Wow, is it really Wednesday already? The week sure does go quickly when you don't have to come into work on Monday!

Of course, today being Wednesday means that the day after tomorrow is FRIDAY! And what's the best way to spend a fun Friday evening? Drinking games, of course! Here are 5 of the best (culled from our Party & Drinking department):

Snakes & Staggered

It's the classic board game...but not as you know it! It's still a frantic race to the finish, but this version will have you and your friends truthing, daring, and drinking as you vie for pole position. Oh, and you have shot glasses instead of counters, which should give you an idea of how much alcohol you'll be imbibing.

How many can play? 2-6

Drunken Jenga

Yep, it's another treasured game from your childhood that you'll never be able to look at in the same way again. We all know how to play Jenga: take it in turns to remove a block from the tower and place it on top without knocking the whole thing over and making a muppet of yourself. You obviously have to drink if you're the one who fells the tower, but you'll notice that each brick comes with a drinking challenge printed on it, so the clumsy oaf at the end won't be the only one who's trollied!

How many can play? 2-4

Six Shot Roulette

Most casinos would kick you out if you started playing drinking games at the roulette table. Fortunately, this handy home version of the standard black 'n' red wheel means that you don't even have to go to a casino! Place your bets, but be prepared to drink the consequences if your number doesn't come up...

How many can play? There's no limit, really, although it only comes with six shot glasses.

Drinking Table Football

If you're still having World Cup withdrawal, why not grab this nifty foosball table and add alcohol withdrawal to your list of problems? Each goal has a small shot glass rack behind it - if your opponent gets the ball in your net, well, it's pretty obvious what you have to do.

How many can play? 2

Tic Tac Shot

Even noughts and crosses has been turned into a drinking game! There are loads of different ways to play this one - you'll notice that the Xs and Os are printed on shot glasses, and what you make of that is entirely up to you. Loser drinks winner's shots? Do a shot to place that glass on the board? Do a shot to remove that glass from the board? It's your call!

How many can play? 2, although you could probably play in teams if you've got more people to accommodate.

Gadget Inspector promotes responsible drinking. Visit drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

Summer's almost over, and so is our massive REMOTE CONTROL TOY SALE! In case you've forgotten, allow us to refresh your memory...

• Everything in our Remote Control department is AT LEAST 25% off!
  
  
• Some items have seen even BIGGER reductions (more than 40% off, in some cases!)
  
  
• But! Sales can't last forever - that's what makes them so special - so be sure to act now and get your awesome new RC toy while it's not too expensive!

Most of us leave the shopping 'til December, but we're wondering how much stress an early start could prevent...

We know, we know - it's August, the kids don't even go back to school for another few weeks, and the last thing you want to think about is bloody Christmas.

But while you've been enjoying the summer sunshine (or lamenting the lack thereof), some folk have been making premature plans for that magical day in December. Hamleys were trying to forecast the top toys of Christmas 2014 all the way back in June, and a quick Twitter search for the word 'Christmas' reveals that hundreds of people are already having visions of sugar-plums:

You can almost forgive Hamleys for getting into the Christmas spirit a little too soon - they're a huge toy retailer, after all, and forward pla nning is important for businesses like that. But what about these kooks on Twitter? Are they merely Yule-crazed anomalies, or should we all start worrying about Christmas at the height of summer?

Well, August may be a little too early, but a surprising number of people seem to think that it’s perfectly acceptable to start one’s festive preparations months in advance. According to a 2013 article from the North Devon Journal, more than ONE THIRD of people in England have started their Christmas shopping by the end of September – most folk haven’t even started planning their Halloween parties by that point!

Still, perhaps those people are on to something. Here are three reasons to give yourself a head-start on the Christmas shopping this year:

1. It's cheaper

A lot of retailers see Christmastime as an opportunity to jack up their prices. If Santa is supposed to be coming down the chimney in a matter of days – and your children are counting on him to deliver something specific – then you can’t really afford to worry about price tags.

If, on the other hand, you start your shopping in September/October, you’ll have a lot more freedom to shop around, and you may even beat the aforementioned Yuletide price spike. This will leave you with more money for food and other Christmas expenses.

2. It's less stressful

Some people love hitting the high street just before Christmas, but these people are in a minority – most sensible folk would rather not get trampled half to death by a horde of desperate last-minute shoppers, or spend two hours in a queue at their local HMV.

And yet, as much as we all despise the Christmas crowds, few of us actually bother to avoid them. This year, why not buy your presents before December and beat the inevitable throngs?

3. You're more likely to find the right gift

Allow us to paint you a picture: Christmas is coming, there’s a new video game coming out, and little Billy/Sally simply has to have it – no substitutes are acceptable. So you pop into Game on December the 21st and – surprise, surprise – they’ve sold out.

Allow us to paint you a second picture. You’re in town a couple of days before Christmas, doing a spot of last-minute gift-buying. Little Billy/Sally hasn’t actually told you what they want to see under the tree on the 25th. You’re completely on your own, and you’ll probably end up panic-buying something that they won’t even like.

In either scenario, you’ll end up wishing that you’d been more prepared. Getting an early start on your Christmas shopping gives you more time to think up decent gift ideas, and it gives you a far greater chance of picking up that one must-have.

Nobody’s suggesting that you should go out and get your Christmas shopping done now, in the middle of summer. Heck, that approach could backfire big-time when, in November, your child/partner/distant relative says ‘Hey, y’know what I really fancy for Christmas?’ and you’re forced to say ‘Sorry, sweetheart, I already bought your present back in August. You’re getting Lego’.

But it’s never too early to start planning. Ask your nearest and dearest what they think they might like come December, and if they do have something particular in mind, get it now and save yourself a lot of stress later on.

If you do want to start your Christmas shopping ASAP, pop over to the Gadget Inspector homepage now and fill yer boots!

Image Credit: Alejandro Erickson

We know, we know. We only just showed you a bunch of cool new stuff - surely we can't deliver the goods again so quickly?

O ye of little faith. We're always adding awesome new products to the Gadget Inspector catalogue, and we wouldn't want to leave you in the dark, so here are some more of our latest additions...

Drinking Jenga

Everybody loves Jenga, and everybody loves drinking, so this game is a match made in heaven. Each brick has an instruction (usually drink-related) for the player to follow, and obviously, the person who knocks the tower down earns himself a nice big forfeit.

Photobox: Retro Camera Tin

The Photobox would make a great gift for any photography nut. It's a handy storage tin that can be used for just about anything, although its most obvious function is as a place to put your favourite photos.

Drinking Golf

We'll end on another drinking game, because it's Wednesday morning and we're looking forward to the weekend. This miniature putting green comes with six shot glasses - score a hole in one and make your opponent drink!

Last Thursday (14 August), a nation held its breath as thousands of envelopes were opened and thousands of sixth formers discovered just how well they'd done in their A-levels. There was far more than pride at stake that morning; university places were on the line, and only a decent stack of grades would guarantee students a spot in the uni of their choice.

So...how did you do? Did you get the results you needed? If so, congratulations - you're off to university! Term doesn't start until September (and even later for some courses), but it's never too early to stock up on the essential bits and pieces that no self-respecting university student should be without. Obviously, you'll need your textbooks and your stationery and your eating utensils, but let's not be coy here - the most important part of one's first year at university begins with an 'A' and ends with you passed out on the floor of your communal kitchen.

That's right - it's alcohol! Very few freshers complete the first year without enjoying a few drinks along the way, and so we heartily recommend that you check out our Party Essentials section and stock up on drinking accessories before you head off to uni! Good luck!