If, like many people, you now own a “HD Ready” TV and haven’t yet splashed out on a Bluray player or some subscription HD broadcasting, then you may be happy to know there is an alternative.

The Western Digital TV HD Player is a tiny device that links to your TV via a HDMI or composite cable (though I’m not sure why you’d use composite), and allows up to two USB hard drives to be linked to it. Now, the beauty of it is that these hard drives can contain pretty much whatever file type you want (whether it be .mkv, .avi or  .wmv files …the list goes on) and the WD TV HD Player is capable of playing them, and play them well – even 1080p movies!

All this costs around £80 at the minute; an absolute bargain for anyone with a lot of home movies and pictures.

Small, but it does the job!

When it comes to tea and biscuits are you a dunker? Maybe the thought disgusts you, because you can’t stand getting to the bottom of a lovely mug of tea only to discover soggy bits of biscuit floating around! Well, if you can’t stand the mess, but harbour a secret desire to dunk, you might be interested in a little invention I saw whilst watching the One Show the other week. Following on from the invention of the Dunk Mug which eliminates the need for a plate for your biscuits by cleverly combining a mug with a cut out section to store your biccies, they were showcasing an invention designed to prevent bits of biscuit falling into your tea while you dunk!

Ok, maybe it’s taking things a little bit far, but knowing how fussy people can be, they will probably be a few people rushing out to buy one! And, remember, if you’ve ever struggled to carry a hot mug of tea and some biscuits upstairs, the Dunk Mug enables you to pop your biccies into your mug so you’ll be less likely to spill enroute. Ah, there’s nothing like a nice cup of tea!

It takes a lot of skill, effort and experience to produce a quality wine, so it should be savoured (something I really should try to remember!) Wine tasting is an art that allows you to experience a range of flavours. Learning how to taste wines is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a wine connoisseur and appreciate a nice bottle of red, I’ve come across just the thing to help you savour the flavour even more. You’ll be surprised at just how different your wine tastes when you move the Magic Flavour Magnetising Wine plug on to different settings. Simply attach the Magnetising Wine Plug to the neck of your bottle of red and pour. Not only does it give a whole new flavour to your wine, but it also makes pouring it much easier.

Instantly smoothen the taste, reduce the tannic taste and appreciate the lingering and aroma of your wine. The Magnetising Wine Plug is the world’s first and only device to turn your VSOP brandy to closest XO (about 30 years old) taste. This clever little wine plug is able to create 8 different structures of taste, simply by altering the settings and pouring. Reds often have berry, woody and bell pepper tastes.Your initial taste gives you your first impression of the wine’s components and flavours. So how does it work? When the red wine passes through a specific magnetic field, the field instantly changes the physical state of the young wine to become a deluxe wine.

There are 8 structures of taste for you to choose. Simply insert the Magnetising Plug into the open bottle of either Red wine or brandy and pour. That’s all you have to do. The change is instant as the Red wine or Brandy passes through special magnetic field. It changes the physical states of the beverages eg. surface tension, PH values, etc, but no Chemical changes take place. Now, I don’t claim to be a wine expert, but I’ve still had a lot of fun trying this little plug out!

Do you remember those old style tomato shaped sauce dispensers you used to see in greasy caffs? You can probably still find them if you look hard enough. If you like the idea of a novelty dispenser to squirt your sauce from, then take a look at the comical Condiment Gun!

For big kids, little kids and anyone who fancies a bit of ketchup with their chips, you can even load this gun with brown sauce or mustard (oh, it’s ever so versatile!) and ‘bang’, your burgers won’t know what’s hit them! It’s not just about the novelty factor, oh no, don’t dismiss it until you’ve tried it. The Condiment Gun is well thought out and designed to deliver your sauce in an accurate stream (well, you don’t want to spoil your chips with too much sauce do you!) It’s yet another crazy invention you can probably live without and, I’d suggest you don’t invest in one if you’re scared of food fights. I predict that if this gun is in sight at this summer’s barbeques, the temptation to aim it at people will prove simply too strong to resist!

With spring around the corner I’m feeling urges to redecorate and revamp the house! If you’re anything like me you probably dread DIY (I’m always impatient to get to the paint and make things look pretty stage!) Well, they say a bad workman blames his tools, so if you’re planning some household maintenance, make sure you’ve got the right tools! A Multi Wall Scanner should be standard issue for any competent DIY-er. It sometimes necessary to drill and cut holes into the walls in your house. This can be a frightening prospect when you don’t know what’s hidden behind them. You don’t want to drill through the wall to put your new shelves up only to discover you’ve inadvertently hit a water pipe or mains cable. If only you could see through walls! Failing incredible super power status that comes complete with X-ray vision, a Multi Wall Scanner is the next best thing.

