By Date (5 column layout) for JaneGalt.net~Stuff

My previously high-end digital camera is this year's mid-list offering. But I still adore mine. It takes really beautiful pictures, even if you're a complete photographic moron, as I am.

It's the king of MP3 players, and the network effects have started to burn in; the bevy of accessories make this an obvious choice. I don't need video storage, and I don't have *that* much music, so I think the 30 GB is more than adequate.

My Dad raves about it. I've used iTunes, and it's great, although I don't purchase music because it won't transfer it to my MP3 player. (The Rio Karma, which is a lot cheaper.)

I just got one, a years-old cast off from a relative, and while the music is exceptionally lovely to wake up to (I have it set on the local classical station), the user interface is sublime.

If it can get me organized, it can work for anyone. Plus, cute games! And MP3's. Soon, I will teach it to clean, and marry it

It controls *everything*, all at once. If you press "Watch a DVD", it will turn on the television, switch it to the right video channel, turn on the DVD player, and tell it to play whatever's in there. It will even dim the lights, if you have them on remote-something I didn't know existed until I read the manual. I really bought this because I kept losing my Tivo remote, but I've been enjoying this surprisingly well . . . particularly the fact that it's rechargeable, so it never needs new batteries.

Give the gift of wireless this Christmas season. To yourself, if no one else.

Hook your Tivo up to your wireless network without messy cables or taking up the phone line.

...the really high end model, which looks terrifically slick, and apparently allows you to do gaming with it, but costs more than a journalist could afford. These remotes are especially good if you have a Tivo, since normal universal remotes will not work with your DVR.

a newer version, but the reviews are mixed, and I can't see why it's any better

It's shockingly good; even when I accidentally left it on dictation mode and left it four feet away from my soft-voiced interviewee in a crowded cafeteria, I got a fully intelligible recording. Allows you to sort your recordings into folders, so that you can keep stories separate. Then you just load tem onto the computer for permanent storage. It holds 70 hours of audio on low quality. I don't know how many it holds on the highest quality (stereo), which is what I've used; at least 20 hours of interviews.

Love this phone. Love it. Love, love, love it. No answering machine--voicemail is cheaper and easier. Couldn't be happier.

A lot cheaper than an iPod, and it has some features the iPod doesn't.

It was with deep trepidation that I purchased these to go with my Rio. But the first plane trip I took them on erased all doubts.

The picture is bright, the sound is great even from the included speakers, and it is 1080p.

Yes, it really is better than the other DVRs, and not just because it has the cute little TV character bouncing all over the place. The interface is better and more intuitive, the suggestions work better, and you can now set it up to play music or pictures, something I'm planning to take advantage of at the brunch I'm giving this year on New Year's Day.

You must have Tivo. You don't know how great it is until you have one.

Microsoft's keyboards are somewhat better in terms of layout and features...More importantly, I've find that Microsoft keyboards are less likely to lose their signal from the wireless base. If I were buying one now, I'd get this one, which has a scroll wheel built right into the keyboard for those of us who never quite got used to the mouse.

a tablespoon in any cake or brownie recipe really brings out the deep chocolate flavour

This one, obviously, is for the ladies. Not that you guys don't need microdermabrasion to give your skin a more even and youthful appearance, but no matter what I say, you're not going to try it, so I'll leave you to your scaly dermis.

I got this for my sister last year, and it's been a big hit. Basically, it comes with 12 spice containers that slot into the carousel. Each has a dial on it that you can twist to measure exactly the amount of spice you want, in 1/4 tsp increments.

You laugh . . . but this thing is seriously, seriously awesome. It actually gets rid of food stains on the spot.

It's an industrial-strength panini press that converts into a flat griddle. Why get this model, instead of a cheaper George Foreman grill? Well, it's hard to deny that this is rather more attractive than a George Foreman . . . but the reason I got it is so that you can regulate the temperature.

Looks like a traditional teakettle, though it's twice the price of the TFal model.

you can cool your drink without diluting it

Okay, I don't own this. But I saw one in action once . . . a girl can dream, can't she?

Smaller but no less reliable--and still orders of magnitude better than any other mixer you'll see.

