wood

Robotic flies are future spies

Leave it to Harvard to replace spies with flies.

According to the MIT Technology Review, robotic insects may be the future of military surveillance.

With funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a team of Harvard researchers led by Robert Wood have developed a robotic fly that could be used for surveillance and chemical-detecting missions.

Videos of the fly taking off and a slow-motion clip of the wing mechanics are available on the Technology Review site.

With a wingspan of 3 centimeters and a scant weight of just 60 milligrams, the fly's tiny robotic parts are … Read more

USB pendant made of wood (yawn)

We're not exactly sure if this qualifies as part of the gadget jewelry trend, but it's probably the closest that Hong Kong-based Brando will ever get. (This, you'll recall, is the outfit responsible for the massaging mouse and a pig-shaped USB card reader.)

Yet valiently they try, in the form of a 2GB wooden USB memory strap that's apparently meant to be worn around the neck. Yeah, pretty ugly. Some unsolicited advice for the company: Stick to the stuff you know, like the mouse hand warmer.

iPhone gets wrapped in mahogany

OK, just one more iPhone case (for now). We have an excuse for posting yet another one of these items--it's made of wood. And as we've admitted many times, we have a thing for stuff made of lumber.

The latest entry in Miniot's line of "iWood" accessories is a luxury case for the telephonic idol. This particular example scores double points because it's made of mahogany, not some cheap plywood.

The phone can be used while still in the case, according to Sybarites, because its screen is exposed but protected with a polycarbonate sheet … Read more

But does it need varnish?

We wouldn't exactly call it a fetish, but some of us at Crave have been known for our fondness of wood finishes on gadgets. (Well, not all gadgets.) And it's even better when the item in question is made entirely of wood, not just trim.

So this keyboard from Japan's Marubeni Infotec naturally caught our eye when it was spotted on Tokyomango. It's not the first of its kind, of course, but it's still one of the nicer ones we've seen. Even if it's not made of bamboo.

Now we're cookin' and it's a sound idea, too

Two billion people around the globe still depend on open wood fires for cooking. That method is 5 percent efficient in using energy. The smoke is unhealthy for all those who must breathe it. And in some areas it's depleting forests that can't grow fast enough.

Now the University of Nottingham is going to try to build a thermoacoustic kitchen. And that's my new word for the day. No, not "kitchen," but "thermoacoustic." Instead of using the usual wood fire, this device would generate "sound waves through the nonuniform heating of gas.&… Read more

Molly Wood is back in the house!

On this weeks Mother's Day special edition of CNET Live, Brian and Tom talk to one of their favorite new moms--Molly Wood.

Molly will be in house this week to talk about her favorite tech that makes being a new mom just a little bit easier. From her high tech baby monitor, to a digital keychain, Little Eli is practically a Cylon baby!

Today, CNET Live will also take a closer look at Intel's new Santa Rosa technology, and try to locate where the Santa Rosa river is (aren't all Intel products named after rivers?) Plus, Brian … Read more

Greetings from baby land!

Hello, world! Believe me, that little geek joke is more appropriate than you know right now. I'm Molly Wood, executive editor for CNET TV, and if you're thinking, "there's no Molly Wood on CNET TV," it's because I've been on a tiny little hiatus; quite tiny, really. How tiny? This tiny:

Anyway, when I'm not doing this, I'm the usual host of the Buzz Report, currently being handled extremely ably by the fabulous Brian Cooley. I do the Buzz Out Loud podcast, the Gadgettes podcast, assorted Quick Tips, Insider Secrets, and … Read more

Cases help iPod commune with nature

As much as we appreciate the aesthetics of natural wood finishes when done well, the idea doesn't always work for all things technological, especially the iPod. But sometimes, concepts work best when they're integrated less with the design of the core product.

Miniot's "iWood" line, for example, borrows from some retro designs we've seen recently to create a cigarette-style case for Apple's media players made of various hardwoods. The sylvan look is available in maple, walnut, mahogany, cherry and oak, Red Ferret says, for 75 to 175 euros (about $102 to $237). We'… Read more

Make yourself into stew with a wood-burning hot tub

One step removed from the bubbling cauldron popularized by witches and cannibals, the Portable Wood-Burning Hot Tub is a must for anyone with sore muscles and $6,000 to spare.

The 200-gallon polyester tub heats water through a coil system, using burning wood to heat up the water. The water temperature hits 104 degrees in two and a half hours. There are no jets, but water circulates through the tub through the miracle of convection.

With a 60-inch diameter and a weight of 165 pounds, the tub is only "portable" if you are very strong and have long … Read more

Tiger takes on your cell phone

Sure, Zach Johnson outplayed Tiger Woods and won the U.S. Masters at Augusta yesterday, but Woods was probably just concentrating on the mobile version of his Web site.

The site, wap.tigerwoods.com, launched today and offers golf fanatics free news, weekly Tiger tips, and scores through text messages (standard text rates apply). You'll soon be able to download Tiger-themed photos, wallpaper, and ringtones as well.

I can't see myself shelling out $2.49 for ringtones titled "Let the caddy answer" or "Let it play through," but then again, I'm not really … Read more