Firebox Top 10 lists go live, we go hands-on with our favourites

With one eye (or rather both greedy eyes) on the lucrative Christmas market, online retailer of all things cool, retro, tech, geek and other such random categories, Firebox, have for the first time announced a number of Top 10s for a number of different genres.

And to celebrate the Top 10s, which have just gone live on the site, Pocket-lint went down to Firebox Towers to take a look-see at what it thought was the hottest products on offer were. And here's what tickled our fancy, our own Firebox Top 10 if you will.....

Darth Vader Lego Minifigure Alarm Clock

Who wouldn't want to be woken up everyday by the evil Lord himself, complete with a glowing red belly. This is an officially licensed Star Wars product (a Stormtrooper model is available too) and the LCD clock is made brighter simply by pushing Anakin's head down.

Lego and Star Wars, it's like geek heaven.

Camera Lens Mug

It's the simplicity that we love. Why wouldn't you want to drink your tea or coffee (other hot drinks are available) out of a replica 28-135mm camera lens shell?

We particularly like the fact that the lens cover doubles up as a lid to keep your drink warm and prevent spillages. It'll also stop your brew getting scratched too, of course.

Pocket Smart String

Measuring stuff is a chore but as most teenage boys will tell you - sometimes it's a necessity. And whilst the humble tape measure sits proudly, and unrivalled, in the DIY measuring game there's a new kid in town.

A kid that looks a bit like a 1980s calculator. Complete with spirit level for accuracy, the Smart String also allows you to measure 3D objects (such as your head) with ease, displaying the measurement clearly on the LCD screen.

Arctic Force Snowball Blaster

If we get the same amount of snow as we did last winter then expect three things to happen.

1. Bill Turnbull will go all Alan Partridge when commenting on mobile phone footage BBC Breakfast plays of people having fun in the snow.

2. There will be complaints about the UK's lack of salt.

3. Pocket-lint will, once again, be bullied by the local yoofs and their carefully constructed snowballs.

There's not a lot we can do about points 1 and 2 but we can fight back when it comes to number 3 with this bad boy. Not only will it stop you getting cold hands, it'll also fire your snow based bullets over 30m. A warning to the local Cub Scouts then - this year, we're ready.

Alien Invader Multitool

In terms of the hi-tech gadgetry that we feature here on Pocket-lint this Space Invaders multi-tool doesn't place too highly on the list. It doesn't have a whopping quad-core processor, there's no on board storage, no cutting edge display technology, and it won't talk wirelessly to your TV.

In fact, all it can offer is the choice of a flat-head or Philips screwdriver. Oh, and it can open bottles too.

But you cannot argue that it doesn't look awesome, and we doubt that there's a geek out there who wouldn't love to have it hanging with their keys.

Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera

The Polaroid Z340 has been designed to combine digital photography with instant printing in one handy product. It's a 14-megapixel camera sporting the classic Polaroid styling, with the rather large chassis sporting a decidedly nostalgic look.

Digital photos can be taken using the pop-up 2.7-inch LCD screen which can then also be used to review your snaps and there's also a 4x digital zoom on board. Pictures can be cropped and edited on the Z340 before being stored on SD card or printed directly from the camera.

The built-in printer uses Zink paper which comprises three layers of dye crystals that are activated by heat to produce the image, so there's no need for any pesky printer cartridges. Once printed, the pictures are designed to be water resistant, smudge proof and tear proof.

Kuchi-Paku Polar Bear Animal Speaker

Adorable little teddy bears aimed at young lovers are ten to the penny. Adorable little teddy bears that will sing and dance along to your digital music, or represent your talking self on a Skype call, are a bit rarer.

But that's exactly what you get with the Kuchi-Paku range. It lip syncs along with any MP3 player that is plugged into it, or can simply react (as if it were talking) when set to microphone mode. Tipped by Firebox to be a "global craze in the making" - we think it might be right.

Looxcie II

One for kids who know what sick means when it doesn't involve colourful coughing, the Looxcie II is a lightweight camera (22g) that is capable of shooting 480p video action.

It hooks to the user's ear and packs 4GB of storage meaning that you'll be able to shoot 90 minutes of footage. Plus, it links up with an iOS and Android app - making your smartphone a real time viewer for all of the action.

It also has Bluetooth headset capabilities and packs a 4 hour battery life. Not bad for less than £150.

Boogie Board Rip

We've seen similar paperless LCD tablets before, but the Boogie Board Rip is probably the pick of the bunch and a genuine contender to the Etch-a-Sketch's gadget scribbling crown.

The LCD display reacts with the supplied stylus and any sketches or doodles that you do want to keep can be saved and viewed as PDF files on your computer. The device itself has enough space to save around 100 pages although you can transfer your work (and charge too) using the USB cable.