In the moooood for a cow-shaped grill?

Vegetarians and animal lovers might want shield their eyes.

Produced by Traeger Pellet Grills, the Lil' Pig and Longhorn Steer are here to remind grill masters that what they are cooking was once in cute farm animal form. And yet, who can resist a novelty grill that boasts digital thermostat control, EZ-drain grease system, and 418 square inches of cooking space?

Yet cooks who aren't thrown by the campy eyelash-clad, smiling-animal grills, may be deterred by the price tag. Most wood pellet grills are expensive (ranging from US$600 to US$2,500) and the cow and the pig grills will cost US$1,700, including shipping.

The grills could also make for a pretty lawn ornament, but the real upgrade would be if they could moo or oink when the meat's done.

Via CNET Crave

Chill wine instantly as you pour

Summer can be rough on oenophiles who lack a proper wine cellar. Even if your red wines survive the high temperatures, they'll still need to spend some time in the refrigerator to come down to an appropriate temperature before serving. But all too often the guests arrive and the wine is poured before you remember to chill it (at least, that's how it happens at my house).

Enter the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller. The two-part device includes a cooling tube, which you store in your freezer, plus a base, which is inserted into the neck of the wine bottle when you're ready to serve. As you pour, the wine travels through a stainless-steel spout (the material was chosen so it wouldn't affect the wine's flavor) surrounded by cooling material. You control the flow, and thus the amount of time the wine spends in the cooling chamber, by placing your thumb over an air intake valve.

A dream come true? Kind of. The manufacturer is quick to point out that the Ravi is designed to cool red wines to the proper serving temperature, but shouldn't be expected to chill a room-temperature white--rather, it's suggested as a way to keep already-chilled whites and rosés cool without an ice bucket. Even with that limitation, wine lovers who live in hot climates may find that the US$50 investment pays off in enjoyment.

Via CNET Crave

Biodegradable running shoe joins race to curb landfill waste

Brooks' Trance 8 men's running shoes might be silver, blue, black, and gray, but they're actually quite green. The shoes feature Brooks' new BioMoGo foam midsole, which contains a natural additive that encourages anaerobic microbes to break the shoe down more easily once it hits the landfill.

The footwear company is debuting BioMoGo in the US$140 Trance 8 this month, with plans to extend the technology to all Brooks performance running shoes by the end of 2009.

Knowing how crucial sturdy shoes are to any runner, Brooks is making a point of stressing that shoes with BioMoGo midsoles won't just spontaneously fall apart in your closet or while you're taking a jog around the local track.
Read more »

Hello Kitty cleans up her act with RoboMop

By now, it should be crystal clear to the world that there's nothing Sanrio's feline export can't or won't do. So no surprises that the cat is now mopping up the competition with a handsfree, cutesy floor cleaner called the RoboMop. At a glance, the strange-looking contraption doesn't quite look up to the challenge of heavy-duty grime-busting. But hey, at a mere US$99, let's be clear that this shouldn't be categorized in the same league as the artificially intelligent iRobot.

To use, just set the timer on the robotic ball to 30, 60 or 90 minutes. Set this ball within the frame, add a dust sheet, and let it rip. According to the literature, the Robo Mop can clean a 12 mat-size Japanese room in 30 minutes, even hitting areas like below the bed. Once done, just toss the dust sheet into the bin. It's that easy. Oddly, this comes only in a fire engine red and not pink.
Read more »

High Heeler helps prevent klutzy moments

Shoe news, it turns out, begets more shoe news. After posting a blog on the Goodie 2 Shoes adjustable-heeled shoes earlier Monday, I got word of a product called the SoleMates High Heeler.

It's a discreet little attachment that promises to prevent most stiletto and kitten heels from sinking into the grass or falling in sidewalk cracks.

As anyone who's been there knows, getting your heels stuck in grass, uneven pavement, brick walk crevices, or sewer grates can detract from your stylish strut. Well aware of that peril, heel wearers Rebecca Brown and Monica Murphy, business school classmates at Columbia and colleagues at Goldman Sachs, conceived of the gadget to put other fashionistas on more solid ground.

The flexible attachment hooks onto the base of the heel, increasing the surface area and reducing the pressure on this often narrow segment of shoe. On its way to retailers, SoleMates currently sells the High Heeler for US$19.95 online in clear. A black version is in the works.

Via CNET Crave

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 (754)

» Digital Cameras (414)

» Notebooks (477)

» PC & Peripherals (505)

» Handhelds (254)

» Printers (44)

» Home AV (508)

» Music & Play (435)

» Gadgets (969)

» Future Tech (163)

Previously...

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Subscribe to
Crave

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