New Gadgets to Keep Your Cords in Check

Electronics make our lives easier and, let's face it, more fun. But being wired doesn't mean you have to live with a mess of cables. These three items offer fantastic cord control. —Inspectress Gadget

A New Spin on Clothes Care

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Hate dealing with the laundry? These new helpmates, folding surfaces, and storage devices will take a load off your mind. Whirlpool's Laundry 123 Tower ($199 to $329) is designed to sit next to or between the company's Duet, Duet Sport, Cabrio, and Classic washers and dryers. The rectangular structure features a 10-inch retractable hanging rod, two large drawers for stashing detergent and bleach, and a shallow tray for holding dryer sheets or bleach pens. In White, Ultimate Silver Metallic, and Black-on-Black. Another option is the rubberized Laundry 123 Worksurface ($199 to $229), which sits atop your washer and dryer, offering an uninterrupted area to treat, sort, and fold your duds. A supply tray in the back corrals anything from loose change to stain-removal sticks. 866-698-2538, whirlpool.com.

Kenmore's Laundry Plus Storage Unit—which features two pullout drawers and a shallow tray ($199 to $299)—and accompanying Work Surface ($199 to $229) come in White and bold colors such as Pacific Blue, Black Diamond, and Barolo. We particularly like the company's Ironing Station (price to be determined), which launches this spring. It will include a cordless iron, a charging dock, a swing-out ironing board, and two roomy storage drawers. 800-349-4358, kenmore.com. —Inspectress Gadget

Something's Fishy in the Bathroom

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I've had bad luck with goldfish. Charlie lived for six years, which must be some kind of record for a pet won at a kindergarten fair. He survived two cross-country car trips in a tin canister, turned from bright orange to the lovely pinkish hue of rose gold as he aged, and met an untimely death when a cloud of bug spray that was meant for a palmetto roach drifted over his uncovered bowl. (Sorry, Charlie!) Orange Julius, a pet-store purchase, came next. I don't recall the precise details of his demise; by that time we had a cat and…wait a minute, what did happen to that fish?

Perhaps I would have taken better care of my piscine pets had I been able to keep them in a Fish 'n Flush. In fact, I'm sure I would have. For one thing, I would have sunk about $299 into the toilet-tank kit, an investment sure to capture my attention. And for another, I would have spent more time in their company, perhaps even reading them One Fish, Two Fish.

On-the-Go Gadgets

The latest multimedia electronics store your audio and video collections in one tiny, portable package. Here are my three recent favorites. —Nicole Sforza, Deputy Articles Editor

DogHouse Electronics RoverTv
Record TV content directly onto this handheld device then watch the shows anywhere at anytime. Less than 5 ounces in weight, the gizmo hooks up via A/V outlets to your television and DVD, DVR, VCR, and CD players; it has a programmable, built-in timer and a digital FM radio. Store up to four hours of video or 2,800 songs on its included 2-gig SD memory card. $299 (3.5" LCD screen) to $349 (4" LCD widescreen). rovertv.com.

Pink Gadgets Raise Breast Cancer Awareness, Funds

October is breast cancer awareness month, and now you can support the cause and flaunt the latest tech gear. Numerous electronics manufacturers are launching pink-colored gizmos to back research for the disease, which affects more than 200,000 American women a year. Here are our picks of the crop.

Polaroid I533P Digital Camera
This 5.1-megapixel cutie with a 3x optical zoom features a 2.5-inch LCD screen and 16 megabytes of internal memory. $129, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Available through Target, target.com.

Gadgets To Get You Through an Emergency

1. Black & Decker's Electromate 400 offers portable power without a plug. Use its 120-volt charger to juice up laptops, cell phones, and radios, while its air compressor function can inflate tires and sports equipment. Leave your car lights on all night? The gadget can also jump-start your battery. $120. 800-544-6986, blackanddecker.com.

2. The ReadyFreddy Emergency Preparedness Kit is a red backpack stuffed with more than 100 items to get your through a power outage. The goods have been separated into five waterproof, labeled pouches; the Light/Power/Communications bag, for example, includes a shake-to-operate flashlight, a hand-crank cell phone charger, a 48-hour candle, and waterproof matches. Other goodies include a three-day supply of food and water for one, a breathing mask, blankets, and playing cards to get your mind off your not-so-desirable situation. $149. 800-731-2860, readyfreddy.com.