money

No matter where we travel, stateside or otherwise, we seem to exude tourist nerdism--which means we're an easy mark for pickpockets and con artists. So even after resorting to dorky money belts and the like, we could still use all the help we can get.

That's why we're so grateful to Tokyomango for pointing out this counterfeit bill detector, which uses ultraviolet rays to scan paper currency for authentication. It was introduced in Japan for that country's universally known camera-toting tourists, but we see no reason the technology should be limited to any particular population. If … Read more

If you're like most Crave readers, we assume that you want all the appropriate accoutrements for the Lamborghini resting comfortably in your garage. (That's what we tell our advertisers, anyway.) So we do our level best to keep you abreast of the latest technologies that bear the family name, such as the just-released "VX2" new generation of Asus laptops.

As the Gadgets Weblog points out, Asus has provided scant details in the specs department, so we don't know how much of an improvement the new version is over its maiden line. But let's face … Read more

While you look back at your personal financial damages and delights from 2006, the time is ripe to consider how to manage money differently in 2007. A handful of new services allow you to track spending and monitor payments and investments online.

There still aren't many independent, Web-based services for handling personal finances. Big vendors tend to take care of that business, as is the case with the leading personal finance applications, Intuit Quicken and Microsoft Money. However, while Intuit offers online backup, there's no way to remotely reach your transactions while away from your main computer (unless … Read more

Clearly, Swarovski crystals have cornered a market in consumer technology. We're not sure what market that is, exactly, but they've cornered it.

There's no disputing this fact with the introduction of these crystal-encrusted headphones, which Cool Hunter says were designed by DJ Donna D'Cruz in a variety of colors (shudder) for a mere $2,500. The phones are the latest to join Swarovski's unfortunately growing collection of mice, phones, laptops and, yes, refrigerators. Who needs a disco ball?

There are a lot of blogs on the Web about saving money, and there's some startlingly good advice from unexpected sources-- such as Dilbert creator Scott Adams. But, there's so much that it's hard to wade through. What most of us need is real advice from other people who are in the same boat as we are. For example, is Amazon Prime worth it? Other Amazon customers would know. But how will you find them? How would you even know to ask them?

A new site, Wesabe, has a creative take on financial advice. It lets you … Read more

Don't expect to get an online version of Microsoft Excel when you join Buxfer, a site to track shared bills and expenses. In fact, don't expect much beyond basic features when managing a shared bill, a personal expense, or an incoming or outgoing money transfer. Competing with other finance-sharing sites such as BillMonk and iOweyou, Buxfer is best suited for roommates and groups of friends who share expenses and want to sort out the bills later.

Buxfer's math genius automatically splits the cost of your rent and groceries among participants into either equal or weighted shares. A … Read more