When I look at a new kitchen gadget, I usually ask myself, “Would this thing make my life easier or more complicated?” This S’mores Maker seems to be designed to make a cozy camp-fire tradition both simpler (and therefore less fun) and more complicated (and therefore less fun). It promises to make two whole S’mores in the microwave in less than 30 seconds, the water reservoir ensuring even heating of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Those folding arms that hold down the whole mess are kind of adorable, and would probably amuse a kid whose home sick from school (if you’re like me - the type of parent who gives sick kids sweets instead of soup). It’s dishwasher-safe, so at least there’s no large mess to clean up. At just $7, it could make a good stocking stuffer - and it’s available at Amazon.

Via Kitchen Contraptions.

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Otterbox, which makes the pretty-much indestructible Defender series of cases for iPhones and iPods now has a new line, dubbed the Impact Series which offers protection without the bulk.

Available in black or white, the Impact Series features durability, impact absorbing features and style in a single, slim-fit Silicone layer. All buttons, ports and functions are accessible right through the case, of course. The ergonomic design also has a function - the inner corners have been engineered to dissipate impact AWAY from your device in case of an accidental fall.

If you’re prone to dropping your electronics, stick with the Defender, but if your favorite gadget has never met the floor, feel free to switch to the form-fitting Impact case. ($19.99 at Otterbox). Also available at Amazon.

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When I initially saw these on the ifrogz website, they looked so cool I had to own a pair. But when they arrived I was so disappointed - they look and feel cheap and the sound is only fair. For $19.99, maybe we were expecting too much, but they should re-think their pitch and aim them to kids, who might be thrilled.

We’re still a large fan of their cases though, and check out the awesome sale on iPod and iphone cases (25% off new 3G cases!).

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With sales way way down, US retailers are probably thinking that for once Black Friday deserves its unfortunate name. Traditionally devoted to the spending of green, Black Friday is the frantic shopping day that follows the US Thanksgiving holiday–November 28 this year.

Given the say of the economy, you may have a lot less money to spend on holiday folderols. But look on the bright side. Gasoline is suddenly cheaper than it’s been in many a moon, so driving to the mall is more affordable. And with sales forecasts so gloomy, panicked retailers are likely to be offering a lot of genuine bargains.

So shop ’til you drop. And get advice for shopping smart from this roundup of 25 on the web resources for coping with Black Friday, courtesy of Lidija Davis at ReadWriteWeb. The sites cited are stuffed with info about deals and bargains.

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If you thought the field of nanotechnology is too serious for simple folks to ever comprehend, then take a look at Nanobama - a fun project created by a team of research scientists at the University of Michigan, to bring awareness about what nanotechnology can offer to the world of imaging. Headed by John Hart, this team has come up with miniature faces of U.S President-elect Barack Obama made from carbon nanotubes - tiny hollow cylinders of carbon with the diameter of each being tens of thousands of times smaller than human hair, but possessing a strength several times greater than steel.

These “nanobama” structures are so little that their images have been taken using optical and electron microscopes. To give you an idea, each face of Obama that you see in the image above is roughly only ten times thicker than human hair! Why Obama? Not a political statement, states the team. However, it is an attempt to bring the many uses of nanostructures into public understanding, an effort which they hope will spawn public and private support for further research and education in the nano domain.

For the curious, there’s also a step-by-step account of how the entire endeavor was carried out. Awesome.

Via Boston.com.

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Big news: Google has just released Voice Search for the iPhone. Erica Naone, who blogs at Technology Review, has taken it for a test drive and enjoys it. Her brief article and a video are here.

While you’re giving it a whirl, you can, of course, Google other reviews, also positive.

But there’s a tradeoff if Google Voice Search works well. You miss out on entertainment–as when a colleague of Erica’s ordered “Find pizza” and got back a restaurant named Flying Pizza. Reading this, will pizza places from coast to coast get the bright idea of changing their names to lure more customers?

Google Mobile with voice search is available now through iTunes or the App store on your iPhone. For the iPhone only, for now.

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CNN has put up a sneak peek at the fascinating technology being developed by creative geniuses around the world - technology having the potential to offer products that’ll soon become the coolest must-haves. All of the featured designs are either working prototypes or are expected to become actual products in the next five years.

The well-rounded list includes gadgets that not only advocate great utility and impeccable design, but possess great looks as well. Some of the gadgets that have made it into the list: the Voicestick - a portable text-scanning device that can convert any text on paper into voice information, the iBangle - a portable MP3 player that doubles up as a bracelet, the Lego-James - a GPS bracelet that grants parents to keep track of their children even as it entertains, the Origami phone and DVD - technology that uses the art of origami for the display screens of phones and DVDs. Superb stuff, this.

Lap it all up at CNN Technology.

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Barack Obama might have to relinquish his ever-present Blackberry for security reasons when he becomes U.S. President in January, but no way will he give up exploiting the digital technology he built his election campaign on. Obama has launched brief weekly talks and will be posting them on YouTube. Among his promises in the first chat: putting $150 billion toward creating 5 million jobs by creating a new green energy economy.

Your response may depend on your politics. You can look at this reaching out as transparency in government - or as plain old politicking, notes Lidija Davis on ReadWriteWeb. Find the video and a link to the transcript of the 3 1/2-minute talk there too.

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Ever since I glued rhinestones on my first BlackBerry, I’ve flaunted the fact that I’m a geek girl with style. (It was also handy as I worked at AOL at the time and at meetings you had to leave all communication devices outside on a table. Believe me, no one ever picked up mine by accident:)

So I actually love this bubble-gum pink portable hard drive by Simple Tech which boasts 250 GB! (You can also get it in other “flavors.”)

What’s to love:

- Sleek design by Pininfarina
- Small, compact size
- Durable and made for travel
- Multiple colors and capacities to suit your style
- High speed USB 2.0 “Y” cable included provides power without extra cables
- Simple, automatic backups with Fabrik Local Backup
- Complete protection with Fabrik Ultimate Backup on the internet service (2 GB free)
- Joggle digital content manager for simple tracking, sharing and publishing of pics, music, and videos
- Free technical support

If you feel like flaunting your inner stylish geek girl, it will cost you $85 at Amazon.

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In 1991, only 20% of personal science undergraduates at MIT were women. And this day, that percentage is…..

Even lower.

Women have achieved parity in pretty much all other science and engineering fields, earning 51% of sci-tech undergraduate degrees in the academic year 2004-5. But personal science continues to draw many fewer women, according to an article in the New York Times.

Why? No one is quite sure. Some blame the rise of action gaming, which dominates geekworld but is very much a guy thing. Others say that the very idea of joining icky geekworld is itself a turnoff for many women.

Where have you gone, Ada Lovelace? The truth seems to be that nobody knows. And nobody seems to know how to change it, either.

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