Sure, they all say they’re universal remotes, until you get them home and spend an hour programming each component only to find that your shiny new remote doesn’t play nicely with your receiver and suddenly you’re back to juggling several controllers. Someone at Logitech must’ve felt this pain, so they’ve dropped this little gem to market with some smart features, most notably of which is its ability to “learn” functions from your existing remotes.

In sleek brushed aluminum with a brilliant colored LCD touch-control panel, the Logitech Harmony 1000 Advanced Universal Remote does it all — you can program it to control up to 15 components, from your video and audio right down to lights and appliances. AAA batteries are out the window as well with a charging dock, and the built in help button feature (ever seen this on any other remote? nope!) can step in and lend a hand when things aren’t working out as they should. With 175,000 devices in its compatibility database, you can even use an easy online wizard accessible via USB port to walk you through the initial setup, or help you add more equipment.

This super remote usually retails for $499, but Amazon’s offering the Harmony for $289.99.

Did anyone else watch the Top Chef reunion show last night? Or any of this season for that matter? You probably noticed Hung, the technical master who couldn’t be bothered with being friendly, constantly serving up his dishes with arrogant aplomb, most of which were prepared “sous-vide”. Sous-vide style is just french fancy-schmancy for “vacuum-sealed in a bag and then cooked in boiling water”. Which is why it’s so great: even the most kitchen-challenged can hardly screw this one up. Throw some meat and/or veggies in a bag, liberally douse with flavoring, then drop the whole sucker in a boiling pot and voila, you have yourself a gourmet meal without any burnt sides or dried out meat (plus it’s a good deal healthier than trying to work with pans slick with fattening oil). But before you get all excited about impressing your girlfriend with some Ziplock goodness, be warned — not all bags can handle the heat, and simply sucking out all the excess air with your mouth isn’t going to do the trick.

Enter Oliso’s Frisper Freshkeeper with it’s dummy-proof design that’s as countertop-display worthy as any other kitchen gadget out there. One click is all it takes: with hands-free operation, you can seal one bag while preparing another. And nevermind the cooking potential, think of all of the foodstuffs you’re constantly tossing out because they’ve gone moldy or stale; with a Frisper seal, you’re ready to extend the life of all of your perishables (stop eyeballing the dog, I meant food).

Oliso’s Vac-Snap bags are even more clever than most that permanently seal and require you to cut the packaging open with a knife; the mult-layered bags come with a zip top closure for easy opening and re-use so you’re not burning through bags everyday.

For $100, the Frisper comes ready to suck with 10 bags (5 1-quart and 1-gallon), and additional bags are available online for a little more — check out the Oliso site for more info!

Leave it to the Celts to know what every household really needs — a clock that tells time in deliciously smooth brew. The Guinness 12 Pint Radial Clock is one of those home novelties that manages to be a bit stylish in its kitchiness with 12 full pint glasses radiating from a black circular eye offset by silver spokes and arms. Your girlfriend may hate it, but just remind her that you kowtowed to the Hello Kitty bathroom theme and that the clock will match all the shiny pots and utensils all over the kitchen. Once mounted, you can start practicing your Irish accent and let all of your visitors know that it’s always time for a cold (or, if you’re doing it professional-like, room-warm) beer. Available for $27 from Celtic Treasures, get on it!

Do it authentic: be a show-off by spouting some Irish — “Beidh gloine beorach agam” is everyday Irish for “I’ll have a glass of beer”. (Not sure how to pronounce that? go for “beh GLIN-e BYOH-ruhk uh-GUHM”)

Maybe you’ve been sitting on the fence for awhile waiting for flat screen prices to drop — here’s your chance to get on board the non-tube TV bandwagon without forking over a painful amount of cash. Newegg.com is offering a recertified Westinghouse Black 32″ 16:9 8ms LCD HDTV with ATSC Tuner (Model LTV-32W6 HD-8) at an awesomely low price of $424.99. The screen boasts a ton of great features, with a wide 176º viewing angle and side-mounted inputs for all of your connection needs (1 HDMI, 2 component, and 1 VGA, all supporting 720p and 1080i so you’ve got free reign on nearly all of the HD programs that are all the rage).

So what does “recertified” mean? The factory seal’s been broken on the originally shipped product, but this isn’t a set that’s been sitting in someone’s living room for a year and then shipped off to you. Newegg takes open-box products, retests them to ensure compliance with the original manufacturer specifications, and then passes the savings on to you. Typically these recertified products are items that have been used in field tests or demonstrations, have been returned for warranty service (and brought back to spec), items where the box was damaged during shipment or orders that have been cancelled — basically a scratch-and-ding set that means the packaging may not be off-the-rollers pristine, but the product is exactly as promised by the manufacturer. Think of it as the Best Buy clearance stack of electronics available online — your friends will be so jealous, and you’ll still have money left over to enjoy a weekend out.

If you’re still playing bacterial-chicken by utilizing the 5 second rule, let’s consider a few absolute exceptions — anything that lands spread-side down, onto a floor that hasn’t been cleaned in the past couple of days, and certainly your toothbrush taking a dive off of the sinktop are true no-gos when it comes to picking the item back up and continuing business as usual. And while we’re talking about toothbrushes (toothbrushi?), if you have any sneaking suspicion that a fellow housemate might have taken an adventure tour of the bathroom with your brush (smells a little… fishy?), there’s something to be said for having backup on hand. OR — and here’s where any germaphobe ticks or paranoid tendencies get some comfort — you can invest in a VIOlight sanitizer.

