Light my fire.

• Position: What's new? Holiday gifts galore - Fire Bowl from American DJ - Brief Article - Product/Service Evaluation

* Not that the yuletide season triggers any sad memories for us as kids growing up, but we always bemoaned--to ourselves, of course--the lack of a fireplace in our house. Somehow, those cardboard Santa versions (and even watching the TV yule log on Christmas Eve) just didn't do the trick. American DJ, Los Angeles, apparently knows just what we mean because its Fire Bowl ($119.99) looks more like real flames than even an actual blaze does. If you don't believe us, just set one up and then dare your holiday guests to put their hand or finger inside the bowl to test the authenticity of the reddish orange-and-blue flames.

The secret to the Fire Bowl, which gives off zero heat, is high-tech Halogen lamps and a fan positioned inside the curved bowl base. The fan blows thin strips of white fabric in a dancing motion over the base. When the red/orange and blue light from the lamps...