Just kidding about the free balloons. The affordable cell phone gets my vote...yeah cell phones have been out for a while, but it's in the somewhat recent past (last 5 to 7 years)that they've become reliable and affordable enough to make them worthwhile for most people. With one small gizmo I have what amounts to a) never worrying about long-distance charges again b) being able to be contacted wherever you may be (especially important in my line of work) without being tethered to any one land-line c) eliminating the worry of being stuck anywhere out on the road with no way to contact anyone and d) always having contact information for most everyone I know without having to log around a rolodex/address book/etc. fleshlight The Ipod is too trendy and expensive. Gmail for the win. Digital camera Wikipedia Myspace! Lego A-Wing Ebay! 'awesome products' that are computer related (i think they are "fairly" recent): Wireless networking. Cables are the horror! Now if only they could free us from power cables and plugging your pc would be a breeze! ;) LCD screens: light and compact, freeing a lot of desk space! VoIP phone services. This is only "new" in the longer-term sense, but twist-off beer caps really are amazing, aren't they? Remember searching for bottle openers? Or, if you couldn't find one, using your teeth and/or the edge of a table? Not fun! BitTorrent mp3 players DVRs... Being able to have instant replay, not just for sports, but for commercials, comedies, news, or anything else that you may desire, on TV that is. Being able to pay for gas at the pump with a credit card. satellite radio I certainly agree with the iPod (or other brand mp3 player/mass storage) and internet banking. I'll also throw in in-car navigation and GPS, and ultra-bright light emitting diodes. Not a product in themselves, but the amount of light they create for such little power allows so much more versatility in products that can be created, from keyring flashlights to road markings and traffic signals. South Beach Diet Breakfast Burritos. Mmm and healthy! interwebs iPod iPod matches and glue USB Flash drives! Pimp my snack. That's awesome Nixie clocks. HTML comment boxes. DVR Mortein Easy Reach Surface Spray Powerful Gaming Computers. Thank god. i'm not a console guy. Comcast Digital Cable with On Demand dnjdnn The 1987 Buick LeSabre Custom of course! What's better than a 3.8 litre V6, a front bench seat and those AC Delco speakers! TiVo has freed me from the chains of prime time television. Bipolar disorder cell phones with mp3 playing capabilities. Wibble me fish! I definitley agree with you on the DVR. Hoverboard caffeinated ferrets. I also have four as the result of my recent birthday, one as a result of your praise for the Sonicare(I had been waffling on this idea of expensive electric home dentistry for several years). -Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX certified speakers, with Monstercable 2.1 kit from Klipsh for my laptop. Absolutely incredible. My popup blocker notification rattles the windows. -Braun/Oral B 8850 Professional electric toothbrush(I like the smaller head than the sonicare) I brush my teeth every hour now. -Motorola e815 cell phone. Light years ahead of the Nokia freebie I got two years ago, whose piece de resistance feature was that the keypad was illuminated, sometimes. -Hotel quality, 600 thread count sheets with memory foam mattress pad. My bed is now a place to sleep instead of battle discomfort. The quality of my life has climbed a rung from the posession of these items, and I highly recommend them. Michael The Instant Outlet has changed my life in ways I never imagined! MacBook Pro The Mickey Mouse Head Shaped Waffle maker GPS Light-sensing automatic headlights fire USB Flash Drive Optical Mouse (most brands), Leatherman Multitool, Download Accelerator Plus, George Foreman Grill Netflix electricity the Ninja Burger Honorable Employee Handbook I love getting TV shows on DVD... I know that's not really a brand spanking new invention, but it's a relatively new concept, and it seems that you can find almost any good TV show available as a DVD set. While it's not nearly as free as having a DVR record it for you (and in fact DVD sets are sometimes obscenely expensive), buying a DVD is sometimes necessary if the TV show does not air on TV anymore. The old sitcom Dinosaurs was just released on DVD recently, and it's excellent that I can watch it now, whenever I want. I was only 3 when the series first aired. All the adult humor flew