NEW PRODUCTS
By Arn Bernstein

Light up your Lite ... If you’re old enough, you may remember those oh-so-wacky clear plastic ice cubes with dead bugs inside them. Just drop a few in a drink and let the knee-slapping begin. Sometimes it lasted a whole minute. Here’s the 21st century version, which, thankfully, is a lot more interesting. “Litecubes” are heavy acrylic, freezable fake cubes with colored lights inside.  The bulbs are turned on/off by simply rapping them on a hard surface (it’s easy), and when placed in a drink (they’re waterproof), the effect is, well, glowing. Imprints can go on or in the cube. In orange, red, blue, white and green. Ask for asi/68604

Bringin’ It Back ... With more and more companies requiring picture IDs for employees, neck lanyards have become increasingly popular. The “Retract-A-Cat” is one of the more interesting. Of durable braided material, it has a soft rubber sliding adjusting pivot and a safety breakaway back portion for quick removal in case of any emergency. The best part: The product’s “business end” features a split ring for badges or even keys, which is in turn attached to a 24-inch retractable nylon cord. Those with cards that need to be swiped can leave the unit around their necks while doing so. Available in over 80 different color combinations. Ask for asi/51201

End Dripping Drivers ... When you’re golfing, few things are worse than getting caught in a sudden downpour. Not only do you get wet, but your clubs do too – and that’s not good. Next time, just pull out “DrizzleStik.” It’s an extra-deep, dome-shaped mini-umbrella specifically designed to sit in a golf bag and protect the contents from the elements, including wind. It opens in a few seconds; the two-piece telescopic shaft – which extends up to 54 inches – is made to resemble a golf-club handle, so it fits into any golf bag with no hassle while offering easy access. Available in five color combos. Ask for asi/59678

Not Your Basic Wall Hanging … Plaques have always been great recognition tools. No argument there. But when you see a whole bunch of them on a wall, they can get just a little overwhelming. Sometimes the award can be given a little twist to make it stand out a bit. Other times – as in the case of these plaques – things can be given a major wrench. Hand-carved of solid wood, they not only have an incredibly high perceived value, but will really capture viewers’ attention – even when surrounded by other awards. Shown are “The Shirt Off Your Back,” “Making a Good Case” “A Very Good Year” and “Black Tie Not Optional.” Numerous other versions are available as well. Ask for asi/93986

Display the mood ... A trio of brushed aluminum frames with embossed and debossed border designs that can suit a boatload of promotional purposes. “Constellation” offers different-sized stars randomly placed. “Foursome” features a golf ball image and various related terms such as “tee time,” “bunker,” “eagle,” etc. And “Motivate ‘Em” uses various good-feeling words like “effort,” “appreciation,” “success” and “excellence.” Each has room for a visible imprint, and the frames are decorated so they can be used in a horizontal or vertical format. Each comes gift-boxed with black felt backing and glass. Ask for asi/62820

Spicy and socially conscious ... The hot-sauce craze isn’t quite what it was, say, a year ago, but it’s still – er, hot. More important, it created a whole legion of new, highly devoted fans who like a little pungency (or a lot) in their food. And while there are all kinds of brands out there in retail-land, there’s always room for a couple more. This collector’s edition “Federal Duck Stamp” habanero hot sauce is officially licensed with the U.S. Department of the Interior and features a special label depicting the 2002 stamp. The bottle can be imprinted via custom packaging, and a portion of the proceeds from each sale help in the acquisition of wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl. Ask for asi/61826

No Writer’s Cramp Here ... As far as design and anti-writing fatigue features go, the “Squish” pen is easily one of the more eye-catching writing instruments out there. The entire body of the refillable ballpoint is made of frosted, translucent soft silicon rubber, which provides a cushion grip no matter how it’s held. The real kicker is the matching plastic base, which makes it useful not only on a desk, but also on a countertop – and even at home. It has a large imprint area and comes in orange, lime, pink, violet, blue and teal. Inexpensive enough for gifts as well. Ask for asi/98760

Hear Clearly ... CDs – both the audio and computer type – may be convenient, but they’re also susceptible to dust, fingerprints and other dirt. You can wipe them off with a soft cloth, but you run the risk of getting fingerprints on them all over again. Check out the “CD Radial Cleaner.” To operate this odd-looking plastic contraption, you simply place the CD inside, add some cleaning solution (included), close the unit and turn the crank. The disc is effectively and gently left as clean as the proverbial whistle. (Why, exactly, are whistles clean anyway?) And the colored gears add a nice visual touch when it’s operating. Easily imprintable, with a much higher perceived value than its modest price point. Ask for asi/46189

Score! ... And you thought all ice scrapers were created equal. Not even close. “Sports” scrapers are shaped like the footwear for the particular sport in question, be it football, soccer, baseball, basketball or hockey (shown). There’s also a “Santa” sleigh for the holidays. The patented scrapers are made of super-heavy-duty ABS injected plastic with super-strong reinforcing ribs all along the handle. Labeling is waterproof to prevent the logo – which is placed, incidentally, in three separate locations – from coming off when in use. And, they’re different enough to attract attention, but traditional enough to remain fully functional. Ask for asi/36967

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