Lifestyle

There are plenty of gadgets that involve pools, but it seems that most of the ones we see involve music or practically anything else except swimming.

So we were pleased to come across the "Lap Track" because it appeared to be something that swimmers--not just technophilic ones--might actually be interested in. This $60 underwater device can be affixed to the wall at the end of the pool and provide a variety of information, including "best lap time, average lap time, average speed, total distance and total calories burned."

The manufacturer does warn, however, that the Lap … Read more

It still sends chills up our spine, literally and figuratively, but the skull-as-speaker concept continues to make inroads in audio technology. And not content to take over our bodies on land, companies have been refining their products under water as well.

Two years after Finis' "SwiMP3" seized the aquatic world by the cheekbones, the company has updated its swimmers' headphones with a new pair dubbed simply the "v2." Aside from a slightly different design, however, Electronista says the most significant difference is more storage capacity (256MB vs. 128MB), as well as adding support for the WMA … Read more

I guess I'm not a legit wine aficionado, because when I read about this wine chiller by Waring Pro, I was immediately astonished by the fact that this gadget provides 33 different temperature settings for different varieties of red wine, white wine, and champagne. Wow. And here I'd been thinking that the rule was "put it in the fridge if it's not red." I guess I just haven't been getting the full experience--maybe I need one of these. You can get them for $90 at Kohl's.

Considering we like wine so much here … Read more

This "Home Swimmer" contraption scares the living daylights out of me. No, not in the same way that Mike Yamamoto runs screaming every time he hears the words "hello" and "kitty" in the same sentence, but it's still creepy. Why? Because it looks like a fishing rod. The Home Swimmer is supposed to enable "stationary swimming" if you happen to have a small pool that doesn't cater to lap swimming, but it looks like a fishing rod.

The guy in this photograph looks like he's attempting (in vain) to … Read more

Despite our reputation, we at Crave have a soft spot for animals (except cats, of course). So even though the ill-tempered dogs in our neighborhood won't be mistaken for Lassie anytime soon, we still support humane ways to keep them under control. The biggest test of our patience, however, typically comes in the middle of the night--when they make the transition from lap dogs to howling wolves from hell.

That's why we're pinning our sleep-deprived hopes on the "Deluxe Digital Bark Free Pro," a $120 top-of-the-line device that uses four speakers to emit ultrasonic soundwaves … Read more

There are plenty of ways to make acquaintances roll their eyes in anticipation of you whipping out photos of your excruciatingly cute progeny. But few can approach the theatrical effect of unfurling a snake of transparent plastic from your wallet.

Brookstone, however, has updated the concept with a "Women's Digital Wallet," a leather bi-fold that includes a detachable viewer with a 1.4-inch screen that holds up to 55 digital images. And the photos can be transferred and updated easily through a USB cable to a computer, according to Outblush, so co-workers will consistently avoid you in … Read more

Guess what's bringing sexy back these days? Trailers! Well, kind of--these are actually campers, since you hook them up to the back of your car or SUV. But I'm sure that with this precedent, we'll be seeing full-out trailers done up in luxe style before long. Apparently, some people really just can't make their cross-country excursions without high design:

Deseo Caravan. Hailing from the Netherlands, this is marketed as a lightweight, compact, well-designed camper that's sold at an affordable cost. They are pretty reasonably priced, starting at 6,677 euros, which is slightly over $9,… Read more

Remember when you were in fourth grade and wanted to stop other kids from copying your stuff? You'd erect a fortress of open books around your paper, blocking it from prying eyes and creating a little courtyard in the middle for your work.

That's what the "Office Collar" essentially wants to do for your head, except in reverse: It's basically a horse blinder for humans, aimed at keeping you from getting distracted by your surroundings. Textually.org notes that this self-imposed isolation device, the brainchild of designer Simone Brewster, could also be used to help … Read more

You'd think summer had already arrived, given the recent spate of frolick-worthy products ranging from pool-dwelling jellyfish to splash-proof LCDs, not to mention at least two types of iPod-enabled grills.

But if all you want to do is enjoy your music wirelessly in the open air--and feel good about it, ecologically--then something like the "Outdoor Wireless Solar Speaker" might be in order. This cord-free acoustic device can work up to 150 feet from your stereo or computer, lasting as long as eight hours after each solar charge.

Just be sure that your microwave and land lines don'… Read more