Crave

The Apple iPod is, far and away, the most popular MP3 player on the market--less a product and more a way of life for many people. But just how reliable a product is it? That's the question posed by Nick Wingfield's article in today's Wall Street Journal. "When iPods Die" (which, like most WSJ content, is locked behind the paper's subscriber firewall) compiles some compelling iPod war stories. Among the frustrated 'Pod users chronicled is Tom Westrup of Austin, Texas, who--after suffering from repeated freeze-ups during playback--is currently awaiting his fifth replacement iPod. There'… Read more

There are some pretty lame ripoffs, spinoffs and ostensible updates of the classic Swiss army knife on the market, but this isn't one of them. The "Cyber Snipa Dog Tag" combines the most essential of the knife's features--including our personal favorite, the scissors--with 21st century elements such as an ultra-bright LED flashlight and a removable 512MB USB drive, according to Slashgear. (Why a USB key? We have no idea, but we've already demonstrated a demand for them in rugged terrain.) All this in a package that capitalizes on the dog tag trend.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but basketball seems to be one of those rare sports that's not getting all high-techified. I heard something about them redesigning the standard NBA ball a few months back, but aside from that, the sport seems to have stayed pretty true to its roots.

Well, not anymore. In Australia, basketball teams are testing out a new kind of shirt that uses electroluminescence to display information like how much time is left in the game, the score, and the foul count. According to Gizmowatch, the technology, known as "TeamAWear," is designed to … Read more

Eighty percent of the world's DVD players come from China, so what happens when that country decides DVD is a dumb format? We're about to find out.

On Wednesday some 20 Chinese companies unveiled their "EVD" players, which aim to replace DVD with a format they say offers better picture & sound -- though not high def, more capacity and stronger copy protection (that's ironic). The firms behind EVD predict they will cease making DVD players for their home market by 2008 and start exporting EVD players around the world even sooner, in 2007.

If … Read more

If imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery, than tech manufacturers are certainly a sycophantic lot. And the most popular object of their affection always seems to be something from Apple.

Take the "iPod mouse" from Buffalo, for instance. If it didn't have a retractable USB line hanging out awkwardly like an umbilical cord, it could have been separated at birth from the real thing. Not only that, but it also resembles similar products from Anyzen and Samsung. So make it a three-fer for Buffalo.

No, it's not a bionic dolphin. But we did consider opening a contest to see if anyone could guess what it was.

The latest offering from Italian design factory Alessi is actually a handheld vacuum cleaner. As typical of the work by the uber-design house, the "SG 67" shuns the utilitarian or mechanical forms of its competitors and opts instead for the sleek lines Alessi is famous for.

Luxurylaunches says the vacuum cleaner, which is made of stainless steel and thermoplastic resin, even has an "integrated crevice tool" to show that it's not afraid … Read more

Not long ago VoIP phones were among the most utilitarian in design. But if the "Luna" handset from Ireland's Futiro is any indication, Internet phone makers have quickly learned the value of aesthetics in the consumer marketplace.

Regardless of what you think of the Luna's gently sloping lines, you've got to hand it to Futiro for trying. And according to Ubergizmo, it hasn't sacrificed functionality for the sake of appearance: "This unique device is Skype-certified and comes with a full telephone keypad, a speakerphone function that enables you to type as you talk, … Read more

The almost-comically named "La Feel" from E-blue combines two bad trends: overthinking the mouse and cramming too many functions into one device.

It's hard enough to find a mouse that's ergonomically correct; but this one would seem to beg unnatural contortions by building in "a four-way scroll wheel, Internet forward and back buttons, Play/Pause/Volume control keys, (and) forward and backwards music track keys," as described by Ubergizmo.

Our wrists are getting sore just thinking about it.

I know how it is: It gets harder every year to select the perfect present for that eco-friendly farmhand/truck driver in your life. Luckily, Passchal's got you covered this time.

The Virginia-based handbag maker is selling iPod and DVD cases hewn from old truck and tractor tires. The people at Passchal handmake them after picking through discarded inner tubes and soaking them in "an environmentally friendly solution" for three days.

Each case retains the original tire markings for that authentic, nouveaux vintage look. Recycling is so very now, isn't it?

Though $55 is a bit … Read more