For the woman who gave you life this Mother's Day, help her keep all her old memories with the Photograph to Digital Picture Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer. Looking a little like a small paper shredder, this device lets you feed in photographs which will then be converted into a format you can edit on a Windows PC.
We know what you are thinking--a sub-S$100 scanner can do exactly the same thing. But honestly, we don't think anyone will relish trying to teach their mom how to use a flatbed scanner and Photoshop Elements for resize and touch-ups. This solution is much simpler, even though it costs more at about US$150.
There's one caveat. We suggest you go hide or destroy those old Polaroids of yourself as a little child with your pee-pee exposed. Once your mom gets her hand on this product, you can be sure your most embarrassing moments will suddenly be available on the Internet for all to see.
Just in time for Mother's Day, too. Philips' LivingColors, which we had a sneak of in March, is finally here in Singapore, outside of Europe. Even the US hasn't gotten it yet. So yeah, baby. As for our neighbors in Asia, only Hong Kong, Australia and China have been inked for regional launch this year, though no immediate rollout dates were mentioned at the press briefing today.
As a lamp, this remains one of the prettiest glass orbs we've come across, though it's really made of a sturdy polycarbonate transparent housing. As a mood lighting tool, this cool device (literally, as LEDs hardly generate heat) runs hot with 16.7 million colors. If your senses are daunted by the overwhelming palette, the Click Wheel-like remote (powered by three AAA batteries) fortunately has a function that's a lifesaver--an idiot-proof Random mode. This can be set to randomly cycle through 256 hues if you just can't decide on your color mood for the day and don't mind the discotheque effect.
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What do you get when you decide that a bicycle needs only one main wheel while declaring that the seat and handles are useless? You get the Magic Wheel, which functions like a foot scooter but looks a little like an Andy Warhol installation art work.
We first spotted this odd transportation device while on our way to lunch and our first thought was that this was a little too late for an April Fools' joke. But shockingly, we found out it's an actual product and not a candid camera moment. Despite its unusual design, the distributor claims that it takes only a couple of hours to master the Magic Wheel. At S$349 (US$229.61) a piece, it costs as much as a full-fledged mountain bike and a lot more than a skate scooter. Though it doesn't look as irritating (or deadly) as Heelys and takes up less space than a bicycle, give us a pair of roller blades anytime. Read more »
For anyone who's ever been the target of a Super Soaker drenching, rejoice. Revenge is at hand with the Super Soaker Bottle Shot (US$7.99) which gives you the ultimate unfair advantage. Unlike the original weapon of mass destruction, this one holds more than its allowance of liquid ammo, thanks to the ability to screw on extra plastic bottles of up to 2 liters. Woot! If you're creative enough, it doesn't have to be plain H2O. Just mix up several cocktails of Coca Cola and chocolate syrup, shake 'em up real good, and dig in with you arsenal for a blast of a time. At least for as long as those bottles last. Kids and adults are fair game. Any Toy R Us outlet should carry this.
When Crave first started seeing workstation fitness
machines, we thought they were just a passing novelty. But now we're
seriously beginning to wonder--and worry--whether they're actually catching on.
The desk treadmill seems to be the most popular form of office exercise, as
evidenced by the Walkstation and the TreadDesk, respectively estimated at US$6,500 and up to US$4,000. But now they have yet another
competitor that may end up being substantially cheaper.
The TrekDesk is an alternative to
the other all-in-one setups, a universal workstation that instead attaches to a
standard existing treadmill with adjustable height, center console, manuscript
stand, and cupholder. (That green exercise ball is part of the ergonomic
TrekDesk Chair, which is sold separately.)
Although the price isn't final yet, the desk is expected to cost less than
US$549. There's just one catch: The treadmill isn't included. Still, if you
already have one that's been gathering cobwebs, this might be a way to get some
use out of it for a change.