Driving Simulator

Sit in the lap of luxury with a pair of Rolls Royce chairs. Recovered from actual Rolls Royce cars, the seats arrive with documentation, including a history of the original vehicle. Each pair is completely restored by hand, featuring hardwood frames, sumptuous leather upholstery, and automatic adjustment controls to tilt, raise, and lower the seat. An ashtray and cigarette lighter are also built into each chair. You could buy a real car for the price of a pair of these chairs, but think of the oil stains on your carpet. Rolls Royce Chairs: US$29,000 per pair. Morris Diamond: +1 (818) 788 0215.

Head Space

One of the reasons recorded music doesn't sound the same as live performances is that microphones don't hear sound the same way people do. To close the gap between what you hear live and how it sounds on tape, Posthorn Recordings has developed the KFM-6 spherical microphone, which was designed to reproduce the sound field diffusion of the human head. Dual pickups are mounted on either side of an 8-inch sphere, resulting in excellent spatial imaging and clear right- and left-channel definition. KFM-6 spherical microphone: US$5,965. Posthorn Recordings: +1 (212) 242 3737.

Mini Moonshine Maker

Crafted in Italy of silver plate and heat-resistant lab glass, this nifty home distillery will produce brandy, cognac, or blind lightning from your favorite fermented beverages. Why let the booze manufacturers have all the fun when you can make your own hooch - and thumb your nose at stupid federal laws at the same time? Miniature Distilling Machine: US$199.50. The Wine Enthusiast: +1 (800) 356 8466, + 1 (914) 345 9463, fax + 1 (914) 345 3129.

Scopeman

Sports freaks will feel right at home watching the big game while also tuned into the Sony SRF-X90, an AM/FM stereo combined with a single-lens 8x monocular. Weighing less than half a pound, the monocular fits into the palm of your hand, so you can zero in on the action and listen to the play-by-play on the headphones. The tough case has rubber gaskets and seals to resist dirt and water damage. SRF-X90 Sony Portable Sports Monocular Radio: US$79.95. Sony Electronics Inc.: (800) 222 SONY, +1 (201) 368 9272.

Batter Up

Batter Up is a life-sized, soft foam bat with an embedded transmitter that works with your favorite Nintendo baseball game. All you have to do is swing when the ball comes towards you on the TV monitor, and the bat's position and speed are sent to the game console. Batter Up Interactive Video Baseball Bat: Cordless US$129, Corded $69.00. Sports Sciences: +1 (216) 963 0660.

A Screaming Comes Across the Sky

The Vortex Howler is a soft-foam football attached to a special spiro-flight tail that guarantees a perfect spiral-flight throw every time. Add whistling sound effects as you throw, and you'll have the entire park or beach rubber-necking. While you'll probably fall short of quarterback John Elway's record-breaking Vortex flight of 97 yards, you'll still have a blast with this football, which is as easy to catch as it is to throw. Vortex Howler: US$13. OddzOn Products: +1 (408) 866 2966.

Roam If You Want To

Are you constantly cramping your neck trying to talk and type at the same time? Try the 900-MHz HelloSet Cordless telephone headset. It's perfect for people who like to talk, type, read, and generally fiddle around at the same time. Plus, if you can't even stay in one place while you talk, you'll appreciate the HelloSet's wireless capability and 50-foot range. The two-hour batteries are recharged when you return the 7-ounce unit to its base. HelloSet Cordless: US$349. Hello Direct, Inc.: (800) 444 3556, +1 (408) 972 1990.

Multimedia To Go

Taking your multimedia show on the road has never been easy, but the V41 CD-ROM Notebook from Panasonic offers the perfect solution. With an internal CD-ROM drive (and space for a spare disk) neatly tucked away under the keyboard, a 16-bit sound card, two built-in speakers, and a top-of-the-line active matrix LCD color screen, this 8.9-pound portable PC is just the ticket for playing Myst at 30,000 feet, or showing off your own multimedia masterpiece. One of the best-designed portables on the market, this machine outperforms my Pentium desktop system and takes up a fraction of the space. V41 CD-ROM Notebook: US$7,299. Panasonic Personal Computer Co.: (800) 742 8086, +1 (201) 348 7000.