iamhuman fabric skins for your MAC (and other laptops too) will make you an even bigger hipster. They use different fabric patterns like plaid, wool and so forth. Prices vary based on which fabric you fancy. Expect to pay at least $30 a pop.

Found at iamhuman.

Ice cream making, like ice cream, comes in different flavors: You have manual machines, pre-frozen bowl motor-powered machines, and built in freezing mechanism. The Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2 Quart ice cream maker is the pre-frozen bowl variety.

The Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker allows you to create frozen yogurt, sorbet, ice cream, and gelato. For a typical ice cream, the machine will take about 30 minutes to churn your custard to tasty ice cream.

The Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker is housed in brushed stainless steel. At the top you'll find a large ingredient spout, which allows you to add your mix-ins (think crushed Oreo cookies for example) during the churning process. In the lower part of the machine is where you'll find the automatic motor unit and the space for the double-insulated 2 quart freezer bowl. Tucked away underneath the body is the power cord, which can remain hidden until it is necessary to use. We wish however, that the cord was a foot longer than it currently is. Since this is not the kind of device you keep on your counter space (it is BIG!), most of the places where you'll plug this in will be taken away by devices you use everyday. So, having a longer cord would allow easier placement on the counter. Although the device is really heavy, it is very well constructed and does not feel cheap.



To use this machine you'll need to pre-freeze the freezer bowl for at least 8 hours before, so it is always recommended with this kind of ice cream maker that you store the freezer bowl in the freezer. Heed that as a warning, if you have a small freezer, you are better off buying the one of the smaller Cuisinart ice cream makers on the market. You'll also want to prepare the custard or non-custard ice cream before hand to keep the ice cream cool during the whole process. When you are ready, you turn the unit on and pour the ice cream mix slowly into the Cuisinart.

The device is not quiet, but it is not louder than similar devices and it is the nature of a device that has a motor running through a thick liquid like this to make a certain amount of noise.



We made recipes from the included recipe book and the fabulous ice cream book Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovits.

If you like your ice cream smooth, rich and creamy, this machine delivers in spades. As the machine churns, the custard slowly starts thickening. You should add your mix-ins about 5 minutes before you think you'll stop churning the ice cream.

One other note about the pre-frozen bowl before we go. To clean the bowl you'll need to run it through warm water and let it sit to essentially melt before being able to freeze it again. If you plan to make back-to-back ice cream, you should buy a separate bowl.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker over other pre-frozen bowl home ice cream markers -- specially when you can find it online for less than $70 dollars.

THE GOOD
- Makes soft creamy ice cream
- Good built quality
- Great price

THE BAD
- Heavy
- Long re-freezing times for the bowl
- The power cord is too small

IN THE BOX
- The Cuisinart ICE-30BC Ice Cream Maker
- 2 Quart Freezer Bowl
- Recipe Book

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Cuisinart

Apple's iPad will be hitting the market in about 60 days. It is cross-breed that lies somewhere between an iPod touch and a netbook. Apple hopes it will sweep the market like the iPod touch and iPhone did, but we are not sure that Apple will have a repeat success with the iPad.

The iPad is basically a netbook without a physical keyboard (it has a software keyboard). The cheapest version (16GB flavor) will run you $500 dollars without a 3G AT&T data connection. We find it real hard for Apple to make this product as popular as their iPod touch, after all, it's just a super-sized iPod touch. You can't really install full-blown applications on it like you can on a laptop or a netbook -- only apps that appear at the Apple store. Realistically though most of those apps are basically for fun and lack real meat and bones we need for real productivity. We also feel as if 16 gigs is mediocre for a device that costs $500.

Sure the Apple iPad acts as a movie player, music player, and web browser, but are you really willing to pay that much money for that use only? The real question is, will the Apple iPad be a product you use vigorously for a few weeks and then toss it in your pile along your endless Wii accessories?

Only time will tell if we are wrong about this one.

I sometimes don't know what to do with my MacBook when it is not in use. It ends up taking a large portion of my already cluttered desk and like an idiot I put stuff on top. The result? A few tiny scratches on its body that make my soul cry. The BookArc measuring just 10-by-4 inches and cushioned by soft silicon footpads should be your MacBook's new home. The product takes your MacBook vertical taking up only a fraction of the space it would otherwise take. In the end, you'll have more space, less scratches, and a cleaner soul.

Does anyone know if going vertical does any damage to the internal hard drives?

Found at Amazon.

This unique LED ambient lamp from Philips can produce a total of 16 million colors allowing a user to set the lamp to display a huge range of colors based on the desired effect. The brightness can be reduced or increased and the color can be selected at will with the included remote control. The results is an amazingly customizable light experience unlike any other we've ever seen.

Check out the light in action here.

Found at Philips web site.

The iDesign Cube Clock iPod/iPhone Radio is an aesthetically pleasing iPod alarm clock/radio, but the devil, as with all electronics, is in the details.

For starters, the iDesign Cube Clock Radio and iPod player has a sophisticated look with a slightly gray face sporting a large digit LED display. Unfortunately, the LED display was really bright even in the low setting, forcing us to turn the unit slightly to the side so it would not affect us during night time. You can also turn the display off then temporarily turn on the display for about five seconds by pressing the SNOOZE button once. However, it was a lot easier to move the unit the side when we went to bed as opposed to fumbling through settings every time.

The iDesign Cube Clock Radio let's you install a back-up battery (CR-2032 button cell battery) to keep track of your settings and time if the power goes out.

