Crave

(Credit: pure-life.info)

I know that girls' feet (and hence, their shoes) are supposed to smell like a combination of fresh-cut lilies and pure spring rain, but mine sure don't, especially when I'm coming back to the apartment after a jog through Manhattan's sticky summer humidity.

So far, I've found no solution to the issue, which concerns me, because I like to keep the health and well-being of my roommates and neighbors in mind. On particularly hot days, sometimes I worry that the smell of my sneakers post-workout might accidentally kill some baby bunnies or kittens, or on the flip side, might act as an aphrodisiac for horny cockroaches. (I know, ewwww.)

Enter the Japanese-import Shoe Pure 100, which looks oddly like those bizarre egg-shaped glowing devices that we saw a trend in a few months back. Two little "arms" on the gadget extend out to hold your problematically-scented shoes; toss them on when you get home from wherever you've been, and in half an hour, the Shoe Pure 100 promises to rid them of all unpleasant aromas by drying out the fresh sweat with warm air.

It's one of those situations in which I'm skeptical that it'd actually work, but considering I've tried every other option, I'm willing to give it a shot.

I don't really understand why it has to glow, too, but maybe that's to show that the magic anti-stink fairy is hard at work, transforming the odor of workout grease and urban sludge into the delightful scent of late-summer roses.

(Via Plastic Bamboo)

(Credit: Umine)

When I was a kid, we had those gadgets sold in the "well-being" section of Bed Bath & Beyond--you know, alongside foot massagers and home-spa kits and other things that I never thought anyone actually bought--and their whole schpiel was that they'd play you the soothing sounds of forests at night, crashing waves, chirping songbirds, or something else that was supposed to block out your neighbor's annoying dog. Or kids. Or garage chemistry lab.

But now, apparently, the Digital Age of Excess 2.0 demands that everything be a little bit fancier and more ridiculous than its late-20th-century equivalent. That's probably why sound machines now need to be sight-and-sound machines. This Japanese "Healing Theater Umine," for example, will display a variety of visualizations that go along with the usual New Agey sounds--tropical beach, underwater, swimming with dolphins, rainforest, what-have-you. Alternately, you can hook up your MP3 player, just in case that iPod is loaded with even better swimming-with-dolphins noises--or in case you want to accompany the light show with a little bit of Dead and any questionable substances whose use we absolutely do not condone.

It's $84, which I would only be willing to pay if there were also a "loud urban traffic" setting, which could help me go to sleep should I find myself without the usual lullaby of sirens, car horns, and bar patrons.

There are plenty of night sky visualization devices out there, but this is the first one we've seen that branches beyond the cosmos. It comes from TakaraTomy, which as you may recall, has also brought us the floating planet balloons that are about thirty years too late: I'm sure the Dark Side of the Moon crowd would've dug them before they had kids and turned into yuppies.

(Via Technabob)

(Credit: TakaraTomy)

What is it with these astronomy gadgets that aim to recreate the cosmos inside your living room? I totally dig some of them, like the laser star projector, but some others just go way too far. These are the Furawito floating lamps made by the Japanese company TakaraTomy, and they're a little bit excessive, to say the least. They are, essentially, helium balloons that happen to be shaped like the earth and moon, with LEDs to make them glow. Yeah, totally unnecessary. They cost about $27 apiece--waste of cash.

Plus, you'll need to replenish the helium. That sounds more annoying than just changing a light bulb.

P.S.: In addition to the earth and moon lamps, there are also Fuwarito lights in the shape of a jellyfish and a dolphin. Just in case you aren't a jellyfish-hater like Steve Jobs.

(Via Technabob)

(Credit: Barstools & Barstools)

Sometimes on Crave I talk about my dream office. This would undoubtedly be a part of it. I think it might be the most beautiful bar ever; yes, even cooler than the inflatable one. This is, like, the iPhone of bars. Crafted out of a combination of brushed and polished stainless steel, it comes with a bottle cooler and a sink that you can connect to your water supply. They really thought of everything.

Additionally, the panels on the front are luminescent, so this is guaranteed to look extra awesome after dark. At the (discounted!) price of $7,365, that's about as much as slightly over 12 iPhones. I say it's worth it. Very worth it.

(Via Uncrate)

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy/CNET Networks)

To those who stepped in late: here at Crave, we like things that light up. So when I saw these huggable light-up pillows at ICFF, I more or less concluded that no matter what they were, they had to be blogged. Turns out they're the inaugural product from designer Diana Lin, and they're called the Rei Huggables (pronounced "ray," you know, like sunlight).

Basically, a Rei pillow is a set of 12 LEDs encased in soft silicone cases that are stashed inside a fuzzy pillow cover. The ellipse-shaped silicone cases give each pillow a sort of amoeba-like look, and they're available in white, pink, and gold. They can be powered either by four AA batteries or an AC adapter, and they're warm to the touch so that they can help keep you nice and toasty when it's cold out.

Luminous pillows, I should note, are generally not among our favorite glowy items. And the Rei's eyebrow-raising price--$125 for a single pillow--isn't really our style. But they sure are cute!

(Credit: Metalarte)

If you've ever had the sick fantasy of wanting to throw a lamp into a body of water, here you go. Fortunately, it won't electrocute anything. It will, however, make your pool look eerily pretty.

As far as floating pool lights go, these are nowhere near as cool as the fiber optic jellyfish. These are rechargeable, floating lamp-shaped lights sold by lighting-design company Metalarte, known by the name "Waterproof," and they'll cost you $450 apiece. (Yikes! And I thought the $60 jellyfish were extravagant!) But if you've got that expensive in-ground pool, I suppose it's worth spending a few bucks on.

(Via CubeMe)

(Credit: theANEMIX)

I don't think you want to light up your house with this--but decorators in charge of restaurants, nightclubs, and hotel lobbies might want to take note. This is called theANEMIX, and it's a freaking 3D lighting-effect system. Yes. Wow. theANIMEX is the product of Chilean designers Ximena Munoz and Paulina Villalobos, who used the uber-efficient OSRAM LED technology to create panels that use dual layers (one luminescent, one reflective) to give off a lovely, bioluminescence-inspired 3D glow.

(Credit: theANEMIX)

Really, really cool-looking stuff. It's far classier than the glowy stuff we typically post about here.

(Via CubeMe)

(Credit: LumiGram)

As you may recall, Mike didn't really like the LED handbag that he blogged a few weeks ago, comparing it to The Blob. I think it bears more of a resemblance to a jellyfish, but that's beside the point.

Yes, the LED handbag was pretty ugly, but illuminated cloth objects don't have to be. I just found out about LumiGram, a French site that sells fabric commodities like bags, tank tops, and yes, tablecloths that are equipped with plastic optical fibers woven alongside the regular threads. They're powered by (allegedly) discreet batteries and are hand-washable.

The clothing and bags (photos on the product page) are a bit overkill, but I think the tablecloth is very classy and gives a rather spooky-chic aura. It'd be great for everything from Halloween parties to late-night backyard fiestas. Alternately, I'm sure it could be transformed into some kind of cosplay garb, too.

(Via Core77)