For all the gadgets that my family buys, I can’t believe that we don’t have a digital camcorder yet. Granted, we don’t take that many videos to begin with and the movie mode on our point-and-shoot camera fills a bit of the void, bu still. I was just watching some home movies of our trip to the Grand Canyon a decade ago, and was reminded of how fun a camcorder can be on vacations.

Part of the reason we haven’t bought a digital camcorder is the price. Back when we were looking a few years ago, everything was in the $600-$1,000 range. But I just saw a decent Samsung model for less than $300. We’ve paid more than that for MP3 players and ebook readers, so I’m sure we could swing a camcorder now. I’ll have to bring this up to Jerry a little later!

Even though I have a netbook, I hardly ever use it for doing work anywhere other than right here at my desk. Occasionally I’ll bring it into the kitchen so I can watch some YouTube videos while cooking or washing dishes, but I don’t usually use it to tap out blog posts when I’m sitting on the couch or in bed. Not that I wouldn’t love to do that; it’s just that I can’t find a comfortable way to prop the netbook up so I can type or surf while lounging around.

This Portable Netbook LapDesk might be the solution to my problem. I’ve been looking for one of these for a long time, but never found one that seemed worth buying — until now. This LapDesk has several cool features that make it stand head and shoulders above other models out there. For instance, I love that it comes with a built-in LED lamp, making it possible for me to work in bed without disturbing my husband. The LapDesk also comes with a built-in cup holder, which is also necessary since I almost always have a Diet Coke or bottle of water near me when I’m working. Furthermore, the cushion adjusts to the shape of my lap to make balancing the thing a breeze.

Right now this Portable Notebook LapDesk from ThinkTank Technology is on sale for just $15.99 as part of Buy.com’s Weekly Specials. That’s a bargain considering the features, so I’m putting this item on my Wish List!

Well, this just figures. As soon as I buy my son the JD Razor kick scooter that he’d been whining for for several months, he turns around and tells me he wants a RipStik G Caster Board instead. Apparently this is the toy that all the cool kids are cruising around on these days. And while it’s true that I’ve seen more RipStiks than Razor scooters, I’m not sure that my son (who just turned 7) is old enough or coordinated enough to handle a RipStik. Heck, I’m pretty athletic myself, but I don’t think I could ride one of those things without a serious wipeout or two.

Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, a RipStik is kind of like a snowboard-skateboard hybrid on two wheels. The wheels rotate 360 degrees and are independent of each other, which makes things kind of sketchy if your balance isn’t up to par. But if you are good enough to handle a Ripstik, they look like a total blast! Because of the design, you can propel yourself forward and maneuver through turns and stuff without having to kick off the asphalt like you would with a regular skateboard. I can see why the kids love this thing!

Buy.com has a bunch of RipStik G Caster Boards on sale for $94.43, which is a good price, but like I said, I’m not sure if a 7-year-old can handle a toy like this yet. Maybe he can ask one of his friends to try theirs first. If he can do it reasonably well, maybe I’ll get this RipStik for him at some point in the near future. In the words dreaded by kids everywhere, “We’ll see!”

Just yesterday I downloaded Skype to start talking to friends and family. I know Skype has been around for ages, but I always had such great long-distance calling rates that I never bothered with it before. No one in my family leaves their computers on 24/7, so it seemed like such a hassle to have to arrange a calling time first, and then log on to talk on Skype. Much easier to just pick up the landline and make my calls that way. But now that I’m looking to save money, free calls are of course even better than cheap ones!

The best part of Skype is the ability to participate in video calls if you have a webcam. My netbook has a built-in webcam, but the quality isn’t all that great. I really want my family to be able to see us clearly (particularly my mom when she’s talking to my son), so I’m thinking of getting this Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 webcam. From what I’ve read, this is one of the best webcams on the market in its price range, and renders high-quality, “razor-sharp” images even in close-ups. I won’t get into all the tech specs of this webcam (mostly because the technical stuff never makes sense to me), but judging from all the 5-star customer reviews I’ve read, this product really delivers!

The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 is on sale at Buy.com for $74.48, which is about $25 off its regular price of $99.99. Plus, there’s an additional coupon code that can be applied to drop the price a few bucks more. Combine all that with free shipping, and it turns out to be quite a good deal! Can’t wait to try this with Skype!

My computer speakers suck. Only one of them works with any consistency, so unless I want to listen to everything in mono rather than stereo, I have to either jiggle the wires around (now that’s a high-tech solution, isn’t it) or flip the power switch on and off until the other speaker “catches”. This is very annoying, so of course I’m in the market for a new set right now.

I just saw these Creative Inspire Multimedia Speakers over at Buy.com that look pretty good. I’m not out to spend hundreds of dollars on my speakers like some people, so the sale price of $20.23 is perfect for my needs.

One thing I like about these Creative Inspire speakers is the size. They’re slim and compact, which is especially important for me since my computer hutch doesn’t exactly afford a great deal of extra space. This smaller design will allow me to set up the speakers without having to give up too much real estate in the process. In addition, I’ve read a few customer reviews saying that these Creative Inspire speakers deliver excellent sound quality compared to similarly priced models from other manufacturers. I always give customer reviews more weight than professional ones, so if these regular folks are happy with their purchase, then chances are I will be satisfied as well.

I really need to get these Creative Inspire speakers soon, as they’ll no doubt make my online video viewing experiences far more enjoyable. Maybe next weekend after I get paid!

I think I’m in pretty good health overall, but one thing I’ve been suffering from for the past 15 years or so is chronic back pain. My back is usually stiff and sore every morning when I wake up, and it gets so bad that sometimes I have to sleep on the floor to get enough support for it. I’ve tried a bunch of different mattresses, but have yet to get the results I want (yes, I should probably go with memory foam — as soon as I have an extra $1,500 to blow!). Visits to the chiropractor and massage therapy have also failed to help.

That’s why I’m very interested in trying this Sharper Image TENS Back Pain Relief System. TENS stands for “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation”, and that pretty much describes what happens. The system consists of a velcro belt that fits around your lower back, some electrode pads, connector cables, and the stimulator itself. You put the belt on, connect everything up, and then click a few buttons on the controller to start sending electrical impulses to your problem areas for almost instant pain relief.

I’m not sure if the Sharper Image TENS system will work for me, but since it’s on sale now for just $49.99 at Buy.com, I’m willing to give it a chance. That’s $100 off the suggested retail price, so I don’t think I’m going to find a better bargain out there. I can just imagine how great I’ll feel if this product actually works!

My son’s birthday is coming up soon, so I’ve been trying to think of a decent present to get him without having to spend too much money. I’m tired of buying video games, because obviously that just encourages him to sit on his butt in front of the television all day instead of going outside to play with his friends.

I think I might have hit on something with this Ben 10 Ultimate Omnitrix watch that I saw over at Buy.com. I know my son watches this cartoon and likes it a lot, plus he has often stopped to look at Ben 10 toys and accessories whenever we go to a store with a toy department. He hasn’t asked for any Ben 10 stuff outright, but I have a feeling he would like this.

The Ben 10 Ultimate Omnitrix watch is a toy replica of the one that Ben wears in the cartoon (I’m making a guess here, as I’ve never watched the show myself). It doesn’t do much except flash some lights and make a few different sound effects, but that’s ok. That’s still enough to get the imagination going, which is a far better way to spend playtime than with video games.

Right now the Ben 10 Ultimate Omnitrix watch is just $23.99, but I’m not sure how much longer the sale will last. I better talk this over with my husband, and if he agrees that this would be a good birthday present, I’ll go ahead and order it this weekend.