Crave

Because it costs less, that's why. If you're the type of rugged individualist who builds computers from scratch (well, almost), then you know that shipping can be the difference between a bargain and a waste of time. So Aopen Asia is making tower cases that fold up and save space, resulting in lower packing and shipping costs, according to OhGizmo. This way, the company says it can fit twice as many cases in a standard shipping container. There are no guarantees, of course, that the savings will be passed along to the consumer. (We can be so cynical … Read more

Some of us at Crave are known for our obsessions (we like to call them "quirks"), among them gadget security and, specifically phone safety. So we're compelled to mention a new mobile phone from Willcom, even though it will be available only in Japan for the time being. This model, brilliantly named the "WX321J," has a fingerprint scanner that doesn't require direct contact: Its authentication system uses radio waves instead, to avoid moisture and other possible interference. Other than that, Slashphone says the features are pretty standard. But we can't get past the … Read more

Karl Lagerfeld isn't the only fashion designer in the world, despite what he might think. And the iPod isn't the only gadget worthy of Seventh Avenue's attention.

Gucci proved both points with its BlackBerry case in oh-so-precious "Guccisima" leather--which, according to Shiny Shiny, may translate roughly to "by giving it a pretentious name we're able to charge more for it."

We may have been fantasizing about beaches in the South Pacific but, alas, today's freezing winds have jolted us out of our dreams. So before we shake the mothballs off our Tommy Bahama shirts, it might be more prudent to look into these "JVC Earwarmer" headphones. "Rock retro-chic with the big headphones that all the cool kids are wearing," as Shiny Shiny says. Right, that's us. We'll be secretly playing the Beach Boys.

If there's one technology that continues to remind us of the bad old days of dial-up modems, it's Webcams. The grainy transmissions often look only slightly better than night-vision camera images of a decade ago--especially if you try their useless digital zooms. But riding to the rescue is Hanwha's "Digital Cowboy" (with a name like this, it has to be Japanese). Its new offering, the DC-NCP130, is essentially a 1.3-megapixel telephoto Webcam with a removable 7x optical zoom that connects to your computer's USB port, according to CNET Asia. The camera is going … Read more

Next to the mythical Internet toaster, one of the most parodied digital appliances has been the wired refrigerator. But that's precisely what this item is about--a wireless one, actually--and it comes from a decidedly un-dot-com brand: Whirlpool.

Gearlog says the "Centralpark Connection" can control MP3 devices, DVD players, cell phones, digital photo albums and other gadgetry from a hub built into its door. Why the fridge? Because, as anyone in the housing industry will tell you, the kitchen has increasingly become the focal point for entertaining and family gathering alike, especially in newer homes. That means you, … Read more

Not that we're paranoid or anything (OK, so we are), but why are there so many surveillance robots on the market? We're not talking about the kind used by the military or law enforcement, but ordinary ones that roam around the house with wireless Webcams that can beam video anywhere within range. Even kids' toys are spying on us.

The latest is "Spyke" from France-based Meccano. Not only does this one have a Wi-Fi connection and Webcam, but it can also be used with Skype's latest VoIP software in performing its spy-botic duties, according to … Read more

High-end home designers may be trying to on cash in on the flat-TV trend but, as plasmas and LCDs become increasingly common, so too will their furnishings. Witness the "rotating TV wall" featured on Gadget Review, which is available not from an Italian design house but from Costco.

Yes, it does cost $3,600, but think of it this way--you're adding a room to your home (sort of). Anyway, while you're shopping for it, you can at least gorge on the free samples.

No, we don't know why someone would want to outfit a motorcycle with a monster truck engine, but that's not important. There are even larger questions in life, such as why anyone would want to build a 31-foot motorbike. (Crave tends to ponder existential questions on the weekend.)

Regardless of the reasons, the two-wheeled "Rapom" is equipped with an 8.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, according to Spluch. Its Dr. Frankstein wannabe creator says the bike was the unholy offspring of "the unusual marriage of convenience and nativete."