It's not as useful as the stand mixer, because you have to hold it in your hand and move it around, which is fine for cakes, but makes your arm tired awfully fast if you're dealing with a stiff dough. Mine came with dough hooks, but I'd rather knead the bread by hand than get carpal tunnel trying to drive my hand mixer through a thick wad of bread dough.

Anyone with even a moderate interest in cooking or baking should purchase one of these. You invest a lot of money up front in a Kitchenaid, but you never, ever have to buy another mixer again.

Smaller but no less reliable--and still orders of magnitude better than any other mixer you'll see.

In general, I think electric can openers aren't worth the bother, but I've made an exception for this one. It's a smooth edge can opener; it decrimps the can, rather than cutting through the top.

absolutely amazing...These stay sharp much, much longer than similar steel knives, which is a big plus if you don't know a good knife sharpener.

works left-handed, right-handed, and straight on...brilliant.

It's about eight times easier and faster than using a grater. I just can't communicate how you, or that special cook in your life, will rave once they've tried this.

If you're strong enough, or poor enough, to want a manual version, this one is a little less money than the electric version.

simply the best travel mug ever

My first microwave . . . my new baby. Powerful, easy to use, and a "sensor cook" feature for standards from veggies to oatmeal.

make it easy to peel out an individual cube

ridiculously expensive, and utterly worth it...The weight and handling are simply perfect.

Silicone cookware is distinctly hit or miss . . . it's floppy, which makes it easy to burn yourself, though it does peel nicely off sticky baked goods.

If you thought pasta was cheap before, wait until you try it from this machine; a pound of flour and a few (or water, if you're cheap) produces perfect fresh pasta in about 10-15 minutes. All you have to do is slap the plate on for the kind of pasta you want (it comes with six plates, and you can order more, like lasagna or gnocchi, from Simac). Then cut the noodles as they're extruded and throw them into boiling water (salted, please!) for a few minutes.

Brits have known about these for years--almost every home in the UK has one--but they're just making their way over to this side of the pond.

This seems like kind of a silly thing, but if you're like me, and you love pineapple, but you're on a budget, this little gadget is a fantastic thing to have.

Absolutely bloody appalling

terrific...you can stick your hands directly in boiling water and feel no pain.

IIf I had to compose a poem to one of my appliances, this would be the one. I just got it this year, and I'm afraid I didn't realize just how great it was until I travelled to visit relatives who don't have one.

A cast iron skillet is better than anything else for searing, and unlike most frying pans, they go from stovetop to oven beautifully, though they do take more maintenance than most pans.

This is a specialty item; probably most people don't eat as much yogurt as I do. But if you do eat yogurt, it's actually really worth it to make your own.

...quel awesome. You barely need to flour it, which keeps your cakes, cookies and pie crust from getting dry. Plus, they come in fun colours, unlike wooden or marble ones.

This is my new find for this year. It's a bowl you stick in the freezer for twenty-four hours, then slot onto your Kitchenaid with a special dasher attachment.

The find of the year, so far as I'm concerned. The problem with nonstick is that you can't use metal utensils, and if anything does stick, you can't get it off; eventually, the nonstick coating gets damaged, and you have to throw it away. The problem with non-nonstick pans is that, well, stuff sticks. Hello, brillo-hands. Calphalon has solved the problem by infusing the nonstick directly into the anodized aluminum, giving you a nonstick pan that you can scour and ding to your heart's content.

should outlast most marriages, and provide more joy

We just bought four of these at a kitchen outlet near my grandmother's, one for me, Mom, sis, and grandma.

A great gift for someone starting a household. These pans are very pricey compared to what you find at Target, but unlike what you find at Target, they should last for decades.

Looks like R2D2 *and* does an outstanding job on my floors and rug. It doesn't get any better than that.

I love it. There's something so innocent and fresh about its early-seventies feminist paranoia.

by Freedy Johnston

Yes, it's as good as everyone says it is. Yes, I have wasted countless hours conquering the Aztec empire and building the Great Library. Do it anyway. You know you want to. [/evil grin].

If you have approximately a zillion free hours that you would like sucked into a blissful vortex of world-building fun, you should buy this game. If you have problems with self control, or a day job, or a tendency to forget to eat, you should probably stay away.

Love mine. Lightweight, the address book and so forth are easy and intuitive, and the rings are fun. The camera isn't something I'd pay for, personally, but it is easy to use, and kinda nice to have.