Crave

The Rationalizer system is aimed at serious traders, but we don't see why it couldn't be used by others as well.

(Credit: Philips Electronics)

Has all that online stock trading landed you in trouble? Philips Design has come up with a product for frazzled day traders--and no, it's not software that locks you out of your computer when you place a buy order for Nokia.

It's a biometric-style emotion-sensing system that supposedly alerts traders when it might be wise to take a breath and step away from the Charles Schwab site.

The Rationalizer system consists of the EmoBracelet and corresponding EmoBowl. The bracelet measures the user's emotional arousal level through a skin response sensor and displays the findings as a dynamic light pattern on either the bracelet itself or the nearby, rather cool-looking bowl. As your emotions intensify, so does the light pattern, which speeds up and shifts color from soft yellow to orange to deep red--alerting you and everyone else who pops in the room that you're turning into a basket case.

(Credit: Philips Electronics)

The parties behind the Emo gadgets say they were inspired by research showing that home investors don't act purely rationally. "Their behavior is influenced by emotions, most notably fear and greed, which can compromise their ability to take an objective, factual stance," reads a statement announcing the product.

The concept device comes out of the Dialogues Incubator, an initiative founded in 2007 by Dutch bank ABN AMRO to bring new ideas to market. The Rationalizer--much like the mWave Personal Stress Reliever, Cocoro Meter, and SensDevice mouse that came before it--is meant to serve as a kind of emotion/stress signpost, since many regard awareness as the first step to reducing tension and altering behavior.

Then again, we'd hope most people would have a clue they're a bit close to the edge before the red lights start flashing.

A ticket to ride, $5 to see the Beatles, not bad.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

I have no idea why, but "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl" has never been released on CD in the U.S.

Worse yet, I don't think it's going to come out on CD or download when the remastered Beatles albums are released later this year. "Hollywood Bowl" came out on LP in 1977, before the CD was invented, and long after the group broke up. In 1977 all four Beatles were still alive. Luckily enough, it's not at all hard to score a decent "Hollywood Bowl" LP now.

I can't think of another major sixties band that didn't eventually put out a great concert LP. For reasons lost to the mists of time the Beatles live recordings were all pretty poor quality, and these Hollywood Bowl dates are less than stellar-sounding. But the thing is, the performances rock harder than the Beatles ever did in the studio.

Mark it zero, dude.

(Credit: CTA Digital)

We missed this little item at E3, but apparently CTA Digital has a bowling ball accessory in the works.

The thing actually splits in half; you stick your Wiimote inside, slip the wrist strap on, and start knocking down virtual pins. We assume there are some finger holes on the other side of the ball, but we doubt the thing weighs even half as much as a real bowling ball (that would be scary).

Of course, you're not supposed let go of the ball, and CTA Digital has a rather ominous disclaimer in all caps on its site:

USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN USING THIS PRODUCT. CTA DIGITAL, INC IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE BOWLING BALL ATTACHMENT.

No word on when the accessory will be released or how much it will cost, but it is compatible with the following Wii bowling games: Wii Sports bowling, Brunswick Pro Bowling, Ten Pin Alley 2, AMF Bowling: World Lanes, and AMF Bowling: Pinbusters!

CTA Digital also makes Knockout Gloves for Wii. We're not sure if these accessories are really stupid or really cool. Comments?

The Knockout Gloves are compatible with all Wii Boxing titles.

(Credit: CTA Digital)

(Source: Gizmodo via Oh Gizmo via mtvU)

(Credit: MoMA Store)

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...a bowl?

No, this beautiful piece of artwork isn't meant to be used as a weapon to threaten your enemies--it's a bowl created for the MoMA Store's Destination: Brazil collection. The collection celebrates designs, culture, and lifestyle elements from Brazil, which explains the centipede design that inspired this bowl.

The bowl is constructed from 44 independently moving pieces that are each made from a composite of coconut fibers, sugar cane, and wood. Since each piece moves separately, you can rearrange the bowl in a huge variety of configurations. A rubber washer and magnetic end serve as the closure for the two ends of the bowl when it's closed.

But a design this unique comes with a heavy price tag: at $275, you can get it from the MoMA Design Store. Or, you could wait until you hit the lottery or add it to a bridal registry and hope one of your guests is feeling generous.

Jeff, Wilson, and Justin recover from their hangovers with ace reporter Caroline McCarthy. We chat about Wilson's drunken debauchery and Caroline's bacon tattoo.

