Crave

Like many bloggers, some of our fellow Cravers are occasionally a tad more anxious than we prefer in sharing their personal issues. One such unnamed acquaintance (Caroline McCarthy) recently complained of poor circulation in her extremities, particularly the fingertips--a wicked chill that apparently is well beyond the capacity of over-the-counter devices like heated mice.

So after embarking on an exhaustive search, we came across a potential solution: the "iTWYF" gloves, which stands for "I Touch With Your Fingers," of course. Gearfuse says the secret to these $45 gloves are three "stylus pen point-like grasps" … Read more

Veronica welcomes special guest, CNET TV host Tom Merritt to talk about their holiday wish lists. We also read some wish lists that a couple viewers sent in. In a surprise move, Veronica lays an egg. No, seriously, take a look.

Editor's note: This episode was recorded 11/27, before James Kim's absence was known.

We think we've finally figured out the strategy behind this whole heated peripheral craze (we're a little slow on the uptake this time of year): The colder it gets outside, the more products are released inside.

That's the only explanation we can come up with for the proliferation of such products as the heated mouse by Brando--which, if you can believe it, has come with its second version in almost as many months. The "USB Warmer Mouse II" seems almost identical to its predecessor but is a bit more stylish, coming in colors like red … Read more

If Nefertiti had a cell phone, it would have been the Vertu "Signature Cobra." Not just because of its legendary asp, either. The Cobra, part of uber-luxury Vertu family, is by definition fit for a queen.

Slashphone says the Cobra's cobra is adorned with "one pear-cut diamond, one round white diamond, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies," which helps explain (if not justify) the $310,000 price tag. But you'd better hurry if you want to snatch up one of these before the rush begins: Only eight of them will be sold.

--CURRENT EVENTS: Baghdad is like Grand Theft Auto (Alive in Baghdad)

--ONLY IN NEW YORK: Online Auction Store Windows (PSFK)

--SECOND LIFE: Virtual land magnate shares secrets of her success and Virtual magnate talks China, censorship (CNET News.com)

--GAMING: Wii Dissection (Notcot)

--CYBERLAW: Record industry DRM from 1907 (BoingBoing)

--THE INDUSTRY: Executive shakeup at video site Revver (CNET News.com)

--CONSUMERISM: Popular gadgets may make painful holiday gifts (Reuters)

--CYBERLAW: Major record labels (finally) sue Moscow-based AllofMP3.com (PaidContent)

--APPLE: Apple Store Holiday Screensaver (Cult of Mac)

Every once in awhile, Crave comes across an item that fulfills our mission in life. What, after all, could a gadget blog want more than a photo of a toaster turned into a guitar amp?

Thanks to "Hottie Amplifiers," we need look no further. These musical accoutrements, which Red Ferret says sell for $150, are made of the vintage twin-slot toasters of our youth. (Back in the days when toasters actually lasted more than a few months--yes, boys and girls, it's true.)

The only thing we wish it included was a USB connection. That way, we could … Read more

The more high-tech we get, the more is seems we try to hide it. Maybe The Flintstones actually took place in the far future on Mars, and all those stone electronics were just to keep the Zen in their lives.

Here are more items to go with your wooden multimedia computer and wooden LCD.

Wood Contour offers computer peripherals in a variety of woods and "stone." Depending on the materials you choose, a USB keyboard, USB wireless mouse, and a 17-inch or 19-inch LCD monitor is about $3,775.

While the items are pricey, the options are plenty. … Read more

If nothing else, Ministry of Sound deserves credit for combining two of the most hyperactive cottages industries in all of consumer technology: iPod cases and iPod speakers. The "Mi-Sound iPod Case" straps to your arm too, which means you can share your music out loud with the rest of the world--whether they want to hear it or not. But if you must offend others, at least this one doesn't have the hideous design of the "Blue Beatz."

Officer, I swear, I wasn't talking on my cell phone while driving; I was looking at the map...on my cell phone...while driving.

Samsung Electronics has released the SPH-B5800, a cell phone that offers real-time traffic maps as well as info on where to find places to eat. Technical Resource likes the fact that people can compare routes and decide which road is the one less traveled by.

The Samsung SPH-B5800 is available in Korea for about $600.

Instead of using GPS, the phone works by TPEG, a transportation broadcast service offered in Korea over its new Digital Media Broadcasting (… Read more