Sun
Chatterbot, WowWee
iWave Cube
LG Rumour
Chatterbot, WowWee, $50
Having a Fairy Godfather blathering away by your computer might work for kids doing homework — since we know all they’re doing is chatting with friends anyway — but it could wear thin with your cubicle neighbours at the office. Also in dog/cat and devil/angel versions, the Chatterbots come courtesy of WowWee, maker of flying and grounded robots. With more than 2,000 keywords, jokes and different actions in their repertoire, some of it at about the level of bathroom humour, it plugs into the USB outlet on a computer. It can synch with your calendar and comment on upcoming events or add batteries and plug into an MP3 to work as a standalone speaker. Works with PCs or Intel-based Mac computers. The perfect gift for someone you’d really like to annoy with a steady stream of wacky banter. www.wowwee.com
iWave Cube, $130
metres) and taking up the space of two small computer speakers, it’s a portable microwave so you don’t even need to leave your desk to heat up those nachos. Just what you need after sitting at your computer for hours — an excuse not to stand up to heat some food. Don’t blame us for that aching back. Weighing only 5.5 kilograms, it plugs into a standard outlet and comes with a built-in carrier handle and a view-through door. www.sharperimage.com
LG Rumour, $75 with a three-year plan with Bell Mobility
With a full QWERTY keyboard, a camera, camcorder and MP3 player, the Rumour is an all-in-one cellphone. The keyboard slides out, offering access to Facebook and it comes with Windows Live Messenger pre-installed so you can keep up your social networking on the go. The Rumour is Bluetooth capable with a four gigabyte expandable memory port. It’s available now through Bell in both white and black, with SaskTel and Virgin Mobile slated to add it to their lineups later this year. Check it out at www.ca.lge.com.
Westinghouse Digital 26” LCD HDTV/DVD Combo Unit, $600
For the cottage, the boat or the dorm room, this is another all-in-one and this time it’s all about entertainment. A trim package houses a high-def television, with front loading DVD player and multiple HD input connectors including two HDMI. It delivers 1366-by-768 resolution. At: www.westinghousedigital.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2008