Crave

As we've been reporting for some time now, Swarovski disease has been spreading fast. But with the arrival of iRiver's Swarovski-encrusted Mickey Mouse-shaped audio player (site in Japanese), we fear the affliction can now officially be called a pandemic. Does the World Health Organization know about this?!

(Credit: iRiver )

Swarovski disease, as defined by the Physicians' Desk Reference, is a condition in which Swarovski crystals attach themselves to every gadget known to man--even those that would seem most incompatible with shiny jewels, such as cable connectors.

In the latest outbreak, the glitter is appearing on a version of iRiver's Mplayer, a cute little kids' product that's licensed from Disney and shaped like the head of its iconic mouse. At 1GB and weighing about three quarters of an ounce, it can hold 240 songs. Users can change tracks, add shuffle, skip folders, and adjust the volume by rotating the gadget's ears.

The Swarovski editions come studded in 133 to 210 crystals in colors including pink, blue, green, black, and silver--and OMG, you can even get them with ribbons attached! They sell online for about $135.

In trying not to be too cynical here, we acknowledge that young gearheads will likely find the bejeweled version of the Mplayer quite charming. At the same time, we have to worry about exposing consumers to this highly contagious ailment at such a young age.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

"Justin...Justin...JUSTIN!!!"

This happens at least once a day...I'm at my desk, typing up a review or blog post on my computer, when all of a sudden someone sneaks up behind me and unintentionally make me jump 10 feet in the air with a simple tap on the back. How do I allow this to happen? Am I deaf? Well, not right now, but it's quite possible that I might be if I continue to constantly blast music out of my Princess Leia headphones.

A recent report out of Australia titled "Is Australia Listening?" reported 70 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 experience a constant ringing in their ears, which can be a symptom of permanent damage to the ear canal. The report goes on to claim that 76 percent of young adults in Australia listen to music through headphones on portable MP3 players, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a higher number in relation to the United States.

At 24, I represent the first generation to see the rise of portable music players. I remember when the headphones to my first Sony Walkman cassette player might as well have been glued to my ears. Since then, I've been addicted to personal, portable audio and I fear that I, along with the rest of my generation, will soon experience severe hearing loss due to years and years of listening to loud music through headphones. Professor Harvey Dillon of the Hearing Australia program says his general rule of thumb is if "people have to raise their voice or actually shout at you to make themselves understood while you are listening to music in your ears, then that is loud enough to be potentially damaging." As a self-professed audiophile, I take every opportunity to listen to my music. It moves along a boring work day, drowns out crazies on the subway, and helps put me to sleep at night. Some days, I feel like I spend more time with my headphones in than out. I also listen to a lot of different kinds of music, from hip-hop to metal to classical to Disney, but no matter what the genre, I must admit that I crank up the volume to the highest possible level to experience the bliss of surround sound. It sounds like my days of listening to music might be numbered...

But what about these new noise-cancelling and inner ear-canal headphones that are starting to pervade the industry? I wonder if those particular types of monitor earphones pose a greater danger than the over the ear style? Either way, my future doesn't look very bright. Are there any Millennials out there who have already started to experience hearing loss? I'd love to hear other opinions on how these listening trends will affect our health down the line.

(Credit: Iriver)

Disney appears to have a penchant for making music gadgets out of its characters' heads, and certainly its most famous franchise won't be left out of the party.

Iriver's Mickey-themed "MPlayer," which Craver Jasmine France spotted back in January, has made good on its promise to finally arrive on the U.S. market. We can't help but feel a bit slighted, however, after having seen the MP3 player roll its merry way across countries in Asia while taking on all forms, occasionally getting blinged and even picking up a disease or two along the way.

As originally billed, it comes with 1GB of built-in storage, a USB port, and 9 hours of playtime. But do take note of one feature not mentioned earlier: "This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, or birth defects or other reproductive harm." So if you live in the Golden State, tweak the ears at your own risk.

(Credit: Dvice)

We know about the whole obsession with kawaii (translation: cute) in Japan, but how much Mickey can any culture stand? Already they've gotten silver, gold, and even Swarovski-diseased 1GB "Mplayers," and now Disney and Iriver Japan are introducing "Season 2" of the eared one in even more colors, patterns, and designs, according to Dvice. Between this and High School Musical, we may need a set of blinders as well as earplugs.

(Credit: Disney)

Sometimes it seems that Japanese phone makers target their products at children as much as adult consumers--in some cases even before they're born.

Disney Japan is no exception, of course, so it's no surprise that the Magic Kingdom of the Pacific is coming out with yet another mobile handset for kids. But its new DM001SH model, which MobileWhack says is produced jointly with Tokyo-based Softbank, looks decidedly more grown-up and polished than previous phones and other gadgets aimed at the kodomo market.

In fact, we wouldn't mind having one of these handsets either, with its 2.6-inch screen, 2-megapixel camera, and clean metallic finish (in gold, silver, or pink), as well as a media player and SD card slot. Except for the ears, of course. We've had enough of those.

(Credit: Tokyomango)

Once again, the concept of "one step too far" seems to have eluded yet another gadget maker. And this time, appropriately enough, it involves one of the all-time leaders of marketing excess, the Magic Kingdom.

We agreed with fellow Craver Jasmine France in appreciating the clever and simple design of the "MPlayer," Disney's latest MP3 homage to Steamboat Willy (and much more appealing than previous players, we might add). Now the bad news: There's a hot pink version festooned with ears covered in Swarovski crystals, according to Tokyomango, apparently a misguided "Valentine edition" just released in Japan. (It gets worse.)

As much as we often envy the Asian markets for products available only in that part of the world, this is one instance when we're happy to be excluded.

(Credit: Disney)

Disney has long had the reputation of being the ultimate control freak when it comes to its brand, which is no mean feat considering the endless stream of its products worldwide. In TVs alone this year, for instance, the Magic Kingdom has released themed models for everything from Pirates of the Caribbean to High School Musical.

But if branding is so important, then why not go straight to the source? That's what the company has done in Japan with the release of a 20-inch HDTV that features The Mouse himself, complete with a pair of his trademark four-fingered gloves embossed on the frame just below the LCD screen. Manufactured by Uniden, according to Akihabara News, the TV goes for about $782 on the Japanese market. It's about time Mickey showed that he had a pair--of ears, that is.

(Credit: Brando)

With all due respect to the penguin speakers craved by some of our colleagues (OK, just one), we think this pair is the best way to go if your audio equipment must be shaped like an animal.

Hong Kong-based Brando is often known for its bizarre products, including speakers, but we give them credit for this "USB Mickey Mouse" model. Well, maybe not too much credit: As Gizmodo notes, there's no indication that Brando has been licensed to use the iconic ears by trademark-obsessed Disney. So if you want a pair of these, you may want to plunk down the $26 before the Magic Kingdom's royal lawyers get involved.

(Credit: Akihabara News)

If we were running Japan's Run-At, we'd be cranking out Disney-branded products everyday--not to compete on the current market, but to be sold as collectibles later on. It's well known, of course, that fanatics will shell out big bucks for all things Mickey, so why not cater to that set?

The new limited-edition "Mickey Mouse iPod Nano," for example, would probably be a good investment if you didn't actually use the thing but squirreled it away in its special leather case and original packaging. (Can't you just see yourself on PBS' Antiques Roadshow someday?) The nearly $300 price is roughly twice that of a regular 2GB Nano, but those engraved ears are not to be underestimated in the long run, given that only 500 of these players will be made. We're still kicking ourselves for selling those old shirts at Buffalo Exchange.