those.
NOW GET UP!
I was going to make a Paris Hilton–inspired joke about THE FLIP camcorders ($150 to $230 at theflip.com). Then it occurred to me that this is a family publication and that no one wants to see what sort of grainy art-house flick a dilettante director like you might produce. (One set of Zack and Miri is enough for one year, thanks.) So instead I'll focus on a less pleasurable aspect of the bedroom: the dreaded daily ritual of waking up. THE PUZZLE ALARM ($52 at latestbuy.com) starts your day by launching four 3-D puzzle pieces into the air and blaring its reveille. It won't shut off until you've gotten out of bed, found all four pieces, and reassembled them — or hit it with your slipper. There's a similar theory behind CLOCKY, "the alarm clock that runs away" ($50 at clocky.net). Yep, "Clocky gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky will jump off your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide, beeping all the while. You'll have to get out of bed to silence his alarm." What fun!
For a more user-friendly experience, try the SUNRISE CLOCK ($89.95 at biobrite.com), a "dawn simulator," which mimics (we suppose) the sun by shining its 60 watts brighter and brighter until the appointed wake-up time approaches.
In the doghouse
At first I was gonna write about BOWLINGUAL, the Japanese dog-bark translator. ("Fido! Speak!" "Why, certainly, master. Might I finally have your permission to unwrap the canister of Snausages® Dog Treats that my keen sense of smell tells me you've cached under the Christmas tree? They are ever so delicious.") Alas, it appears they don't make it any more — even though, as of this writing, a couple are available ($40 to $50) on eBay. So how about a CANINE EVAPORATIVE COOLING VEST ($59 at hammacher.com), which allows your four-legged friend to beat the heat without having to resort to perspiring via that lolling tongue. He may look like a dork dressed in a vest all summer, but he'll feel pretty cool.
