The Harry Potter Gadget Roundup: who needs a phoenix-feather wand?

The boy wizard has been casting a spell over readers and cinema-goers for ten years now, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will deliver the grande finale this Saturday. So its about time we celebrated the PR wizardry that has resulted in reams of Harry Potter merchandising hitting parents where it hurts... their pockets.

By now you should be prepared for the disappointment when you / they (depending on whether you're pretending you're buying them for your kids or not) realise that a fluffy owl won't deliver post or that the magic wand is, in fact, a stick that the dog would get more use out of. I'm a little disappointed at some of the lack of imagination in Potter gizmos; it's magic, people, think of the possibilities! Still, I dug out some which had an element of geeky goodness. People of an adult disposition should probably back away now.

1. Harry Potter Action Figure With Sound

Complete with a "movie accurate wand" (knobbly plastic stick), this 12" plastic Potter (pictured above) bears a surprisingly good resemblance to the film Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, and even speaks phrases from the film. The poseable figure features Harry in his school uniform which I'm really hoping won't be removable (for that, you should have gone to see Equus, and a therapist). $36.50.

2. Searing Scar Light-up Wand

I was really hoping for something like a humming, buzzing Lightsabre... but all I got was this pointy stick. Still, there's a red laser pointer on it for if you want to re-enact Phone Booth and make people think they're being targetted by distant gunmen, and the tip lights up and everything. Plus, no spell-learning; it's all done by the magic of something they call "buttons". $29.99.

3. Whereabouts Clock

Usually I wouldn't include something in the concept stages in a gadget roundup, but this was potentially much cooler than everything else, so I did. So there. Based on the Weasley family's clock which indicates the whereabouts of each family member, the Whereabouts Clock would use text info to float little images of your family across the clockface; never be late without them knowing again. It's been mooted for over two years now, and is still a Microsoft prototype, but maybe one day it'll be hanging on my kitchen wall where I can ignore it peacefully. If patience is not one of your virtues, you can always go for a novelty Weasley family clock instead.

4. Vibrating Monster Book of Monsters

You pull on a tongue and it vibrates... there's something really unsettling about that sentence, especially with a kiddy toy. Still, it's cute, it's furry and although it's not a recent gadget, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite of both books and films, so it's staying.

5. Sorting Hat

Always wondered which Hogwarts house you'd end up in? I'd be Ravenclaw for sure; best friends with Luna Lovegood, no doubt. You can do the online test and cheat or you can keep your kids / other half amused for, oh, minutes with a talking Sorting Hat. It'll quote the film (presumably the first one, when Daniel Radcliffe was just a gnome with a bowl haircut) and call out the house name for you.