chic

Leaked from today's 404 show:

- 'People' defend Chic-fil-A on Facebook.

- Chick-fil-A cashier fired for racist receipts.

- Old records outsell new ones for the first time.

- Circuit City's in-home TV calibration is a total scam.… Read more

Congrats to Patrick S. of Fargo, N.D., for winning last week's giveaway, a Korg digital MicroPiano. The winner of this week's prize should appreciate the virtues of pink--or know someone who does. Yep, we're talking pink, and lots of it.

Our latest freebie comes courtesy of ChicBuds, a maker of fashion music accessories for, in its words, the "couture lifestyle." The SoCal-based company makes some really fun glammy, blingy gear, and we like the fact that during October, it's donating 20 percent of proceeds from its pink products to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For your double dose of pinkness, you'll be getting a $34.99 portable Fauvette bird-shaped speaker and a pair of DJ Sport Headphones, also $34.99. The speaker chirps away through a 2-watt amplified speaker that gives out four hours of sound on one charge of its built-in rechargeable battery. It's compatible with iPhones, iPods and other MP3 players, and any other device with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack.

Completing the ensemble, the hot-pink and black headphones will work well for the portable set, as they fold up for ease of storage and convenient use.

So how do you score this week's prize? Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please put on your rose-colored glasses and read them carefully. … Read more

As expected, LG Electronics unveiled the LG Optimus One and Optimus Chic on Tuesday, two Android devices aimed for smartphone newbies.

There are a number of similarities between the two handsets. Both ship running Android 2.2 with LG's custom user interface, which is designed to make the smartphone experience "fun and user-friendly." They also feature a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touch screen, 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 processor, and all the same core features (Google services, wireless options, and so forth). That said, there are some minor differences.

Dubbed the stylish one, the Optimus Chic has a slightly … Read more

It's once a week I turn away from the monitor and gag at the latest Swarovski crystal-embellished gadget. I think to myself: "Will someone really purchase this bling-bling Hello Kitty camera? If they do, will they take it out in public?"

Well, Paris Hilton would. Or so says the newest company embracing the Swarovski trend, ChicBuds.

ChicBuds prides itself on being what it says is the only electronics company targeting women: "products made by women for women." Their goods are created with a woman's "needs" in mind, and have reached celebrities including … Read more

Looking to blur the line between business and consumer laptops, HP's new ProBook line of systems looks to, in the company's words, "merge business functionality with sophisticated design."

These 14, 15, and 17-inch 16:9 models come in red or black ("merlot" or "glossy noir") and include thin LED backlit displays, and a spacious raised keyboard design that's a departure from HP's norm.

Interestingly, Linux will be an option, in addition to Windows Vista. It's not the first time we've seen Linux from HP, but it's the … Read more

Hewlett-Packard and world-renowned Asian fashion designer Vivienne Tam have been working together to create the HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook. However, anyone attending Tam's fashion show during New York's Fashion Week at Bryant Park Tuesday has probably already seen it.

The special-edition notebook--which looks to be an HP mini-note, except it's sporting a 10-inch screen--debuted with the usual fanfare a fashion show receives at Fashion Week, but with a high-tech twist.

Models sashayed onto the catwalk workin' the designer notebook as a clutch purse, while looking fierce in Tam's clothing.

The notebook is gleaming red and bursting with peony flowers--a signature staple of Tam's collection--on the lid. The peony design is then meticulously carried inside the notebook, under the keypad. The laptop also features a extra special enter key that bears the Chinese symbol for double happiness. The design was inspired by Tam's "China Chic" style, which is recognized from the runways in Milan to the Olympics in Beijing and represents her personal mantra to live well and be beautiful. The notebook also features a complimentary embroidered storage sleeve that helps keep the exterior protected while being carried as a clutch.

The "digital clutch" represents the first time a computer company has partnered with a fashion designer to create a notebook PC as well as have it debut at a fashion show. In addition to the design of the notebook, Tam worked with HP to design its accessories and packaging. … Read more

Regular readers of this space may know that we've developed a mild fascination with drums, especially those of the digital variety. We've also come to realize that we have something of an obsession with LEDs. (Clearly, some of us at Crave don't lead very interesting lives.)

But in our unfailing devotion to report all trends, especially when they converge, we feel obligated to pass this item along: Behold the LED drumsticks. While musicians interviewed by Popgadget appreciated the blue glow of their tips, they unfortunately expressed doubt over the sticks' ability to perform in "heavy hitting&… Read more

A couple of us Cravers love to highlight the brightest, flashiest, and most obnoxious in raver chic gadgetry, from ice cream trucks to keyboards. Here's another one for you, as seen on Technabob. These straight-outta-Japan watches from ODM Design have an "electroluminescent display that wraps around the curvature of the watch band." Apparently U.S. residents can find them on eBay for between $80 and $90. I haven't seen any photos to show how big these actually are on wrists, but I assume they could look pretty cool if they aren't too obnoxiously big and … Read more

Months ago we mentioned the "Passport Stronghold," a reinforced pouch designed to protect your personal information from ID spies. It might work just fine, but it looks like a burlap sack with an amateurish logo slapped on it--hardly a fashion statement.

"Lifestyle gear" company Kena Kai may have a solution that bridges security and style for carrying the new RFID visas. Gearlog says its "DataSafe" passport wallets block radio signals that could be intercepted while featuring Italian leather finishes of various stains and colors for men and women.

But will anyone come up with … Read more