miles above my head back then. But now I can appreciate the fine humor of a baby hitting his father over the head with a frying pan. And there's no better way of showing off what a diehard fan you are of a TV show than OWNING the show. You get to keep the show, display it to others, and yeah, it's yours to keep. Hershey's Kissables Depends Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, so I can get rid of soapscum (and so much more), and not have the smell of chemicals give me a migraine. I can think of nothing better than DVR. It so rocks my world! special k ipod Plastic trousers. Scrubbing Bubbles brand Toilet Brush system. The scrubbing end flushes away! No more storing that nasty filthy Toilet brush- you just hang the handle onto a nice hook that goes on the back of the toilet. You can wash off the sleek plastic handle, even spray it down with some cleanser if you want. The brush end isn't that sturdy- but, it works well enough for me, and the fact that it flushes away even with a septic tank system overrides every other objection. Now if they could make a disposable plunger head, so I didn't have to store that nasty thing (or try to clean it) too. Febreeze camera phones. Clorox Anywhere Hard-Surface spray. It is gentle enough to use on food prep surfaces, or on things little kids will be touching, without wiping off afterward. However it also kills germs effectively! This is much better because as far as I know, all the other germ killing sprays and cleansers need to be wiped off afterward. To do the job right, with Lysol spray or other cleansers, you apply it, let it sit for 10 or 15 min. to kill the germs, and then get a damp cloth to wipe off the chemical, and then maybe a dry cloth to get the dampness off! I don't have time or energy for all that nonsense, and neither do I really want to mess with any more chemicals than I have to. Especially ones that I have to worry about whether or not I got it all up, or people might get sick! This stuff is great- just get your surface clean, and spray, and let it dry. the toaster 300GB external hard drives Barkeeper's Friend. This is a great all-purpose cleanser for heavy scrubbing, if you have a septic system and can't use anything with bleach in it, like Ajax. I was miserable without my Ajax, and my sink was stained and ugly looking, until my MIL told me about Barkeeper's Friend. Sorry it sounds lame but it's the truth. This stuff also polishes copper acceptably- not perfect, but great for everyday use, and I'm certainly not one to go to the trouble of using that paste that never seems to come off entirely, and ends up making my copper-bottomed pans look worse than before. Hoover Floormate Hard Floor cleaner. This is a vacuum-like thing, that uses water and you use to scrub hard floors of every kind. This thing is a lifesaver. It really works WELL, and saves tons and tons of labor. Ethanol! DIGITAL CAMERA! I think I'm gonna have to say square watermelons! Have you ever seen one of thezse things! I mean they cost like 500 dollars in china but come on! its square! Square tomato here i come! Reid from toronto, ontario iPod Nano! Rotary fabric cutters. Infinately easier than cutting with scissors, and opens up a whole new genre of quilting and piecing. Steam Engine lego Not VERY new, but the Panisonic scrolling whiteboard w/ printer. You draw whatever you want on a gridded whiteboard, and have it copied onto an 8 1/2" by however long you want piece of thermal paper. Wireless Broadband Internet Debit cards Erasable Ink Pens Toilet paper The telephone! I have to second the Sonicare Easy touch vibrator. I can't put it down!! Cell Phone Birth control pills! Nose clips. Pajamas with feet. i enjoy my new DV cam it is pretty sweet Breast augmentation surgery. (.)_(.) TACO BELL SOUR CREAM GUN The DivaCup. Satalite radio. I was able to drive from Chicago to LA w/o changing the radio station once! Try that 5 years ago. the wheel Check out pandora.com (it's a webradio station with some nifty on-the-fly playlist generation). I like it, you might. God I feel like a spammer now. Blueberry flavored beer. Blogging software. Swiffer and Wet Swiffer. Pull-String Piñata Conversion Kits. It has to be the forthcoming, 2007, Cockeyed calendar! I'm going to have to agree with DVR. It completely changed the way I watched television. Amy says tanning beds. Anti-lock brakes. I haven't been in a weather-related accident (or ANY accident) since getting a vehicle that has 'em three years ago. Saucony Jazz running shoes! electric-powered