Lifestyle

There's another blogger here on Crave who is trying to convince all our readers that I am unhealthily obsessed with penguins. Not true. Yes, I think they're cute. Yes, I think the occasional penguin gadget is kind of cool. But come on, Mike. First, it's not an obsession. And second, the market has become so saturated with the penguin motif that I'm ready to say: I'm over it.

I mean, check out this penguin humidifier that's available in Japan. Way overkill, even though it would probably be easy to mod into a nice device … Read more

Once again, a device is determined to keep us awake. But unlike loud and vibrating technologies, this is more of a traditional alarm clock, save for one feature: inspirational messages.

Shiny Shiny says the "Motiwake" is billed as a "personal development MP3 alarm clock"--just look at the giddy pair jumping for joy in the photo. Using such "affirmation pictures," the device is supposed to help change "unhealthy negative habits into more empowering and positive, thoughts, beliefs and outcomes."

Gag. (Did we say that out loud?)

If we didn't know better (and we don't), we might think that narcolepsy was becoming an epidemic. We just mentioned the "Alert Master"--a device that sounds an alarm if your head drops while you're behind the wheel--and now we learn of "MyDo Bururu" from Japan's Vision Optic, a pair of glasses that pretty much does the same thing in or out of the car.

They have an earpiece that vibrates whenever its wearer's head drops below normal conscious angles, an alarm that can be set to four degrees of intensity, … Read more

Given our circuitous posture, we sometimes wonder if we're even descended from the homo erectus species. If it were up to us, we'd spend every waking moment in the supine state that we find most natural.

But society doesn't look kindly upon those of us who assume this position in public places, so we're forced to address the dreaded posture issue. Brando may make this slightly easier, according to Uber-Review, with its "USB posture reminder," an LED sensor that sits atop the monitor and flashes irritatingly if you get too close to the screen.… Read more

With Super Bowl Sunday just days away, plenty of tech blogs are highlighting the party gadgetry that they're recommending for the big event. Here at Crave, we're going to ask you: what are your recommendations for the ultimate Super Bowl party gadget? You can go with the obvious (um, an HDTV), the supplementary (a margarita mixer), or the downright ridiculous (does anybody out there make a Peyton Manning USB bobblehead?) Yes, it has to be a real gadget. Leave your picks in the comments.

We'll post your suggestions on Friday, so that you can spend Saturday waiting … Read more

If you've ever wasted away the weekend playing Guitar Hero II, there's nothing to feel guilty about. Feel proud. Feel like a rock star. Feel these things because you're probably better at Guitar Hero II than actual guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax.

And he even gets to play his own song.

As this fascinating video on Kotaku.com shows (WARNING: Swear words are all over the place), Ian had a bit of trouble performing his own song on Guitar Hero II. During his first attempt, he fails 31 percent of the way through the song.

And if … Read more

Being the responsible lot that we are, Crave occasionally posts public service announcements for the benefit of our readers. So here's one for those of you who use cannabis for medicinal purposes only, of course.

The appropriately named "Volcano Vaporizer" is a device that can make your prescription up to four times more potent than the average dosage. The German-made "BMW of bongs," as Uncrate calls it, also helps purify the substance and minimize the accompanying odor. But the Volcano's $540 price tag could be prohibitive--unless you have the most liberal of health insurance.… Read more

It still smacks of urban legend to us, but some people swear that teenager-repelling sounds do exist--and work. So we wouldn't be surprised to see some desperate parents and shop owners rushing to order the "Mosquito," an ultrasonic youth deterrent from the United Kingdom, which Gizmodo says is being imported to North America. The device, distributed by a company with the irresistible name of Kids Be Gone, supposedly creates an adolescent-free zone with a range of 40 to 60 feet. We'll be right back (need to find a tape measure).

Enough already. Why is it that some people insist on "sharing" their music with the rest of world--whether we like it or not--when today's headphones offer a far superior listening experience? We've seen everything from messenger bags to bowling bags with built-in speakers, and now we have a new backpack that will surely contribute its share of noise pollution.

Scullcandy's "Link" backpack has speakers embedded in its straps for music or--worse, as OhGizmo notes correctly--a cell phone conversation. We've got to get started building that bunker.