On both sides of the unit a soft fabric hides and protects the stereo speakers. At the top you will find a docking station for your iPod (also works with iPhone by the way, though it is not advertised as such) and the unit's radio, alarm, and play controls. At the back, there are inputs for AC, AM/FM Antenna connections, and auxiliary.

The AM/FM features on the iDesign Cube Clock Radio are abysmal. The FM receiver is not very powerful and at my location (even with the use of the included FM Pigtail Antenna), it missed some FM stations other alarm clocks easily pick up. The iDesign Cube Clock also does not have preset buttons for setting your favorite FM/AM stations. Instead, you'll need to press the forward and back buttons to scroll (search) for the stations. This can and will be tedious if you have a variety of FM/AM stations you like to listen to. Clearly this device was made with the iPod in mind.

So how does it fare as an iPod player? It works. You can use the on-board controls to play, pause, and skip songs as you would on your iPod, there is nothing revolutionary here, but it gets the job done. The iDesign Cube Clock Radio does charge your iPod when you plug it into the dock -- a feature that always makes us happy.

As far as sound is concerned, the iDesign Cube Clock iPod/iPhone Radio left a lot to be desired. The speakers felt weak when compared to other alarm clock radio players on the market. There just wasn't a lot of oomph in the sound.

If asthetics are your number one priority, the iDesign Cube Clock iPod Radio is one of the better looking iPod alarm clock radios on the market. However, the AM/FM features on this device seem like after thoughts and the sound quality is very poor. For the asking price of about $100, you could certainly do better.

THE GOOD
- Beautiful compact design
- Nice set of included accessories

THE BAD
- Weak FM receiver
- Below average sound quality
- Lacks features for price point

IN THE BOX
- AM Antenna
- FM Pigtail Antenna
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm Cable
- AC/AC Adapter
- 4 iPod Dock Adapters

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
Brookstone

Designed by Greg Wolos, Emily, a sleek brushed aluminum alarm clock is meant to go sideways on your wall so you can read the clock naturally as you lay on your side while in bed. The red LED clock compliments the rich walnut wood construction.

Found at Furni's shop.

The iMote remote control is marketed as a way for parents to control what their kids watch. However, if you are feeling over-protective, you can give your kid access to only the channels you really want via parental controls in any modern TV or set-top box. We feel that the real use of the iMote remote control is to keep your kids out of the TV settings that you slaved over for hours to set right.

The iMote remote provides your child with audio controls, a power button, and up to five buttons that can be programmed to five different channels. The remote comes with about 100 stickers illustrating a channel's logo that you affix in the grove of each button you've designated. So with that kind of limited control for your child, there is no way for them to mess with your TV settings.

Found at ThinkGeek.

If you want to get something for someone that has everything this Christmas, but haven't found anything, take a look at the Cinemin.

Since we weren't able to get our hands on one of these to do a full review, we went out to our nearest Brookstone store and had the manager give us a demo. This little thing is amazing.

The image is very good and can be projected on pretty much anything. It uses Texas Instruments' DLP projection technology to do its magic and we recommend a white surface to project onto. The uses for this little guy are endless: you can project onto the wall to show friends and family a slideshow, YouTube videos, presentations, and so forth. You could even watch a movie on the ceiling of your room while you are on your way to catch some Z's. Honestly the gadget is pretty cool. The image was a little dim when we saw the demo, but it was probably due to the bright lights in the room. The Cinemin Projector can be used with portable media players, pretty much any apple product from the i family (iPhone, ipod), Flip Video, PSP, digital cameras, portable DVD players, netbooks, notebooks, and smartphones with video-out functionality. One thing to caution: the screen wouldn't project what was on the iPhone screen as we were going through the menus. It basically only works for pictures, movies, and presentations on the iPhone.

The Cinemin Projector has a resolution of 480 x 320 (HVGA). Its 90 degree swivel allows you to use it pretty much anywhere without using anything to prop it up. The Swivel can project a 60-inch image from over eight feet away.

This mini projector has a built-in speaker with adjustable volume and a headphone jack. The audio from the projector through the built-in speakers was decent, but if you have a large crowd you will probably want to connect your own powered speakers. The batteries should last up to two hours and are rechargeable.

Although the Cinemin Projector is a bit pricey at $299, we are sure that its usefulness outweighs the price.

THE GOOD
- Has many uses
- Multiple AC plugs allows for international use
- Small package delivers big image
- Can be used with multiple devices

THE BAD
- Battery life seems a little low
- A little dimmer than we expected
- Pricey
- Can't be used to scroll through iPhone menus

IN THE BOX
- AC/DC power adapter
- Power plugs for North America, UK, Europe, and Australia
- USB (A) to mini USB (B-5 pin) cable
- USB (A) to mini USB (B-4 pin) cable
- 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable
- AV composite to 3.5 mm cable
- Battery
- Padded soft case with Velcro flap
- Quick start guide.

WHERE TO BUY
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
WowWee

We've never held one of these in our hands, so we can't attest to how these iPhone/iPod touch cases might feel in your pocket. What we can say is that each of these real wood iPhone and iPod touch cases are beautiful. Each iPhone case weighs in at 1.07oz and if you are worried about scratching your iPhone's soulful body, worry not, on the inside of the case there is a soft, scratch-resistant lining.

Now there is going to be a whole new generation of people with wood in their pants. Come on, you knew they'd be a punch line in there somewhere.

Found at Vers.