Crave

Japan may have robots that can clean and tend to hospital patients, but German scientists are working on a model that can do both.

In addition to mopping floors, the "Nursebot" can reportedly take a patient's temperature with laser beams and thermal camera imaging. And, as Technie Diva says, "this means no more rectal temperature-taking treatment for you."

The Nursebot is scheduled for 2010, but we're looking for ways to donate contributions to speed its release.

It may not seem like it, but winter will end someday. And when it does, you'll wish you'd gotten an "Ultimate Outdoor Theater." Cal Spas, a hot tub manufacturer that's almost synonymous with the California lifestyle, has taken a giant leap into the upscale realm with this all-in-one system. And we do mean all in one. In addition to an anti-fog, anti-glare 63-inch LCD television, surround sound, a DVD player, iPod docking station and satellite radio receiver, BornRich says the setup includes a five-burner grill, wet bar, weather-proof recliners and two fire pits--with everything built … Read more

As the Tamagotchi enters its teens, manufacturer Bandai seems to have finally realized that it needs to figure out the next step in its virtual life strategy. And it's decided to takes its concept to the people--literally.

Enter the "Human Player." Rather than focus on the creation and sustenance of make-believe pets, the Human Player's goal is to create an "on-screen mini-you" by administering a 50-question test that yields 22 personality traits, according to Gearfuse.

You can then interact with other virtual souls, going so far as to venture into other people's digital … Read more

iPod cases have become such a commodity that we can't even say they're a dime a dozen anymore--that almost seems too high. (Unless we're talking about an iPod trunk, though that's a different story.)

But we had a soft spot for this one, as it brought back old memories from junior high and our first stereo. 45 iPod Cases is an outfit that recycles old 45-rpm records and brings them into the digital age to adorn the iconic music players of the 21st century. Outblush says the cases are fashioned from plexiglass, cork and felt, in … Read more

It's not often you see a digital camera with resolution well under 1 megapixel anymore, but you don't often see any this thin either. The aptly named "Credit Card Digital Camera" is less than one-fifth of an inch thick and can easily slip into your shirt pocket. MobileWhack says the ultra-slim camera can store 26 1280x960 images on 8MB of built-in memory, record 40 seconds of video and even be used as a Webcam through its USB connection. And at $40, it's almost cheap enough to fall into the "disposable" category.

After seeing more than our share of watches and clocks that make no sense, we're glad to cite one that we can actually read--in several time zones at once, no less.

The "World Time Clock" displays the time in 22 cities around the world in red LEDs, according to Uber-Review. The $264 price tag may be a bit steep for what it does, but the retro design--red LEDs against a black-and-gray world map--give it kind of a Dr. Strangelove feel for those times when you want to play Cold War.

If there's one piece of computer equipment that is meant to survive extreme conditions, it's the USB drive. We've seen models that are shockproof, waterproof and weatherproof, so it's not surprising that the U.S. military would come up with one that's nuke-proof too.

R&D Electronics says its "IronDrive" has been "tested for high temperature, shock, vibration, caustic agents, submersion, EMI, and nuclear stresses," making it "the ideal USB drive for harsh military and commercial environments." As Everything USB notes, the chunky drive looks as if it … Read more

We at Crave aren't just about shiny, superficial gadgets--we care about superficial issues of personal appearance as well. Recently, for example, we highlighted a zit-zapping treatment for some of the younger readers of this blog. Now, for the other end of the age spectrum, we offer another public service announcement for the "HairMax LaserComb."

This device, which looks sort of like a curling iron for an Anakin princess, is designed to regenerate and thicken your hair using laser energy. Don't laugh: Medgadget says it's even gotten FDA approval.

This is scientific stuff, people. HairMax … Read more

Sometimes, when parental fogyism gets the better of us, we just have to ask why. Why, for example, would you want to encourage a child to learn text messaging before they need to? Won't they be retreating to their secluded corners with device in hand soon enough?

Mattel apparently wants to accelerate adolescent isolation by introducing the $65 "IM-Me," kind of a training-wheels version of a texting phone or SMS device that we spotted on Gadgets Weblog. About the only good thing we can see is that it doesn't require a two-year contract, working instead only … Read more