Give 'em a gizmo

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 2, 2004 by BILL REED THE GAZETTE

It's time for Santa to get hip to hot thingamabobs.

As the Little Mermaid sang, "I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty/ I've got whozits and whatzits galore/You want thingamabobs?/I've got twenty!/But who cares?/No big deal/I want more."

Hear you loud and clear, sister Ariel. We all want more. Seventy- six percent of Americans plan to put tech under the tree this season, according to a poll conducted for the Consumer Electronics Association.

But when it comes to gift giving, some electronic treasures shouldn't be touched with a 10-foot wireless connection. Plasma TV. Laptop. BlackBerry cell phone. Digital camera. There are so many options and plans, these electronic purchases are more personal than a bra from Victoria's Secret.

The Gazette's Gadget Guide sticks to simpler pleasures -- useful whatzits that almost anyone would enjoy. Whether you're into music, grandkids or avoiding vacuuming, we've got the device for you (and a few suggested retailers).

Here are a dozen gadgets no one should be forced to live without once the holidays have come and gone.

1. Cell phone jammer ($316, the equivalent of 169.99 British pounds; GlobalGadget. com and other international online retailers)

You want a cup of joe and a little quiet. Is that too much to ask? But the guy next to you keeps yapping into his cell phone at decibels that make your java quiver.

Click on your cell phone jammer and enjoy the silence. All cell phones within 50 feet of you have mysteriously lost their signals. And the beauty is, since your jammer looks like a cell phone, no one knows you're the culprit.

The catch? They aren't exactly legal in the United States. European countries such as France have approved the devices, but the Federal Communications Commission isn't so sure.

On the other hand, the FCC hasn't prosecuted any owners either, and some experts say there's no law that directly applies to these devices.

If you're feeling lucky -- or you just can't stand cell phones any longer -- turn to online retailers in other countries, such as GlobalGadget.com to start jammin'.

2. RCA 20 GB Lyra Personal Audio/Video Jukebox ($400 at Sharper Image and Target; $373 at Wal-Mart; www.circuitcity.com offering $50 gift card with purchase)

It was hard to get a good look at this device at Sharper Image, with the twentysomething sales team drooling all over the thing.

"This is what I want more than anything," said salesman Jason Mehegan. "It's so sweet."

The attraction is the versatility. The portable device stores either 80 hours of video, 300 hours of music, or 100,000 JPEG images (in a 10-ounce package). OK, here's the best part: you can plug the A/ V input jack straight into your TV, DVD player, home stereo or computer, download what you need, and then hit the road.

Want an episode of "Bob the Builder" to keep the kids busy in the car? Want to listen to a few favorite CDs on a road trip, or at your desk? Want to show off pictures from your summer vacation without hauling them around? Voil, the Lyra does it all.

The only downsides are the smallish 3.5-inch screen and the three- hour battery life.

3. iPod mini ($250; Best Buy, Sharper Image, Circuit City, Target, SoundTrack, www.apple.com)

You know, it's just so darned cute. The size of a credit card and only a halfinch thick, the iPod mini easily tucks into a pocket. Of course, with five cool colors to choose from, who wants to hide the thing?

But the iPod mini, introduced in July, isn't just another pretty face. It still holds 1,000 songs, with Apple's easy-touse click wheel. Call up favorite songs or store your 50 favorite albums and create your own dream radio station with the random play function.

4. Roomba Discovery vacuum ($236 at Best Buy; $250 at Sharper Image, Target, www.irobotstore.com)

You've seen the infomercials. This lovely white disk quietly zooms around the room, vacuuming all the dirt in its path while you sit and eat bon-bons.

The Roomba can clean carpets, tile and hardwood floors. Patented algorithms tell the little maid when a room is finished. The on- board sensors apparently keep it from falling down stairs or banging the paint off the walls. And, it keeps house cats entertained for hours.

The Roomba has been around for two years, but it was redesigned in September. Besides a new look, there are more goodies under the hood.

When it's low on power, the Roomba finds its way back to the docking station and recharges itself for the next go-round. The company also says the Roomba doesn't get stuck as easily as it used to. And, when it finds globs of dirt, it will spend extra time in that area.

So, relax and Roomba.

5. "Now You Can Find It!" locater ($50; Sharper Image)

That locater on the cordless phone comes in so handy after you've jammed the sucker down between the couch cushions. Just follow the beeps.

Don't you wish you could attach a locater to all the other stuff you lose? Car keys. Remote control. Cell phone.

"Now You Can Find It!" is the answer. Working just like the phone locater, keychain devices attach to four items you want to find. Push the button for the item on the home base, and it starts to chatter.