There are thousands and thousands of new technology products that hit the shelves every year, many of them promising to "change your life forever." Well, we at BOI have come up with the ones that we love and think that you will love as well.

HARMAN KARDON CP 60
($1,200, harmankardon.com)
Powered by Harman's AVR 247 receiver, this system has been described as an audio orgasm. We like that! It can also be built into a multiroom system.

BOSE SOUNDDOCK PORTABLE
($400, bose.com)
Tired of portable speakers that produce weak sound while draining batteries dead all too quickly? Bose comes to the rescue with a 5-pound speaker, complete with iPod docking station, that kicks out hi-quality sound for about 6 hours by incorporating long-lasting, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This is the perfect accompaniment for picnics and trips to the beach.

APPLE iMac
($1,200, Apple.com)
Without a doubt, the #1 new product for us at BOI is the Apple iMac, which replaced our very old and very slow computers. We highly recommend these stylish desk top machines which are sleek and clean and integrate quite nicely with last year's top product: the iPhone.

SPYDER FREERYDE D3O ARMORED TOP
($350, freeryde.spyder.com)
Riding bikes on Windy City streets is often a dangerous undertaking featuring bumps, bruises, and breaks. But now comes this piece of riding gear that contains a foamlike substance called d3o. It is supple during normal riding but hardens instantly on impact to cushion your crash. Best of all, it's softer, more breathable, and more flexible than other protective materials.

NEWTON GRAVITY RUNNING SHOE
($175, newtonrunning.com)
Reducing the load on the knees by 50 percent, this shoe forces you to run as if you were barefoot, with the balls of your feet striking first, not your heels. Not only should you get increased comfort, you should experience an increase in speed. Hopefully the color choices will be expanded.

PHILIPS LCD FLAT TV WITH AMBILIGHT
($1,800 (42" TV), philipsusa.com)
We like options and that's what Philips easily gives when trying to perfect the picture (contrast, black levels, color saturation, sharpness, and white balance). You adjust your preference from a split-screen display picking between the options, a la the optometrist: "Is it better now? Or . . . now?"

T-MOBILE SHADOW
($350, t-mobile.com)
Yes, the iPhone is a great product, but it isn't perfect, especially for those who like to stay in constant contact with others via instant messaging. Thus, for the IMing set, the Shadow is the way to go with its four messaging applications, including AIM and Windows Messenger.

SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-T200
($400, sonystyle.com)
For those who don't fashion themself to be Annie Leibovitz or David LaChapelle, this compact Sony camera with its 3.5-inch touchscreen will help you take better pictures. For shots of people, touch the image of a face you want to capture. When a grin is detected on that person's face, the camera shoots. Pretty simple. And we like simple.