A week or so ago, I had the pleasure of discovering my next watch. The T-Touch is made by Tissot and is a touch screen watch that can literally predict the weather and could probably save a couple of lives in the process too. As someone who is a know-it-all, I literally have to know-it-all. This watch will help me do that.

When I say that the Tissot T-Touch is smarter than me, I truly mean it. This watch not only tells time, but also goes far beyond the usual prerequisite timer and date functions that most watches on the market boast. With Altimeter, Chrono, Compass, Meteo, Thermo and Alarm functions, there is more than enough about this watch to keep you busy.

While the T-Touch is a touch screen watch, it is also very traditional and stylish looking. As such, you don’t have to worry about it looking like you just stuck an iPod to your wrist. It has a very innovative button/touch screen combination. Pushing the button will activate the watch crystal, enabling you to use the touch screen to take advantage of any one of the numerous features included on the watch.

The Meteo function on the T-Touch can measure and keep track of barometric pressure changes (hPa), which will give you a head’s up when weather changes are imminent. The Altimeter will keep you informed of your current altitude in relation to sea level and can function similar to a stop watch while recording elevation change as well as ascent and descent speed. Altimeter functions can be measured in meters or feet, depending on your preference.

Also, with a touch of the screen, your watch can turn into a compass either indicating geographic North or your heading. If you select the latter option, your direction of travel will be at 12 o’clock while geographic North will be indicated by the minute hand.

The Chrono function will allow for a countdown timer as well as tracking split or cumulative times, while the Thermo function will provide a precise temperature that is shown on the digital display. Also provided are dual audible alarms.

While the T-Touch is obviously a back-country lover’s dream, it is also a watch that is just as at home in the boardroom. The T-Touch comes in 2 different levels with numerous colour, purpose, metal and band combinations to suit almost any need. Whether casual, dress or sport you can definitely find a T-Touch or T-Touch Expert to love.

If you are a fan of T-shirts, and you like to wear them as well, then you should check out smoofer.com.   This Canadian based company has tons of sweet shirts with vintage graphics for men and women. A lot of their shirts have that worn, machine-washed look to them that looks oh so cool. Smoofer has shirts for everyone in many colors that won’t disappoint even the most fashion savvy hipster. They’ve got shirts for The Who, Rolling Stones, Batman, Transformers and many more. My fave is a G.I. Joe shirt with Snake Eyes from Cobra looking really bad ass!

I have to admit I am a HUGE fan of Boxing Day. I also admit I have not walked into a store for a Boxing Day sale in over 10 years. The reason that I love Boxing Day, but don’t go out to shop is because December 26th kicks off the annual World Junior Hockey Championships.

The World Juniors have been a tradition in my house since I was a little kid and got to watch the whole tournament every year because I was on Christmas break and didn’t have to go to school. This year the Under-20 tournament is being held in Ottawa and the owner of the Ottawa Senators, Eugene Melnyk, has been actively involved with the Canadian team.

Earlier this week, he arranged for a team building exercise for the Canadian team at CFB Petawawa that the young men and the coaching staff, including head coach Pat Quinn, thoroughly enjoyed. There was major bonding done at the “Jump of Fear.”

Whether you are a proud Canadian supporting this year’s team or if you are cheering for one of their rivals such as the USA or Russia or even if you are a transplanted native of Sweden or Finland and are cheering for your team, there are numerous ways to show your support.

If you are lucky enough to take in a game in Ottawa, no matter what team you are supporting, please wear your support on your sleeve…literally. Those young men will be playing their hearts out to try to represent their countries to the best of their abilities.

I guarantee each and every player appreciates the honour of wearing their countries colours and ultimately hope to hear their national anthem playing while the flag of their country is being raised in victory and thousands in the stands cheer in celebration.

Me? I am going to be cheering as loudly as I can from my living room while watching the game on my Samsung big screen and cheering for John Tavares and the rest of Team Canada to win their 5th straight gold medal.

Good luck boys!

Cufflinks are to men what pearls are to women - many people think that they are only for the older generation or the executive class, but that belief is wrong. Cuff links are quickly becoming a must have component of a stylish formal look.

Cuff link designs have greatly evolved over the years and now come in a large array of styles to suit any need or reflect any interest. From extremely affordable Golf Club cuff links for the golf enthusiast, to high-end White Mother of Pearl cuff links for the discerning businessman, there truly is a cuff link for everybody.

While a Love Knot cuff link will ensure your gift recipient will always be thinking of you, the sports fan in your life man be better suited to a pair of Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games cuff links.

Cuff links can definitely make the man when provided with a pair of personalized cuff links or a set of contrasting 18kt Yellow Gold and Black Onyx rectangular cuff links. Another excellent choice would be the very modern look of a Titanium and Carbon Fiber set.

Some cuff links such as these handmade, Gerald David Bauman designed Vulture ones can be a link to the past (vultures are an ancient symbol of royalty), while this cubic zirconia and stainless steel Clover Leaf set can provide much needed luck all day long.

Another great option would be a very untraditional barbell design such as these Sterling Silver Onyx Cuff Links or a swirl design such as these Stainless Steel Black Enamel cuff links. Alternately you can reflect your heritage with something like a Celtic Design cuff link.

For extra value, there are options such as a Cuff Link and Lapel Pin set or a complete Boston Traveler Tie, Handkerchief and Cuff Link set to tie the entire ensemble together.

The right pair of cuff links truly will provide any man with that essential finishing piece to their formal wardrobe. If you want to give a memorable gift this holiday season, you definitely can’t go wrong with a classy pair of cuff links.

Recently Canadian Tire sent us a demo of the Delphi RoadyXT with a Free Home Kit to test out. The Delphy RoadyXT is an XM Satellite Radio for your car, but with the added home kit you’re able to bring it inside and stream the satellite radio to your stereo system. For those unfamiliar with Satellite Radio, I recommend reading this post.

The RoadyXT includes everything you need to get started – a dock, audio cables, power adapter, home antenna and a remote control for your house, and a car dock, antenna, 12V power adapter, mounting clip and a casette tape adapter for your vehicle.

The great thing about the RoadyXT is that it’s completely plug and play – there is no messy installation in your car, and you can remove the receiver and bring it with you at any time. The RoadyXT is also extremely tiny – measuring only  3.7 inches wide, 2.25 inches high, and 0.615 inch deep.  You can also choose from up to seven different backlit colours on the LED screen to match your style. The sound quality on this XM Radio is less than CD, but still very sharp and clear.

At only $99, this is a great christmas gift for anyone in your family who enjoys discovering new, commercial free music and talk radio – whether on the road or at home.

Christmas shopping is now officially in full force, but if you are like me, you wait until the very last second to fill your gift lists… and my job is in online shopping, how pathetic is that??!!

This past month, shoptoit.ca has seen its traffic skyrocket and I have compiled November’s top searches in order to help steer you in the right direction as to what is popular for Christmas this year.

Mini Zero Gravity Car
Nintendo DS (Big surprise!!)
Wii (Seriously, Nintendo really has something going when it comes to creating appealing games)
Webcams (Check out our Webcams Buying Guide for some pointers on choosing the right one)
iPods (I know, not very original, but that’s what you guys are searching for!! )
Camcorders (We a have Buying guide for those too :)
Pyjamas (Gotta love getting pyjamas for Christmas… I get them every year!)
GPS
Down Jackets
Tires (this is very very important people - get those winter tires on already!!!)

So here it is, the top 10 of your searches for November.  Right after that came the Xbox and the PS3 followed by winter boots.  All in all, once again this year video games and electronics are leading the list… but check out our Gift Advisor to find other unique ideas for your friends and family.