If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is reach for your laptop (without getting out of bed/off the couch), you might like the Chumby. The size of a large fist, the Chumby is a plush gadget with a 3.5" screen, speakers, and Wi-Fi that combines the basic functions of alarm clock, Internet radio, iPod speaker, digital photo frame, and Web browser. Note: It doesn't have its own browser; you get all the widgets you need, including news, blogs, stock quotes, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, Gmail, eBay, and hundreds more at Chumby.com. Available in 3 colors, the Chumby might not be as cute as the Sony Rolly, but it's a million times more useful, and costs just $180.

Bed Bath & Beyond should have had us on the payroll the other night. We spent more than an hour vacuuming their floors as we tried out various uprights to replace our old Dirt Devil, which finally gave up the ghost (and stank up our apartment as it burned through yet another rubber belt thing). Now, we'd been hearing multiple people at the office rave about their Dy$on vacuums, but the full-size ones are just ginormous, and the new compact DC24 couldn't seem to pick up a simple ball of hair on the carpet. So when we heard this Miele Powerhouse eagerly sucking up all the nasty stuff BB&B customers had left on the floors; saw its $100-cheaper-than-the-little-Dyson price tag; and learned about its lifetime warranty (we can take it back if we decide it - pardon the pun - sucks), we brought it home. Yay for clean carpets!

You'd think, after browsing through the September issue of Lucky magazine, that a good fall tote bag costs at least several hundred dollars. Nonsense. You can get this patent "Palazzo" tote bag from Crate and Barrel for $34.95. The bag is right on trend for fall (patent! purple! contrast! boldness!), has magnetic closure with an interior pocket, can be cleaned with a damp cloth, and comes in several color combinations. So you can get one for toting groceries and one for your gym gear.

As seen in the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens: Photo wall clocks from Target. Instead of numbers, there are circles where you can insert your own photos. A perfect gift for grandmothers or people with large families. Plus it's probably fun to say things like "It's Mike after Mark." Preorder now for delivery in a few weeks. See also: Target's "splat" wall clocks.

The worst thing about cooking is cleaning the pots and pans afterwards. Not anymore (at least, not if you have a dishwasher), because Calphalon's new Infinite Circulon collection of hard-anodized, non-stick pots, pans, and skillets is completely dishwasher-safe! Plus the bottoms are made from stainless steel and aluminum (safe for glass and induction cooktops) and the stainless steel handles are oven-safe to 500 degrees. But if $300 for the 10-piece set is a little out of your price range, the good news is you can buy individual items separately. See all Calphalon cookware.