floats

Here's a must-have accessory for any soiree off Somalia, the ArmourFloat personal flotation device.

Not only does the Armour Float Ballistic Vest keep even an unconscious wearer afloat, but its new lightweight, hard-plate armor is designed to defeat most assault rifle threats--with no negative effect on the vest's buoyancy, according to Armour of America, a division of Arotech Corporation.

This Underwriters Laboratory-certified PFD is approved by the US Coast Guard, and the Coasties use it as well, according to AoA.

The hardy preserver comes with reflective tape on the shoulders, an emergency strobe light pocket, ammo clip pockets, … Read more

Some researchers claim that Intel has a serious chip bug on its hands. But that all depends.

Security experts who are into the arcana of chip security may find "CPU cache poisoning" riveting and serious stuff. Others, however, may simply scratch their heads and move on.

But let's not move on too quickly. First, a quote from an abstract of the paper (PDF) that has some of the chip world abuzz. "In this paper we have described practical exploitation of the CPU cache poisoning...This is the third attack on SMM (system management mode) memory our … Read more

Yes, this is only a concept, but what a concept it is. The "PC of the Swim Rings" would turn the most hapless landlubber into a water rat, creating a floating computer and media center.

Displayed at the Next-gen PC Design Competition, this aquatic marvel would include "a GPRS receiver, Bluetooth, finger-touch input, solar power-driven processor, water-cooling system, magnetic charging interface, and waterproof design." Hey, if you're going to dream, might as well go all the way.

And just to show that it isn't entirely frivolous, according to BornRich, the "amphibious PC" … Read more

One of the best places to play practical jokes is the pool. And here's a perfect way to make your friends jump out of their skin while trying to enjoy a peaceful snooze in the sun.

Just when they're dozing off, float the submersible "RadioRaft" right next to them and blast 400 watts of sound from its five speakers--then sit back and enjoy. They'll forgive you after seeing the beer you have chilling in one of its six stainless steel cupholders, which sit adjacent to the waterproof storage compartment designed to hold an MP3 player.… Read more

Crave's in-house dating expert Carolyn McCarthy dispensed some invaluable advice last week regarding the shortcomings of under-bed lighting. Following that logic, we assume the same applies to the water as well--specifically, combination pool float-lamps.

The "Aqualibrium Pool Float" would seem to labor under the same misguided principles as the sub-bed lighting apparatus and, worse still, is considerably more expensive. BornRich says it originally listed for $1,000, though it's on apparently on sale now for $400 or $500 depending the color. Which just goes to show that money can't always buy you love.

We're still waiting on the time machine, human teleportation, and commercially available flying cars. But scientists have been working hard, and now the Remote-Controlled Floating Serving Tray is ready for the world.

Hammacher Schlemmer's remote-controlled tray holds up to five cans (no room for a six-pack?) and a 16-ounce bowl of delicious, delicious snacks.

The piece de resistance--a remote control with 25 feet of range--lets the operator transport various refreshments to you aquatically. (Or, depending on how good a friend the operator is, float the snacks just out of reach and make you swim around and chase them.) … Read more

We've seen MP3 players for swimmers, but JVC's Digital Audio Player XA-AW33-W is the first we've seen that's custom-made for the bath. At least, it's the first one we've seen that's made to float.

The player holds up to 256MB of songs, and is battery-powered so that you won't need to worry about frying yourself in the tub. Its stand lets you listen to the player in unfloating mode, and the song-loading process is handled by a USB connection to your PC--when it's out of the tub, of course.

On the … Read more

As much as we appreciate the challenges of the "AquaClimb," we're more into spectator sports here at Crave. Especially in the summertime, and even more so on vacation.

That's why we were drawn immediately to the "Hot Pod Floating Spa" from, of all places, Montgomery Ward. The pod pumps hot water through six "hydro-engineered jets," according to BornRich, keeping the spa warmer than the rest of the pool. At $800, this is no inflatable water toy, but it's still cheaper than building and maintaining a hot tub. Just make sure the … Read more