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Check out this high-tech bed -- it has a TV, speakers... and an app

We don't usually talk about beds here on Crave, but we know our readers just had to see the techy Anemone multimedia box spring bed by Lavital. Developed by Dutch interior designer Robert Kolenik, the 35,000 euro ($43,901) sleeper costs as much as a mid-grade Audi car. A perfect gift for the one-percenter in your life!

In all seriousness, the overall frame does sport a few nifty features that you can adjust through an iPhone or iPod Touch app. Yes, you read the correctly -- the bed comes with an app, which for that price it most certainly should. … Read more

Amazon reviewers skewer froufrou Bic pens for women

Sometimes the world takes an unfortunate sidestep in the long journey for women's equality. Bic, maker of pens and lighters, just stubbed its toe with Bic for Her, a misguided attempt at making pens appeal to the womanly masses.

The pens come in vibrant shades of pink and purple with a grip that is "designed to fit comfortably in a woman's hand."

There could have been an outpouring of distaste for this marketing attempt gone awry, but instead Amazon reviewers have rushed to the rescue, pouring out reviews on par with the famous Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon incident.

The whole Bic for Her phenomenon can be summed up in one review headline from Rachel Parris: "I thought it was a kitten, then some words came out! wonderful!"… Read more

Severed Wampa arm fashioned into ice scraper mitt

When Luke Skywalker ran into a Wampa in a cave, he sliced off the beast's arm. In a scene that ended up on the cutting-room floor, Luke then fashioned an ice scraper out of the severed limb.

The "Star Wars" Wampa Ice Scraper Mitt is $24.95 from ThinkGeek, but you'll have to wait for it to come out this fall. Don't worry, it should be available in time for your winter vacation trip to Hoth.

The polyester mitt conceals an ice scraper in the palm, underneath a pile of white fur and shiny black claws. It is machine washable, so you can clean all the space gunk off it when you get back to your home planet.… Read more

Instacube: A digital photo frame for Instagram hipsters

Once-hot digital photo frames are now relegated to the holiday gift sales section at department stores. But the digital frame may be about to get its groove back thanks to Instacube, an Instagram-specific display.

The bigger-is-better concept is alive and well with this Kickstarter project. The squared-off Instacube streams your Instagram photo feed in a much larger format than you can view on your little smartphone screen.… Read more

Smart kitchen helps chefs who aren't too smart

Let's face it: Opening up a cookbook, turning the pages, and reading a recipe is hard work. Thankfully, scientists in Japan recognize this and have developed a kitchen that puts recipes right on your food.

Unfortunately, you still have to read, and actually try to cook, by following instructions projected onto your food. But if you go astray a robot called Phyno is there to help out.

Developed by Yu Suzuki and colleagues at Kyoto Sangyo University, the "cooking support system" is being presented next week at the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Computer Human Interaction (APCHI 2012) in Matsue, Japan.

With a combination of image processing and speech interaction, it's aimed at novice cooks who find recipe jargon confusing.… Read more

Geekify your living room with a recycled Mac coffee table

You're lounging on your couch watching "Star Trek" reruns. You need someplace to set your sleek new MacBook. How about on your Crunching Numbers G4 coffee table, where its ancestors can keep it company while you're gone?

Reform Designs is recycling old Macs in a creative way by turning them into coffee tables that will match your geeky decor. The whole table is made from up to 70 percent reclaimed materials, so you can feel green about your purchase.… Read more

Revolver-shaped screwdriver guns for your fix-it projects

I imagine there's someone out there whose sole job it is to think up ways to make power tools even more manly. That person dreamed up the Drill Gun Power Screwdriver from Gadgets and Gear.

The Drill Gun is a power screwdriver in the shape of a snub-nose revolver. This tool is clearly pandering to the stereotypically testosteroned crowd, the kind of guys who might buy advance tickets to "The Expendables 2."… Read more

Honda's Miimo is a robot goat for your lawn

Over a decade after unveiling its signature humanoid robot Asimo, Honda is finally releasing a home appliance with robotics chops: an automatic lawn mower called Miimo.

The droid trims lawns several times per week, cutting only 3 millimeters (0.12 inch) of grass at a time. The clippings are small enough so that they can be left on the lawn to act as natural fertilizer, the automaker said.

Miimo mows in a random or directional pattern, staying within an electronic perimeter but using its sensors to navigate the lawn, even on sloping areas. If its bump sensors encounter an obstacle, it will stop and then set off in another direction. It will automatically devote more time to patches of long grass. … Read more

Home networking explained, Part 2: Optimizing your Wi-Fi network

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories.

Since my last post on the basics of home networking, which is Part 1 of this series, I've been flooded with even more e-mails than I had been before (which explains why some of you haven't heard back from me). The good news is that nobody is asking about what a router is anymore. I guess I did an OK job explaining that in my previous post.

Most of the e-mails this time asked about how to have the … Read more