Pilkington Activ Self-Cleaning Glass

More great stuff that takes the chore out of household chores. Hurrah. It's been two years since Pilkington started touting its self-cleaning glass to the public. Since it's still around, we can rest assured it's the real McCoy. First off, if you plan on installing Pilkinton Activ Self-Cleaning Glass in your home, the coating on the glass—oddly--takes five days to activate itself. Otherwise, this is a boon to HDB and sky dwellers where leaning out to clean the panes is a life-and-death balancing act. The glasses look normal but come coated with a special chemical on the outside that reacts with ultra-violet rays from sunlight to break down organic dirt deposits. Rain or water that hits the glass takes the loosened dirt with it. Unfortunately, if things get a little dry during the hot season, be prepared to hose down your windows.

Window-washing phobics can click here to see how it works

Price: N.A.
Availability: Pilkington
Device: Self-cleaning glass
Basic specs: N.A.

Siemens Dressman

Here's a mannequin that does far more than play clothes hanger. It irons! Really! Desperate housewives may now take a moment to quietly rejoice in their liberation from the ironing board. On placing a damp shirt (which has at least undergone spin-dry) on the ironing dummy, it inflates with hot air in its interior and puffs the shirt up, removing creases while drying the garment. Every bit of the ironing process can be programmed, from the temperature to type of cloth being ironed. A normal cotton shirt apparently takes 7-8 minutes. When done, the robot blows cold air for a minute to stabilize the shirt. Oh, and one size fits all.

For a close-up of the Dressman, click here

Price: S$2,899(900 euros in Europe)
Availability: The Dressman will be rebranded Bosch ShirtMaster for Singapore (from Feb 3) and Asia (mid-2005)
Device: Iron
Basic specs: 12 programmable options for ironing, inflatable dressman body made of parachute silk material, retractable top frame for easy storage, casing with handle and wheels for transport, consumes 3,300W- 2,150W, 119 x 36.5 x 45cm, 28kg

Powerseed

If you believe inventor Bill Curry, the Powerseed lets you eat less, enjoy more--all without dieting. Developed over seven years, the secret is that the electronic device works as your own personal eating coach. It reminds you at meal times to evaluate your level of hunger or food satisfaction though discreet flashes of a small green light at intervals, or even a beep if you like. With Chinese New Year around the corner, this may just be a good time to test if mind over matter--with the help of the Powerseed—will let you rise above all that collectively yummilicious festive gorging.

Price: US$49.95
Availability: Sold online at Powerseed
Device: Weight loss trainer
Basic specs: Powerseed eating coach, 112-page 112-page system guide, Quickstart Miniguide, 12-month Intentions Checklist, velour pouch in choice of burgundy or blue, Lithium battery good for 1-2 years, 1-year limited warranty

VIOlight

Your toothbrush cleans your teeth. Who cleans your toothbrush? VIOlight believes it has the answer. Named by Time magazine as one of the Coolest Inventions of 2004, simply drop your toothbrush into a slot, push a button, and the Germicidal UltraViolet (UV) bulb--the same technology used in hospitals and dental offices--starts to nuke those biohazardous denizens lurking on your toothbrush. Once the sanitization is done, the VIOlight has an automatic timer that shuts off after 10 minutes. If anything, this is one of the cheapest ways to own a piece of Philippe Starck designer ware, i.e. besides the Starck mice.

Click to see what's in the box | how it works

Price: US$49.95
Availability: Sold online at VIOlight
Device: Oral hygiene
Basic specs: VIOlight silver base, translucent cap with safety lock, reflective drip cup for easy cleaning, 4 VIOpegs for some types of electric toothbrush heads, VIOlight germicidal ultraviolet bulb, 120V AC power adaptor with 6ft cord, owner's manual

Insta-Snow

If you've always wanted your own white Christmas to rival Tanglin Mall's annual snow maker-generated blizzard, science is lending a hand with a home kit that'll create instant snow. Just add some water and, hey presto, the mix starts to freeze solid and expand to 100 times its size. So maybe it isn't the real stuff, but if it's good enough for Hollywood, it's good enough for us. Plus it'll be a lark just to see some jaws dropping on the faces of your guests. When you're done, simply let the stuff dry back down to powder for reuse. Sure beats those cans of spray-on snow.

See how Insta-Snow is created here, courtesy of Firebox.com

Price: £12.95 (US$24.48) to make 8 liters of snow
Availability: Try I Want One Of Those or Firebox.com
Device: Fake snow
Basic specs: Non-toxic and environmentally safe polymer which comes as a fine white powder, like salt, measuring scoop, complete explanation of the science involved

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (2231)

» Digital Cameras (985)

» Notebooks (1233)

» PC & Peripherals (1312)

» Handhelds (585)

» Printers (82)

» Home AV (1146)

» Music & Play (893)

» Gadgets (1485)

» Future Tech (394)

» Green Tech (172)

» Lifestyle (157)

» Luxury (22)

» Home Appliances (57)

» Cars (99)

» Games and Gear (248)

» Software (95)

» Web (117)

Previously...

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Hot Topics

Subscribe to
Crave

What's Hot

apple apple inc. apple iphone apple ipod asia battery camera game google inc. iphone microsoft corp. microsoft windows mobile phone photograph singapore smart phone software sony corp. video

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads