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‘Tech It Up’ winners shine spotlight on great gadgets

Stop me if this sounds familiar: You're itching to buy a new tech toy for yourself or loved one, but when you walk into your favourite electronics store you find yourself staring at a sea of products that all seem to look the same.

So, how on earth do you know which one to buy?

This is why Sharon Vinderine started Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA), a Canadian company that sends products out to families for hands-on testing and feedback — and only the cream of the crop get the coveted PTPA seal of approval to put on their packaging. While Toronto-based, PTPA has become popular south of the border -- appearances on the Rachel Ray Show and Fox and Friends probably have something to do with it -- and the company has also branched out to cover more than just parenting products.

In fact, PTPA has recently launched a Geek Tested, Geek Approved seal for premium tech products. Along with sending products out to Canadian and U.S. families, yours truly was also a judge on PTPA's recent "Tech It Up!" campaign.

If you're itching to buy something techy this summer, consider one of the following winners of the Geek Tested, Geek Approved seal from PTPA:

Nokia Lumia 710: Socialites on a budget will love how this Rogers phone — just 1 cent on a 3-year term — keeps them connected when they're on-the-go. The "Metro" user interface pushes information to your home screen's tiles, so you can see what's going on with a quick glance — including new photos updated to Facebook, tweets, emails, voicemail messages, and more. Because it's a Windows Phone, expect familiar apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and even a pocket version of the Internet Explorer browser. Access more than 100,000 apps, a 5-megapixel camera, one-touch image sharing and integrated links to cloud storage.

Norton 360: This is industry's most comprehensive protection to stop digital dangers without sacrificing performance. This 6th generation, $99-a-year all-in-one security suite (for up to three users) provides real-time threat detection to guard against online threats — be it malicious software or inappropriate content for young eyes — along with automated set-it-and-forget-it backup for your precious files. Running quickly and quietly in the background, it also tunes up your computer to keep it running smoothly. All the options and settings can be tweaked to suit your specific needs. In short, it's an excellent choice to keep your family safe.

iRobot Roomba 770: Tackle the mundane household chore of vacuuming the modern way: Put up your feet and let the iRobot Roomba 770 ($524.99) do the dirty work for you. It's packed with technology to ensure a clean floor in your home, free from dust, dirt and pet hair — and works on hardwood floors, carpet, tile and linoleum. Along with going places you can't reach, like under beds and couches, the disc-shaped robotic vacuum also includes sensors to place in doorways of rooms you don't want the Roomba to go, plus it senses drops so it won't fall down stairs.

Tangled: StoryBook Deluxe: Transform your iPad, iPhone or iPod into a dynamic storybook for your kids. They can listen to the narrated story — based on the animated feature film of the same name — or read it on their own, record and playback their own voices, watch the animations and play interactive games and puzzles all tied to the tale. This $6.99 app shines the most on the iPad as it doubles as comfortable ebook reader, ideal for kids to tap n' read on their own or while mom and dad tuck in the little 'uns at bedtime.

The Game of Life zAPPed Edition: Hasbro's The Game of Life zAPPed Edition ($24.99) looks like the regular board game at first glance, but there's a spot in the middle to place an iPad, after you've download the free The Game of Life zAPPed app. Now, up to four players can take turns spinning a virtual wheel on the iPad, travel around the game board in their little car and progress through the "game of life," enhanced by cute animated sequences, sound effects and more than 100 humorous video clips from "America's Funniest Videos" seen on the tablet's 9.7-inch screen.

Sony's Full HD Camcorder with Built-in Projector: Loaded with features, the Sony HDRPJ260V ($629.99) has an unique twist: along with being able to connect the high-def camcorder to a computer or television screen, simply press a button on top of the unit to project the image onto any flat surface — and enjoy your memories at more than 100-inches and ith stereo sound. Splash the top-of-the-line 1080p HD video onto a child's wall, side of a tent or hotel room ceiling. Other specs of this 16GB flash memory camcorder include 30x optical zoom, 3-inch swivel LCD and all kinds of image stabilization.

Olympus Tough TG-820 iHS: If you're the type to use a camera in virtually any environment, all year round, consider the Olympus Tough TG-820 iHS ($299.99), a rugged 3D point-and-shoot camera that's waterproof up to 33 feet, or 10 metres), freezeproof (to -10 degrees Celcius) and drop-proof (up to 6.6 feet). Available in multiple colours, this 12-megapixel Olympus Tough camera features a 5x wide-angle optical zoom lens, shoots HD video and includes a number of integrated art filters to unleash your creativity.

iSport by Monster: Music motivates you on your workouts to train longer and push harder -- but when your earphones are falling out or won't fit with your gear or need a wash, what is an active person to do? Grab the iSport by Monster ($130.99), a pair of super comfortable, in-ear speakers for your next workout. Because they're water proof, it can also handle rain or sweat during your summer runs. Available in blue or yellow, the iSport headphones also have a ControlTalk feature, therefore you can take a call when using your iPhone thanks to a microphone on the cable.

Ooma Telo: Make free calls across Canada with the Ooma Telo ($240.00), a small box that plugs into your high-speed modem or router -- and then you connect any landline or cordless phone. Ideal for those with friends and family who don't live near you — in fact, any Ooma to Ooma call is free anywhere in the world — this product saves you cash while delivering exceptional Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) audio quality. Also included is 911 emergency support and premium services such as call waiting, voicemail and call display.