While many think the hotel bedspread is a hotbed for germs, the remote control is one of the dirtiest items in any hotel room. In fact, Dr. Charles Gerba, professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona, says the remote is worse than that comforter, the sink handles, and even the toilet.

Instead of changing the channel with your shoe, you could request the Clean Remote. This universal remote control is starting to pop up in hotels and motels throughout the country. Designed to resist germs and bacteria, this remote has been clinically tested to be 99 percent cleaner than most other remotes with the same usage. Basically, it has a nonporous flat surface, which is where most of the funk goes to hide and even incubate. Ew.

The Clean Remote currently works with over 200 different brands of TVs. It can handle the TV, cable or satellite boxes, but does not work with TV/DVD, VCR or DVD/VCR combination units.

Parent company New Remotes, Inc. has actually sealed a deal with Best Western, to outfit the entire chain with the Clean Remote. If it’s good enough for Best Western, it’s probably good enough for your home. The Clean Remote promises funk-free channel flipping for a mere $14.95. Order one for every room in the house; it’s currently an online exclusive.

It turns out that it was a good thing I did because I wound up getting one as a jokingly fun kind of gift Christmas morning and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. On Christmas day my family got together and thousands of dollars worth of presents changed hands and none got more play and laughs then this little under $30 gadget.

I am almost embarrassed to admit that at the age of 30 that this toy captured my attention for 15 minutes blocks of air time all day long. Buzzing this little heli around the house with people ducking for cover provided hours of mindless entertainment.

The is something amazing about the technology that allows a tiny remote controlled helicopter to actually fly around for under $30. Granted it is not blazingly fast nor does it allow you to fly around for more then 15 minutes at a time but it is still simply awesome.

The package comes with a helicopter, remote, and mini toolkit with all the parts you need to fix your rotors after you smash it into the wall… and you will. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these gadgets up for yourself, or your kid (if your too embarrassed to pick one up for yourself) the next chance you get, you won’t be disappointed.

If that iPad thing isn’t working out for you, there’s still the nook. Remember that little guy? He’s the Barnes & Noble e-reader, which the company says is now available in stores.

The retailer had been teasing patrons last fall with a sneak peek, but finally made the nook available in stores starting Wednesday, February 10. It’s also available at nook.com.

B&N seems to think that the eReader will be a hot item for Valentine’s Day. In fact, they plan to offer exclusive holiday-themed online content, such as Kevin Zraly’s column “Read Between the Wines” (get it?) and a tasty red velvet cupcake recipe from Anne Byrn, the Cake Mix Doctor.

However, they haven’t said anything about how many they plan to ship out, just stating that “the majority of its stores” would get the product to sell. This could be a dealbreaker for your sweetie, since the company quickly burned through its online stash over Christmas.

Aside from downloading eBooks, magazines and newspapers, the nook offers free in-store Wi-Fi and other content. It also has 2GB of storage for 1,500 eBooks, a nifty 3.5-inch color touchscreen, an the Android OS. What could be more romantic?

Before you head out into the cold, use Barnes & Noble’s nook In-Store Locator to make sure your store has stock.

The Force Trainer has two pieces – the first is a headset equipped with dry EEG sensors (a technology developed by NeuroSky…a name just a little too similar to SkyNet for my tastes). The sensors actually read your brainwaves and then relay that information to a fan inside the toy itself. The idea? The harder you concentrate, the more control you have over the fan. The fan lifts a lightweight ball in the toy, letting you then “control” the rise and fall of the ball.

I am not making this up.

The Force Trainer has 15 training levels and built-in voice guidance from Yoda, your Jedi Master. It’s expected to cost between $90 and $130 (seriously?! that’s it?! are brain wave sensors that cheap?!).

The rest of the Star Wars Science line will clock in at a reasonable $25-$45 price point and includes an optics teaching tool, a Darth Vader Robotic Arm, a Naboo Sea Creatures set (I wonder if they’re all really annoying?), a Dagobah Frog Habitat, a Jedi Telescope, a Jedi Projector and a Mustafar Volcano Kit.

So, how long before The Force Trainer replaces beer pong as the drinking game of choice amongst college students?

And now, now I can live out my wildest dreams with this remote-controlled Airwolf helicopter replica. Designed to look exactly like Airwolf, this black beauty oozes coolness. Plus, it flies (Flying = 10,000 awesome points).

It’s fully licensed, totally remote controlled and it flies like a helicopter. It goes up, down, backwards, forwards, left, right and uses tri-band technology and counter-rotating rotors to do it. That means extra stability, greater control and one smooth ride. It even has tiny little missiles strapped to the bottom (note: missiles do not, unfortunately, fire).

There’s one downside to this working Airwolf replica, it charges in as little as 20-30 minutes, but it only runs for between 6-9 minutes at a time. Great if you want to play with your remote controlled helicopter in short bursts, but not so great if you want to spend an afternoon invoking the spirit of Stringfellow Hawke.

The AirWolf (AIRWOLF? Airwolf?) RC helicopter sells for £39.95 at Firebox, a UK retailer.

Measuring an impressive 18″ x 11″ x 13″, this isn’t a seige weapon for the meek-hearted. Once properly assembled, it can shoot a small clay ball (or doughnut hole, whatever) an impressive 25-feet. No longer confined to doing battle with your “team members,” you can now set your sights on the defenseless desks over in Marketing.

The trebuchet kit includes all the necessary parts to assemble (including some soft clay for target practice) and takes about 2 hours to build (finish it at your next status meeting!). It retails on the site for $39.95. There’s also a catapult available for $29.99, you know, if you’re a wussy.

With the use of MSN messenger you will be able to remotely assess the landscape of your firing station and unleash havoc from the cozy comfort of your workstation. Want to up the ante? Grab one of these USB gadgets for you and a friend so that you can video chat, share files, and fire missiles at each others heads!

The USB Rocket Launching System also doubles as a regular old webcam so, if your already in the market why no take it to the next level for just $59.99?