Cool stuff to warm a geek's heart: Our entreprenerd tries out the latest gadgets and rates the new mayor. (E Industry).(Valentine gifts for nerds; Jane Campbell)(Brief Article)(Column)

Want to boost your spirits during these dark winter days? Then shop. You may even have some money left over from the holiday gifts you returned. (You did return that Chia Pet, didn't you?)

Besides, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show your favorite geek how much you care with one of these must-haves. Here are some of the cool things I got to see and play with at Fail COMDEX and during the holiday product-launch season:

E-apparel

It's still chic to be geek, but some people would rather not wear their devices (pager, Palm device, phone, satellite dish, cappuccino maker) on their belts any longer. One solution is Dockers Mobile Pant ($52), which contains "hidden" pockets for a menagerie of gadgets. You can't turn on the tube without seeing a commercial for them, though I suspect that most people are more interested in those X-ray specs.

Another solution to gadget overload is the Scott eVEST …