Crave

On our road trip to the Los Angeles Auto Show, we've passed Pismo Beach and are well on our way. At our rest stop, I looked at the back seat and noticed how much room our photographer, Corinne, has in the back of this Lexus LS 460 L. She wouldn't swap places with me, so I'll have to figure out what's the opposite of calling "shotgun."

I do have command of the entertainment in the front passenger seat and discovered some interesting things about the audio system. We noticed early on that the car … Read more

Nokia announced four new mobile phones today, the Nokia 6300, the Nokia 6290, the Nokia 6086, and the Nokia 2626. But before you get too excited, these phones are only for the European market. With the exception of the Nokia 2626, which is an entry-level candybar handset, these phones are midrange models with the average consumer in mind. The Nokia 6300 is a skinny phone at less than 0.5 inch thick, which is one of the first thin phones for Nokia. The Nokia 6290 is a smart phone with Symbian Series 60 3rd edition, while the Nokia 6086 is … Read more

Do you enjoy watching Microsoft squirm as it tries to grapple with the open-source software movement? Well, there's a similar opportunity to rattle the cages of entrenched corporate powers, but this time it's the cages of hardware companies.

Bringing the open-source movement's collaborative approach to hardware is the ambition of the Fab@Home project at Cornell University. Project members hope to popularize all-purpose manufacturing devices--variously known as fabbers, 3D printers or rapid prototyping machines--and share the blueprints of the physical objects those machines can produce.

The project offers a free design for a fabber--itself a modifiable … Read more

So you've been meaning to waterproof your iPod but haven't gotten around to it. And now the rainy season has begun, and you're afraid of getting it wet.

Why not just watch your videos on the umbrella? That's what researchers at Tokyo's Keio University do, with their invention called the "Pileus": a system that projects photos and videos onto your open brolly. According to Plastic Bamboo, it can even stream Flickr photos and YouTube videos directly through a Wi-Fi connection.

We assume the university won't be held responsible for the sidewalk accidents … Read more

Who says marketing and science don't mix.

Zelens is selling skin creams whose active ingredient is C60, the soccer ball shaped molecules constructed out of 60 carbon atoms. Fullerene C60 led to Nobel prizes in chemistry for the individuals that first crafted the molecule.

Finding a practical, commercial application for C60, however, has been tough. Many companies have concentrated instead on its more elongated cousin, the carbon nanotube. Still, some in the medical field continue to work with C60. (Fullerene refers to the shape of the molecule.)

Zelens says that their face creams can neutralize free radicals 100 times … Read more

CHUALAR, CA: So here we are on the road to the 2007 LA Auto show. We decided to drive down from CNET's office in San Francisco for a couple of reasons: first, we get to take all of the contraband travel accessories we would have had to forego had we flown (knives, guns, all-in-one shampoo and hair conditioner); and second, because we have a compelling reason to stay on the road in the shape of the new Lexus LS 460L. We had a look at this car earlier in the year at a press launch in San Francisco, but … Read more

One of the best parts of playing a video game is talking smack to your buddies. But let's be honest: It's getting harder and harder to find time to rally the gang for a round of Madden in your basement. Luckily, networked gaming and in-game voice capabilities have made it much easier. Videogames like World of Warcraft and SOCOM have built online communities based on the chat functionality.

This is all fine and dandy for PC and console gamers, but what about those of us who fancy portable gaming? Thanks to Activision subsidiary Vicarious Visions, Nintendo DS owners … Read more

RoboCop, here we come. Granted, we can't quite see Peter Weller looking very menacing while rolling around in this robotic security guard, but it may be only a matter of time.

The "Reborg-Q," from Sohgo Security Services, is the latest evidence that Japan is moving toward a human-free society. We've already observed recent developments in that country's service industry, notably in hotels and hospitals, but security is a significant leap toward full-fledged borgdom. (That's Sci-Fi 101.)

Thankfully, the Reborg-Q is fully operational only with human assistance. "When the robot encounters something suspicious, it … Read more

If you can't get enough of exploding Mentos in Diet Coke bottles or the guy who showcases the history of dance, Verizon Wireless has some good news for you. The carrier announced today that it signed a deal with YouTube to bring a limited number of videos to Verizon's 3G handsets starting in early December. Users also will be able to use their phone's camcorders to record their own videos to share with other Verizon customers or YouTube viewers. Granted, the video quality from a camera phone won't be spectacular but if you want to catch … Read more