Crave

(Credit: Acousticom)

Acousticom manufactures audio communication equipment utilized by the Department of Defense and leading aerospace companies. The company is well-known for its flight helmets, but it is coming to CES 2010 with something almost everyone can enjoy--the Sound Egg.

The egg chair is back, but with a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound system and an intimate media experience not intended for sharing. The chair can be connected to a television or computer and its unique foam insulation means no more complaining from your significant other. Go ahead, play Call of Duty all you want--he or she won't hear a thing.

The Sound Egg was initially manufactured as a demonstration tool for trade shows. Although this is still a marketed use, Acousticom is making it available as a consumer electronics item. The $1,450 seat is not for everyone, but audiophiles might call it an "investment."

(Credit: Design Boom)

A rocking chair with an integrated OLED lamp would in and of itself be cool enough to feature here on Crave, but the Murakami Chair is different. The power to run the light, you see, comes from your own rocking motion.

As you rock, nano-dynamos built into the chair's skids (I love a job where I get paid to type things like "nano-dynamos") convert the kinetic energy of the motion into power, which is stored in internal batteries during the day or sent straight to the light when dark.

The concept chair was developed by American designer Rochus Jacob, which means it even looks cool. It nabbed first place in designboom's green life competition.

The lighting is all made possible by advances in OLED technology, which make it a very efficient way to convert energy into light. If I had a more high-tech grandpa, I'd get him one of these if it hit the market. That way he could read a book as he sits on his front porch with his shotgun to make sure the kids keep off his lawn.

Really, though, we could see even more practical applications of this technology. Imagine adding nano-dynamos (again!) to the bottoms of your shoes. As you walk around they charge your cell phone or MP3 player or Virtual Boy. OK, maybe not your Virtual Boy. That would be dangerous. And stupid. On many levels.

(Credit: Voos Furniture)

High-back, leather executive chairs that let you lean backward are really cushy (and expensive), but you can achieve the same effect and not (totally) burn a hole in your wallet with the $500 Attitude Chair.

Unlike conventional seats, this contraption by Deger Cengiz is fitted with two additional legs. In normal upright position, these legs won't touch the floor. But as you lean back, they roll out to replace the two front legs that have just been lifted off the ground.

We're assuming the pair stops at a fixed angle to prevent you from tipping over. While you can't really play executive in a wooden chair like this, at least you won't embarrass yourself by falling backward.

(Source: Crave Asia via Newlaunches)

CNET editors Jeff Bakalar and Scott Stein take a look at the highly anticipated Xbox Live Arcade side-scrolling action platformer from Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, Shadow Complex.

Jeff:
Shadow Complex may look like your typical side-scrolling action game, but it does a lot of things that separates it from most platform exploration titles. The unique "2.5D" style takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll soon realize the genius behind the design.

Shadow Complex takes you through an intricate underground military facility where you must rescue your girlfriend who's been kidnapped during a camping trip. With a grid map as your only companion, you must explore the complex all while finding secret items and passageways. You'll also gradually unlock new weapons and ammo and upgrade your character's health in order to fight the mysterious regime.

We fully embrace the developer's choice to build Shadow Complex in such a way. Not only is it a tip of the hat to classic 2D games like the Metroid and Castlevania franchises, but introduces the genre to an entire generation of gamers who may not have been fortunate to play such titles.

With this 3D twist on a classic 2D genre, you're able to shoot at enemies in the background and foreground even though you cannot physically go there. The 360-degree aiming mechanic will automatically target your enemies who aren't necessarily in the same plane that your character is only able to navigate through.

Shadow Complex is truly a unique take on an older genre that will appeal to gamers young and old. It's available now for 1,200 MS Points (or $15) exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade.

Scott:
One of the best trends in all of gaming has to be the rise of low-cost original downloadables, and Shadow Complex is a great example of why it works. ... Read more

We found tons of little gizmos that either brought us thoughts of "awww cute" or thoughts of "awww really?" Also, man babies and sticky mats. What, you really want me to explain that in further detail? Really?

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Angel. Baby. Pinocchio. Witch. Webcam

Battery-bot breaks world record at Le Mans

Are they just messing with us now? The strangest Wii accessory yet

HotCans prove that canned food need never be cold-n-stale

Aroma USB drives away memories of bad odors

Hot Asian Gadgets
A good way to fight crime? Anti-burglar door mat

Pink Watch
Sony Ericsson Conducts Rigorous Analysis of “Women,” Presents Findings In Phone Form

What the hell?
The PRC is your Personal Rockin’ Chair

Potty Time
Portable Toilet Speakers offer you relief of the music kind

Tool Time
Make New Friends With The Portable Tap Dispenser

HELLO COUGAR SUBMISSIONS

Hello Cougar contest

Bad news folks, TWITTER IS DOWN! Today, we report on the subsequent worldwide meltdown in addition to stories about Wal-Mart BlackBerries, the fall of gaming magazines, and more submissions for the "Choose Justin's new glasses" competition!

When Motherboard is away, LASERJET will play!

(Credit: Hayato Shimizu)

All hell has broken loose in the tech world with this morning's Twitter crash. The popular microblogging Web site suffered a denial-of-service attack earlier this morning around 6 a.m. PT, but has yet to give out details or an in-depth status update. The last update said it is "defending" itself from an ongoing attack, so good luck to all the frontline GIs fighting the good fight in the trenches so that Ashton Kutcher can continue telling us facts about technology that we already know.

