Productopia | On Location

Spade and shovel design hasn't changed in centuries, and once you own these tools, they generally last for years and years. But at last week's Craftsman lawn-and-garden preview in New York, these new tools struck me as a real improvement. The new tools, which will be available in spring 2012, have a bent-metal "pusher" built into each side of the shovel, giving you a place to put your foot (Craftsman is calling this feature the "Power Step").

Sure, in the end it's still a shovel, but the little platforms make it much easier to get leverage and push the shovel into the ground. It's not reinventing the wheel, but I thought this was a bit of a "Post-It' moment -- where you think "why didn't I think of that?" The tools will range in price from about $15 to $50, depending on the item.

Ever wish you could play Angry Birds with your dog or cat? Or get a portrait of your beloved pet? Perhaps you're worried that your cat gets bored while you're at work or you're tired of losing dog toys at the lake. The solutions to all of these problems - and much more - were on display at the National Pet Home Décor Showcase in New York City. It was like no other trade show I've ever attended. Here's a taste of what we found - plus a photo gallery of the range of products available, from floating dog toys to catnip.

It's like a regular Prius, only better. That, in a nutshell, sums up the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid (aka Prius PHV). The example Toyota loaned us for a week is a prototype--the production version arrives next year and joins the growing Prius lineup. We requested the car because we were invited to the GE Energy headquarters in Plainville, CT for the opening of its new solar carport for EV charging. Since GE employees and visitors to the office would now have the ability to recharge electric vehicles during the day, we figured we might as well drive up in a car that could take advantage of the facility, too.

 Last week I attended IHRSA, the International Health, Racquetball and Sportsclub Association international convention and trade show in San Francisco. This 30-year old gathering unveils fitness equipment that you will see in health clubs, and eventually on late-night infomercials or on exercise DVDs. Sometimes there are innovative products and group exercise classes to get excited about and sometimes it is more of the same. This year there were some notable new products that consumers will use either at home or in their gyms.