Gadget news

Fans of the multitasking gadget, get a load of this baby. It's a radio/police scanner/weather checker/atomic clock that will also clean your house and raise your children!

Actually, scratch those last two capabilities, but the product does combine AM/FM radio functions with police, traffic, weather and TV bands, in addition to atomic clock technology that automatically synchs with a signal from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's timekeeping system. (This latter feature, in short, apparently means an accuracy that'll make it much harder for you to blame your tardiness on the watch.) … Read more

We hadn't realized that the Age of Transparency had made its way into the kitchen, but apparently it has in Japan. On prominent display at the National Electronics' Invention Station in Tokyo were a refrigerator, a washing machine and an air conditioner all with completely transparent casings, according to Gizmodo.

It's interesting to note that, while the trend in many domestic products seems to be leaning toward the neon, these Japanese appliances have gone the opposite route altogether with no color at all. That would be OK with us in theory, but we wouldn't want to subject … Read more

So we've offered some advice on how to keep from losing your luggage and your loved ones. But now we have a technology that can protect your most prized possession of all this holiday shopping season: your credit card.

You might find this silly, but we're willing to bet that some people would find some much-needed peace of mind in this "Credit Card Alarm," a wallet-sized electronic sleeve that beeps if it's empty for too long. And depending on your self-discipline, you could quickly recoup the $55 cost of this device by keeping your credit … Read more

Usually when we think of GPS, it means a technology that's used to locate things on Earth. We often forget that satellites can be pointed in other directions, toward other planets.

That's particularly valuable if you're like us and can't find the Big Dipper to save your life. The "SkyScout Personal Planetarium" from Brookstone can do a lot more than that, with a database of more than 6,000 planets, stars and constellations, and a red arrow on the "viewfinder locator" pinpoints what you're looking at. Making stargazing even easier is … Read more

We may rail against watches that try to reinvent the way we tell time, but we'd never criticize one that provided important safety information. And what could be more important than radiation levels?

But the "Radio Active" stainless steel LED watch doesn't really measure radioactivity, though it does use some '50s-era atomic warning symbols to tell time. As much as we appreciate the effort, we're still not sure if this something we could use. "The design has nothing but signs and words," according to the description on AudioCubes. "However, it won't … Read more

Even though we fully acknowledge our unusual paranoia about anything involving airport security, we think normal people may benefit from something like this too.

The "Bag Snatcher Alarm" might be worth the $72 investment if you've ever had a momentary panic attack when separated from your luggage at a terminal counter or hotel lobby, however briefly. The concept is simple: You attach a signal transmitter to your suitcase or bag, then affix the receiver to your keychain, clothing or forehead. If the two devices are ever separated by more than 2 to 5 meters, the receiver will … Read more

As fond as we are of new watch designs these days, we feel compelled to voice one minor concern: We can't figure out how they work.

And we don't think we're alone. Our evidence: This "Scope Silver Metal Belt Watch" from AudioCubes offers instructions on how to read the time.

According to the LED watch's product description, "It uses the idea of intersection between the horizontal and vertical lines to mark the time." Um, right. Call us old-fashioned, but we think it's asking a bit much for us to learn how … Read more

NOTE: From now through December, every few days a different Crave expert will be posting his or her top 10 gadget picks for the holidays. See what we crave, and maybe you'll get some ideas! Here's our sixth installment.

Whether her wanderlust leads to GPSing cross-country, searching for cell signals on the Lido, capturing the Tuileries' twilight with a DSLR, or dragging an iPod through Kauai, Candace Lombardi always finds her way back to tech-crazed Cambridge.

1. Sony Reader. I pack way too many books when traveling, and my laptop and iPod batteries never seem to last the … Read more

If you've been considering signing up for Vonage VoIP service anyway, why not do it at Circuit City? Starting on Black Friday, the electronics retailer is offering a $200 shopping spree to customers who sign up for one year of Vonage. Of course, you must use the credit on items offered at Circuit City, but 200 bucks can go a long way toward certain gadgets. Take MP3 players, for example. Circuit City carries about 50 devices for less than $200, including top models from brands such as Apple, Sony, Creative, Samsung, and SanDisk. You might even have some dough … Read more