For the last couple of weeks, there’s been no shortage of stories in the news about “what’s hot” in the gift arena. But who’s deciding? Who says industry forecasts and retailer decisions reflect what your loved ones would actually like to receive this year? A peek into Amazon’s innards offers first-hand knowledge on that front, since the site allows users to put wish lists online for all — at least family, friends and Amazon programmers — to see. Visiting the retailer’s “most wishlisted” page can sometimes offer a skewed vision, as it usually reflects a single day’s activity; as of this writing, for instance, the list suggests that there are more women who want size 10 boots than a one-size-fits-all cashmere shawl. But Amazon recently tallied results through the first half of the shopping season to offer this year’s greatest hits. In the toy department, familiar brands like Star Wars and Barbie are joined by neat-o newbies like the Jakks EyeClops ($49.99), a microscope that plugs directly into your television so everyone in the room can see what the carpet looks like at 200x magnification. Anyone could guess that iPods and GPS would dominate the Electronics department, but the list is helpful in gauging, say, what brands are most desirable when it comes to digital cameras or flat-panel TVs. (In the digicam department, Canon rules the roost on both ends, from the pocket-sized PowerShot SD800 at $349.99 to the more nearly pro-level Digital Rebel XTi, which currently lists for $599.) TV addicts will duly note that The Sopranos ($99.98 for the latest DVD release) have whacked the competition, while Apple’s latest operating system ($129) is out-wishlisting its rival, surely thanks to those “Mac vs. PC” ads. Meanwhile, it’s anyone’s guess in the Home & Garden and Home Improvement categories, where such familiar brands as KitchenAid and Black & Decker dominate but no single kind of item stands out. Lest all these brand-and-model rankings drain the magic from the holidays, your local post office may be a participant in a loose-knit “Operation Santa Claus” that helps citizens reply to the many letters each year that get sent to the “North Pole.” Chances are the lists you find there will be a bit less commercial than those compiled by the web’s largest retailer.