Yes, these are a new product. The bags are still zipper type and the pump is a small hand held device. There is a hole on the bags with a little plastic valve in them that helps to hold the vacuum once you pull out the air and remove the pump. I think the setup is either Glad or Ziplock. There have been recent TV commericals on them. I would expect that the bags are not as heavy (thick) as the Food Saver types, and may be a bit more expensive than a plain zipper type plastic bags, due to the added hole/valve combination. I have even suggested that Food Saver offer a premade bag with an attached zipper on it, and a fully opened opposite end, where you put in the food and pull out the air and then seal. To open, the zipper is how it would be done, and once you remove some of the item inside, you could reseal it, but not to the same original vacuum however.

A cheapo plastic straw and a regular ziplock freezer bag works well. ;) Not as good as a Foodsaver system but zipping the bag closed except for a small opening for the straw and then sucking on the straw till all the air is out gives you quite a good vacuum seal....and it's cheap. ;)

Dave

Submerging the bag (except for a corner of the ziploc part) in water works OK too.

Dave, My dad taught me that straw trick; I always think of him when I use it. (Making patties out of cheap bulk packs of hamburger meat and freezing them was one of his few regular kitchen jobs when I was growing up. Now my folks are both retired, mind you, HE is the main cook in the house.)

Z