It wasn’t all that long ago that I spent $4,000 on a 43-inch plasma-screen television. It was a Panasonic with a beautiful picture. Problem is, the circuit board in it went bad after fewer than 18 months, causing a green band to stay on the screen constantly.

Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed. It was a lot of money to pay for a product that didn’t even make it two years. Nowadays, however, you can get big-screen HDTVs for a fraction of that price. Case in point: the Vizio VO320E TV, available for a little more than a tenth of that price.

It’s a little smaller screen, but the picture is better, with 720p HD resolution. This particular model is also eco-friendly, consuming less electricity than a normal HDTV, according to the company. It has all the inputs you’re likely to need, including component, composite, S-video, VGA and HDMI.

This is good news for those of you shopping for a new television; not so good news for those of us who shelled out four big ones for a plasma that kicked the bucket after less than two years.

Recently, my family’s DVD remote went missing. This was bad news, as we like our movies. In another way, however, it worked out great, as it forced me to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: buy a universal remote. So I headed to several electronics stores, and ended up buying a Philips Universal remote, much like the SRU2103 shown here.

I’ve always liked Philips gadgets; they’re a good compromise between price and quality. This particular universal remote is another example of that balance.

I control three primary devices with it; my Sony widescreen HD television; my Panasonic DVD/VHS player; and my DirecTV satellite dish with TiVo. Setting up the remote was easy. The directions in the manual were simple and clear. I got the codes needed for each device (most popular brands have multiple codes, and you sometimes need to go through a long list to get to the right code for your particular model) within the first few options for each.

Most importantly, the remote works very well. I have no trouble controlling any of the devices with the remote, and it hasn’t given me any problems yet — not bad at all for a remote that sells for under $20. The only gripe I have is that I wish it had more TiVo functionality. Most of the functions I can do with one button press on my DirectTV remote, like recording and deleting, take two (and often, more) steps with the Philips remote. And backlighting would be nice, to be able to use it more easily in the dark.

Ultimately, however, those are minor quibbles. I could get a huge remote costing $100 or more and get all that functionality and more, but for the price, it’s a winner.

It’s often the case that the first product in a new category quickly becomes ascendant, so that it pushes out the competition and develops an unassailable position. It’s happened with Amazon.com, Netflix and other Internet legends.

That’s also happened, to a degree, with e-book readers. In this (still very narrow) space, most folks know the Kindle, also from Amazon. I wrote about the Kindle recently, but it’s not the only e-book reader out there. One of my favorite electronics companies, Sony, has its own version, called simply the Reader Digital Book.

It’s about $60 cheaper than the Kindle, but they’re both expensive.

One advantage of the Sony is that it looks better than the Amazon product. The Reader is much more minimalist, without the keyboard that feels tacked on to the bottom of the Kindle. Fewer buttons means a cleaner layout; and I’m not sure why you’d want a keyboard on an e-book reader, anyway. The point is to read, not type.

The Reader has enough storage, Sony says, to hold about 160 books. It also has storage card slots to add more books. One cool thing the Reader offers is access to the 500,000-strong library of Google public domain books. That should keep you busy for awhile.

One drawback of the Reader vs. the Kindle is that Amazon’s reader has access to its books, magazines and other content wirelessly, whereas Sony doesn’t offer any Internet connectivity. You have to hook it up to another computer and download your books. While this isn’t difficult, it is a multi-step process of which you should be aware.

The reading experience for the Reader gets solid marks from reviewers; you can also read Adobe PDF files and Microsoft Word documents on the Reader. Overall, Sony’s done a nice job with its Kindle competitor; it’s worth checking out before you plunk down your plastic on the “name” gadget, and see what the other guy has to offer.

One phrase you may have heard recently is “Voice over IP”, or VoIP, which basically means making phone calls via the Internet. If you have a fast Internet connection like a cable modem or DSL, you can take advantage of VoIP to save a lot of money on phone calls.

