Cool gadgets

More than just novelties, these new gizmos make practical sense around the home.

At a hardware show featuring thousands of new products, I discovered that just because something has a patent doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea. For instance, does anyone really need a flimsy picture hanger helper or a Phillips screwdriver with a designer-colored handle?

But after scouring the aisles, I found seven great new products that sell for less than $100. Add these to your shopping list, whether it's for holiday gift-giving or just to make life easier for yourself:

User-friendly garden tools. One of my favorite tool companies is Fiskars (www.fiskars.com), which makes those orange-handled scissors you probably have in your house. Now they have a line of ergonomically correct garden tools. Take your index finger and thumb and put them together; that teardrop shape is what the handles on these tools are shaped like. And with the longer handles, you can use them more, with less fatigue. Prices range from $25 to $69.

An innovative fan. Fans are great in the summer, but they can be noisy and bulky -- especially when plunked in the middle of the living room. Lasko (laskoproducts.com) has come up with a solution called the Wind Tower. The tall, thin fan is about 3 feet high, only about 8 inches in diameter and so quiet you don't even know it's on. Cost: $89.

A light timer with a difference. To install a timer for a light, you used to have to do a lot of plugging and unplugging. A new timer by AutoChron (improvementscatalog.com) changes all that; it attaches instead to the light switch on the wall. No skills are involved in mounting or programming it, and the price ($43) can't be beat.

A clever patio lamp. For outdoor parties, Vector Products (www.vectormfg.com) has come up with tiny tabletop lamps that use a rechargeable battery and can run for as long as eight hours. They're cute and throw off about 20 watts. They cost around $29 to $59 each (depending on the style).

A portable sink. Ever wish you had an outdoor sink for messy jobs like barbecuing or scrubbing vegetables, or for having the kids wash their hands when they come home from soccer practice? Backyard Gear (backyardgear.com) has the solution, in the form of a portable outdoor sink station that connects to a garden hose and retails for less than $100. It's cold water only -- but in warm weather, who'll notice?

Mulch with a difference. Although "rubber mulch" sounds like a punch line, this stuff is definitely no joke. Made from recycled truck and tractor tires, Rubberific Mulch (rubberific.com) has the color and spongy texture of the real thing. It's great for spreading out under playground equipment and around foundation plantings -- and costs $1.10 a square foot, which is about twice what you'd pay for cedar. The key advantage: Rubber mulch doesn't decompose, so it lasts far longer than cedar. And it's a lot softer, in case your children tumble into it.

The antidote to G.I. Joe. Someday, if all goes well, there may well be a Lou Manfredini Mr. Fix-It doll for your kids to play with (hey, I can dream). Until then, they'll have to be content with Construction Jack and Construction Jill (constructionjack.com). These nifty dolls come with all the tools of the trade; jobs include carpenter and electrician. And where else can you get a plumber for $24.99?

Contributing Editor Lou Manfredini is the author of "Mr. Fix-It Introduces You to Your Home"(Ballantine, $23.95).