Crave

(Credit: Photojojo)

When I'm out on shooting trips, I usually sling the shooter around my shoulders. This is why I invested in a tough Domke camera strap. However, its boring design may not go down too well with some shutterbugs, so I'll probably recommend them the Seat Belt Camera Straps.

Apparently, these 2-inch wide straps come from retired vehicles that have been restored to make sure they can handle the weight of dSLRs. The buckles are rounded to prevent them from jabbing into your ribs.

Available in four colors, Photojojo (currently one of my favorite sites) is retailing the straps for $20 apiece. I think this is pretty affordable, considering they look quite chic as well.

(Via Crave Asia)

(Credit: Optech)

I wouldn't be caught dead with this camera harness to protect my dSLR, not even if it means I have to carry a heavy bag to store my equipment in. Honestly, the first word that came to mind when I saw the Optech Stabilizer Strap was: geek.

But I have to give credit to the U.S. company for coming up with a product for those who aren't ashamed to be laughed at for looking silly. The Stabilizer Strap is made of neoprene and stretches across your torso. Just stretch the harness and slip your camera between the harness and your body and the dSLR will be secured against your abdomen. When you want to take pictures, just slip it out. Optech's Web site claims it's fast and easy.

No doubt it's a nice innovation for those who go trekking with their dSLRs. But I think my Domke bag is way cooler than this, thank you very much.

(Source: Crave Asia)

The best inventions fill a need most people overlook--like that most fundamental human need not to be wracked by painful seat belt chafing.

Suffer no more, my friends. Now there's the Tiddy Bear Comfort Strap.

No, really.

It's soft, sure, but does it have Wi-Fi?

(Credit: Tiddy Bear)

As the video commercial on the Web site points out, "That's "T-I-D-D-Y Bear." You know, in case you thought they were saying something else.

It's a cute little plush bear that snaps onto the shoulder strap of your seat belt to cushion your shoulder or, um, chesticular area.

I'm not sure if this decreases the actual safety of your seat belt, but I have to admire this low-tech solution to an everyday conundrum. We see all kinds of Wi-Fi gadgets and bacon alarm clocks working here at CNET, but sometimes you just need what works.

The Tiddy Bear Comfort Strap was invented by two women, one of whom is a breast cancer survivor who experienced uncomfortable pressure from her seat belt. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that, right?

You can get yourself a Tiddy Bear for $14.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. But buy one (I feel like I'm Ron Popeil here), and get the second one free. Well, free plus $3.95 shipping, anyway. That's an easy way to get a gift for your (ahem) bosom buddy.

Being on the shorter side, I can see the need for something like this for men as well as women. But I'm not sure I want to tool around the city with a plush-bear brooch.

No, wait. I'm actually pretty sure about that. Maybe something a little less cuddly. Ah, I've got it: a plush parrot! Now that would be awesome.

(Credit: thelapstrap.com)

Are you one of those people who always holds up the security line at the airport, struggling to get your laptop out of its case? (Or like us, do you cast dirty looks at those people, while cooling your heels in line behind them?)

The LapStrap is an idea that's either pure genius or the most ridiculous thing we've ever seen. It's a padded nylon shoulder strap, like the kind found on most laptop cases, that attaches directly to your laptop. The company's pitch is, "Security lines...made easy!"

(Credit: thelapstrap.com)

The bottom part of the strap sits along the inside hinge between the keyboard and monitor, letting you carry the laptop as if it were in a shoulder bag. We're not fond of exposing our delicate laptop to the harsh conditions of New York without a nicely padded case, but if you're an aesthetic minimalist, or need to access your laptop frequently and/or quickly, it might be worth a look. On the other hand--since the TSA has a hard time recognizing the MacBook Air as a legit laptop, we can only imagine how they'd react to this contraption.

The LapStrap is available now, in adult and children's sizes, for $24.95.

(Credit: Strapya)

This is a switch. Usually the products from Japan's Strapya fall squarely under the category of novelty items, ranging from the silly to the, er, exotic. But it's finally come up with something practical: a mobile phone strap with a solar charger.

The solar cell can be charged up to 500 times, according to Tokyomango, and can use an AC adapter as a backup battery. It doesn't hold a candle to the drunken salaryman dangle, of course, but nothing really can.

(Credit: Connect-A-Desk)

And here we thought the "Hip Office" concept was a joke. Now we have the "Connect-A-Desk," a real product that's also ripe for an SNL parody.

Like the Hip Office, it straps to a computer to your body, but around the neck instead of the waist. It's kind of a laptop version of the keytar, with a dork factor that rivals the "Light Head Magnifier." The site claims that it's "ergonomically designed" but, depending on the weight of the computer, we can't imagine using this for any length of time before needing a trip to the chiropractor.

Our take? It's yet another devious tactic by management to chain us to our work.

(Credit: Prada)

Here's how to ruin a thing of beauty. Find a Prada phone, one of the most gorgeous handsets we've seen, and attach a scruffy miniature teddy bear to it. Worse yet, dress the little sap in some tiny Prada label too, then charge nearly $100 for it.

That pretty much sums up this line of phone straps marketed by the design house, as seen on Chip Chick. And believe it or not, the teddy pictured here actually isn't nearly as hideous as some of the others in the "Mobile Trick Quirinos" line, such as those clad in pink, red, and white.

Why Prada chose to do this, especially after coming out with some lust-worthy accessories immediately after launching its phone, is beyond us. Then again, we've never understood high-end designer labels; the closest we've ever gotten to them is the new arrivals at Ross.

(Credit: Strapya)

We've never quite understood the concept of phone straps, much less some of the odd trinkets often attached to them. (Well, perhaps there are one or two exceptions.)

But the "Super Shinkansen Bullet Train" could change our minds about the whole trend. It must have something to do with our first ride on them, a childhood rail trip that was the closest we've ever gotten to one of those human centrifuge machines that makes your head feel like exploding.

We wouldn't advise spinning your phone around lariat-style to get that kind of rush. But, as Gizmodo says, you can still play engineer by adding as many cars as you want, connecting them with middle cars that snap together for an extra charge.

(Credit: WirelessGround)

Don't let anyone tell you that phone straps are only for sissies and those with challenged motor skills. Even though they're not for us--not that we have anything against them--Gear Diary makes a compelling case for one that's both unusual and affordable.

The $12 strap they advocate has a small cube that slides along its 7.5-inch length that opens up to reveal mini-USB connectors. Those can then be used to charge your mobile phone, media player, or other handheld device by connecting it to the computer's USB port. It's also made of black leather, so there's one less reason to worry about your masculinity.