Done shopping yet? If so, you deserve a reward, a little gift for yourself. Perhaps you'll find something for that most important person on your shopping list here in the latest installment of "OnMilwaukee.com Recommends."
GoPoint Tech GL1 -- Is anything more annoying than the little orange "Check Engine Light" on your dashboard? You used to be able to just cruise into your local auto parts store, a clerk would plug a cable to your car's on-board computer and voila ... you could find out how big or small a problem you had on your hands. Unfortunately, many stores no longer perform these easy tests and taking your car to a deal could result in a hefty bill just to learn you didn't screw your gas cap back on tight enough. Enter the GoPoint Tech GL1, which connects your car's computer to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and with the help of a free App, will decipher your CEL code as well as give you all sorts of extra diagnostic data for your car. The cable also serves as a charger for your mobile device. Get one online for just $99.82 and keep it in your glove compartment -- just in case. An excellent gift for the do-it-yourself mechanic. -- Andrew Wagner
Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball -- This electricity-free ice-cream maker just requires rock salt, ice, cream and the willingness to shake, rattle and roll the "ball" for about 10 minutes. If these basic requirements are met, you and yours can scarf natural ice cream that -- especially if you're tipsy or a under the age of 11 -- is really fun to make. I bought this at The Outpost for about $25 and intend to take it on camping trips this summer, but recently tested it out at home with my kids. They liked blasting Selena Gomez records and incorporating the shaking and rolling of the ball into dance moves that, lucky for them in a few years, I did not video record. You can also find this ice cream ball on Amazon.com. I think it would make a unique holiday gift for kids and/or campers. -- Molly Snyder
TK-421 iPhone case with flip-out keyboard -- Hey iPhone users, how badly do you want a physical keyboard for your "magical" phone? If you’re like me, and years after buying your first iPhone you still can’t type very well, you might say "very badly." And if that’s the case, the folks at ThinkGeek.com have one for sale. For $50, it’s a somewhat flimsy, albeit mostly functional Bluetooth keyboard case. It works, but unless you do an awful lot of typing on your iPhone, you might not find it all-together worth it. Plastically and cheap feeling, the keyboards oddly mimics an old-school PC, with several buttons that don’t do anything, like "Alt" and "Prt SC." While the build quality is iffy, and it feels like it could break at any moment, if you are are in need of doing some serious typing -- for me, it would be a live blog or concert review -- this will more than do the trick. But it adds quite a bit of bulk to the iPhone, too. It’s clearly not an "all the time" sort of solution, but in the right situation, you just might find it pretty great. -- Andy Tarnoff
Two Leaves and a Bud organic whole leaf tea -- Just as my coffee supply was running out, I happened upon a variety box of Two Leaves and a Bud tea. I tried a cup at random and found it to be very well flavored -- much more so than some kinds I've been unfortunate to spend my precious little expendable income on. Knowing nothing about the company, I took to the Web and discovered their very intensive process, which involves everything from developing their own pyramid-shaped satchets to visiting tea growers on site. They even have a "knowledge center" where you can literally find out everything you've ever needed to know about tea. Good company, good Web site and a good "cuppa' tea," as they call it. If you're a tea fan, get in on this. -- Renee Lorenz
WTF podcast -- Veteran standup comedian Marc Maron has spent years on the verge of success, but never quite got the attention of friends like Louis CK and Janeane Garofalo. After a stint on liberal radio, he launched the amazing WTF podcast out of his garage aka "The Cat Ranch." The show is a mix of monologues about his intense neurosis, professional jealousies, romantic failures and lengthy interviews with the biggest names in comedy. His honesty is sometimes cringe worthy, often refreshing and always entertaining. His interviews illicit frank and personal responses from comedians that obviously feel less pressure to clown around with one of their own. If you don't like I don't know WTF is wrong with you. -- Bob Purvis
Sandra Boynton's Amazing Cows (Workman Publishing) -- Before I had kids, I paid no attention to Boynton, thinking it was little more than a line of cartoonish greeting cards. Once introduced to the subtle -- and not-so-subtle -- genius of Sandra Boynton in great kids books like "But Not the Hippopotamus" and "Hippos Go Berserk," to name just two of many fine examples, I changed my tune. Boyton's quirky and cute animal creations inject fun and mayhem into learning numbers, letters and little life lessons. Her new book looks more like an overblown activity magazine for kids. Its 90 pages are full of fun illustrations, knock knock jokes, comics, poems and more, all based around Boyton's unflappable bovines, who romp through this book -- with pig, chicken, duck and other friends -- leaving behind a trail of laughs. There is also a link to download Boynton's version of Ravel's "Bolero," which clocks in at a mere 17:14. -- Bobby Tanzilo
