Crave

Turn your phone into a projector

So you like the idea of watching TV or movies on your MP4 player or cell phone, but the screens are just too small for you to make an accurate call on instant replay, especially if your next paycheck is on the line with the game's outcome. All that could change with new technology from Microvision, which claims to have built the world's smallest projector.

The company's Pico Projector, which is planned for release at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, is designed to be embedded in handheld products to project "photos, videos, movies and TV … Read more

Two new EasyShare cameras from Kodak

Kodak's contribution to this week's camera announcements are a pair of high-resolution compact digital cameras. The EasyShare V803 and V1003 are two colorful, inexpensive shooters with some handy automatic features.

The two new cameras focus on style, with slim, inch-thick metal bodies that come in a variety of colors. Kodak hasn't finalized what colors will be available, but you can assume a nice selection including black, silver, red, pink, and blue models. If the solid colors don't offer enough variety, Kodak will offer an entire catalog of vinyl skins to further decorate your camera.

With suggested … Read more

Slinging in reverse

What's the opposite of the Slingbox? The new SlingCatcher.

The SlingCatcher is a set-top box that will let users project Web content to a TV screen, either wired or wirelessly, through an application called SlingProjector. Navigation can be done with either the included remote or through a PC.

The device is set to be announced Sunday at CES 2007 by Sling Media, the same people behind the Slingbox, which lets you watch your home TV channels on a laptop or a smart phone. The SlingCatcher retains the Slingbox's familiar trapezoid shape.

With an eye on Apple's upcoming … Read more

HP's six-channel scanner hits North American shores

Although it was released overseas last fall, the Scanjet G4050 photo scanner--with its industry-first six-channel scanning technology--will make its North American debut this week at CES 2007. I got a chance to test one before I headed off to the show in Las Vegas, so check out my review of this newly released model, complete with image samples.

Burn a torch for your music

Another European design to swoon over. We like the look of this Portuguese-made music system so much that we'd be tempted to get it for the design alone. The "Audio Torch" (great name) is a wireless system with a built-in CD player and speakers that's designed to fit snugly in any corner, which makes great for space-challenged dwellings. Even more interesting, it projects a menu on the wall in colors that can be changed with its remote--which, in its silver disc form, is something of an objet d'art in and of itself. And the torch … Read more

A TV designed to match your decor

If you're not thrilled with the trend toward sandwich-board TV stands, you might want to consider something like this recent addition to Sony's Bravia line of LCD sets. The new Esprit TAV-L1 is built with a sliding decorative panel that hides a 32-inch TV behind it, in a variety of designs to suit your decor. Sony says the Esprit, which is available only in Europe at present, "fused cutting-edge European interior trends with the best of Sony's exclusive sound and vision technology." We like Chip Chick's description a lot better: "A force to … Read more

Thinking outside the box for graphics

While other companies are trying to cram as many functions as possible into a single device, ASUS is going in the other direction with one of its newest creations. The "XG Station" claims to be the first external graphics card unit for laptops. What does that mean? According to Fareastgizmos, lab experiments showed 9 times faster graphics acceleration. That's probably from the company's literature, but it's still an interesting idea even if the device is mistaken for a dashboard radio hooked up to your computer.

How the pros pack for CES

The 40th annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is set to kick off on Sunday, which means a few things:

McCarran International Airport is going to busier than a beehive; This is the only time of year the Las Vegas strip will have more technophiles than dancers; CNET reporters will be scurrying to pack their bags this weekend to jet off to Vegas!

Although the CES floors will be a veritable sea of shiny new gizmos and gadgets, attendees of the "biggest consumer show of the year" will have to take along some of their own gear as well. … Read more

Do you crave Crave? Nominate us for the 2007 Bloggies!

It's been just a few short months since Crave launched, and we're pretty proud of where it's gone and where it's still going. If you're liking what you're reading, too, maybe you'd like to nominate us for the seventh annual Weblog Awards! You can vote through 10:00 PM Eastern time on Wednesday, January 10th.

Crave is eligible for the following categories:

Best American Weblog Best Computers or Technology Weblog Most Humorous Weblog Best Writing of a Weblog Best Group Weblog Best-Kept Secret Weblog Best New Weblog Weblog of the Year (if you … Read more