wave

So I've been working on a review of Hawking's HomeRemote wireless home automation system, but I'm stuck right now, waiting for a firmware upgrade. But I thought I'd give you a preview of what I've seen so far, because it's pretty interesting stuff. We first got wind of this Home Automation System at CES 2007, in the Z-Wave Alliance booth. The Z-Wave Alliance is a consortium of companies committed to making interoperable, wireless home automation products that are based on Z-Wave, a wireless remote control standard. Z-Wave-based products use a low-frequency radio signals to … Read more

It's not exactly an automated head massager, but this device says it will stimulate your Qi in just the right spot. (Get your mind out of the gutter, please.)

The "Aculife Magnetic Wave Therapist" claims to bridge ancient Chinese medicine with modern technology by digitally locating the so-called acupoints in your body so you can apply a "small amount of electricity" accordingly, Red Ferret says. We're not sure if we'd spend $300 to find out if it really works, but it would still be cheaper than regular visits to the local acupuncture clinic--and … Read more

Hang onto your boards, there's a big one coming--next winter. In lieu of some serious Mavericks surf, you can check out the latest science findings on how these high waves are formed. A whole raft of government and educational groups combined efforts to map the Pacific Ocean floor, track the incoming waves, measure the currents, and generally scope out the Mavericks wave-making machinery.

They found "the abrupt topography of the bedrock reef at Mavericks causes wave energy to converge...causing the wave to rapidly slow down, shorten in length and substantially increase in height." Makes a surfer'… Read more

You may have missed this on your favorite blog site, and you definitely missed this if you looked at American TV news. Reunion Island got smashed on Saturday. Big waves. Lots of damage. It was not a tsunami this time. Certainly earthquakes can pack an enormous wallop, but the supporters of wind power surely have something going as well.

The European Space Agency (ESA) satellites were tracking the course of the big swells. Ocean swells, not rich guys with big heads. Big, really big waves. Some that slammed into Reunion without warning were over 35 feet high.

First, the satellite … Read more

Despite our reputation, we at Crave have a soft spot for animals (except cats, of course). So even though the ill-tempered dogs in our neighborhood won't be mistaken for Lassie anytime soon, we still support humane ways to keep them under control. The biggest test of our patience, however, typically comes in the middle of the night--when they make the transition from lap dogs to howling wolves from hell.

That's why we're pinning our sleep-deprived hopes on the "Deluxe Digital Bark Free Pro," a $120 top-of-the-line device that uses four speakers to emit ultrasonic soundwaves … Read more

We've been somewhat critical of LED market saturation lately, and we're not apologizing for it either. But just to show that we're not totally unreasonable, we wholeheartedly endorse the idea behind "The Light Wave Surfboard" from Santa Cruz Light Wells.

Perhaps it's our California roots, but we're partial to anything that combines technology and surfing. And as Gizmodo notes, the Light Wave does just that, with battery-operated LEDs everywhere--running along the side, on the back and in a headlamp on the front "giving you just enough light to tell whether that … Read more

I've been using the GotVoice (review) voicemail retrieval service for almost a year, and for the most part I've been happy with it. The free system retrieves voicemails that go to my home phone's message box and sends me e-mail links to them. Handy. On Monday, the company is releasing a major update to the service that fixes a few usability snags and adds outbound message utilities.

Current users should like the new interface. It's easier to use, and there's finally a "delete" button on each individual message.

The real action is on … Read more

Die-hard surfers, rejoice. You needn't fret the effects of global warming or other elemental obstacles any longer.

With the "Hydroglider," a motor-powered board from Inventist, you can get you can rip to your heart's content under just about any aquatic conditions--with or without waves. Coolest-Gadgets says a hourlong charge provides enough power for two hours of shredding goodness.

"Powered by a quick-charge, high-torque electric motor, Hydroglider's patented design has a wing that lifts the surfboard and you up out of the water, greatly reducing drag and allowing you to achieve speeds up to an … Read more

A new imaging system promises to pinpoint the location of a weapon concealed on a person without using a metal detector, a pat-down or the slightest dose of radiation, all thanks to some heavenly technology.

The BIS-WDS Prime combines "millimeter wave sensor" technology, video cameras and algorithm software to detect "objects made of metal, plastic, ceramic and composite hidden beneath a subject's clothing" from up to 45 feet away, according to manufacturer Brijot Imaging Systems. The subject doesn't have to stand still or even know he's being scanned.

The technology, which is used … Read more