The most well-known service for doing this is Skype.  If you call someone else with Skype (which is free to download and install), the call is free. You can also call people on regular landlines and mobile phones, for a small fee.

What’s also cool is that you can use Skype even if you don’t have, or are not near, a computer. Belkin offers a wi-fi phone for Skype that lets you make calls to anyone, as long as you have access to a wi-fi network. You can find them almost anywhere nowadays — they even have one at my local Safeway!

The thing to remember about this phone is that it’s just that — a phone. This isn’t a device for browsing the Web; in fact, it doesn’t even have a Web browser. It is a phone, plain and simple. On the other hand, you don’t have to download the Skype software to use the phone, as it comes pre-installed, and you can sign up for a Skype account through the software.

Many folks use Skype to make VoIP calls. If you get this phone, ask those you call frequently to sign up for a Skype account, and save money — for yourself, and whomever you call.

Ever since college, I’ve been an occasional coffee drinker. I really like coffee, but I hated the effort to make it once I settled down with a wife and kids. I’m the only one who drinks it, and making a pot always left me throwing away three-fourths of it, and it was too much work too go through for just a cup or two.

Then I found Keurig a few years ago. Keurig is a single-serve coffee maker that makes coffee one fabulous cup at a time, and in record time.

Simply pour water into the reservoir, put a “K-Cup” into the container,  close the top with the handle, push a button for whatever size coffee cup you have, hit “Brew,” and in less than a minute, you’ve got a cup of coffee. It really is that simple. K-Cups are little pods that have a single-serve amount of coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate). Use it once, then throw it away.

Since I got my Keurig, I’ve used it constantly. I like flavored coffee, and order it from Keurig’s website (my favorites are Butter Toffee and Hazelnut). My wife hates coffee, but loves tea, and contents herself with a daily dose of Earl Gray or Chamomile.

Buying K-Cups is more expensive than getting a pound of ground roast at the Safeway. On the other hand, we don’t waste any coffee or tea. We also don’t have a coffee pot to wash out every day. If you’re tired of the daily coffee grind (couldn’t resist), try the Keurig and see what you’ve been missing.

I wake up fairly quickly, while my wife is a snoozer; when the alarm goes off, she lays in bed, trying to put off the inevitable (i.e. getting up) as long as humanly possible. In fact, a few weeks ago, she didn’t get up at all, and ended up being late for work — something that almost never happens.

That wouldn’t have happened with today’s gadget. But, to tell the truth, I don’t know if I’d love this gadget or hate it with every fiber of my being. It’s an alarm clock with a…unique twist. It’s called the Princess Flying Digital Alarm Clock, and is unlike any clock I’ve ever seen.

To begin with, the alarm makes the sound of a plane taking off and landing. That appeals to me, a private pilot. The crazy part is what comes next. When the alarm goes off, a little propeller on top of the clock is launched, and flies around the room. The alarm will continue to sound until you retrieve the propeller and return it to its spot on the clock’s base.

One thing is guaranteed — you would be awake after turning off this alarm clock! Hmmm, my wife’s birthday is coming up…

It’s always nice to catch up with gadgets a few years after their introduction — especially gadgets that made a big splash initially. How have the devices evolved over time? Are they even still around?

In the case of the Slingbox, the answer is a definite “Yes” — and it’s better than ever. The Slingbox was a huge hit when it first came out several years ago. Imagine firing up your laptop anywhere in the world, and being able to watch what’s on your home TV at that very moment. It was exciting and exhilarating, and gave people a new way to think about how TV and the Web can interact.

Sling Media, which makes Slingbox, has a number of new models out, including the Sling SOLO. The SOLO is a significant update from the original gadget, which looked like a giant, silver Hershey bar. Here’s how it works: you hook the Slingbox up to your DVR, satellite receiver or cable box. Then, through the magic of the Internet, the signal is sent anywhere you have access to the Information Superhighway. Setup of the Slingbox is simple — so simple, even my wife could do it!

