Sometimes you want to heat things up in the bedroom, but other times you need to cool things down. For those needing the cooling effect, whether due to hot weather or hot flashes, the Bedfan Personal Cooling System offers a unique solution.

The Bedfan fits between your sheets and delivers a soft, blowing breeze of air all along your body, keeping you comfortably cool. As you settle under the covers in bed, your body generates heat that is trapped between the sheets. The Bedfan eliminates that body heat by replacing it with flowing air.

Not only will it bring your temperature down, it will bring your electric bill down as well.

Keeping the bill lower was the main reason for the invention of the Bedfan.

"As a hot sleeper myself, I developed the Bedfan Personal Cooling System with the hopes of lowering my electric bill," said Kurt Thomkins, Bedfan inventor and company president.

"The Bedfan was very successful in allowing me to raise my thermostat at night from 68 degrees to over 78 degrees, which lowered my electrical consumption by as much as 20 percent," Tompkins said. "So I was decreasing my carbon footprint, saving money and sleeping better."

Included in the Bedfan system are:

— Bedfan main body: This is where the fans, capable of moving up to 100 cubic feet of air each minute, are housed.

— Breeze bar: This fully adjustable bar allows for air to flow from the fan body to the top of your mattress and between the sheets. It is made flexible just in case someone happens to sit on it. The top of the bar needs to be only one-half inch above the top of the mattress.

— Speed controller: This allows you to fine-tune the air flow. You can go from full-off to full-on and anywhere in between, much like a volume control on a radio. It is designed to fit under your pillow or on a nightstand to give you easy access.

— Tall bead bracket: If you find the top of the cooling system body is not above the bottom of your mattress, this bracket will raise it to the desired height. It is easy to attach and remove, requiring no tools.

— Sheet blocks: These may be used to help hold sheets in place around the Bedfan, if necessary.

Installing the Bedfan takes a mere three steps:

— Remove your top sheet, leaving the bottom sheet in place. Position the Bedfan anywhere against the foot of the bed, depending on where you want the air to flow. If you have a footboard, simply slide the unit between the board and the mattress.

— Attach the breeze bar so it is at least one-half inch above the mattress.

— Replace the top sheet on your bed to cover the breeze bar and then tuck it back in. Top your bed the way you like, plug the power adapter into a standard outlet, turn on the controller and enjoy.

The Bedfan retails for $90. For more information, call 800-738-0477 or visit www.bedfan.com.

PERFECT PICTURES

Say goodbye to those awkward, arm-extended photo attempts — those pictures missing the photographer — and asking complete strangers to capture a treasured memory.

The XShot 2.0 is a lightweight, telescopic extender that holds a camera at a distance. It allows you to capture great pictures and avoid all the above situations.

Any compact digital camera or hand-held video camera can be attached by using the built-in thumbscrew and adjusted to the desired angle (up to 180 degrees). Set the self-timer, extend the XShot 2.0, aim the lens toward you or your group and shoot away.

The XShot extends to 37 inches, closes up to 9 inches and weighs just 5 ounces — it is easy to carry with you in a pocket or a purse.

"The XShot 2.0 continues to put smiles on people's faces every time it is used," said Michael Daoud, co-founder of XShot LLC, creators of the XShot 2.0.

Perhaps one of the most important features is allowing photographers to get into the picture along with everyone else, thus creating a complete picture and background.

And with the rise of Internet use, the XShot is being used more often for making videos and documentaries that can be shared privately with family and friends or publicly on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and other websites.

The XShot 2.0 retails for $30. For more information, call 866-974-6899 or visit www.xshotpix.com.

Maggie Reed may be reach at trocar2000@hotmail.com. To find out more about Maggie Reed and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.