The VIOlight VS100 Toothbrush Sanitizer and Storage System is/does just that — using the same germicidal UV technology employed in hospitals and dental offices to eliminate bacteria, mold, spores and viruses, the VIOlight eliminates up to 99.9% of the bacteria thriving in your toothbrush in ten minutes. The unit is approximately the same size as a standard sink-top toothbrush holder and, when in use, lights up with a blue-violet glow on top to let you know it’s working. Able to hold 4 brushes, the VIOlight plugs in to your wall socket for endless use and, at $49.99 from Amazon, is a real bathroom gift for anyone grossed out by the thought of what their toothbrush might be up to when no one’s looking.

There are two things you could always count on seeing during any episode of MTV Cribs: hearing some chucklehead pointing at his bed proclaim “this is where the magic happens” and then having them shove their DVD copy of Scarface in front of the lens. Apparently in the training sessions for the newly rich there’s a bulleted list of items and declaratives one must commit to memory; I wonder if they’ll be adding the Scarface Gun Lamp. As Tony knows, in this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, you get the women.

If you’ve been carefully building your Al Pacino room and already have the Horse Head Pillow, this is the next must have. The infamous machine gun makes an eyecatching base for the graphic lampshade screened with film shots from Tony’s last stand at the mansion. There are even a few shiny bullets on the silver base, just in case. Available for $44.98, it’s time to scare the cockroaches.

Guess the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch didn’t work. Run away, run away!

Here’s the thing — we all know someone, at least one person, that’s nuts about Monty Python, right? It’s really amazing how this one comedic branch has crossed over so many generations; my grandfather used to watch the late tv show runs when I was a kid, and now I’ve got younger brothers that will recite entire scenes verbatim. Ok, maybe that’s just my particular family quirk, but with all of the silly people laughing around the world, I know there are a ton that love Monty Python, aren’t there?

Here’s a gifting sureshot: the official Killer Stapler of Caerbannog, perfect for any Python fan chained to a desk (literally?), is an exclusive over at What On Earth. Fashioned after the original Killer Rabbit, this crazy bunny with its bloodstained fangs is ready to defend your desk to the death, or any other bone-crunching end as things tend to go with killer rabbits (that rabbit’s got a vicious streak a mile wide! It’s a killer!). Currently available for $24.95, no word on how long it’ll be around.

Herring tree cutters coming soon?

When Harry met artfully, they made one of the weirdest organizers we’ve seen in awhile. Designed by Reinhard Schmoelzer, The Harry Organizer is a wild mess of flexible coated wire hooks to hang on to all of your oddball ends. Harry comes with suction cups and screws so you can quickly affix it to any wall or flat surface, and with hundreds of hooks on a 4.75″ diameter base, can take hold of a handful of your most-lost accessories — keys, iPod, cell phone, all the stuff you throw on the entryway table that’s constantly getting lost in the shuffle. This grabby gadget is available for $29 at UrbanPeel.com.

Calling all design nerds! WMF is delivering another home goody courtesy of Metz and Kindler Product Design, the dynamic duo responsible for injecting sleek elements into simple, logical designs. The Smar Tea Teapot (you know you love a good pun) is a beautiful addition to the collection — made of heat-resistant glass and a matte stainless finish, the teapot makes brewing and serving tea a cinch. A mesh strainer insert clicks in and out of place for easy removal after steeping, replaced with a lid afterwards to help keep the tea warm while serving. Get creative, start concocting your own special tea blends by adding some fresh herbs from the store, your friends will be so impressed.

Sure, it may not be as simple as throwing some teabags into your metal kettle and firing up the stove for a couple of minutes, but you’ll appreciate the difference, both aesthetically and as you discover your own zen in brewing (give it a week, you’ll soon notice the difference between oversteeped tea and the perfect blend brought on by careful execution). The Smar Tea Teapot is available from Unica Home for $137.50.

Here’s one that most pet owners have always thought about having. Maybe you’ve got one of those inexhaustible dogs at home — you know the one, you take him out for a five hour hike and, an hour after getting home to refill on water and snacks, he’s ready to go out for a run — or maybe you’re a pet owner with a dog that’s too good to bother getting wet/is terrified of rain and snow. I’m lucky enough to care for one of each of these types of dogs, but even with completely different temperaments and physical activity levels, every dog needs a good workout. Let’s face it, your dog’s a much happier pooch to be around when they’ve been given time to burn off some energy, and now weather, work schedules and moods are no excuse.

With four different sizes to choose from (you want to be sure to pick the right size to accommodate for their body movement and gait), the Jog A Dog helps exercise any dog, and improves the health and happiness of your loved pet. Designed with the input of veterinarians, physical therapists and engineers, the proprietary four roller drive system promises consistent tread operation that won’t slip, and comes with easily detachable side guardrails to keep your dog in line and still pack away easily. The treadmill is built at an eleven degree angle, but the slope can be easily adjusted using the provided rear elevation supports in case you’ve got a slow starter. There are even accessories you can purchase separately, from a control timer to a set of wheels for rolling the treadmill into storage. Costs vary depending on size, but be prepared to plunk down anywhere from $1,095 to $2,995. But really, what’s the price for puppy love, right? Check out the video clips of dog’s jogging the treadmill here.