Electric Hollywood (Almost) Summer Nights

While “Awards Show Season” and CES (The Consumer Electronics Show) seem like a distant memory at this point, the Redbury Hotel in Hollywood was the site of a wonderful springtime showcase for cool new products as well as a reminder that life goes on and technology still surprises beyond flashy wintertime extravaganzas.

The star attraction of the night, fittingly enough was the rollout of the comic book Heroes’ Haven (www.heroes-haven.com), which melds together a classic American pop cultural art form with a cautionary tale set in the future of what happens when economic and technological progress and ambition goes unchecked.  Interestingly enough, this six volume series crafted by Mario Simone began its life as a feature film script before being transformed into the graphic novel series. It just goes to show you that creativity is not always a linear process, but persistence can still pay off.

Moving on to practical everyday stuff, with a yummy slice of Lilyfield Cake for good measure, there were many other inventions we hope to someday own and enjoy:

The revolutionary HP Pavilion x 360 (www.shopping.hp.com), the perfect (and affordable, $399.99) hybrid of tablet and laptop.  Available in a selection of snappy colors, this nifty item features a 360° hinge that easily converts the device from notebook to stand to tent to tablet mode, allowing you to go from work to play to movie watching mode in a twist.

For those committed to their iPads and iPhones, classic surf line Body Glove has a mobile line (www.BodyGloveMobile.com) that includes the Riser Folio ($79.99), which includes seven different viewing angles and serves as a portable table case.

Addicted to Twitter, Facebook or Pintrest? If so the Olloclip line ($39 to $99, www.olloclip.com) will be your favorite toys this summer.  This line of ground-breaking mobile photography tools and accessories will make it easier and more fun than ever to create great-looking photos and video. The Olloclip 4-IN-1 Photo Lens, Telephoto Lens, Macro 3-IN-1 Lens and Quick-Flip™ case, the size of small candy bars and gum packs, are designed to push the parameters of what’s possible in mobile photography.

Roomba…meet your match. The iClebo ($495, www.iCleboUSA.com) may be a bit of an investment at first, but chances are it will clean the house better than you will on your own.  This “Intelligent Cleaning Robot” has a much needed second set of eyes with its Camera Vision Mapping, gives this robot eyesight so it can meticulously clean and will never miss a spot.  When it hits the 20% battery remaining battery life, iClebo goes on break back to its base to recharge, then picks up where it left off.

It also has Wet/Dry Mop Mode!

Cureology Beauty, which was all over the awards suites this year, provides more food for thought, that goes to your head--Quinoa, Omega-3, and acai protect the hair against UVA/UVB rays, ozone, and pollutants while giving incredible shine.

There were also a handful of naturally stylish accessories, including Original Grain wood watches (www.originalgrain.com); Love is a Devil (www.loveisadevil.com), statement costume jewelry made from various lead free metals, natural stones and Swarovski crystals, and Amber Kane (amberkane.com) hand-woven scarves and shawls. Quite a contrast to the high tech wizardry, but welcome!

Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen…

I am smitten with Foxy’s “Pash” Premium Frozen Yogurt (http://foxypash.com), a new line of creamy goodness conceived in Australia (“pash” is Australian/Kiwi for “kiss” or “smooch”) and made from California dairy. It's literally the best of both worlds, and the most pash-tastic flavors are the “Naughty Pash” (with caramel and honeycomb, found in many Australian flavors) and the “Fancy Pash,” a tangerine base with dark chocolate…giving you a blast of tart fruitiness and chocolate creaminess. The retro 50s and 60s graphics are so yummy, you may not want to eat them properly in a bowl, but do. Ceramic is a better platform to serve them in.

Also adding some sensory spark and easy to cooking is Bertolli’s new line of olive-oil cooking sprays (http://www.villabertolli.com/product/detail/684396/bertolli-100-extra-virgin-olive-oil-spray).  Love these! My avid cook friend pointed out that the sprays, especially given the quality of the olive oil, make creating those trendy kale chips at home easier than ever. However, for my modest day-to-day cooking, the sprays (available in Extra Virgin, Classico and Light) are simply brilliant.  First and foremost, they do not impart any of that strange artificial/chemical taste coming from PAM and other cooking sprays. Secondly, the omelets and grilled Daiya sandwiches I have created look close to restaurant-pretty, and with less cleanup post meal. I am also learning these can spray directly on to salads and veggies—something that can’t be done by the other guys. Belissimo!