Crave

(Credit: John Lewis)

We wish the U.K.'s John Lewis would expand to the States, just so we could keep up with the department store's latest kitchen creations. Last year we were smitten by its fridge-based wine cellar, and now they've done it again.

The "Ultimate Kitchen Combo" lives up to its name as a 4-in-1 system that includes an electric oven, a steam oven, a wall-mounted coffee machine, and a 19-inch LCD TV. Perhaps most impressive of all, this Rube Goldberg-sounding mashup of appliances looks surprisingly uncluttered, resembling some sort of high-tech art gallery.

When all this is taken into account, as BornRich points out, the combined price of $4,500 actually doesn't seem that outrageous. But as a final deal sweetener--especially for guys--we'd recommend that they throw in a game console.

(Credit: PClaunches)

We're not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but Canon seems to be getting some dubious product-design ideas from those mass-market gadget makers in Asia. Case in point: Its new 3-in-1 mouse that includes a calculator and numeric keypad.

The last time we saw one of these, it was from a Taiwanese company called Ezkey and bore a remarkable resemblance to a miniature George Foreman Grill. It's far from the weirdest mouse combinations we've seen, of course, which include everything from hand warmers and back massagers to gamepads and label makers.

Granted, it costs only $32, which isn't bad for the 1,000 dpi mouse function alone. But as we've seen before, it could be the beginning of an unfortunate path.

(Credit: MobileWhack)

It's often been unclear to us why anyone would want a standalone dictionary device, which seems like a lot of hardware to carry around just for text. Apparently Maxian agrees, because it recently released an upgraded version of its E900 media player with 60GB of storage to accommodate a built-in pocket dictionary.

The device also has a 4.3-inch display, USB ports, and Windows CE 5.0, according to MobileWhack, as well as support for audio and video. The dictionary combination makes particularly good sense for the Korean manufacturer, because it has already shown a penchant for cramming in as many functions as possible to create its steroidal players.

(Credit: GizmoWatch)

Combo TVs with built-in DVD or VCR players have always gotten little respect, found on the far reaches of shelf space at retail stores next to the HDMI cables or whatever else is in the next aisle. Given this lowly station, they've usually been allowed only the smaller screen sizes appropriate for such places as the kitchen or small family room--and rarely, if ever, bearing the latest technologies.

That's what makes Westinghouse's latest model interesting. The VK-40F580D integrates a DVD player with a 40-inch display, according to GizmoWatch, much larger than the 26-inch cap seen in practically all other combo TVs. Not only that, but it's also a full 1080p HDTV. It won't "upscale" DVDs to that higher resolution, but that can be a dubious proposition anyway. Other conveniences include its "Spinedesign," which places all the ports and plugs on one side, and a front-loading DVD slot.

Of course, aficionados will always point out that combo units are obviously problematic if and when individual components need tweaking or repair. And then there's the estimated $1,149 price, which is probably more than you'd pay for a separate 40-inch HDTV and DVD player of comparable quality. But if you want a relatively large screen and watch a lot of DVDs but are short on space, this combo might be something to consider. As promised earlier, Crave TV guru David Katzmaier will have a full review in the future.

(Credit: Brionvega)

Being an Italian designer means you have a lot to live up to, but Brionvega has never shied from the task. This is the company, for instance, that has taken its chances on such designs as a TV that looks like a solid cube of black glass. So it is of little surprise that its latest offering breaks yet another mold.

In fact, this 19-inch Alpha LCD TV with built-in DVD player looks so unusual that we weren't sure what it was at first. Accompanied by the slogan "TV With Love" (it is Italian, after all) this combo has a display with 1,280 x 1,024 resolution and 160-degree viewing angles, according to Engadget, but it does not have a built-in digital tuner--an omission that makes its $3,000+ price tag even more absurd than it already is. Then again, no one ever quibbles with the latest Karl Lagerfeld line on a runway in Milan.

(Credit: Westinghouse)

There's a reason that all-in-one TVs are always at the very end of the aisle at retailers. They may well be the least-cool media gear around, bearing the scorn of those who complain, among other things, that the individual components can't be tweaked or repaired. But there are at least two reasons that TV-DVD (and--gasp--even VCR) combos will survive for awhile: kids and grandparents.

While these products are designed for ease of use, however, the flat-TV era has presented a complication for the DVD end of the equation. Usually the slot is mounted on the side, an awkward position that's conducive to accidental scratching--which is the last thing you need for that High School Musical disc that's already on its last legs. So Westinghouse has designed its latest HDTV-DVD combo with a front-loading player that even a near-sighted Baby Boomer could operate.

The SK-26H570D is one of the company's latest HDTV models, a 26-inch LCD intended for use in places where space is a premium. The 720p resolution isn't the highest, of course, but that won't be necessary for Spongebob or I Love Lucy reruns anyway. Until Touch Interactive makes its "hybrid" player a reality, this may be worth a look.

(Credit: Chinavasion)

As surprising as it may seem, one of the few combo pens we have not written about is an MP3 writing instrument. We were sure it would have been included somewhere in the pantheon of multi-tasking pens, which have been hitched with everything from cameras and DVRs to SD card readers and hot-spot finders.

Chinavasion's "MOQ MP3" is a ballpoint pen that's available with 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of storage. Its four control buttons include one to tune an FM radio as well, according to Gizmodiva. But until they figure out a way to include aromatherapy, we'll have to pass.

It's becoming clear that early adopters of the HD DVD video format will find fewer and fewer products that will play their discs.

Samsung will halt its plans to release the combination HD DVD/Blu-ray player, the BD-UP5500, introduced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show. Samsung issued a statement late Wednesday, saying that though the product "remains a practical solution...the window of opportunity is smaller than it was before. In light of recent announcements, Samsung will not introduce the BD-UP5500 Duo HD Player."

Samsung pulls the plug on its latest combo drive before its release.

(Credit: Samsung)

The announcement doesn't come as much of a shock. Even at its launch there were questions whether the product was relevant, and if so, for how long, since just a few days earlier Warner Bros. made its bombshell announcement that it would support Blu-ray exclusively, effectively dooming the HD DVD format.

There are very few options left for owners of HD DVD discs. Last month Toshiba decided to bow out, followed soon by Microsoft's announcement it would no longer produce external HD DVD drives for its Xbox 360 video game console. Samsung has one other combo player and LG Electronics still makes two combo players.

Samsung will, however, keep moving ahead with plans to release its next Blu-ray only player, the BD-P1500, which is still on track for a spring release.

(Credit: Thanko)

If you thought the irritatingly misspelled "Robo Vacum" was silly, you're in good company. What it needs, of course, is to be combined with another device--like a mouse.

And that's good news for a company like Thanko. It is, after all, the Japanese outfit that prides itself on creations ranging from USB aromatherapy devices to muscle-toning mice. So it came as little surprise that it's responsible for a "USB Vacuum Mouse" that's pretty much self-explanatory.

The combo gadget is an 800-dpi mouse that turns into a mini-vacuum cleaner with the flip of a small switch, according to Everything USB. They would do well to work in a cooking function to make the clean-up feature all the more attractive.