butter churn When my sister had her first kid, I wasn't yet a parent. Sis was busy actually parenting, so when family asked for photos I shot them and developed them and mailed them out. Now I'm a parent too, with no childless siblings to help me appease the grandparents' appetite for photos. Thank God for digital cameras and OFOTO.COM. Want pictures? Go to the web site, mom, and order as many as you want! Shutterfly, Ofoto, Snapfish...I love the on-line photo album sites. They make my life as a parent easier. The multi-tool we invented at dinner last night. It can help you hear better and change your oil! I have a Titanium Spork, made by Snowpeak, which I carry everywhere in my messenger bag. It's a great alternative to using the plastic disposable ware given to you at eating low-end establishments. I'm also quite thankful for Light Emiting Diodes. From holiday lights that last forever, to bicycle blinkies that run hudreds of hours on just one set of AAA's, LED's make my life safer and more efficient. e-85 XM Radio The Hindenburg I like your mom!!!!111oneoneoneIIIRomanNumeralOne!!! lasers! Ball Point Pen The "automobile". Flash Drives. I love those tiny, amazing bastards. My Toyota Prius! ear plugs. I cannot say enough good things about ear plugs. definitely iPods. i heard my friends talking about how much having all their music on them all the time changed their life and yadda yadda yadda and i thought it was a bunch of hooey, but i must admit, after finally getting my hands on one, it is a lot different, especially in new york. it's like a combination entertainment center and shield against all subway crazies. VIVA LA IPOD Fleshlight www.fleshlight.com Aneros vibrating rubber dicks 42 laptops DVDs featuring episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Xbox 360 Roobas, perhaps? A great thing to watch. I like the new game consels. Backup Generators (Mine's a 3500W that can keep all the vitals running for days) guitar hero VOIP phone service wireless internet Xbox 360 the Bic White Out Exact Liner Robocop The Xbox 360 Hands Down An Xbox 360 or the DS Lite Fritos! das internet! cup holders at the movies Holy wtf, person who said the 2007 Cockeyed calendar. WAIT UNTIL YOU USE UP YOUR 2006 ONE FIRST. Top Spot or similar "back of the neck" flea products for dogs/cats. This is incredible stuff. Much less toxic to the dog than the old stuff, and it really works on fleas! word processors The LCD "Flat Panel" Monitor - So nice, so nice. Looks great, less energy, takes up less space, who can argue? Satellite Radio Wifi Internet MP3 players (iPod, I guess). cream cheese credit card Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Seriously good! my garmin i3 gps sliced bread www.meebo.com That remote control that'll turn off any TV you encounter. (suggestion by Robb) DVR WiFi Foam Soap (that you do NOT dilute!) The Professional Foam Soap Formulator keyless entry cars remote control onion slicer... no more tears! definitely the iPod, which allows me to put most of my CDs in a thing the size of a cassette tape. It's hard to remember life without it. The RonCo Pet Dehydrator TiVo without a doubt. It is the best thing to happen to television since the early morning Girls Gone Wild infomercials!!!!! Keep the Change Savings- Bank of America Pay at the pump vs. going inside to have them swipe the debit card for gas. Glide dental floss. It doesn't rip, it doesn't shred, and it makes me feel less sinful. Sirius satellite radio Pamper's baby wipes, with the spring loaded lid! It's a miracle I survived cleaning piss and shit while trying to hold the baby's legs up with one hand, and trying to open the wipes container with the other. The spring loaded lid is genius! Remote-controlled fans, sugar-free Red Bull, Shell Gas creditcards (5% rebate!) Netflix and Youtube Spark's (malt energy drink) Wireless Internet. -Phil On Demand cotton gin The wheel. Pants Hybrid cars, but not the SUV kind. DVR-BABY! My Penis i second the dvr praise! George Foreman Grills Dvico Fusion 5- A high-def TV tuner for your computer. It's considerably cheaper than a standalone digital receiver and works just as well, and you use your computers hard drive as a Tivo like setup. The possibilities are almost endless. Another is the DLP projector. Movie screen size TV, DVD, computer monitor, video games, it's all great! I have a 9 foot diagonal TV in my basement. The only drawback is lamp life and expense. Google Maps and Gmail. Basically Google can do no wrong. DVRs! The Space Pen