Crave

Just lay your Wii controllers on this inductive charger and poof: they start recharging!

(Credit: Buy.com)

Last year around this time, it was still a challenge just to get a Wii. Now that everyone's got one, let's take a look at some inexpensive gift ideas for the Wii people ("Wii-ple"?) in your life.

1. Buy.com has the Wii AirCharge Inductive Charger for $17.99 shipped. "Inductive" means you just lay the controllers on the charging base and presto: they recharge. It even works through the silicon sleeves and with the new MotionPlus connected. The package comes with the base and a pair of rechargeable batteries. I'm getting one.

2. Amazon has the hilariously kooky games Rayman Raving Rabbids, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party for $11.98 each. Get your cart total above $25 to qualify for free shipping.

3. Meritline has a Wii steering-wheel adapter for $6.99 shipped. Even better, get a two-pack for $9.99 or three for $12.89. It may seem like a silly accessory, but in my experience it makes Wii racing games a lot easier to control (and therefore a lot more fun).

Now that we're getting down to the wire, holiday-wise, any suggestions for what kinds of deals you'd like me to post in the last couple weeks before Xmas? I'm all ears!

Backup deal: I love coffee and tea equally, so I'm digging today's Woot deal: a Gevalia Pod Coffee Maker for $9.99 (plus $5 shipping). It's new, not refurbished, and it works for both coffee and tea.

With the launch of Windows 7 this week, we've seen a number of product marketing attempts that made us ask "what on earth does this have to do with anything?"

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Windows Cafe in Paris

Windows 7 Whopper marketing promotion

I'm a PC USB keys

Pistachio ad campaign featuring Levi Johnston

Dolce & Gabbana Sony Ericsson Jalou

Regretsy

No muss, no fuss.

(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)

It's always been a dream to have kitchen appliances know what we want for dinner--or if not what we want to eat, at least how to make it. From the popcorn button on our microwaves to toaster ovens with preset functions, kitchen appliances have always strived to be more accommodating to our wants and needs. While we may not yet have fully integrated kitchens, we do at least have a continuing trend of smart appliances geared to automatically make adjustments as needed.

The Bosch Tassimo Titanium Single-Serve Beverage Brewer takes a familiar technology and uses it to facilitate effortless coffee making. Using bar-code technology, the machine reads information off of special T-Disc (Tassimo Disc) beverage containers, and adjusts brewing time and temperature accordingly. More than 40 beverage varieties are available in the special T-Disc packages, including ones for cappuccino, tea, latte, and hot chocolate.

With virtually no cleanup or setup, brewing is made as easy as can be. Each cup is predetermined in volume, so this really is a machine built around ease of use; those that prefer control should look elsewhere. Meanwhile, the effortless aspect of this beverage brewer is certainly a plus, and bound to be an appealing aspect to those that want simplicity of use. Until that time when the integrated kitchen can learn how to read minds, appliances that just know how to do their job will have to do.

In honor of our special guest, Micky Hoogendijk, we cover gadgets with an international flare. You might think that a show as classy as this one might not include any questionable content. You would be wrong.

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Giorgio Armani extends designer touch to new mobile

Samsung Blue Earth sees light in Sweden

http://dvice.com/archives/2009/10/lgs-pop-touchsc.php

Dolce Gusto single-cup coffee maker is a beautiful thing

Dyson Fan

Speakers as thin as your TV

But could I get it in blue, to match my dishes?

(Credit: Der Spiegel via Popular Science)

For more than 60 years, Germany's Fraunhofer Institute has promoted and undertaken "applied research...of wide benefit to society as a whole," according to its mission statement. That's why it's not at all surprising to hear that they recently came up with the Perfect Coffee Mug, a temperature-regulating drinking receptacle that keeps coffee at the ideal drinking temperature for up to 30 minutes.

The mug uses phase change material (PCM)--that's a substance with a high heat of fusion that can store and release energy (heat) over time. By adjusting the amount of PCM in a given object, you can effectively set the temperature you want to maintain. The Perfect Coffee Mug is set to about 136 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here's how it all goes down: you brew your coffee, optimally at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and pour it into your mug. Maybe you lose a few degrees in the pouring, but you're still probably be looking at around 195 degrees, what we in the science biz call "tongue-scaldingly hot." So your mug absorbs that extra 60 or so degrees and gives it back slowly, as your coffee cools, to maintain its ideal temperature of 136 degrees.

I, personally, can think of nothing that serves society better. When these mugs hit my local Target, you can bet I'll buy a bunch.

(Credit: The Spoon Sisters)

Here's one for the paranoid decaf coffee drinker--D-Caf Test Strips. These tiny strips of paper will tell you if there is too much caffeine in the beverage when you dip one in a small sample. It takes about 30 seconds to display a result and will work with both hot and cold coffee.

Those who get their days ruined by intolerance to caffeine may want to check it out at online shopping site The Spoon Sisters, which sells the product for $9.95 per pack of 20 strips. Or, if we may so suggest, drink something other than coffee.

(Source: Crave Asia via bookofjoe)

Plug it in and go.

(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)

Mornings are made on routines. From the moment the alarm clock wakes us up we're off and running on autopilot. Breakfast is made and devoured with barely a glimmer of recognition, and then we are off and out the door, coffee in hand. Cold coffee, of course, because we are always running late.

This performance may play out day after day, but that doesn't mean a break in the routine would necessarily mess it up. A little change could go a long way. At least in the case of having your coffee at a drinkable temperature.

A simple change in your coffee mug could send you down the road supplied with the warming glow that only hot morning brew can provide. The Emerson Auto Mug replaces your old, out-of-date, and most importantly, un-powered travel mug by heating your morning joe while on the way to work. Using a simple 12-volt car power adapter that plugs into the lighter jack, the stainless steel travel mug keeps hot coffee nice and hot.

Fitting into most standard drink holders, the mug makes it easy to get out the door with no change in the morning routine. The 14-ounce capacity mug is a nice size for kick-starting the day, but when it comes to that daily mad dash to find the car keys, don't forget the power cord in the process--best just to leave that in the car.

Whether you're BBQ'ing, lazing by the pool, or showing those (un)fortunate souls all of your summer vacation photos, this episode has a little something for everyone.

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EPISODE 139

Livio Radio review: Pandora streaming, with a high-end look

Bose unveils SoundDock Series II for iPod–and iPhone

TomTom GO 740 Live is our GPS Editors’ Choice

Sharp’s sun-powered phone almost beach-ready

Powerbrella juices up your gadgets while you lay in the shade

Pico projector roundup

There's always time for coffee.

(Credit: Solutions.com)

I am always onboard when it comes to a different way to brew coffee. If whatever method I choose lets me make a pot without plugging into the wall, all the better; pre-coffee mornings can be rather hazardous in my household. The Hourglass Coffee Brewer is a cold-brew coffee system that allows for the main benefit of reduced acid content in your joe. For those this may not matter to, well, it's also just kind of neat.

The idea is to set up your morning coffee the night before (something that always appeals to me and my morning motor functions). Add ground coffee and cold water to the filter basket and attach to the hourglass. The coffee basically steeps overnight. In the morning, flip the hourglass over and the resulting brew is an extract that you add to hot water.

While coffee extract does not a cup of coffee make, for those who suffer from sensitive stomachs, this may be an answer. Certainly the concept is sound: coffee grounds slowly steeped in water overnight do deliver a morning brew. Considering that everything runs better on coffee, this seems like a good idea for not only those who may need it, but those who need a little help in the morning.