It's roundup time again, and this week's crop of new launches actually has some personality. CNN Underscored went through their favorite product launches of the week, and a few of these caught my eye for reasons that might surprise you.

First up, Technics, because I have a soft spot for anything with a heritage brand name on it. Growing up, Technics turntables were a fixture in plenty of living rooms, my family's included. I can't tell you yet how this week's launch stacks up, since I haven't gotten my hands on it, but a brand with that kind of history showing up in a modern roundup? That gets my attention.

The Pokémon launch is the one my granddaughter Jess will hear about first. She keeps me honest about what's actually cool versus what companies think is cool, and Pokémon merch lives right on that line. In my experience licensed products can go either way, cheap cash-in or genuinely delightful, so I'll be curious which side of the fence this one lands on once it's in people's hands.

And then there's HexClad. Cookware isn't usually my beat, but it showed up in the roundup alongside the tech, and I can see why it turns heads. To my mind, pans live in the same neighborhood as smart home gadgets: some earn their spot on your counter and some are all sizzle. If a pan heats evenly and cleans up easy it's solving an actual problem, which puts it miles ahead of gadgets that exist purely to be connected to an app. I haven't tested this one myself, so I'll be watching the hands-on reviews to see if it delivers.

The full roundup is worth a browse if you like keeping tabs on what's new. I always say technology should work for you, not the other way around, and I'd extend that philosophy to just about anything you bring into your kitchen.

I'll keep an eye on hands-on reviews as these roll out. Heritage audio gear, licensed collectibles, and cookware are three very different bets, and at least one of them is probably going to end up on my holiday list... though I won't say which, because Jess reads this.