While I am not "that" old, I have noticed something. Some of our older readers can back me up on this (and they have probably noticed to, to an even larger extent). Is it just me, or are toys not as "fun" as they used to be? While not necessarily true in all cases (For example, my electronics exposure growing up was mostly limited to my 301 in 1 kit from Radio Shack, where today's kids have robotics kits - robots, how cool is that! but I digress) it seems that fear of lawsuits is what is defining the design of today's toys. Radar has a great article looking at toys that were pulled from shelves thanks to litigation (or the fear of it). While some of the toys in their list were probably better off being scrapped (like the Atomic Energy Lab that included actual samples of uranium - not that I wouldn't run out and buy it if it was available today) others, I think, teach valuable life lessons. Even if failing to learn those lessons just might kill you (as happened with a few of the toys on the list). After all a good toy not only is fun to play with but also helps to teach you (and can put out your eye). For example the Snacktime Cabbage Patch doll taught a very important lesson. Be wary of sticking anything that you want to hang on to into and open mouth, unless of course you don't mind being referred to as stubby. But instead of letting kids everywhere learn this important lesson via crunched fingers and embarrassing hair cuts, Matel pulled the doll from shelves and offered a full refund to any parent who thought their kid was to stupid to listen when they said "don't stick your finger in your dolly's mouth". Just my .02 share yours in the comments.

Pray for Coal: The 10 most dangerous playthings of all time @ Radar
Gadgets, dangerous, toys

Aimed squarely at the paranoid/hypochondriac market (where it will no doubt be popular) the GammaWatch does double duty, measuring your cumulative exposure to radiation as well as telling you the time while not looking half bad. Usually, I try not to pay too much attention to products designed to prey on peoples fears, but the GammaWatch has some alternate uses that could easily make the $250 price tag worth it. Aside from the pure Geek Point(tm) value of having a radiation detector strapped to your wrist, collectors may also find the watch useful for initially verifying the authenticity of certain items (some paints that used to be used on ceramics are highly radioactive as are the faces of some watches with "glow in the dark" faces). No details regarding availability are currently available, but if you are interested keep checking the product page. I am sure they will let you know when they are ready to take your money.

Product Page [via Gizmodo]

Gadgets, watches, radiation, detector

1 year subscription to eMusic ($96) - Perfect for the music lover on your list. Give them the gift of unrestricted Mp3s that they can listen to any where on any platform they like. With this subscription level, they will get 30 mp3 downloads per month that are their's to keep for life.

1gb iPod Shuffle ($79) or 2gb iPod Nano ($149) - These versions of Apple's ubiquitous media player can fit in anyone's budget. Both are great players, but the Nano's screen and larger capacity may be more attractive to some, while others may find the Shuffles small size and simplicity fits their personal style better.

Satellite radio ($20-$100) - While I am usually loath to recommend any gift that comes with a subscription attached, I think the benefits of satellite radio are worth the reasonable monthly fee. Plus with receivers starting as low as $20 you can use some of your left over budget to purchase a prepaid subscription card to get your recipient up and going. Which service (XM or Sirius) you choose is up to you. Both offer similar programing, but if this is a gift for a sports fan you should look to see which service carries their favorite sport.