babies

If you don't have small kids, skip this item because it'll probably seem like a waste of money. But if you do, you'll totally understand why it's a good idea. How many times have you or your rug rats ended up with scalded fingers after checking the bath faucet? Same here.

The "Digital Bath Spout Cover" is designed to keep you and your family out of the burn ward by automatically monitoring the water temperature as it rises. Even better, its digital display uses a simple color code ("red means too hot") … Read more

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us either: Baby monitors are supposed to let you hear every whimper no matter where you are, presuming that you haven't gone out for groceries. And yet many monitors on the market today still come in sizes reminiscent of those 5-pound "mobile" phones of the late '80s, as Slashgear rightly points out.

Attempting to bridge that gap in logic is the "NScessity Compact Audio Monitor," which U.K.-based Babyworld describes as "about the size of an egg" and having a range of … Read more

In the '80s, it was the Cabbage Patch doll. In the 1990s, Beanie Babies.

What better toy to rule the millennium age than with a social-networking stuffed animal? A relatively Web-savvy concept by gift company Ganz, these plushies hope to usher in elementary-level children into the Web 2.0 realm.

Webkinz--stuffed animals that also live virtually through avatars that interact with others in their own online world--have become increasingly popular since their introduction in 2005. Like Beanie Babies, certain they're available for a only limited time, then retired. On eBay, the retired Webkinz Cheeky Pet Dog and Cat … Read more

This may seem silly if you haven't experienced parental sleep deprivation, but anyone who's cared for a newborn for any length of time will undoubtedly understand its usefulness. The "Itzbeen Timer" tells you how long it's been (get it?) since a baby's last nap, feeding, diaper change or anything else you're sure to forget a minute later.

Could a pencil and paper do the trick too? Sure, but that assumes you can remember your own name after the first week back from the hospital. In addition to alerting you for each appointed task (… Read more

If you're a parent, chances are you've tried a baby monitor. And chances are even greater that you've tried one that sucked. That, at least, has been our experience and that of practically every other mom and dad we know.

Hammacher Schlemmer is trying to right this widespread wrong with a $200 "Superior Baby Monitor" that does address one obvious flaw in many other models: This one uses "digital enhanced cordless communication" (DECT) that will automatically find an open frequency among 60 channels, avoiding interference from phones, microwaves and other electronic appliances. (In … Read more

It's not exactly the highest tech, but many of humankind's greatest advances have come with few moving parts. We think this is one of them: the "Pad Concept" baby car seat.

This ingenious invention allows frazzled parents to change their kids' diapers while they're still in the seat. The seat reclines and swivels, turning it into an instant changing station that can be positioned for easy access. If you don't have children, this won't sound very interesting, but those of us who do could well find this a life-changing (and Huggies-changing) experience.

It'… Read more

So much for playing Mozart to your unborn child. Instead, some companies are trying to introduce babies to music with MP3 players designed for the crib. The trend has resulted in partnerships such as one between Creative Technology, maker of the "Zen," and Playskool, maker of "Mr. Potato Head" (and countless other toys). TG Daily says the two companies have joined forces to market such products as the "Made for Me" line of MP3 players, which come preloaded with songs for babies that can be replaced as they get older. We, however, will draw … Read more

The Toronto Sun reported Wednesday that Apple could be ready to announce a three-month deal for Beatles songs on iTunes via a commercial during this year's Super Bowl. Classic Beatles songs have not been available on iTunes while Apple and Apple Records--The Beatles' label--have tussled in court over a trademark dispute. To this point, The Beatles have actually resisted any online music service, … Read more