Crave

(Credit: Photojojo)

When I'm out on shooting trips, I usually sling the shooter around my shoulders. This is why I invested in a tough Domke camera strap. However, its boring design may not go down too well with some shutterbugs, so I'll probably recommend them the Seat Belt Camera Straps.

Apparently, these 2-inch wide straps come from retired vehicles that have been restored to make sure they can handle the weight of dSLRs. The buckles are rounded to prevent them from jabbing into your ribs.

Available in four colors, Photojojo (currently one of my favorite sites) is retailing the straps for $20 apiece. I think this is pretty affordable, considering they look quite chic as well.

(Via Crave Asia)

Griffin Technology's AirCurve.

At Apple Expo in Paris on Wednesday, Griffin Technology unveiled its latest iPhone accessories, including the AirCurve acoustic amplifier dock and the Clarifi protective case.

The AirCurve dock collects and amplifies the sound from the built-in iPhone 3G speaker. It does so by using a coil waveguide within its base, and therefore doesn't need batteries or another power source to work.

While the acoustically amplified sound is not as loud as that made by electronic amplifiers, it's loud enough for you to enjoy music in a quiet room or to use as an alarm clock. The compact dock is made of translucent polycarbonate plastic, revealing the graceful curves within that magnify the sound. AirCurve also includes a pass-through slot that lets you charge and sync your iPhone using a Griffin Dock Connector Cable, which is sold separately.

The Clarifi protective case is also supposedly the first case for iPhone 3G that sports a built-in lens to give the phone's camera an optical boost. You can slide the lens into place for close-up shots or slide it aside for normal shooting. The added optical lens lets you zoom up to 6 inches closer.

Other than that, the Clarifi's case design, like other cases, allows for access to the power switch, headphone jack, volume controls, and touch screen. It also features Griffin's trademark EasyDock design, which allows you to slip off the case bottom to charge and sync, rather than having to completely remove the phone from its case.

Both the AirCurve dock and the Clarifi case will be available for purchase in October for $19.99 and $34.99, respectively.

The Air Jacket adds protection without changing the way your iPhone looks.

(Credit: Power Support)

I finally got my iPhone 3G. Love it, hate it, this is all getting old. However, one of the things I do really notice is that although the phone seems very sturdy and scratch-resistant, it attracts fingerprints and shows sweat stains easily. I have the black model and it looks dirty all the time.

For this reason, the Power Support Air Jacket for iPhone3G caught my attention Thursday. It's one of hundreds of jackets you can buy for the new iPhone, but with one unique attribute: it's very thin (merely 1mm thick), and see-through. This means your iPhone won't get any bulkier and will still show its original color. You can also choose to have the Air Jacket in black if you have the white version of the phone and aren't happy with the color.

This is probably the most uncompromising protection jacket you can get for the iPhone. An Air Jacket kit includes the Air Jacket itself, one thin crystal film, and one piece of anti-glare film to protect the LCD.

The catch? It's not cheap. As a matter fact, at $35, it's easily one of the most expensive jackets you can get for your iPhone.

The best inventions fill a need most people overlook--like that most fundamental human need not to be wracked by painful seat belt chafing.

Suffer no more, my friends. Now there's the Tiddy Bear Comfort Strap.

No, really.

It's soft, sure, but does it have Wi-Fi?

(Credit: Tiddy Bear)

As the video commercial on the Web site points out, "That's "T-I-D-D-Y Bear." You know, in case you thought they were saying something else.

It's a cute little plush bear that snaps onto the shoulder strap of your seat belt to cushion your shoulder or, um, chesticular area.

I'm not sure if this decreases the actual safety of your seat belt, but I have to admire this low-tech solution to an everyday conundrum. We see all kinds of Wi-Fi gadgets and bacon alarm clocks working here at CNET, but sometimes you just need what works.

The Tiddy Bear Comfort Strap was invented by two women, one of whom is a breast cancer survivor who experienced uncomfortable pressure from her seat belt. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that, right?

You can get yourself a Tiddy Bear for $14.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. But buy one (I feel like I'm Ron Popeil here), and get the second one free. Well, free plus $3.95 shipping, anyway. That's an easy way to get a gift for your (ahem) bosom buddy.

Being on the shorter side, I can see the need for something like this for men as well as women. But I'm not sure I want to tool around the city with a plush-bear brooch.

No, wait. I'm actually pretty sure about that. Maybe something a little less cuddly. Ah, I've got it: a plush parrot! Now that would be awesome.

Griffin's TuneBuds Mobile headphones make it less obvious that you are using an Apple product.

(Credit: Griffin)

Well, sure, there are accessories, but I want the iPhone 3G! Don't you?