Wallet - guys can carry a pen! www.byopvr.com turning your computer into a Tivo with no monthly charges. www.aighead.com Potentially the most boring site on the internet. Smart Phones w/ windows mobile. Being able to synch my outlook calendar to my phone (that i always have with me) via bluetooth is truely a marvel. Also, the program i have that shows me real-time traffic for my commutes probably saves me an hour+ a week. Pocket PC. Connects to the internet via wifi, plays tv shows I record with my tv tuner card, mp3s of course, organize my life with an Outlook syncable calendar and address book, and rounds off the entertainment with an NES emulator. underwear The George Foreman grill Nintendo DS. I know it seems a little childish to list a handheld gaming system (im 21). I but i really love this. The wide varaty of games isn't just for killing time. There are games i can play for a short time durring my breaks at work. Or games that can keep me fully enthrolled for an afternoon. And with the new Brain Games, there is an added sense of accomplishment with gaming. When i get a high score on Brain Age or Big Brain Academy it's not just a trivial thing. Im acually increasing my brain fuctions. I love my nintendo DS. The Potato pantyhose! old style orange pressers, but they're new! Sliced Bread. Its the greatest thing since tearing bread by hand! Hey, DS is not so childish! I'm 28 and my fiancee and I play our DSes all the time! Disinfecting wipes (Lysol, Clorox). So easy! Everything is clean! And disinfected! Just like that! Blackberry! digital cameras, iPod, GPS devices, xbox 360.. might be cliched but its amazing what you can do with it.. the online service is amazing, you can get gamer points for doing certain things in games, download demos (this is the best thing.. in the past you had to shell out £45 to try a game, now i do it for free!), fantasticly simple friends system and excellent online gaming abilites with full voice support and never any lag.. sorry i'll stop being such a nerd now! (p.s: the iPod sucks.. my friends one has been returned 4 times because it broke since he got it 10 months ago, and only once was it his fault!) I don't know if it's still "new" enough, but I love Netflix second only to my wife. The optical eye on a computer mouse. A close second is the scoller wheel on the mouse. :) The Rabbit fork Grammaphone! Internet d netflix laptops Arnie Heitz - 1/32 scale slotcars Monkeys! The new Benjamin Franklin commemorative silver dollars. iPod all the way. Not a new product, but I could not function without my day runner dayplanner. Wacom Intuos tablet efbverq I really enjoyed the computer stud finders genmay BitTorrent Guild Wars netflix Box of rags. flash drives Chickens! That toilet scrupper you can flush when yr done--no more nasty toilet scrubber! Remote Car Starter the light bulb The Media Center computer. I can watch TV and be online at the same time: perfect for those oh-so-important "vote now on our website" moments! Porn Your Welcome Porn Wheel Sliced Bread Pommes Frites My GPS unit, and my Wifi-enabled laptop Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. I'd be interested in finding out "how much is inside?" one of those. Absolutely AWESOME - I buy them all the time. All the wonderful Herbalife products! poopy The Cable Modem. How useless is a digital camera or awesome spamkilling software on a 14.4 dialup? The Fpoon - Ambios Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - Ambios Wheel - Ambios duh, laptops, wirelessness, the friggin internet! Reef Flip Flops text messaging Porn! DVR/Tivo - i would rather go back to black and white tv than give up my tivo! bluetooth tech. (ear piece, keyboards, mice, sending information) Toilet paper has changed my life. Car navigation system Brother DCP110c printer, scanner, photo-copier, fax, phone, cappuccino maker, and photo capture with slots for digicam memory cards. O Yea baby iriver Clix mp3/wma player silicone sex toys condor egg omlettes reticulated bum clapper internet porn The Mr. Clean Magic Sponge! You won't believe that a little block of wet foam can clean anything, but it does! Pen Drives Frangible ammunition. catalytic converter The internets. For you know... porn and stuff. In-car GPS The bedazzler digital cameras I also cannot live without my sonicare. But if you think that is good, you should try it with a Waterpik. Then it really feels like you just got out of a dentists office. Its great! -Jason Bluetooth earpiece. I'm not one of the bluetooth headset