Crave

No offense intended to the wordsmiths in our midst, but photos are the only thing we really worry about losing when our hard drives crash. (We always keep hard copies of our resumes--you never know.) So this hyperdrive from SavitMicro, which Akihabara News says is designed specifically to back up photos, caught our attention. It supports 18 card formats and has a transfer rate of 1GB per minute, in case you're in a hurry.

Some of us at Crave have managed to resist our adolescent urges to collect toy robots, in a rare example of self-restraint. Our willpower met its match, however, when we saw photos of WowWee's "Roboboa."

It had been mentioned earlier along with the FlyTech Dragonfly and other bots at CES, but actually seeing a robotic snake in action is something to behold. In a video clip, it's reminiscent of Pixar's seminal "Luxo Jr." lamp.

The bionic serpent's 40 movements can be controlled by its remote, according to Slashgear, or it can just … Read more

Pink bubbles and rubber ducks can get a little bit boring sometimes, even if they're unconventional rubber ducks. And not all of us can afford to install a Hydro-Massage Bathtub with a built-in TV. So how can you liven up the in-tub entertainment? Of course, the answer comes out of Japan. TokyoMango has written up these flashing bath balls that might just be able to elevate the common bath to an ethereal level. You fill these little guys with bath salts, put them in the tub, and they'll float and release the nice-smelling salts while flashing their lights. … Read more

--PARODIES: ZunePhone ad: Microsoft's answer to Apple's iPhone (YouTube)

--APPLE: Mac found in temple ruins of the East (CrunchGear)

--SCARY STUFF: Hello Kitty gallery (Gizmodo)

--CYBERLAW: Bloggers get first federal court press credentials (BoingBoing)

--COOL STUFF: The Internet black holes (Information Aesthetics)

--GADGETRY: The ultimate toilet for the gadget freak (UberReview)

--ONLY IN VEGAS: Qualcomm at CES (Notcot)

--WEB 2.0: What if Google and Yahoo switched designers? (TechCrunch)

--TELECOM: No Skype on mobiles anytime soon (GigaOM)

--APPLE: Ask an attorney: Apple and Cisco will share 'iPhone' (Cult of Mac)

As monitors and keyboards have slimmed down to anorexic proportions, it was only a matter of time before the mouse began to get an inferiority complex. (Society can be so cruel, even on the desktop.) So InferPoint put its product on a crash diet and came up with the "Slimouse"--shouldn't there be two M's?--which redesigned its basic form just so it could squeeze into a Size 2.

With Picasso-like inspiration, InferPoint took the standard left-right buttons and moved them to the front and rear of the mouse. And just for good measure, the scroll … Read more

The personal computer has long been accused of having far more functions than the average bear would ever use. (Can you say Windows?) It's the reason that we have such backlash products and services as Presto, which allows your digitally challenged loved ones to receive e-mail printouts without a PC.

The latest product to join this trend is the "iLoad," which Fosfor Gadgets says lets you transfer music or video from CDs, television, set-top boxes or mobile phones to your iPod without a computer at all. The idea sounds good, but its $300 price may still be … Read more

For those of you who want TV on the move, but who are unwilling to splash out on the new mobile service from Verizon, there is an alternative. On display here at CES, this International 7300 CXT pickup truck has flat-panel TVs installed in its two rear wheel arches, and one tacked onto the bottom of the tailgate for good measure.

The CXT is hooked up to DirecTV via KVH's Tracvision A7 satellite receiver, meaning that other drivers get to watch cable and local network TV when stuck in traffic beside or behind it. Just synchronize your commute with … Read more

If you buy one of Coby's new MP3 video players when they become available this spring, you'll also get a coupon good for 50 songs from eMusic.

The flagships of Coby's new models are the 20GB MP-C951 ($249) and the 30GB MP-C961 ($279 to $289), both stylish players with red-backlit, touch-sensitive buttons arrayed on a handsome black plastic case below a bright, 2-inch LCD. Both units can handle a variety of A/V formats--MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, and Xvid--and include an FM radio with recording capabilities and a voice recorder.

Also eligible for an eMusic coupon are … Read more

The honeymoon is over for the iPhone.

It's not that we're sick of it already (well, maybe a bit), it's just time for it to answer some questions. Otherwise, it may join the Sony PS3 in the realm of "tech that looks absolutely amazing but is far too expensive for most people to even consider buying."

Here, accompanied by rambling speculation, are those questions:

1. Why no 3G compatibility? The answer might be as simple as the fact that Cingular's 3G coverage still has gaping holes outside of major U.S. cities.

The 3G … Read more