You are not alone. I've been to many AT&T and Apple stores over the last few days--the furthest of those being in Sacramento. (I live in the Bay Area and went there to visit some friends over the weekend.). At each AT&T store I was told to wait for more stock, and at every Apple store I got discouraged by the long line and withdrew. It's crazy.

Now, I can't help but wonder why Apple is doing this. Obviously they have tons of iPhone 3Gs at the Apple stores, but they only supply limited amounts to the AT&T stores. My only guess is that Steve Jobs gets a kick out of our frustration from waiting in line for a product that he's deliberately stripped of many basic features, knowing that we'll get even more frustrated when we actually get one. And yet we can't help wanting it. How embarrassing!

So, to ease the pain and make the wait worthwhile, why not just go get some accessories instead? You will want to have some of them anyway.

If you haven't found anything you want in my last blog, Griffin today introduced another slew of stuff that you can use with your iPhone 3G. The list includes:

- Wave for iPhone 3G: $24.99

- Nu Form with EasyDock: $24.99

- Elan Clip for iPhone 3G: $24.99

- Streamline for iPhone: $29.99

- TuneBuds: $19.99

- TuneBuds Mobile: $39.99

- StereoConnect: $14.99

Personally, I like the TuneBuds Mobile, as the original white headphones that come with the iPhone are just too telling (like "Look at me! I have an Apple product!") and don't offer very good bass.

The portable speaker for the iPhone can be folded up into a compact "ball" that's very easy to transport.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)

Now that you've gotten your iPhone 3G, it's time to get some accessories for it.

Digital Life Outfiter (DLO) didn't wait for long and has just come out with a slew of stuff that you can use to protect, carry, and enhance your iPhone 3G. Most of them work with the original iPhone and the iPod Touch, too.

To keep your iPhone from scratching or bumped around if dropped, you can choose either the HybridShell ($24.99) that's bulky yet stylish, or the VideoShell ($19.99), which is clear and sturdy. Of course, you can get other old-school outfits like the Jam Jacket ($19.99) or the HipCase ($29.99).

Personally, I prefer the Action Jacket ($29.99) for iPhone, which works well for when you go jogging, which is probably the only time I would want to use a case for a smartphone/music player.

DLO also has the Portable Speakers that instantly turns your iPhone into a mini boom box, which works well for a small room or when you are on the go. The speakers can be folded up into an "egg" that's a compact 6 inches in diameter. It's rather expensive, though, at $49.99.

(Credit: Setgo)

If your gadgets outnumber your pockets but you're not quite resigned to suspender geekdom, there may be a compromise. Setgo's "Transport," as Dvice puts it, is "a kind of wearable man-purse for the 21st century" though we assume it's not necessarily gender-specific.

It's basically the equivalent of an updated tool belt with "strategically placed pockets" that's worn like a big sash over the shoulder instead of around the beer belly. The idea is valid, but we can't see paying $80 for something like this. And if you think that wearing just one strap instead of two will somehow lessen the date repellant factor, you'd be sadly mistaken.

(Credit: Wal-Mart)

We have only one request of those who are wondering whether to get a Guitar Hero "Air Guitar Rocker": If you're a middle-aged man, don't.

It's one thing if you're Crave-meister Brian Tong, who sampled it at CES earlier this year, but it's not the same with an old guy trying desperately to relive his youth with air guitar. Jada Toys' device is finally on sale at Target, Wal-Mart, and other big retailers, offering a mini-amplifier, sensor-packed belt buckle, and an "Air Cartridge" with "ten signature guitar riffs" of various degrees of difficulty, according to Engadget.

It's the latest in a long and depressing line of air guitar devices that come in the form of a wristband, electric pick, T-shirt, and an amputated neck. The Air Guitar Rocker does have the vaunted Guitar Hero seal of approval, of course. But, as we've seen before, that's not necessarily enough to keep a player from self-inflicted embarrassment.

(Credit: Shiny Shiny)

Before you trash that busted gadget, ask yourself this: How would it look strapped to my waist? Don't laugh--it could be the next fashion trend.

Little did we know that a broken Mac mouse was only the beginning when a graphic artist turned it into a belt buckle. Now, the concept has progressed to a working iPod Nano in the form of the "Tunebuckle," a clear case that can be worn without compromising access to the device's controls, Shiny Shiny says. Once again, our distinct lack of fashion sense has been proven beyond doubt. (Twice in one morning, in fact.)

Aesthetics notwithstanding, we think this accoutrement merits praise for one simple reason: It's not called the "iBuckle."

Update: Our eagle-eyed colleague Jasmine France notes that CNET actually reviewed the Tunebuckle last year. Bottom line: It's fashion over function. No surprise there.