Top five Beijing 2008 Olympic techno-gadgetry to wave at your TV

The Olympics comes but every four years and given that the Olympic ideal itself is hanging by its last thread of credibility, we may as well embrace what the games are all about - merchandising. So, here for your pleasure are the very finest in Beijing 2008 must haves and oooh I wish I could affords.

1.)Lenovo 3000 V200 notebook - from the people who brought you the 2008 Olympic Torch come a whole range of torch-inspired products including this 12.1-inch, 120GB, 1.5 mega-pixel webcam sporting, widescreen laptop. They're only available through online auction and all proceeds go to the Lenovo Hope Fund. But if you really love the Olympic Torch that much, why didn't you just get your hands on one...

2.)Lenovo Olympic Torch - it'll probably take some serious cash to keep hold of it for good but all you needed to run your very own leg of the relay was motivation, imagination and individualism, according to the Lenovo competition and apparently that's just what the avid musician, the teacher and the wife and mother of two had - along with soon to be very achy legs.

3.)Samsung virtual torch relay - those who missed the competition deadline can track the relay via this promised Facebook application which is still yet to materialise - only five hours gone chaps, better get a move on. If you can't wait for Samsung to sort it out, I'm sure there'll be plenty of coverage on the news as each leg is mobbed by herds demonstrators.

4.)Olympics countdown gadget - my personal favourite, not because I intend to download this widget but because I love the idea of some Chinese guy sitting there in his Beijing branded cap, t-shirt, shorts and two Olympic flags staring at this clock with mad excitement, waiting the magic moment to come. Even if you're not quite as big a fan, it's a good way to brighten up the hours at work.

5.)Beijing 2008 fuwa toys - no games is complete without their mascots and a user by the name of "shop-ec" on eBay is giving you the opportunity to buy the full set of "fuwa" or good luck dolls. There are five in total to represent each of the Olympic rings designed to be so ridiculously cute that you stop thinking about the human rights issues for a second.

The item description isn't the best but Mr or Mrs "ec" seems to encourage placing the fuwa by the window on a sunny day so I'm guessing they have some sort of solar effect. Either that or they plan on taking them back when you're looking the other way, but for a buy it now of US$8.80 I'd say it was worth the risk. As they say in China, Best Collection Items!!