"Oprah's Favorite Things" List Goes High-Tech

It's a company's dream to get their product featured on "Oprah's Favorite Things" list because that translates into extremely high demand of those products during the holidays, and of course, bragging rights. This year, Oprah's handpicked selection included some really high-tech gadgets, and those lucky enough to attend the taping got one of each!

What exactly did this group of loyal fans in Macon, Georgia, take home? Well, not only did they walk away with a Samsung SC-HMX10C Progressive HD Camcorder, Kitchenaid's The Artisan stand mixer, and a panini press from Williams-Sonoma, but they also scored the most expensive gift ever given on "Oprah's Favorite Things" show: a top-of-the-line LG HDTV refrigerator. The stainless-steel appliance has an LCD TV, DVD hookups, a radio, a slideshow option for digital photos, and it can display more than 100 built-in recipes at the push of a button. Wow, those are some lucky fans!

Oprah has also put together a 2007 ultimate holiday gift guide for every budget, and I was so impressed by all the gadgets she included in there. She really likes the iPod, so I wasn't surprised to see the iPod Nano make the list, although I wonder why she didn't include the iPhone or the iPod Touch? Other gadgets that made the list were the colorful Saitek mice, Sony's E-Book, and a Samsung video camera phone.

On the uber-expensive list of gifts over $500, she recommends the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Audio System for iPod (which Chris Null reviewed in October), the eco-friendly eGo Cycle 2 electric bike, and my personal favorite, the Framed Hidden Television Mirror that hides wall-mounted televisions from view—apparently, Oprah doesn't like to walk into a house full of TVs.

As you can see from the list, Oprah's holiday gift guide has really gone high-tech this year. Two years ago her favorite things list included the BlackBerry, the VAIO FJ Notebook, and the video iPod; and in 2006, the Magellan RoadMate, the HP PhotoSmart Bundle (with digital camera, printer, and camera dock), Sony's DCR-DVD200 Handycam, and Frontgate's Portable DVD Player all made it to "The Best of Oprah's Favorite Things."

Looks like Oprah is really embracing the digital age. Earlier this month, she announced her YouTube channel and gave audience members a Flip camera, and now her high-tech holiday gift guide includes big appliances like the LG HDTV refrigerator. It's a true sign of the times.

I don't know about you, but I'll be keeping an eye on next year's "Oprah's Favorite Things." I can't wait to see what other cool gadgets she'll include in 2008.

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