Crave

Oodles of cases from Speck

Every day is like Christmas around here: it seems I'm always opening a package or three. This does somewhat take the shine off of the actual holiday, but I can't pretend it's not fun trying to guess what's in each nondescript box. Imagine my suprise at opening one such oversized package from Speck products and discovering that rather than a correspondingly large product, the box contained many, many small ones. Cases, to be exact. Lots of them. Indeed, it appears that Speck has created a protective sleeve for every variety of mobile gadget. This is, of … Read more

Helio gets in on mobile music

Gizmodo reports that Helio has just announced a new over-the-air music download service a la the music stores inspired by the Sprint Music Store and Verizon's V Cast Music. Despite its ties to Sprint (Helio is a virtual carrier operating on Sprint's EV-DO network), its music store model actually mirrors that of V Cast Music. Like its competitor, Helio will offer songs for PC download for 99 cents, which you can sideload to your phone later, or you can download a song over-the-air for $1.99 and have a copy of it ready to download to your home … Read more

Desk + Mini = Mini Desk

I'm guessing this contraption is geared toward the burgeoning demographic of well-moneyed executives who loved their race car-shaped beds when they were kids and still haven't gotten over their affinities for automorphic furniture. This little gem of a desk is shaped just like a Mini, although the dimensions of the desk actually look more spacious than those of the pint-sized novelty car that inspired it. There's even a stereo in the "dashboard."

You can customize just about everything: desk top, color, tires, and license plates. For that last one, I recommend "CORPRT HO."… Read more

A quieter, gentler Xbox 360

Xbox 360s might be getting a bit more quiet. According to the Xbox-scene.com forum, Microsoft has started putting new DVD drives in its Xbox 360s. The forum says that Microsoft is now using BenQ-LiteOn-Phillips VAD6038 optical drives in new 360s, rather than the Toshiba-Samsung and Hitachi-LG drives the consoles previously used.

This new drive might mean quieter gameplay on the 360. Many gamers had complaints that first-run Xbox 360s were uncomfortably loud, and this new optical drive could fix that.

Fears of a clown

Final Fantasy 6 Advance shipped yesterday, but it actually will be hitting stores today. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, or who started with Final Fantasy 7 on the PlayStation, FF6 (FF3M when it was released in America on the Super Nintendo) was one of the greatest entries in the entire Final Fantasy series. It had complex game mechanics that made each character uniquely useful, a truly epic story, and some of the best graphics a 16-bit system could produce.

Most importantly, Final Fantasy 6 had Kefka. Sephiroth might be popular because of his huge sword and pretty … Read more

Mii madness goes to 'The Office'

There have been plenty of sites out there showcasing how to make Miis, the little avatars for Nintendo's Wii games, for various celebrities, even turning them into Coen Brothers-inspired machinima (Miichinima?) with a re-enactment of a scene from The Big Lebowski. Now it's gone a step further into the pop-culture realm, as I learned on Best Week Ever that someone with way too much time on his/her hands has created a Flickr gallery of Miis for most of the cast members of NBC's "The Office."

CHALLENGE: First person to make an "I'm … Read more

Chic wooden radiator saves energy, water

All eco-values aside, I'd drool over this radiator if it had the consumption levels of a Hummer. Why? Because it's pretty. When you're used to noisy old apartment-building radiators that frequently squirt water all over the floor, a good-looking one is like high art. But it gets even better. The Energy-Saver radiators from Belgian company Jaga, as featured on Treehugger, use 12 percent of a traditional radiator's energy and 10 percent of the water. It's not cheap--in the UK, it'll cost you the equivalent of just under $400 USD--but your energy bill will probably … Read more

Hello, I'm calling Hello Kitty

If you're concerned about buying Apple's iPhone because it won't adequately express your deep love for all things Hello Kitty (I'm talking 'bout you, Mike), fear not. You can just get Hello Kitty Mobile! It's got the same $600 price tag as the iPhone, and I bet it's way way way more functional. Plus, um, it's pink. And it's Hello Kitty. In case you haven't figure it out, we really heart Hello Kitty around these parts.

You can buy it at the fabulously kawaii DreamKitty.com.

(Via Wonderland.)

So much wine, so little time...keep track of it with this

OK, so, you guys all seem to like the booze gadgetry. Here on Crave we've featured solutions for measuring wine temperature, making sure you don't drink too much, and even making one's own wine, but we've never addressed the oenophile's true problem. How do you keep track of all your pinots, shirazes, chardonnays, and what-have-yous? I mean, you really need to maintain a close watch on that stuff. You never know when the neighbors' kids will sneak in and nab a few bottles.

That's what the eSommelier is for. For just $8,000--I mean, … Read more