Crave

Now this is hitting a bit too close to home. Some of us here at Crave have long been cigar smokers (before it became fashionable), and we have an appreciation for lighters, cutters and other accoutrements from S.T. Dupont. But a USB stick?

Granted, as these things go, Dupont's memory drive has one of the more attractive designs with an updated version of its signature diamond-head pattern and made of palladium, as are its smoking accessories. But still. It's enough to make one switch over to Dunhill.

A lot of companies want to sew their technology into the fabric of luggage or clothing, trying to make it as unobstrusive as possible. Not Lifepod. Its "Beat Generation" line of bags, backpacks and cases does just the opposite, as you can see Tech Digest and its Web site: Lifepod's line trumpets--blasts, actually--its technology in the form of its sound system, both visually and aurally, with big speakers and other equipment mounted unapologetically on the sides of retro-style products done in psychedelic, disco and bowling themes (our personal favorite). If they can figure out how to play … Read more

I got a chance to play around with OQO's new baby, the Model 02, at last night's SF Tech Sessions meet-up, and boy, is this gadget hot. Well, sort of. It was surprisingly not that hot considering it was smaller than a paperback book and running Windows Vista.

The Model 02 was announced a couple of weeks ago at CES, and the upgrades from the Model 01 are noticeable, especially the scroll sensor on the bottom right of the display, which makes browsing large Web pages like Crave a breeze. Its 800x480-pixel screen can handle a fair amount … Read more

Recently, we rounded up some of the most overhyped cell phones to date, and we don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that the Apple iPhone might be headed that way. Yet amidst all the serious debate about whether the iPhone is a rip-off or a force to be reckoned with, there's still a little fun to had. BBSpot has a humorous little spoof of a showdown between the iPhone and the Palm Treo, noting upfront that "We haven't had our hands on either device, but that hasn't stopped us from … Read more

Need to find info on anything radio related? Check out Radio-Locator. The site offers a searchable database of AM and FM radio stations around the U.S. (and the world, in fact). You can search by ZIP code (most useful) or state, or look up specific stations by their call letters. If you search by ZIP code, you'll get a list of all the stations that should be accessible in your area, along with distances and signal strengths and hyperdetailed information on the stations themselves (the owner's address and phone number, FCC license info, programming genre, transmitter location … Read more

When I talk about niches of the "new Internet" that are pretty much totally saturated, usually I mention social networking sites or online video portals. Here's another one: Photo sharing! I'm inherently going to be pretty skeptical of any start-up that comes around and decides to take on the Flickrs and Photobuckets of the world. In order for me to be optimistic about a new photo-sharing site, it's going to have to offer something really new. The subject of this post, Radar, thankfully does. It's designed specifically for swapping camera-phone photos around with your … Read more

Venturi, a French company that bills itself as "The Carbon Neutral Company," has a new electric vehicle that can also be powered by nature.

Whenever I see cars like this, my first thought is always...OK, how fast does it go? Politics aside, no one wants to be the guy in the Trabant.

The answer for the Venturi Eclectic is not that fast, but not that bad for what it is. It tops out at 31 mph.

As with the Tamarack Lake Engine Company's solar-electric pontoon boat, recreational vehicles like these seem to be more about making … Read more

I returned recently from a trip to Hong Kong and found a cell phone lover's paradise just waiting to be explored. Cell phone shops line almost every street, and no, I'm not talking about stuffy carrier stores with a limited selection of only what they want to sell. Rather, I'm referring to full-fledged gadget shops with an untold selection of manufacturers and models, many of which I'd never seen in the flesh. It goes without saying that the offerings are light years ahead of what we get in the United States, but also the entire cell … Read more

No, it's not a new boat being featured in Spider-Man 3.

The Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V) is a new boat made by Marine Advance Research that was unveiled at a press event in San Francisco on Thursday.

The WAM-V is essentially a modular catamaran that can be configured in different ways depending on your needs of use. Two engine "pods" separated from the main hulls can be switched out as well, depending on your engine needs. It can hold inboard or outboard motors, propellers or jets, diesel or gas.

Its hulls conform to the surface shape … Read more