Jumping Jehosephat!

Digital Dan: Super Pogo Sticks & More Cool Stuff Dads Can Buy Themselves

(CBS)  Obviously, early adopters will be the first courageous ones to grab HD DVD machines like this Toshiba. But, they’ll also be getting an impressive array of features not found in the laptop of yesteryear: First, the speedy Intel Core Duo Processor T2500 (a 2.0GHz powerhouse.) There’s 200 GB of storage (on two 100 GB 5400 rpm hard drives) plus a very ample NVIDIA GeForce G0 7600 graphics card.

With Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center 2005, a TV tuner, and a remote, this "portable" notebook is a complete entertainment center. Naturally it also features a wide array of communications methods (WiFi, Bluetooth, IR, etc.) and a host of memory slots for various digital media.

When I suggest this device is "portable," obviously not many folks (other than Olympic weightlifters) are likely to lug a 17" computer around. But, Toshiba's new HD DVD laptop is an exciting entry and I would be delighted to get a hernia just to finally watch movies in high definition. I suppose, I'll repeat the same HD DVD movie we have (starring Tom Cruise and a very sharp sword) over and over again until the "floodgates" truly open.

This lovely Toshiba notebook (really a portable media super-station) lists for $2,999.

Suunto's G6 Golf Watch

When I was stuck in the crush of traffic going to the US Open last week, I remembered the sagacious words of the old golf pro who once attempted to teach me the fundamentals. Half an hour into his patient tutoring, the wise man of the green finally took the clubs away and said, "Son, let's face it, some people just can’t play golf." For the more coordinated who do, Suunto’s G6 Golf Watch may be the right tool to perfect your swing.

This new watch actually evaluates your golf swing using three internal wrist sensors to improve consistency and timing. After each swing, golfers can check their "tempo, rhythm, backswing length and speed." The watch measures wrist movement 200 times per second to provide instant feedback after each shot.

To give the Suunto G6 a fair test, we went to Gizmorama's chief golfing consultant, Jay Fishkin of CBS News, and lent him the watch. Tough, yet fair, Jay spent many a day on the links testing this contraption and his verdict: A whole lot of love, but a little wistfulness. The watch did a great job measuring the three major elements needed to play better golf: tempo, rhythm, and speed of strokes. Knowing the speed and tempo of his swing did significantly improve his consistency.

Jay had a few minor complaints: the watch featured too many modes and sub modes, making navigation and control of the watch cumbersome. He was less enamored of the scorekeeping functions and found it difficult to transition between modes (practice, test, or game mode) without losing data. But our golf expert eagerly indicated he "would like to continue strenuous testing of the G6 indefinitely" so Suunto's G6 Golf Watch seems an ideal gift for the techno-savvy player who wants to improve his game.

The watch comes in two flavors: standard (for $399) and a "Pro version" (including a leather band plus USB cable and software to download results and chart performance) for $499.


XM Sportscaster

Advanced Global Technology and XM Satellite Radio teamed up to provide an inexpensive receiver and car kit for the sports radio enthusiast. Pre-tuned to 30 sports channels, the XM Sportscaster can also access all 160 of the XM Satellite Radio’s commercial-free programming.

With a built-in FM transmitter, you can listen to the XM Sportscaster on your existing car radio, without rewiring. Everything a sports fan needs to get satellite radio from XM is in the box: antenna, power adapter, mounting units, etc. Everything, except the $12 monthly XM subscription, that is.

Violight Travel Toothbrush Sanitizer

Your toothbrush cleans your teeth but what cleans your toothbrush? Well, I always thought hot water in the sink was good enough. A 2002 report on oral health by the Center for Disease Control points out that "…a common recommendation is to rinse one’s toothbrush thoroughly with tap water following brushing. Limited research has suggested that even after being rinsed visibly clean, toothbrushes can remain contaminated with potentially pathogenic organisms." Uh oh. So, if you really want to kill 99.9% of the bacteria and microorganisms that live on your toothbrush, what can you do?

For the fastidious, Violight manufactures a series of products that sterilize the toothbrush by subjecting the bristles to a germicidal UV light. Now, Violight has developed a portable toothbrush cleaner that sterilizes it "on the go." Actually, the sterilization takes place "on the glow:" the lovely ultra violet light shines for a timed 7 minutes, presumably eliminating all the nasty pathogens threatening your oral safety.

Since I quoted the CDC report cited above, in good conscience, their findings continue: "Various means of cleaning, disinfecting or sterilizing toothbrushes between uses have been developed. To date, however, no published research data documents that brushing with a contaminated toothbrush has led to recontamination of a user’s mouth, oral infections, or other adverse health effects." Nevertheless, this portable Violight toothbrush cleaner is perfect for people who prefer an abundance of protection. Price: $53

---

Note: All products reviewed for this article and for the on-camera segment were loaned to CBS News for evaluation by the companies that manufactured or marketed them, with the exception of the Violight, which was loaned by a colleague for this report.