trendSpotting Report

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Summer Book: In case you missed it the last time we told you to read books by Tim Dorsey, pick up his latest Perfect Summer Novel, Atomic Lobster.

Staycation Activity: When was the last time you baked a cupcake? These mint chocolate chip doozies do not take a ton of effort, but boy are they delicious.

Scooter: Americans are finally discovering scooters — hoorah! Vespa, the Italian design classic, makes more sense than ever because, as you might have heard, gas is getting a little pricey these days and there is even a hybrid now.

Travel Accessory: If you fly a ton, you know that toting your toothbrush and paste to the mini-bathroom is a pain…ReadyBrush is a pre-pasted disposable that will make you say that you wish you had thought of that one.

Nagging Service: We know you forget to call Mom regularly…she told us. HassleMe is a free service that will harass you to do those things you forget — and wonder why.

Word Blog: From those linguistics nerds at the University of Pennsylvania comes Language Log, a record of funny, startling and generally informative uses of American English.

RTÉ (Radio Telefís Éireann): Live newscasts simulcast online from Ireland’s national network

France 2: Nouvelles global en français

China Central Television: Chinese national television in English

Globo TV: Carnival’s coming…watch it unfold on this Brazilian network

wwiTV: Pick your country to find a station broadcasting online. No ads or nasty downloads, just a killer directory.

Our Favorites Gift Guide Edition

Nespresso Lattissima: Having testing almost all, we can attest this is the most beautiful and functional espresso machine on earth. Lattes with push of a button that are—dare we say—better than those from Place Named after a Character in Moby Dick.

SoundShield Compact Noise Canceling Headphones>: Those who travel every day can attest that nothing is more precious than being able to listen in peace on a plane (or train…or bus).

Assos Fugujack Jacket: If you know a cyclist (or even a wanna-be), we guarantee this is top of his list. Lovely and utterly functional—and worth every penny!

iPod Classic: What—a guide without an iPod? Hardly. The new Classic is less trendy than Touch or Phone, and has longer battery life than the last model’s did.

Yellow Dog: Because we all need company… Lots of labs and retrievers need good homes.

Eiderdown Comforter: Total non-tech luxury is best appreciated while we sleep, and these last a lifetime.

SeaDream Cruise: If your ideal vacation doesn’t include sharing the pool with centegenarians—but you still want to get far, far away—try a cruise on a much smaller yacht.

Ameristeam Steam Shower: For luxury at home, nothing beats a self-contained spa in your bathroom. The jets, man, the jets.

Sony BRAVIA XBR 70”: Since we’re all uber-communications, we want, nay, need a really big show.

Burberry Trench Coat: Always a classic, the perfect gift. Functional luxury at its best. Just get it already.

Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Manhattan GM: Sticking with classy and useful, this is all a woman wants in a tote.

Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder: Reserve this one for the person on your list you like a lot. On a related note, we’re so tired of the same old Lexus holiday ad (get a new one, Lexus!).

1969 Mustang Fastback: If the Lambo’s a bit much, go with the best-looking muscle car ever produced.

Amazon Kindle: That the new Kindle is sold out already is a fine sign for our culture! In addition to books, Kindle reads blogs and American and European newspapers…

Canon Digital Rebel XTi: In an industry inherently focused on words, it’s easy to forget the communications value of photographs.

SeatGuru: What better gift than the perfect seat on a flight? Now you can find it with ease!