A Multi Wall Scanner could save you forking out on expensive repair bills by helping you identify where is safe to drill in your walls, to avoid unnecessary damage. Traditional Stud Finders work, but they can damage the wall and the magnet technique is very slow. A Multi Wall Scanner shows you exactly where each stud is before you get drill happy! It also alerts you to any pipes or electrical cables hidden behind your wall. Mine even has a special ‘Deep Stud’ mode (ahem!) which can detect studs that are hidden behind plaster or lath. Whether you’re hanging a picture or putting up a new set of shelves, take advantage of the latest wall scanning technology and avoid expensive repair bills. If you need to drill, don’t drill without the one!

If you see the New Year as the perfect time to clear out the clutter and have a bit of a revamp of your home, then you may be interested in this funky shelving. I love the Spiral wall-mounted shelf from Dwell, as to me it makes a statement without being too in your face. I think it would look great in a number of different styles of homes and whether you choose to have it in the bedroom or downstairs to show it off to anyone who visits, it’s also got the benefit of being highly functional. It will hold up to 100 CDS, allowing you to easily view your collection and select the CD you want or, you could keep your books on it or if that’s all a bit too dull for you, then pop whatever you want to show off on this fab shelving unit. With a classic design of wood and metal, it would look great on a plain wall and make a real statement. So if you can’t afford to splash out on modern art to brighten up your home, for under £60, you can still make a stylish statement that is bound to attract attention and compliments from your friends. Who knew shelving could be so exciting!

Is your bathroom looking a little dull? Is your toilet a tad tired? Does your house need a little fun vibe introducing to it? Or, maybe, you’re just one of those people who love to collect unnecessary novelty gizmos. Maybe bathroom accessories don’t particularly excite you, but I’ve discovered a toilet roll that’s truly Quackers! Meet Dexter the Duck. He’s no ordinary Duck!

This cute little character will bring a fun feel to the smallest room in the house. When the toilet paper is pulled, Dexter shifts left and right in a waddling motion along the top of the roll, flapping his wings with excitement! Forget boring old toilet roll holders and get people talking.

Adults will love him, the kids will love him, guests will love him, everyone will love him! In fact, you’re sure to notice an increase in people ‘paying a visit’ when Dexter’s around, so just make sure you’ve stocked up on toilet rolls! Ok, it’s a bit silly, but he’s a real laugh. I reckon even the most humourless of individuals could fail to return to the dinner table without a smirk following an encounter in the toilet with Dexter!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I hope that you’ll all started to feel a little romantic. Whether you’re loved up or you’ll be spending Valentine’s evening curled up on the sofa on your own with a DVD and some treats, the Heart-Shaped Cushtie is perfect for you. Unlike a broken heart, this fabulous pillow can be treated any which way and it simply pops back into shape. It’s so squidgey, squashy and comfy, that you can’t fail to wait to cuddle into it (unlike some people you may know!).

I’m a big fan of cushties and have had mine for a good few years, so I think this heart shaped version is the best present you could treat yourself or your loved one to for Valentine’s Day. Flowers die, chocolates make you fat and perfume runs out, but the Heart Shaped Cushtie will always be around to snuggle into. So if you’re in love and want to decorate your room with some heart shaped trinkets or you’re sad and lonely in need of a bit of comfort, try this smooth, squishy, gorgeous cushion for size. You may be struggling to decide who your heart belongs to, but the Heart Shaped Cushtie can belong to you – forever!

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay or Delia Smith and you’re always on the lookout for new kitchen gizmos and gadgets then this is a real treat! My husband loves kitchen tools and accessories as he likes to play at playing chef (luckily I enjoy sampling the results!). The problem is with his birthday following Christmas so closely, people take advantage of his love of all things kitchen (well, you know how difficult it can be to choose presents for men) and he ends of with so many different devices for the kitchen that we’re fast running out of space. Which is why I was delighted to discover the Folding Colander from JosephJoseph.

For something that performs such a basic function, a colander certainly takes up a lot of cupboard space. Not this one! It folds completely flat for easy storage and uses 12 hinges to take shape. It may have been a long time in development, but I for one think it was well worth the wait. While your colander may be designed to drain, you don’t want it to put a strain on space. So, chuck out your old colander and invest in this one (available in a range of funky colours) and you’ll have a bit more space to accommodate the next must-have kitchen gadget!

Digital photo frames are big news these days and I love them. I just think it’s a great idea that you don’t have to decide which pictures to frame, because you’re pushed for space. Now you can put a selection in your frame and watch as they change. I also think people are more likely to stop and take a look if the image keeps changing and surely that’s the whole point of having your pics on display? As with everything, digital frames are getting more and more sophisticated as technology moves on. Now, not only can you display your favourite photos, but you can also set them to your favourite tunes, creating your own personal soundtrack and even show off your home videos. Take a look at the MV-1500 Digital Picture Frame, which is a photo frame, MP3 Music Player AND video player.

Ok, at around £300 it’s not exactly cheap, but with a high resolution 15” TFT screen that displays your digital photos and video clips in vivid colour and compatibility with a huge range of media cards, it’s a great investment if you want to show off your photos and video clips. Let’s face it, it makes looking through someone else’s holiday snaps a bit more interesting!