dudes; I only use one in the car. I work on an Air Force base and a hands-free unit is required and I hate having that damn cord getting caught everywhere. dvr Realdoll. RAZR Cell Phone Brooke Pannell & Ambur Benally! Sauna Belt! Netflix! the computer The spork. I worship the spork. And the bagel slicer. OralB toothbrushes are proven better than Sonicare. The George Foreman Grill mp3 player RadioFalmouth.org slvr My GPS is a pretty sweet little unit. I can bike, camp, hike anywhere I want, and be pretty confident that I won't be completely lost. Much better than relying on a map and landmarks...I'm in Alaska so...there is some serious "getting lost" area up here. Pom Pomegranate Juice (with vodka) Hey Rob, I have to date purchased 6 bugzookas. It is the greatest invention ever. As a man my "special" skills were always required when a spider apeared. The bugzooka has changed all of that. The kids will hunt down bugs for safe release. The wife still shrieks, but will perform the neccesary removal problem herself. I get them for 20 smacks each at northern. I really hated dealing with bugs with toilet paper, and to tell you the truth, I let the kids use the zooka as my 3 year old calls it. Love your site. TAJ ipod Satellite radio Digital Cameras and 64 bit AMD processors. BitComet i really like the new FX lightsabers GPS Systems- Never get lost again! dvd burners port-a-potty Online Poker Pez candy dispensers. As far as I'm concerned, it's all about the Palm Treo. It's a cell phone, PDA, internet browswer, e-mail device, mp3 player, GPS, and digital camera all in one! Fucking TiVo, man! RealDoll Mobile Web boner saving bike seats The roomba vacuum. It's a robotic vacuum that just goes around and vacuums all on it's own. All you do is turn it on. Shizzle debit card sheep dip blue tooth the magic bullet. Spray and wash DUAL POWER stain remover Global Positioning System (GPS) ohhh definitely the iPod. also, I'm a big fan of big sunglasses. sunglasses so big that they walk the line between fashionable and something your 90 year old grandmother would wear. yeeeah B) mp3 players (non-apple varieties are better!) Debit Cards!!!! Tang Sirius Satellite Radio Electric cheese grater Nintendo DS -- Not the only video game system with a touch screen, but it is the only good one with a touch screen. Although not too new, I would say the Internet, with cable is an awesome product. Wireless internet leatherman pocket multi-tools Agriculture. It's just SOOO much better than hunting-and-gathering! SPORK! digital cameras Palm Treo GPS Thag like Sharp Rock. Sharp Rock great! Sharp Rock cut up deer. Sharp Rock break open bone. Sharp Rock scrape hide also! Tie Sharp Rock to stick, get ax! Tie Sharp Rock to long stick, get spear! Sharp Rock fit in hand. Sharp Rock best thing ever! -Thag Fabreze fabric refresher DVDs don't know how I watched movies or tv series without them or are they too old? Tivo wheel cameraphones the Stanley Bostich N-30 6 stapler for anyone who builds homes, you know Philips DVR+DVD recorder iPod, iPod, iPod. (or, as we say in Paris "ee"Pod.) DVR, Ipod, laptops I agree with the digital camera! Scunci steamer GPS Navigation system Boil-in-a-bag food. Eliminates the awful step of draining and ensures you never use too much water. No more soggy rice! Pot roast perfect every time! Whomever invented the boil-in-a-bag concept deserves a medal. wii Guitar Hero! Anal-eez butt lube. Bertolli Dinner for Two frozen pasta and all the new vacuum packaging of pre-cooked rice and other products that used to be boil-add-simmer-stir for 30 minutes but now can be done in under 5. Instant food that doesn't taste instant! The debit card. My favorite new product is printable CD/DVD's and the printers that print on the printable CD/DVD's! Not that I ever would print copyrighted photos onto copies of copyrighted CD/DVD's, but if I wanted to (which I don't) they would (or could, I mean) look GREAT! No more sticky lables. No more felt tip pens. Just beautiful, perfect labels! You could even put thumbnails of photos as the label to show what photos are on the photo CD! ~Rob Labarge Aurora, CO Playstation Steve McQueen in-car GPS units It would be a toss up between my DVR and online money management. Now if I could just get that ATM set up for my living room.... How About The LED Light such as in Headlamps stella artois beer. XM Radio, Sliced Bread Wi-fi networking and USB flash drives. Both totally excellent. Netflix Starbucks Cinnamon after-coffee breath mints. Seriously. Flat screen