CALL FOR HELP October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Radio Shack stores across the U.S. are collecting unused mobile phones for Call to Protect calltoprotect.org) The charity, which reconfigures them to call only emergency numbers, distributes the phones to domestic-abuse-victim shelters. Your old phone could have a second life providing a lifeline to help someone in need.
SHAKE, RATTLE AND POSE The prize for Silliest Game We'd Actually Play goes to Samba de Amigo for Sega Dreamcast. You play the Twister-karaoke combination by standing on a mat and shaking a pair of motion-sensing maracas to wonderfully cheesy songs. Earn points by strutting your salsa stuff in time with fast-moving colored balls and bonuses by striking a pose when the music stops. Too bad this organized embarrassment is so pricey: the game and the separately sold maracas come to a cool $120.
SNOOP DETECTOR Some less than savory folks are using the latest wireless cameras and bugs to spy on the unsuspecting. If you think you're on some high-tech stalker's monitor, you might try the Plus Guard ($43 at theplusguard.com) The size of a makeup compact, it detects radio signals emitted by wireless devices. A quick sweep of a room will locate anything that may be transmitting your private moments to the world.
--By Wilson Rothman