Holiday Gift Show Round-Up

By Susan Davis…

Visited this year’s Holiday Gift Guide Show this week. Yeah, I know, it’s a little strange looking at tinsel and bells and Santa-themed gifts in the summer, but that’s when companies get together to sell their newest and best products to stores for the holidays. Some I thought were pretty silly, some I really liked. So if you want to get a jump on your holiday gift-giving ideas while you’re still wearing shorts and flip flops, take a look at my take on the latest and greatest:

SOLOR POWERED LANTERNS

How cool are these? One of my show favorites were these beautiful solar powered Japanese style hanging paper lanterns, tea lights, votives and more from ALLSOP HOME & GARDEN in a wide array of styles and colors. Unlike other solar lights, these utilize a ‘warm white’ LED for a natural and inviting glow. You’d swear they were candle lit.

COOKING AND BLENDING AND BREWING AND MORE

Black and Decker products are always a favorite of mine… they just seem to be really well designed and well made kitchen appliances you need for cooking and blending and brewing and more. Black and Decker

IS IT A TABLET OR AN E-READER? YES!

The NOOK Color™ is the first full-color touch Reader’s Tablet™, delivering digital books, enhanced books with video, interactive magazines, newspapers, a wide array of children’s books, all in immersive, rich color. Now with the most-requested tablet features, NOOK Color also offers shopping for popular apps, built-in email and enhanced Web browsing. www.nook.com

PROFESSIONAL GRADE TABLET

The BlackBerry® PlayBook™ is billed as the first and only professional-grade tablet. And it sure is pretty, with wonderfully sharp graphics. It’s packed with features that deliver a truly uncompromised tablet experience. Many of the Blackberry phone aps that hundreds of millions of people know and love will also be available on the PlayBook later this summer. It’s built to perform, with features like a 1GHz dual core processor, dual-facing cameras with HD video recording capability, and the new BlackBerry® Tablet OS, all wrapped up in a stunning 7-inch, ultra portable design. www.blackberry.com

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

For all you star-gazers out there… Celestron’s SkyProdigy can turn everyone into an instant astronomer! In less than three minutes, SkyProdigy is aligned and ready to take you on a tour of our amazing Universe. SkyProdigy pairs an onboard camera with Celestron’s proprietary StarSense software and a database of over 4,000 celestial objects. www.celestron.com

STAY PUT!

It’s pretty simple, really. Clingo holds your phone. It doesn’t matter if it is a BlackBerry, iPhone, Samsung, Droid or whatever. Whether in your car, at the office, at home, or wherever – Clingo holds it… Any phone, Anywhere. It’s the latest addition to a full line of universal mounting solutions for the wireless marketplace. Their universal accessory product line spans Home + Office, Car Mounts, On-the-go, and App Gaming. The Clingo ‘stick, peel, repeat’ technology works with ANY phone, music player, or other portable media devices including GPS units, tablets and e-readers. www.clingo.com

FIX IT YOURSELF

Since 1998, System Mechanic has helped more than 36 million consumers get the maximum performance out of their PCs. Whether you have a new or old computer and whether you use it for online shopping, gaming or your home business, you have no doubt noticed that it slows down with usage and time. With more than 51 tools, one-click tools, and hundreds of awards from technical media, System Mechanic is a perfect stocking stuffer. www.iolo.com

HEAR BETTER

The new Motorola Finiti Universal Bluetooth Headset takes your conversation with you from the office to the street or to the crowded airport terminal. Features wind elimination up to 40 MPH as well 3 mics for amazing sounds quality and noise cancellation. Also features MOTOSPEAK technology to hear and dictate texts.

GORGEOUS GEORGE

Of course you’ve heard about these handly little gadgets. Only now they’re not always so little; now you can choose big or small. All are great for when the weather outside is frightful. And get this… Independent testing has revealed George Foreman grills now reduce burger fat by 42% in 80/20 ground chuck beef! All the flavor and less fat? That’s a gift for everyone, naughty or nice. www.georgeforemancooking.com

GREEN COOKING (AND I DON’T MEAN JUST BROCCOLI)

GreenPan™, brought to you by The Cookware Company provides an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional non-stick fry pan, and other non-stick cookware with Thermolon™ non-stick technology. Thermolon™ is completely PTFE and PFOA free, consumes less energy during the application process and cannot be overheated.www.green-pan.com

WHEN THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL

When I first saw this I couldn’t imagine what it was cause it sure didn’t look like any shovel I’ve ever seen. But that’s exactly what it is. Called the AutoBoss®, True Temper’s snow removal solution is what you need to dig out from under. It’s portable, strong enough to handle heavy snowfalls, and folds to fit under a car seat or in the trunk. For home use, consider the SnoBoss®, a shovel, pusher, scraper and snow sleigh packed into one, with ergonomic features for safety and ease of use. www.amestruetemper.com

STINKY OFFICE?

Maybe what you need is an air purifier that doesn’t look like one. As an Energy Star certified product, the Humanscale personal zone air purifier not only offers energy-efficient air cleaning technology, but also removes more than 99% of all contaminants in the user’s breathing air. With its patented technology, the Humanscale personal zone air purifier surrounds the user with air free of pollutants, dust and biological contaminants while boasting silent and ozone-free operation. www.humanscale.com

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU?

sen7 cute little easy to fill Fragrance Atomizer allows you to carry your favorite fragrance with you—without the big bottle. Smooth and sleek, sen7® nestles in your hand, handbag, pocket or airplane carry-on. Its metal casing protects the perfume or cologne from outside influences. www.sen7.eu

A VELVET VACUUM?

