You’re telling me I can brew my own beer at home with a relatively small machine that looks like something out of Back to the Future 2?! Great Scott!! If anyone is looking for me, I’ll be in my apartment … all the time. Not only does the WilliamsWarn Personal Brewery allow you to make up to forty pints of beer every seven days, but the company also claims the resulting elixir is better than most commercially available brew. Is that beer-fueled hubris talking? Perhaps. But there’s no denying this represents a great-leap-forward in the world of home brewing. You’ll have to order one of these ‘happiness machines’ via the WilliamsWarn website, and it’s not cheap ($5660). But then again, neither is spending time in bars. - TW

The verdict is in: 3D TV’s aren’t going the way of BETA tapes and HD-DVD’s, they are here to stay.  The competition between manufacturers has driven the price down and now there’s so many to choose from, they could fill a Tardis. You’ll still need to wear the glasses, but many sets come with two and I suspect commission seeking salesmen will throw in an extra set for free if you’re game to haggle. I do recommend the 24” Playstation branded TV from Sony. It’s small enough for a dorm room, while big enough to impress your friends. Speaking of friends, with this 3D TV you and a friend can play PS3 while seeing two different images at the same time! No more maddening split screen…weeee! - AF

The notion of developing film seems pretty darned antiquated. But remember how cool it was the first time you saw a Polaroid camera in-action? I do. And the folks at Polaroid are hoping you do too.  With their ‘300’ line the company is banking on a combination of nostalgia & the novelty of near-instant souvenir-style pics in a world that increasingly eschews hard copies of anything. The photos are much smaller now (business-card size), a feature which fans of the 300 laud as cute and critics cite as a drawback. Taking Polaroid snaps always felt like a bit of a treat, so if you’re looking for a fun new way (that’s really an old way) to capture your holiday events, this might be the camera for you. - TW

If you’re fondling a video game controller (or Magic Wand) more than your partner, you might want to consider getting one of these into your hands. Luxury adult toy makers LELO have struck gold again with the creation of a remote-controlled, couples massager called “Tiani”. There are so many great features with this toy it’s hard to know where to begin.  First there’s Tiani’s smooth, sexy U-shaped design that comes in two saucy colours: deep pink and sexy black. Then, there’s the fact that it’s designed as a couples massager (meaning, it can be worn during sex) for both of you to experience. And of course there’s the remote control, which is also a vibrator so it’s basically two toys for the price of one! If that’s not enough, this little toy also features LELO’s SenseMotion™. So with a mere flick or tilt of the remote you can wield your sex magic. This is a game where everyone comes out a winner! - CL

Here’s a gift for the gadget geek you know who has everything … I bet he doesn’t have a pocket projector that plays a movie on your wall 30 inches high and at HVGA quality!  Though it’s not the most robust mini-projector on the market, it isn’t the priciest either. The Cinemin Swivel’s flexible design easily lets your project onto the ceiling instead of the wall, so watching a movie in bed has never been this comfortable. It comes with adapters for iPhones, iPads and most other digital media devices. - AF

Though I haven’t yet taken the e-reader plunge myself I was nonetheless strangely bummed-out upon learning that Amazon’s much-vaunted Kindle Fire wouldn’t be available here in Canada. But my disappointment was allayed by news that the Kobo Vox would be “hitting the streets” (as the kids say…or not). The original Kobo was a hit here in Canada – and now with the release of the ‘Vox’, Chapters-Indigo (who produce & sell the Kobo line) hope to make an even bigger dent in the e-reader market. But, even more interestingly, the Vox’s ability to watch movies, play games & connect to the internet represents an intriguing shot-across-the-bow of the wider tablet market. And given it retails for under $200 bucks, more expensive tablets might want to watch their backs….their e-backs. - TW

If pushing a button is too convenient a method to changing the channel, this Harry Potter inspired magic wand lets you control your TV and other IR receiving devices with gestures! Wave the wand in a fluid circle to change the volume, or flick the wand up and down to get to SPACE channel. Aside from the innovative functionality and the cool appearance, it has one other obvious perk: Remotes are easily misplaced … but a wand is something you NEVER lose.