Capcom game chair tingles the spine

In the hyper-competitive business of game chairs, it's easy to get carried away. But at least one manufacturer is sticking to the basics.

Rather than adding more external bells and whistles, Capcom's Reactor Video Game Chair has concentrated on the chair itself with "eight high-impact vibrating motors" positioned in the upper and lower back as well as the seat "so that every bump or blow is felt by the gamer".

It also comes with headmounted 3D speakers, according to Slippery Brick, but the best feature in our view is its "variable massage mode" to unwind from a particularly stressful session.

Via CNET Crave

iHome blends computer speakers with iPod dock

iHome has introduced the first combination of an iPod dock and computer speaker we've seen. The iH69 and iH70 will let you charge, play, and sync your iPod to either your Mac or PC without the need for additional cables or docks.

Both models are compatible with any docking iPod and also provide a headphone jack for private listening. The iH69 is available in black, while the step-up model iH70 comes in silver. Also with the iH70, you'll get a higher wattage as well as a fully functional remote.

Priced in the same range as other high-end computer speakers, the iH69 will cost US$100 and the iH70 will cost you US$130. You can preorder them now at iHome.com.

Via CNET Crave

Touchscreen fever spreads to speakers

Taiwan-based Genius has come up with some pretty odd creations, ranging from a combo camera-speaker set to a mouse with a mini-game controller. But it seems to have settled on at least one recurring function that may help separate it from the novelty-gadget crowd: Touchscreens.

It started late last year with some interesting Bluetooth headphones that featured a built-in touch-sensitive panel. And now the company has integrated another touchscreen into a new set of 30-watt speakers designed for laptops.

Still, navigation panels can go only so far; as far as quality goes, the compact SP-T1200 will have to do better than the last pair of portable speakers reviewed from Genius. Otherwise, it's back to the combo lab.

Via CNET Crave

An MP3 trunk with champagne taste

There is all manner of MP3-friendly luggage on the market, many examples with built-in speakers and some that even resemble an iPod themselves. But venerable winemaker Charles Krug has bested them all, in our opinion, with its special-edition Krug Escape Artist champagne trunk.

This accessory will not only hold two bottles of liquid gold, but also packs a Samsung T9 media player and a JBL On Tour Plus sound system, according to BornRich. Making that all the more enjoyable are a set of four Baccarat flutes and an exclusively designed champagne cooler. What sealed it for us, however, is the casino set of 200 11g chips.

Via CNET Crave

Wii Fit weight loss experiment a success

Here's to all you hedonistic health freaks out there.

Remember Mickey DeLorenzo who embarked on a Wii Fit experiment six weeks ago? The results are out. In the 41 days that he added Wii Fit to his daily routine, he lost 6.8kg, (that's approximately 1.2kg each week) and his body fat dropped 2.4 percent from the 20.8 percent that he started off with.

These are inspiring figures, but seeing the "before and after" pictures really drove home the point of exercising. Or in his own words: "Doing anything involving movement an extra 60 minutes a day (everyday) will result in some sort of weight loss." Wii Fit or not, it's really discipline we are talking about here.

Ironically, that's also something the man doesn't have.

His initial Wii Sports experiment catapulted him into international limelight and it got the attention of many reputable news agencies, from broadcast to radio, to print. At the height of the media frenzy, he was even offered a book deal which, unfortunately, didn't materialize. The man wrote a detailed account of what happened in his Wii Fit experiment results. More importantly, he lost 4kg, shaved 3 inches off his waist and his BMI dropped by two points in that first trial.

But he ballooned to 86kg after that experiment.

The reason DeLorenzo gave was that he "simply stopped playing Wii Sports all together". Of course, other less interesting factors like working 45 odd hours a week as a computer programmer and a whole bunch of new games titles kept him distracted while waiting for the Wii Fit.

It's really all discipline, seriously.

Picture credit: Mickey DeLorenzo

Crave is...

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

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (751)

» Digital Cameras (413)

» Notebooks (474)

» PC & Peripherals (503)

» Handhelds (254)

» Printers (44)

» Home AV (505)

» Music & Play (435)

» Gadgets (966)

» Future Tech (163)

Previously...

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Subscribe to
Crave

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