Yup, Miele, creator displayed their new S6 canister vacuum in a lush red velvet finish featuring a powerful yet near-silent motor, lightweight engineering, nimble maneuverability and useful, onboard accessory cleaning tools. www.mieleusa.com

AAAH, JUST LIKE A RAINFORREST

Your shower can be many things: wake-up, cleansing, soothing – but it should always be enjoyable! You can have it all with Moen’s new Banbury® Showering Collection. Available at The Home Depot, the collection includes a five-setting wallmount showerhead, five-setting handheld showerhead and a three-way combination that features both showerheads in one unit. Each feature Moen’s new Spot Resist™ Brushed Nickel finish that actually resists fingerprints and water spots. www.moen.com

WHO DOESN’T LIKE A GOOD CAMERA?

Hey, you can’t go wrong with a Nikon. New models include the COOLPIX S9100, a sleek and stylish 12.1-megapixel digital camera with a powerful 18x wide-angle lens designed to capture razor-sharp results at any distance. The compact S9100 records Full HD movies (1080p) with stereo sound, and has a bright 3-inch high resolution LCD screen for composing and sharing images or movies. www.nikonusa.com.

FUNNY, IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A HEART MONITOR

Oregon Scientific, a leading designer and worldwide marketer of personal electronics, has introduced a line of the first completely buttonless heart rate monitors. Featuring touch screen technology so users can easily toggle between heart rate, calories, and workout time without any clumsy buttons, the Touch Series of products also features an ultra thin profile, a breathable silicone band for maximum comfort and large digits on an easyto-read display, which allows users to stay on top of their workout goals.

SOCK IT TO YOU

The Injinji® Performance Toesock™ features a patented five-toe-sleeve design that prevents the skin-on-skin friction that causes blisters, hot spots and other common foot ailments, while allowing the entire foot to perform naturally and freely inside shoes. A recipient of the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Acceptance, the Performance Toesock is recognized for its ability to provide superior moisture management and healthy digital alignment.

ACCESSORIZE YOUR TOYS

iGo offers a full line of innovative accessories for almost every mobile electronic device on the market. Whether you want to power, protect, listen to, share, cool, hold or connect to your device, iGo has the accessories you need. iGo is also a leader in developing eco-friendly power solutions based on its patented iGo Green® technology, which reduces standby, or “vampire,” power consumed by electronic devices.

MEAN LEAN FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE

The Reliable Steamboy T2 steam floor mop with hard surface sweeper built-in saves space, time and money. Chemical-free leaning. Plug it in, turn it on, and in seconds the Steamboy T2 is ready to use. Simply, push the button for a powerful sweeper and then press the steam trigger to clean and sanitize. The T2 uses only water to sanitize with steam temperatures up to 245 degrees Fahrenheit.

HOME MADE SODA ANYONE?

It’s easy to turn water into soda with SodaStream®. No more lugging or storing bottles and cans, and no more empties to recycle or throw away. It’s fun, healthy and earth-friendly. Use with Sparkling Naturals all-natural flavors. www.sodastreamusa.com

BETTER SOUND

The SRS iWOW 3D allows your Apple iPod, iPhone or iPad to deliver studio-quality audio over headphones, external speakers or your car stereo. At the touch of a button, the SRS iWOW 3D applies several patented SRS audio solutions to your music, movies and games, making even the most compressed audio tracks sound far more dynamic and true to the original studio mix.

FOR ALL YOU COFFEE LOVERS

brewing system delivers barista-quality beverages in about one minute per cup, so you can enjoy a perfect cup of your favorite brewed beverages, anytime. The TASSIMO system utilizes patented TDISC technology to brew single cups of premium beverages, including cappuccinos, lattes, espresso, crema, tea and hot chocolate.

FOR THE KIDS

3D CAMERA AND VIEWER

The DXG-018 lets you create and share pictures in 3D in three simple steps! The DXG-018 includes a dual-lens 3D camera that takes full-color still images which are saved in an SD card (sold seperately). The 3D camera features a 1.44″ TFT screen to frame your subject, and is powered by 2 AA batteries.

PLAYTIME AT THE AIRPORT

So I’m walking the show seeing what I could see, it’s very crowded and I nearly trip over this little kid scooting around everyone’s ankles on this little riding toy. Only it’s not a toy, it’s a suitcase! Clever idea! Trunki allows children to scoot along on their luggage through the airport or train station. This lightweight, sturdy, carry-on sized suitcase serves as luggage, riding toy, and transport for kids on the go! At home, Trunki may be used as a convenient kid-friendly storage bin too! Features include a tow strap, carry handles, secure catches, integrated wheels and stabilizers to prevent toppling over. Holds up to 100 lbs. www.melissaaanddoug.com

FINDING TREASURES, EASIER

An incredibly easy to use, amazingly affordable geocaching GPS for kids and family alike, the Geomate.jr is the easiest way to get in on the geocaching fun. Pre-loaded with about 250,000 geocache locations covering all 50 US states, just turn it on and follow the arrow and distance to your closest geocache – no planning, no typing in coordinates, no downloads needed.

MABEL’S LABELS

Here’s what happened as I was walking by the Mabel’s Labels display and said that I worked for Digital Family Advisor and reviewed mostly electronics and such. The clever girl manning the booth said… “so label your phone and tablet and MP3, or the kid’s toys… or whatever.” And she’s right, why not? www.mabelslabels.com

ONCE UPON A MONSTER

Warner Bros. new, interactive funny, video game on Kinect™ for Xbox 360® – Sesame Street is Once Upon a Monster. Young players join Cookie Monster, Elmo and other Sesame Street characters as they explore a living storybook. Guided by a social and emotional curriculum set forth from Sesame Workshop, young players engage in activities that promote lifelong lessons.