Earth will continue to rotate on its axis despite Twitter soiling the bed, so we bring you more stories from the Internet, including the awful news that Wal-Mart is now selling the new BlackBerry Curve for $48. So now, in addition to supporting an evil dictatorship conglomerate and taking food from the mouths of independent business owners for a 50-cent discount on a box of Tide, consumers can now pick up a cheap mobile phone so that the Walton children can put one more Benz in the garage. Cool! /rant

Be sure to tune into the second half of the show to hear more rants from The 404, but we also lament the death of classic gaming magazines like GamePro, PSM, EGM, etc. While many of them are still available for print subscription, we can't help but reminisce about the old days when you had to subscribe to them in order to get the latest tips and tricks.

So, all that, PLUS we discover the true identity of Motherboard's wily sidekick, LaserJet (thanks Hayato!) and reveal some serious (and some not-so-serious) submissions to the "Choose Justin's new glasses" competition!

This week's episode is inspired by Natali's incredibly appropriate (if not unintended) comment from last week's episode. Really, if you haven't heard it, check it out. Then listen to today's show where we discuss a wide array of chairs on which to sit. That's right, chairs are the "it". Why, what were you thinking?

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Episode 143

Divided Salli saddle chair

Street Sign Chair

MUR-01 speaker chair

Patio furniture for eating in the pool

Spray can caps make for unique chairs

Chair Socks: The 1970s flatter your furniture

Acoustical resonance massage chair

F-4 Phantom Ejection Seat office chair is the perfect way to dramatically exit a meeting

Hot Asian gadgets
Barista Bot

It’s about time
Cool, infuriating watch

Gender gap
Go plate (Thanks Tyson!)

Pretty
Terranium – Interactive installation

Tool time
Sleeve Tattoos – Slip On Tattoo Sleeves

Kill me
A prop for your boobs

We've discovered a way to take a bunch of gadgets that belong in the trash and turn them into energy for everyone! Listen and find out how. (well, other than the fact that we're simply that awesome.)

EPISODE 114

Plasma plants to vaporize trash and create new energy

Chick-fil-A stuffing a space station in every kid’s meal

Baconnaise

Disco USB hub

Flip Mino--now in HD

Get into the festive spirit with Christmas Jewel USB drive

Update: Vivienne Tam HP Digital Clutch

Tool Time
BeoSound 5 controls your digital home theater in grand, futuristic style

It’s about time
Naf Naf Sunrise Effect alarm clock - a less SAD way to wakeup

PRETTY
Samsung Cleo cell phone sashays into Canada

Pink Watch
Guitars for Girls -Guitar Hero and Rock Band

Gender Gap
The Chair for Man

VOICE MAIL
Peter from Frampton

E-MAIL

I had to share this with people who would appreciate how this could be a necessary ‘food accessory’ for some, but to others, it is just wrong.

Leia E.
Apple Valley, MN

Hey Gadgettes,

Why, why, why? Well, actually, for cancer research. But at least it’s the real thing and not Swarovski crystals. Note the convenience of being able to remove the diamonds to stick in all the jewelry you have that doesn’t already have diamonds.

Also, the blog it came from has the potential to be a great source for you all. Love the show!

-Rabbi the Linguist

P.S.: Why the hate on LARPers but the love of Utilikilt owners? The two groups overlap quite a bit. If you’re gonna dis on LARPers, at least limit it to the ones who can’t distinguish the game from reality. Some of us just enjoy some escapism and creative use of our imagination from time to time, but we understand that, when the game is over, it’s over. (It’s also a good way to socialize - is this a good time to mention that I’ve never been in a LARP that wasn’t at least 40% female?) Our characters may be us (a first-time LARPer often ends up playing herself) but we are not our characters. Those who don’t understand that are likely to be marginalized in a serious game.
I will, though, give you mad props for liking Utilikilts. They’re quite comfortable and the ladies seem to love them. (Gotta love geek
girlfriends!) Keep on rockin’ that podcast.

From Dr. Jason
Lita Ford parties like it’s 1989

With the World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King being released in a couple of weeks, I'll probably be spending a lot more time in front of my computer, getting less sleep and probably gaining a couple of extra pounds. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation, which is why for the sake of significant others everywhere, I've made the decision to talk about the following product with a great deal of trepidation.

Available starting at $150, the Easy Chair Mount allows those of us who just can't pull ourselves away from our computers to not have to. The mount allows you to indirectly attach an LCD to a couch or chair by hooking it to a metal arm. The arm then attaches to a base that is inserted under the legs of the chair or couch.

Marketing-wise, it's not very surprising that the arm resembles aliens from War of the Worlds.

According to the maker, features of the mount include:

• Compatible with most LCD monitors
• Reversible--works on either left or right side of chair or couch
• Assembles in less than 10 minutes
• Powder-coated black satin finish
• Cables run through wire management conduit for neat appearance
• Quality aluminum construction
• Arm has 22 inches of horizontal range
• Arm rotates 360 degrees at three joints
• Monitor tilter mechanism can tilt more than 200 degrees
• Vesa-monitor compatible
• 75mm and 100mm Vesa bolt patterns are supported

Not that you couldn't just use a laptop, but this is a little more "control center-ish" and therefore more geeky. Also, the fact that the arm resembles the aliens from War of the Worlds doesn't hurt.

The upshot with this contraption is that it would allow you to join the family in the living room from time to time; unfortunately that's the bad part as well. When you're trying to be the first person to level to 80, the less distractions the better.