Collecting
When shopping for wine, I merely go by price. I reckon a $20-plus Syrah is more likely to gladden the hearts of my dinner guests than a $5 red from Trader Joe's. I'm told there is more to being a connoisseur than using my formula, however. A new digital aid from IntelliScanner can help you reach that next level.
Wine Collector 250 (about $200 at intelliscanner.com) combines old-fashioned barcode scanning with Web 2.0 information-sharing, so you can fill your cellar with bottles vetted by others. You can take Wine Collector's key fob scanner to Joe's, or Atlas Liquors, for example, and scan bottles that catch your eye. You can then plug the scanner into your PC or Mac at home, and check the ratings and tasting notes others have recorded at Intelliscanner.net.
Wine Collector can also create a wish list based on your in-store scans, as you would do with Amazon.com, according to IntelliScanner.
With Wine Collector, you can publish the contents of your collection and use the system to scan wines in and out of your inventory, record your own tasting notes, and keep a watch on each bottle's maturity.
The Wine Collector database includes over 67,000 wines, so chances of finding a match are good. IntelliScanner includes a pack of asset tags to add bottles that do not have barcodes.
IntelliScanner has developed an iPhone application for managing not only your vino collection, but the books and DVDs you collect.
The entire package comes in a classy, wooden gift crate with a sliding door.
Gaming
A handy accessory for the Wii (if you've found one, that is)
Good luck finding a Nintendo Wii before Christmas. A Nintendo spokesman last week said the company had expected retailers to stock up on Wii consoles during the slow summer months. But sales never declined for the Wii, and prices for the console (absent from store shelves) are again over $400 on eBay.
But if you are lucky enough to already own a Wii, get your hands on the Wii Zapper. It molds both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk into a single, impressive controller for target-style games, from the innocent Link's Crossbow Training to bloodier games for older kids and adults.
Third-party publishers are getting behind the Zapper, too, for games requiring an eagle eye. EA's Medal of Honor Heroes and Sega's Ghost Squad are among those said to work well with the Zapper.
The rifle-like Zapper has a trigger in the front, beneath a slot that holds the Remote. The Nunchuk locks into the butt of the Zapper.
I saw copies of the Zapper online, with Link's Crossbow Training thrown in, for about $35 last week. That's $15 more than the Zapper's original suggested retail price of about $20.
Home Entertainment
Samsung's sleek new player handles both HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats
If you want to hedge your bets in the 21st century's version of the VHS-Betamax battle, Samsung in mid-December will release its first dual-format player for playing both HD-DVD and Blu-ray disks. The BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player (about $999) supports both of the latest, competing disc formats. It also plays standard DVDs and CDs.
Blu-ray believers can look forward to Samsung's slick HT-BD2 Home Theater System, which has a black finish, and cool, blue LED "accents." Both the BD-UP5000 and HT-BD2 support 24 frames-per-second video playback and 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution.
If Santa brings you an HDTV, such devices will help you get the best picture quality out of the new set. If the fat man passes you by, stick to your old DVD player and VCR for a while longer, because you will not see much of a difference. The HT-BD2 (about $1,500) includes a subwoofer, four speaker towers, a center channel, and two rear speakers. Total speaker output: 1,100 watts.
Innovative last week
The LG Venus is a hottie
LG has a new baby sister for Voyager, the touch-screen smartphone. Venus is a lovely little slider, with two displays on the front, one of which is a touch screen with vibration feedback. Its microSD expansion slot supports up to 8GB of storage. The phone also has a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder. The Venus (black or pink) is about $200 with an online discount and a two-year contract with Verizon.
