__ Fetish __
__ Ink __
For 14 years, the Gocco Printer has kept a low profile in the US. Nevertheless, this silkscreen machine, made by the Japanese company Riso, is a potent weapon in the DIY revolution, letting anyone silkscreen professional-looking print jobs on cards, stationary, and clothing. The gadget produces a flash to etch a photocopied image onto a silkscreen master, which can be used hundreds of times. Finally, you can afford Chanel - or at least the T-shirt. Print Gocco Kit: US$90. Riso distributor Lynda Miller: +1 (805) 373 6643, fax +1 (805) 379 8753.
__ Clairvoyant __
Beepers can be an unsightly addition to your waistline. The new wristwatch pager from Motorola and Timex, however, camouflages itself as an ordinary timepiece. The watch receives text messages of up to 105 characters either by email or through an operator, and service provider SkyTel offers cellular coverage nationwide. The boss can still beep you, but you look more like a spy than a peon. Beepwear: US$129. MTX Paging Products: +1 (860) 945 4000.
__ Transition __
Skateboarding has lost touch with its surfing roots:short boards and street tricks deny riders the pleasure of soulful turns and fast, stable runs. Gravity's long board, in contrast, has tires fat enough for high speeds on gritty roads and cutouts for wheel clearance on wide turns. A digital readout on the nose indicates the current speed - riders have reached 57 mph bombing down hills - as well as the maximum speed and the distance of the trek. Hyper-Carve: US$199.99. Gravity Boarding Company: +1 (619) 259 1344.
__ Spark __
Colibri, a name once revered only by cigar chompers, has started producing high tech lighters for extreme-weather sports and camping. Suppose you just climbed Mount Olympus and want to celebrate with a good smoke. But what with the wind, low temperature, and high altitude, your old Bic keeps crapping out. With the Xtreme, you can adjust the air-fuel ratio for the altitude - from sea level to 10,000 feet. And if the flame falters, the electronic ignition system kicks in. With all its features, this is the confirmed pinnacle of Promethean technology. Xtreme: US$100. Colibri: (800) 556 7354, +1 (401) 943 2100.
__ Grind __
Tired of waiters busting in on dinner just to wave a wooden pepper shaker over your plate? Tell them you brought your own. This limited-edition personal pepper mill, dubbed Le Clou, fits in your pocket and is ready at a moment's notice. It stands just 2 inches high and is made from a strong grade of silver. The inventor, German artisan Gerhard Decker, wanted to offer discriminating diners an alternative to the standard restaurant fare. But beware - many of the world's purveyors of haute cuisine may stick you with a pepper corkage fee. Le Clou: DM1,084 (US$598). G. E. Decker: +49 7277 336.
__ Windup __
Swatch is best known for its playful timepieces, but its Smart Car - a joint venture with Mercedes Benz - is no toy. The automobile seats two, zooms up to 80 mph, and gets more than 60 miles to the gallon. And just like Swatch watches, the car's metal color panels can be changed to match your mood, or your suit. For now, cruising is limited to European thoroughfares. This is partly because of the vehicle's supercompact size - it's only 8 feet long. Parking, in other words, is just dreamy. Smart Car: US$9,400 to $11,600. MC Micro Compact Car: on the Web at www.swatch.com/swatch/swcar.htm.
__ Flash __
During an emergency, you can always strike a match for a few moments of light. But you're apt to burn yourself and be left in the dark. BayGen's new windup flashlight runs for three and a half minutes on 60 cranks of its handle. A follow-up to the company's battery-free radio, the torch runs even longer on successive cranks and can power small appliances - such as a walkman or Apple emate - with its 3-volt output jack. Freeplay Self-Powered Lantern: US$70. BayGen Power Group: +1 (914) 258 5660, on the Web at www.baygen.com/.
__ Wizard __
Conceived by the brilliant, chain-smoking, Roland Barthes-quoting Italian designer Roberto Pezzetta, the Oz refrigerator redefines the everyday icebox. Just over four and a half feet tall, the Oz has bright orange perforated metal shelves and its door rolls on a soft rubber ball. More practical features include an efficient motor, a generous freezer, and CFC-free refrigerant fluid. According to its creators, this is no mere exercise in design - it's "a bivalve shell, offering the food it contains without reserve, without secrets." Oz: Skr16,000 (US$2,000). Electrolux Zanussi: on the Web at www.electrolux.se/.
__ Slobproof __
French fries fuel many an all-nighter, but they don't do your trackball any favors. Oil, dust, and goo build up on the pointer's wheels and slow your work down. Logitech's TrackMan Marble FX, however, is sure to become the standard of discriminating slobs. In place of an internal wheel, the TrackMan uses an optical sensor, a laserlike beam that illuminates the marbleized pattern on the ball and detects the slightest motion. Plus, the shape fits snugly between your digits, putting the opposable thumb to its best advantage. TrackMan Marble FX: US$99.95. Logitech: +1 (510) 795 8500.
Thanks to Eileen Noonkester, Adam Powell, and Jennifer Sullivan.
