crave

This week on Crave, Donald and Jasmine attempt to make due in the absence of Eric Franklin, who should be awakening from his NyQuil-induced haze any moment now. The big news of the day is Apple's latest gadgets, which include an iMac attack and the undeniably unique Apple Magic Trackpad. Of course, no Crave podcast would be complete without talk of robots and food...specifically one that makes food (sort of). Also, Japan develops some freaky-smart billboards, the military gets some super-spectacular smart earplugs, and the police find a new non-fatal weapon. Finally, we soothe your eyes with some lovely 3D street art--no funky glasses required.

OK, we don't usually give away stuff that we've reviewed, but the folks at Aperion Audio said they'd rather have us give away their impressive Signature SLIMstage30 home-theater sound bar than send it back to them. Don't worry, it's in perfect shape--but it is slightly used.

Reviewers Matthew Moskovciak and Steve Guttenberg gave the Signature SLIMstage30 very high marks for performance and said it's one of the few sound bars that puts out enough bass without enlisting the work of a sub. (Read the full review.)

Normally, the Signature SLIMstage30 would cost about $599, … Read more

On this week's Crave vodcast, we attempt to answer the pressing question of which is creepier: a Barbie cleavage cam or a machine-gun-wielding security cam. Either way, a camera's gonna getcha. Also on tap are a wide array of robotic walking aids, from an even lazier version of the roller shoe to sweet bionic legs for the disabled and the military. Plus, Jasmine thinks a killer drone is cute, Donald geeks out on a Super Mario star tattoo, and Eric is just...Eric.

As Apple sorts out its iPhone 4 antenna issues, we're giving away a case that's not only superslick but allegedly solves any and all reception problems. Element Case has made some high-end, high-stylin' protective cases for earlier iPhone models, and now it has one for the iPhone 4: The Vapor.

According to Element Case, the The Vapor "consists of a solid, CNCd aluminum frame made from aircraft-grade metals lined with a new, shock-absorbent liner material to protect and stylize."

The Vapor comes in black, pink, green, blue, and comes with--or without--a full carbon-fiber backplate. Winner gets … Read more

What's not to crave about a pole-dancing bike? We can think of a few things, actually, but it's still pretty cool. Donald, Eric, and Jasmine also have a go at a supersimple phone for Luddites and get very serious about George Lucas's neck fat. Plus, Jasmine wants to take a ride in GUSS, Donald has a massive crush on a limbless robot, and Eric wants to take a date to Burger King. Finally, a little bit of ear candy for the MP3 Insider holdovers with some knobtastic speaker furniture.

Etymotic is famous for its great-sounding earphones and has offered up a pair of Hf5 earphones for this week's giveaway.

In our review of the HF5s, Jasmine France said these guys "offer great sound quality for the price, superior noise-isolation capability, and a sleek, understated design available in a handful of colors." As someone who likes well-balanced earphones (read: not bass-heavy), they're among my personal favorites in the $100-$200 range and they really do offer excellent noise-isolation (they come with three different kinds of eartips). The package also includes a travel pouch.

Normally, the Hf5 … Read more

Eric Franklin once again invades the Crave podcast and is more than happy to provide his opinion on how unrealistic our latest Lego obsession is. Jasmine, on the other hand, is utterly unimpressed with the DIY power laces that aim to mimic the sweet Nikes from "Back to the Future II." But the tone turns hopeful when we get to Donald's army of beer-o-matic robots, and we're all a little taken with two sweet keyboards that take two totally different tacks.

Seagate just launched the newest version of its HD digital media player and has generously offered to give one away to a lucky Crave reader. As the follow-up to Seagate's FreeAgent Theater HD Plus, which we gave high marks, the new model is called the FreeAgent GoFlex TV because it's compatible with Seagate's new GoFlex external drives that can connect to both Mac and Windows PCs.

This is what Seagate has to say about the GoFlex TV HD:

"The GoFlex TV HD media player makes it easy to access, view, and play your digital media files … Read more

Despite the fact that everyone else is talking about it, Donald and Jasmine can't help but be a little repetitive and froth at the mouths over Hulu Plus, a new app and premium service from the popular video-streaming provider. And of course, no Crave podcast would be complete without a little robotic action, and we're particularly fond of Emily. Also on deck: a tiny hypercolor man and a DIY Hello Kitty gadget that's sure to send Japanese teeny boppers screaming for the hills.