tvs (not terribly new, but only recently affordable to those who don't deal drugs)--shannon spam Bluetooth headsets--now I don't get myself dangerously tangled in wires when I'm driving and talking on the phone. Also Quilted Northern because it doesn't pill up and get stuck in my butt hair. All things Google! Ooh... Online bill pay is a very good one. Not new, but still newish to me... Caller ID has made me very happy. My favorite awesome new product is: carbon nanotubes. Zatarains Red Beans and Rice. It's not new, but it's awesome for starving college kids like me. internet Bark Collar skype blu-ray!!! DVRS sliced bread oh, and camera phones and text/picture messaging :) Wireless RTS for Television Broadcasting. It changed my life! White Fillings. Tooth decay has never looked so good! graphing calculator valium Dr Pepper. They could make a profit from just me buying their sodas. iPods suck. Falcon Northwest PCs are expensive but well worth it. Hmm... what else is there... Yeah... Creative Labs MP3 Players. Blu-Ray. Avox Jukebox credit card hair straightening irons and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers Sandisk Cruzer Micro Satellite Radio (XM in particular) Clean and Clear Oil-Absorbing Sheets A 6 ft tall 500 lb robot that watches your house while you are away and then serves your every need when you get home. Oh, I forgot. We don't have robots cause all the laywers think they are too dangerious! the keytar Hand Held Showerheads! If anyone says 'the fleshlight' I am totally going to kill them DEAD. Tivo! WTF, TWO PEOPLE SAID FLESHLIGHT. I TOTALLY THOUGHT NOBODY WOULD. Losers. Keyless car entry and ignition! flickr! How about online banking? I never have to go to the bank anymore!! Netflix... I have completely quit watching any TV other than DVDs. An ode to my favorite awesome new product: "oh wireless keyboard and mouse... nothing tying me down... I can now lean back and relax... and waste the day away... I love you wireless keyboard and mouse..." apple cutting-coring devices apple cutting-coring devices new Coke high-quality screw-top wine LED bicycle lights Craigslist! it's not a product, but I LOVE FIREFOX!!! YAY! bears. The iPod, and the Clarisonic Turkey Shampoo Le Creuset Silicone Whisk Febreze!! Here in Colorado our no smoking ban (indoors) FINALLY starts 7/1 indoors. But since I've found febreze I hang my shirt/pants up after coming home from the bar/club - spray them down and they smell great the next day. Remember the days of going out to a bar and coming home smelling like an ashtray? Every wears a pair of pants or shirt a few times before they wash it - even if they say they don't. Anyway Febreze rocks - and I soon I won't have to buy it anymore. All the best - James in Denver, Colorado GMail. It lets me have my mail wherever I feel like, and the UI doesn't suck. -jonathan lassoff netflix ipod, tivo, paypal, mail-retrieving robot (oh, wait...) XTZ Energy Chocolates (check thinkgeek.com, under "caffeine") SPARKS Penises. I tried cloudmark, IT ROCKS! ATMs for cash requisition and check depositing. Sellout The Stanley Cup on OLN. KFC Bowls. Mashed potatoes, corn, fried chicken, gravy, cheese. kottke.org TRS-80 Xbox 360 Thumb drives! Rechargable batteries, cell phones The cellphone the auto-winding watch The software that lets me put my games onto my PS2 hard drive instead of switching out discs all the time. The flash drive, replacing the clunky zip disks and ye olde 5 1/2 inch floppy disks (may they rest in peace) DVRs iPod heated seats in cars Wireless access (especially free!) midgets aerogel Pringles Salt and Vinegar crisps are the absolute best thing of all time, so I'd have to go with that. That, or internet porn. IP phones I just got my first digital camera, and I love it. It's the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W100. I've taken so many pictures. Mmm, it's my new favorite toy. iPods are cool too though. - Isai L. GPS Receivers. You know where you are at all times, where you want to be, and how to get there. There is no reason to not find anything ever again. Given anywhere you care to be standing, you can find the nearest Pizza Hut (assuming you have the right basemap installed) to your very location, directions accurate to the point that it *knows* when you have to pass your address and make a u-turn, and it even tells you how far it'll be before you get there. Plus, they can be used as speedometers on airplanes, which is just too cool. Uglyripe tomatoes. So delicious, and really not that ugly!