Cool Gadgets for Girls: EasyBloom

Cost: $60 at Amazon.com

The gimmick: Place the EasyBloom where you'd like to plant or grow something, and its algorithm sensor will gather a gather a "plant's eye" view of that location. After 24 hours, plug the device into your computer's USB port and it will either recommend an ideal plant for that location or diagnose why a particular plant is not thriving.

What the experts say: Garden retail expert John Stanley claims "A product like EasyBloom can eliminate the intimidation factor for new gardeners and enhance the knowledge of experienced gardeners," while Mental Floss points out that "Americans spend $20 billion dollars on plants each year, and a third of those plants die. A gadget that helps fewer of your plants die would be well worth the investment."

Upside: According to the press release, EasyBloom marks the first time this type of horticultural technology has been available to consumers.

Downside: It's not Mac compatible, and the manufacturer doesn't expect it to be until January of 2009 at the earliest.