While wearing a different hat many moons ago, we posted a blog entry documenting "10 tips on how to get away with doing nothing at work." Now we find that there's even hardware to help execute that noble mission.

The "StealthSwitch," as seen on Tech Digest, is a foot-operated device that instantly and surreptitiously hides whatever you don't want others to see on your screen as they happen to walk by or barge into your office. "The applications are not just minimized, they are made completely invisible," the manufacturer says, adding that … Read more

If you ride your bike to and from work every day anyway, why not charge your phone at the same time? That's the premise behind this cell phone docking station from Motorola that mounts on top of a bicycle. Let your pedals power up your phone battery phone as you swerve around dodging cars and pedestrians. Not only will you save time, you'll help the environment too. Too bad we can't figure out if this will be available here and at what price, but it's a neat concept all the same. Just don't take any … Read more

There have been many attempts to create a mouse that doubles as a presentation device, borrowing designs ranging from pens to guns and often lacking along the way. But we've never seen one quite like this three-in-one device by a Chinese company called Vavolo. (Sounds like a motor oil company.)

It claims that the gadget is a mouse, a remote, a laser pointer and a keyboard (?)--that's four in one, not three--all housed in a slim design that can fit in a PC card slot for $40. It also looks like a large-button calculator for the sight-impaired, but … Read more

A few months ago, we showcased a YouTube trend of videos that feature cats on treadmills. Well, apparently, treadmills just aren't good enough. The latest cat-gadget videos involve getting the little fellas wet.

Check out this one, for example, of a guy with way too much time on his hands who BUILT A SCUBA SUIT FOR HIS CAT. I am not kidding. On an unrelated note, that is the fattest cat I've ever seen:

And, in the "is this funny or sad?" department, here is the link to a video from a pet store that installed … Read more

Leave it to the Aussies to create wearable technology for all seasons. Most of the wired clothing we've seen has been more appropriate for cooler climes (and looking pretty dorky at times). But summer will be here before we know it, and we don't have a thing to wear.

Koyono, a company from the land Down Under, is catering to the beach set with its "BlackCoat" short-sleeved shirt-jacket. Koyono's Web site doesn't detail the technical specs for its latest offering, but we assume it'll use the same technology as its heavier coats, which … Read more

A lot of us at Crave have small children, and at least some of us aren't ashamed to admit that we rely on portable DVD players in emergency situations (such as drives that last more than an hour). So we were pleased to find that a new handheld player had made its way to the market, MediaStreet's "eMotion."

On closer inspection, however, the player seemed to fall short compared with other models at least in the specs department. Its 3.5-inch screen is smaller than that of a comparable player from Hammacher Schlemmer, for example, which … Read more

Awhile back we ran an item on a pair of camera binoculars that generated a fair amount of interest. In particular, some eagle-eyed readers noticed discrepancies in the specs from Gadget Universe, which led to confusion over its claims that the device had a 5-megapixel camera. Now, the Discovery Channel Store has a similar gadget that also lists a 5-megapixel camera combined with a pair of high-performance binoculars.

There are some resemblances in the designs of the two devices, but we're not sure if they come from the same manufacturer. (How many variations can there be in camera-binocular combos, … Read more

No matter where we travel, stateside or otherwise, we seem to exude tourist nerdism--which means we're an easy mark for pickpockets and con artists. So even after resorting to dorky money belts and the like, we could still use all the help we can get.

That's why we're so grateful to Tokyomango for pointing out this counterfeit bill detector, which uses ultraviolet rays to scan paper currency for authentication. It was introduced in Japan for that country's universally known camera-toting tourists, but we see no reason the technology should be limited to any particular population. If … Read more

--COOL STUFF: iBlinds (YouTube)

--NINTENDO: First Nintendo Wii News Channel tour and screenshots (Gizmodo)

--WEB 2.0: Where's Digg for music? Right here (Webware)

--HISTORY LESSONS:Airstream meets Pac-Man in folding trailer design (Treehugger)

--THE INDUSTRY: Inside the Lucasfilm data center (CNET News.com)

--WEB 2.0: Streaming version of BitTorrent on the way (Monkey Bites)

--SOCIAL NETWORKING: Bebo Minicards launched (Mashable)