Technology & Gadget Blog

This week I was oh-so-lucky to get a sneak preview of the swag room at this year’s TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival, for those not in the know, like my oblivious boyfriend). Situated at the Intercontinental Hotel, the Britannia Room has been taken over by Tastemakers to pamper celebs with goodies and beauty touch-ups before being interviewed in an adjoining room.

Sponsors included Joe Fresh (with the lovely make-up artist, Simone, who made me sparkle), Mattel (look for a further blog post on their tech-y Pictionary), AMC (helllooo, Mad Men!), Rowenta (their new line of hair appliances is incredible), and Guats clothing (amazingly soft activewear made from bamboo). Croma Design pimped the place out, with a lot of the furniture and accessories being sourced from PC Home (gotta love the affordability!).

I have to say though, my fave sponsor was War Child, and I was speaking to the fabulous Rosie Levine, a Toronto-based photojournalist. Since 2004, Rosie has snapped candid pics of big-name celebs at TIFF, each of them raising two fingers in the international sign for peace. She’s in the process of compiling the photos into a coffee table book, in which all of the proceeds will go to War Child. What a fabulous idea from an extraordinary woman.

I managed to snap a few pics of my own, so check them out below:

Although I don’t have any little ones running around my apartment, I can appreciate a good product when I see it. Check out the Babycook from French baby food maker, Beaba. This small counter appliance multitasks as a steamer, warmer, blender and defroster to prepare fresh food for your babe. It basically steams the food first, then purees it to the desired consistency. What a great way to save some cash and be absolutely sure what’s going into your baby’s food.

Available at Williams-Sonoma, $150 US.

I’m not sure about the rest of you Canucks across this fine land, but summer here in Toronto has been less than desirable, to say the least. Alas, this does not make my cravings for ice cream dissipate, and I’m constantly feeling the urge to pound back a tub of mint chocolate chip.

Check out this neat-o White Mountain electric ice cream maker at Williams-Sonoma. Just follow the instructions, and your gallon of ice cream or frozen yogourt is ready to go in 20-40 minutes. It’s also available with a manual crank, but I’d rather be sipping on a mojito while waiting for my frozen goods to be ready.

$170 for manual or $230 for electric, available at Williams-Sonoma.

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I may not be a Parrothead, but heck, take me on down to Margaritaville! As my boyfriend and I complain like a broken Jimmy Buffet record about the heat in our apartment, I can’t help but crave everything frozen. Ice cream, popsicles, a frozen drink… or two.

Williams-Sonoma eases my sweat-laden woes with their Premium Margaritaville Trio Frozen Concoction Maker, which has 3 pitchers available to hold 72 oz. That’s a heckuva lot of margaritas, perfect for a pool party (speaking of which, anyone have a pool I can frequent?). This frozen drink maker is truly heaven sent, as it features two mechanisms: one for shaving the ice, and a second for perfectly pouring the right proportion of ingredients and ice into each pitcher. With 6 different blending settings, you can easily concoct the most delish margaritas, mojitos, smoothies, or mudslides. Save one for me!

Premium Margaritaville Trio Frozen Concoction Maker $500 US, Williams-Sonoma.

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Steam is in the air! Well, it is at Toronto Fashion Week, anyway, which wraps up its festivities tomorrow. Sponsored by LG Canada, this year’s Fashion Week didn’t just showcase lovely threads, it also presented us with how to care for those clothes, the focus being on LG’s line of steam cleaning washers and dryers.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a presentation in the big white tent on Tuesday, where a rep from LG showed off the SteamWashers in all their glory: sleek design, innovative features, and all amongst gorgeous garments by Canadian designer David Dixon.

These Energy Star rated washers and dryers truly are top of the line and they save you money in more ways than you thought possible. Their large capacity means fewer loads, cutting down on energy usage, money and time spent doing laundry. The steam cleaning is remarkable, with the SteamWasher lifting out stubborn stains and the steam cycle on the dryer reducing odors in 20 minutes… without the use of harmful detergents.

Concerned about your child’s allergies? No worries — the SteamWasher has an allergiene cycle that reduces common household allergens by more than 95%.

All in all, you’re saving time, money and energy — and lessening your impact on the environment. What more could you ask for in a washer and dryer?

Price: Washer and Dryer, $3499

Available at: Sears Canada

Want to know more about steam technology? Check out my Tech Style column in the May ‘09 issue of Style at Home, where I talk to Frank Lee of LG Canada about why steam appliances are more expensive and why they’re worth it; plus, what other steam products are available for your home. On sale April 6th!