(Credit: University of Wisconsin)

Some days on The 404, there isn't much news to report, so we do something we like to call "milking," and boy are we good at it! It's not for lacking of trying. We spend as much as 10 minutes every day looking for stuff on the Interwebs to riff on, and while we could talk about hackers taking apart Safari in seconds, it's really not that funny. And it's not 404-esque material. See how much text I've written, and really I haven't said anything!

In actual stories today, Caroline McCarthy tells us that there are bacon tattoos at SXSW. We think someone spammed our poll. President Obama makes a terrible, terrible 404-style joke about bowling and the Special Olympics. (We wish he would come on our show.) Google gives you an "Undo Send" feature in Gmail. We think it would be more effective if it had a five-hour, post-hangover undo-send feature. And we're really, really tired of Jason Seigel & Co. movies like "I Love You, Man." But it does bring up fond memories of Jennifer Love Hewitt in that teen classic "Can't Hardly Wait."

Tampa authorities will utilize Microsoft's Surface touch-screen device, along with other technologies, as part of Super Bowl Sunday security, according to Ars Technica.

For well over a year now, more than 60 federal, state, regional, local, and municipal authorities have been working with the E-Sponder technology partnership to plan security details for Super Bowl XLIII, one of the only major sporting events that receives national security status.

Beginning this week and continuing past the final game whistle, E-Sponder will connect on-site and remote authorities, allowing them to remotely track all activities in real time with mapping, as well as 3D displays, two-way radio integration, and immediate communication.

Together with Infusion Development's Falcon Eye technology, the Tampa Incident Command staff will use the E-Sponder portal to visualize all aspects of Super Bowl goings-on.

The Microsoft Surface device will display a Microsoft Virtual Earth map of the entire region, tracking events and incidents in real time using its large display and multi-user, multitouch, and interactive capabilities, and also allowing it to communicate with remote devices and PCs.

With a quick hand gesture, the map can zoom in and display a 3D image of the city, including detailed views of buildings and streets and real-time resource tracking.

Those crumbs don't stand a chance.

(Credit: fredflare.com)

This weekend, crunchy snacks are going to be consumed across the country in staggering amounts. All the Super Bowl parties filled with delicious treats can only mean one thing: somebody has to clean it all up. Well, now, maybe not a somebody, but rather, a something.

Powered by two AA batteries, the Mini Robo Vacuum skirts across your kitchen table (or Super Bowl spread) picking up crumbs or other small bits of unwanted trash. All you have to do is push the button on top of its little robot head and off it goes.

The small robot vacuum cleaner measures 5 inches by 4 inches, and comes in three different colors. As a regular addition to your normal tablescape it should fit right in.

At only $20, the Mini Robo Vacuum isn't going to compare with a powerful robotic vacuum cleaner such as the Roomba. However, I would rather have one of these little guys scuttling about my kitchen countertop.

Certainly this weekend, robot cleaners large and small will be put to good use. Considering the amount of pretzels, potato chips, and crackers that will be consumed over this Super Bowl weekend, the robot cleaners are going to be working overtime no matter how close the game is.

(Via Dvice)

For millions of people, this Sunday will be all about the Super Bowl. But for others, the big game may not be tops on their weekend to-do list.

What about you? Which gadget could most successfully distract you from watching the Steelers and Cardinals face off in XLIII?

The Super Bowl is one of the must-watch TV events of the year, and it can be a complete viewing experience.

On The Early Show on Tuesday, CNET TV Senior Editor Natali Del Conte presented super ways to make watching the big game as good as it can be for the serious living-room fan, showcasing some high-tech gadgets providing premiere ways to watch.

She also showed those who don't want to purchase anything how to make the best of what they already have:

The serious splurge: Panasonic 65-inch Premiere
This model is the Ferrari of televisions, and it only began shipping last week. It is sold only through really high-end retailers, and it cannot yet be ordered online. It has a professional studio-quality monitor and the richest black detail of any TV on the market. The plasma technology offers clear motion reproduction, deeper blacks, and a wider viewing angle.

Price: $9,995

There is no CNET review yet for this model.

The more affordable: Vizio 37-inch television
This model is not only affordable for a flat-panel TV, it gets great reviews from technology sites and magazines. It has accurate gray-scale and primary colors. This model also has one of the most important things that you should always look for in an HDTV--more than one HDMI port. This one has three, in fact, as well as one PC output. If you are looking for a solid and advanced LCD at a decent price, this is it.

Price: $730 ... Read more