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.

#5. 80's Cube Clock
An alarm clock designed to work almost like a rubik's cube. You twist the top and the display changes between date, time, alarm and temperature. The tamest of the bunch, but one that brings back nostalgia.

Found at Amazon


#4. Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock (AKA "The Bomb")
Designed to wake-you-the-hell up, the Sonic Bomb alarm clock puts out an ear-piercing 113 decibels at the highest setting. In other words, its like being in a front row of a rock concert, but a thousand times more annoying. If sound doesn't phase you, perhaps the included bed shaker will do the job.

Found at ThinkGeek


#3. Puzzle Alarm Clock
For those of you with Josh Nash Jr envy, the solution to waking up perhaps involves a bit of mental stimulation. The puzzle alarm clock wakes you up by ejecting into the air four different puzzle pieces scattering them everywhere as the alarm is blasting. In order to shut the alarm off, you must put all 4 pieces of the puzzle back in the right place.

Found at Bam Bam Banana


#2. Clocky Alarm Clock
Clocky is an alarm clock on wheels. When the time comes (and it will), Clocky starts up his wheels and runs around your house like mad (steer clear of lamps and cats) as the alarm beeps over and over. The only way to stop the mayhem is to get your lazy bum off your bed and turn Clocky off.

Found at Amazon


#1. Flying Digital Alarm Clock
And the overall craziest alarm clock is the flying digital alarm clock. Though not the prettiest of the bunch, it certainly presents the biggest challenge. Be ready in the morning because as soon as the alarm goes off, the propeller is launched up into the air and it flies around the room. Your only recourse is to put the propeller powered device back into the base. Good luck staying awake after that.

Also found at Amazon

You just spent well over $2,000 for an HDTV with 720p/1080i/1080p resolutions. You took the television home and plugged in your upconverting DVD player to your HDTV expecting to be blown away by the clarity of high-definition television. But once you turned everything on, you are hardly impressed. What gives? Isn't the HD era supposed to display crystal-clear, drool-inducing imagery? Yes it does. But only if you have the right components.

You are one step closer. You already own an HDTV and an upconverting DVD player (make sure it has an HDMI input). However, you probably failed to invest in an HD cable. HD cables come in four popular flavors: Component, VGA, DVI, and HDMI. The most popular of these cables are Component and HDMI. But let's just keep things simple, because


ENTER HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).
HDMI is an industry standard digital interface that supports both audio and video data components. What it really means is that an HDMI cable is capable of sending both a digital video and audio signal from your upconverting DVD player or DVR directly to your TV via one cable. The video and audio quality that is transmitted through this cable is absolutely astonishing. The colors will pop with life and the blacks will be black just like you imagined they would be when you bought your HDTV.

And that's the biggest difference. In fact, the television you just spent thousands of dollars on is worthless if that's the kind of connection you are using.


CABLES AND ELECTRONIC RETAILERS
Now that you know what kind of cable you need (check your television and DVD player to make sure it supports HDMI), you are going to need to buy one. Of course, the first place you think of are the major retail stores. STOP. - $100+ for a simple 3-foot cable. Talk about sticker shock.


THE INTERNET IS YOUR FRIEND
Do not pay the heavily marked-up retail prices for HDMI cables. You do not need 90-inch thick cables with gold-coating connections. HDMI carries a digital signal, so in cables under 100-feet, the signal will be excellent and the image quality drool-inducing and crystal-clear.

Get yourself HDMI cables through a company like Monoprice or if you must have a brand name HDMI cable, look online for HDMI cables from Philips. Make sure that the cables you are purchasing are certified by HDMI standards and you will be in a good place. and no matter how much money you paid.

GO GET EM TIGER!
Now that you are equipped with that knowledge, enjoy your $2,000+ dollar investment. You and your family has earned it.