Millennium Toys For Adults - gift gadgets - Brief Article

Ebony, Dec, 1999 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

AS we begin the countdown to 2000, adults are in a millennium state of mind in 1999 and what they want under their tree are playful gifts with a futuristic spin.

Have a question about the future?

Ask the all-knowing magical Q Ball any "yes" or "no" question, and you will be treated to more than 140 spoken phrases randomly generated, including "You go, girl!" An updated, high-tech version of the fortune teller's crystal ball, this sleek sphere is about the size of a softball, runs on 4 AA batteries and comes in three colors.

Playtime is portable for adults who want to practice pitching or dunking with the Aim-N-Shoot. Shoot baskets or practice pitches with the four super-light plastic balls that are included. Covered in a durable nylon mesh, this structure folds to a compact coiled loop just 18 inches in diameter and 4 inches thick. A mini version that sits on the desk is also available.

For the well-dressed executive a set of millennium cufflinks will kick the century off in high style and won't break the bank. Another Y2K accessory is a glass and silvertone metal pendant, complete with Y2K bubble wand.

Grown-ups on-the-go won't want to miss Apple Computer's colorful new "iMac to Go" iBook notebook computer featuring "all day" battery life of up to six hours. The new notebook also features enhanced memory and wireless Internet access in two eye-catching colors--blueberry and tangerine.

Electronic gifts will be especially popular for millennium-minded shoppers. Casio offers a unique gift idea with its wood-framed television. This miniature TV boasts a rich color picture on its anti-glare screen and rests unobtrusively on a table, desk or dresser.

PC accessories are all the rage now with products to bring the personal computer to life. Philips Electronics offers its PC video camera, allowing for video conferencing and creating video e-mail. Its superior picture quality makes image-editing a breeze. The camera also includes an integrated microphone for digital audio recording.

Looking for a camera for the graduation or family reunion? Sony's new Digital Mavica camera line is designed to appeal to a wide range of users from the casual point-and-shoot vacationer to the graphic artist needing high-resolution images. Due to the convenience of moving images from the camera to the PC with a floppy disk, the Digital Mavica cameras have made it easy to add images to a home page, send e-mail "mini-movies" and share images through on-line services.

Although high technology communication is the wave of the new millennium, it cannot replace the personal link between pen and paper, writer and recipient. Sheaffer offers a variety of fine writing pens in every price range. The Balance Millennium edition is available in fountain pen, roller ball and ballpoint, all refillable. The commemorative pen features a 23 karat gold electroplate vintage clip and broad cap band. The Legacy 2 Perspectives series offers 18 karat gold and palladium, burnished copper and gunmetal finishes.

On the homefront, Char-Broil has an innovative gift for the apartment, high-rise and condominium dweller who doesn't want to give up outdoor grilling. It's an electric grill, the Electric Patio Caddie, and is billed as the first electric grill to succeed in reaching temperatures equal to a gas or charcoal grill. Compact, only 3 1/2 feet tall by 16 inches wide, the grill offers big features including a temperature gauge in the hood, a removable controller and a heavy-duty porcelain cooking grid.

Sports fans will appreciate these next two gifts for their comfort and convenience. From tee-off to the 18th hole, golfers will appreciate California Innovations' new Golfpack Cooler, a thermal pack that easily attaches to golf bags and golf carts. Available in two sizes, 5-can and 12-can, the cooler includes an outside-zippered accessory compartment for tees, etc. and a key holder.

The larger cooler features a padded compartment for cellular phone or eyeglasses. And just in time for those holiday bowl games and sports specials, La-Z-Boy is introducing the first recliner ever with a built-in electric cooler large enough to hold up to six 12-ounce cans. Appropriately called the "Oasis," this armchair is for the sports fan who doesn't want to get up between plays. In addition to the beverage cooler snuggled in one oversized armrest, the chair has everything an armchair quarterback needs for the big game--a full-sized corded telephone with Caller ID display and a 99-number memory feature located in the chair's other armrest, 10-motor massage and heat system, built-in cup holder and, best of all, the recliner's price won't cause sticker shock. Millennium shoppers won't want to leave their pets out of the millennium gift-giving, and petopia.com is an on-line pet shopping paradise for those four-legged friends.

Other ideas for those last gifts of the millennium are special Millennium editions of favorite board games, like Monopoly Millennium and Trivial Pursuit Millennium by Hasbro.

So from accessories to appliances and everything in-between, here are some Millennium gifts for adults to bring in 2000.