The SOLO upgrades include the ability to receive high-definition signals, as well as using your smartphone/cellphone as the receiver. Have you ever wanted to turn your BlackBerry, Windows Mobile or Palm Pilot into a TV? Now you can.

The other cool part is that there are no subscriptions: plunk down your plastic for the Slingbox, and that’s it. If you’re going to be out of town for the Super Bowl, and can’t stand the thought of missing Pittsburgh crush Arizona like a bug, do yourself a favor and get a Slingbox SOLO. Then you won’t miss one moment of the Steelers’ beatdown of the Cardinals.

If you’re like me (but I doubt many of you are), you wonder just how you got along without TiVo. I’ve had DIRECTV for a number of years now, but it didn’t really shine until I got a TiVo and was suddenly able to record programs in a way so simple that it could make a brave man weep (hat tip to the late, great Douglas Adams), as well as stop, pause, rewind and fast-forward through shows.

Now, I’ve had TiVo for several years, and have discovered a new (for me) gadget that makes it even more valuable. It’s a wireless USB network adapter (much like the ones I recommended recently, only it’s just for TiVo) and lets me connect my TiVo to the Internet, through my broadband connection.

Simply plug in the adapter to the back of your TiVo, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect it to your home network. With the link established, you now have access to Internet content on your TiVo and, hence, your TV.

So, once you’re set up, what can you do? How about downloading movies from Netflix, if you have an account? Or link your TiVo account with your Amazon.com account, and rent or buy movies or TV shows from the more than 30,000 available? Or browse and watch YouTube videos? Heck, with the right software, you can download almost anything video-related from the Internet and watch it via TiVo.

I need to stop now. I’m getting giddy!

So, I’m sitting here in the living room, keeping one eye on the TV while working on my laptop. Next to me are a remote for my receiver; one for my DirecTV dish; one for the DVD player; and one for the TV. That’s four remotes, and for my money, that’s three too many. It’s time for an all-in-one remote, and here’s what I’m thinking about getting:The Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote.

I know Logitech more from its computer peripherals, mostly mice (mouses?), of which I’ve owned many. I’ve always liked the company’s attention to detail.  As far as price goes, it’s one of the more reasonably-priced universal remotes on the market. It can control up to 12 components — more than enough for  anyone this side of Bill Gates.

Programming the remote can be done using instructions from an included CD or from the Logitech Website. Logitech even has an online wizard to help you with the programming chores. In all, the Harmony looks like a winner — and I know I’d surely rather use one remote than messing around with (and trying to keep track of) four!

Batman is flying through the house, trying to “rescue” the kitten, who just wants to escape under a bed — or anyplace out of range of his grabby little bat gloves. I think it’s time for this six-year-old to get into his bath, without a mask on. We must be close to Halloween, because bags of candy are getting stashed in hidden storage places, and suddenly, orange is the preferred color. That, plus the usual play attire — a naked body — prefers to be dressed up like, well, Batman.

So in light of the coming month, here are a few ghoulish gadgets that might help make this the spookiest October 31st of your adult life…

This six-foot witch cackles a spell and swivels her hips like she’s got something truly nasty cooking.

Here’s a ghost with flashing eye sockets, skeletal hands, and a nylon cloak that will float in the breezes outside your front door.

Now, I’m not much into inflatables, like giant Santa train globes, because I think they tend to look cheesy. Plus, they really suck up the power at a time when that’s not what we should be doing. But not everybody feels that way, so here’s a rather intimidating object you might like to use in decorating your front yard (or dining room table, if it’s large enough!) — an eight-foot red and black inflatable spider. Like the ghost, this creepy critter’s eyes flash. But somehow, when you’re talking eight feet worth of spider, flashing eyeballs is really just icing on the cake, no?

And finally, a six-foot realistic collapsible coffin. (Vampire not included.)

This one may be of special interest particularly for those of you with six-year-olds of your own: “Son, if you don’t get into that bath right now, I’m going to have to bring out the you-know-what and put you-know-who inside of it!” And after all, isn’t that what the major holidays of the coming three months are about — keeping the kids in line?