Crave

If there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's that we all need a better way to charge the multiplying electronic devices that run our lives. One of the more anticipated technologies in this department, for example, has been the "WildCharger" wireless recharging pad. Herman Miller, the office furnishing designer extraordinaire that gave us the "Aeron" chair, has apparently a concept similar to the WildCharger's and plans to use it in future desks.

The company has licensed a system called "eCoupled," which uses a magnetic field that can theoretically charge cell phones, … Read more

So much for playing Mozart to your unborn child. Instead, some companies are trying to introduce babies to music with MP3 players designed for the crib. The trend has resulted in partnerships such as one between Creative Technology, maker of the "Zen," and Playskool, maker of "Mr. Potato Head" (and countless other toys). TG Daily says the two companies have joined forces to market such products as the "Made for Me" line of MP3 players, which come preloaded with songs for babies that can be replaced as they get older. We, however, will draw … Read more

In my opinion, the Happy Fish Speakers don't actually look anything like fish--more like trilobites turned on their side. But I digress. These inexpensive ($16) USB-powered speakers, sold by Hong Kong manufacturer Brando (also known for the Wii Sports Pack), contain LEDs that will cycle through a range of colors. We've seen plenty of animal-shaped speakers, from pigs to my beloved penguins, but these are a tad more abstract. Kind of late-'90s-iMac-ish, actually.

Personally, I think it could grow a tad annoying to have something like this flashing its multicolored lights next to my computer all the … Read more

Pentax announced two new 7-megapixel digital cameras for the spring, the Optio T30 and M30. The high-end T30 sports a 3-inch touch screen as its biggest feature, while the more conventional M30's appeal is in its solid feature set and much smaller price tag.

The Optio T30's touch-screen LCD functions much like the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50's, with most settings and features accessible through the touch screen's menus instead of buttons. It also includes a basic paint mode, for editing and drawing on images in the camera itself. Besides the touch screen, the T30 includes face-recognition … Read more

Don't worry, you won't smell anything unsavory when watching this video, I promise. Somehow, we're still not sick of talking about gadgets after being at CES 2007 in Las Vegas--in fact, we've returned with a whole new appreciation for the weird and random! I'm joined this week by Ariel Nuñez of Gadgettes fame. Here are the links:

Oh, and yes, I'… Read more

The age of the digital kitchen has arrived. Not only are "smart" appliances finally making their way into homes (and not just Tomorrowland exhibits at Disneyland), but they're multitasking as well.

Take, for example, the "Intelligent Oven" by TMIO: It can refrigerate and cook in the same space, which can be controlled over the Internet or cell phone. And lest you think all this is some cheap parlor trick, Gizmodo says the uber-oven employs "NASA-based command and control engineering," as well as "green" technologies developed by the space agency. If you'… Read more

If the YOUniverse Funk Fone phone had been around in the late '70s, all of us Saturday Night Fever groupies would have been pleased to the max! Well, better late than never, we suppose.

This clunky, disco-shoe-shaped phone operates as a normal telephone, with flashing lights and three disco ring tones for a little Donna Summer flair. It measures 6.4 inches by 4 inches by 9.4 inches, goes for $19.99 and might just make the little disco diva in your life bust into the Hustle. Disco ball and polyester jumpsuit not included.

(Source: Chip Chicklets)

How many times have you been in a foreign country--or even your local Chinatown--and wished you had an expert translator on hand? Travel dictionaries take too long to flip through; by the time you've figured out how to order those sweet-and-crispy fried plantains (what Cubans call platanos maduros and Puerto Ricans call amarillos), the waiter has drifted off to the next table.

Enter the next best thing to a brilliantly multilingual best friend: Franklin Electronic Publishers' Speaking Global Translator, a handheld gadget that packs in more than 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases in 12 languages: Mandarin, Dutch, … Read more

This behemoth by truck maker Oshkosh uses electric motors to drive all eight wheels, a diesel engine and generator to make electricity, and ultracapacitors for quick energy storage and release. AutoblogGreen reports that several of these trucks, dubbed HEMTT A3, will be tested at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds by the Army. While the truck is technically a hybrid, Oshkosh calls the drive system ProPulse. But the use of electric motors to drive the wheels means the electricity could come from any adequate source. The system uses less fuel than a straight diesel drivetrain because the diesel engine can run at … Read more