submarines

When I get into a submarine, I expect certain amenities like air conditioning, an iPod sound system, a screaming red paint job, and a plate of caviar. All except the caviar are available with the C-Explorer 5 from U-Boat Worx.

The $2.4 million C-Explorer 5 is being advertised as the "world's first subsea limousine." It holds five people, has an air conditioning system, can dive down to 1,000 feet, and sports a full 360-degree acrylic pressure hull. Cruising speed is 3 knots underwater.… Read more

It's good to be reminded sometimes that automated technology solutions can't fix everything. That reminder came recently with the announcement of the impending big-screen return of The Beatles' trippy 1968 animated film, "Yellow Submarine."

A team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque is responsible for the restoration effort. Sure, it's a digital restoration, but that's not all that was involved with bringing it back to life. The team couldn't just load the film into a powerhouse computer, press go, and wait for the remaster to spit itself out.… Read more

This week, the Crave team reveals its favorite Super Mario Bros.-themed lighting fixture, along with a $50 solution for adding sound effects to your doorbell. Japan offers up an off-the-grid vending machine and a rice cooker that communicates with your smartphone.

Plus, Crave's most dedicated "Star Wars" fan shows off his tattoos. And in Geek News, Eric discusses (no spoilers) the controversy surrounding the Mass Effect 3 ending, and shows off the trailer for a new space horror film, "Prometheus."

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video … Read more

This week, the Crave crew and Admiral Sackbar recount the myriad geeky DIY gadgets and projects recently featured on the Crave blog. Also, Donald pitches his idea for a new Ewok TV special; Marvel comics take on a new dimension; and two upcoming movies, "The Lone Ranger" and "Battleship," are the subject of a healthy Geek News debate.

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Jules Verne had the market on imaginative submarines cornered for many long years. And then Hammacher Schlemmer came along and offered a $100,000 Killer Whale Submarine.

The Killer Whale Submarine can breach from the water, just like a real whale. It has pectoral fins with control levers and a 255-horsepower supercharged Rotax axial flow engine. I can't really explain what that is exactly, but it sounds super cool.

This aquatic beast is also pretty fast. Underwater, it can go 25 mph. On the surface, it can hydroplane at up to 50 mph. I think that's faster than my Prius can go on land.… Read more

Beatles fans who dug the classic 1968 "Yellow Submarine" cartoon can now hop aboard their iPhones and iPads to revisit the adventure.

Now available as an e-book through Apple's iBooks store, "Yellow Submarine" tries to recapture the fun and whimsy of the movie by taking you on a journey through the magical paradise of Pepperland.

Much more than just another static e-book, "Yellow Submarine" is an interactive ride complete with full-color illustrations, animations, video clips, and music from the film.

Viewing the book page by page reveals many of the familiar scenes and … Read more

Long before before U-Boats or Red October, the Confederate States of America were fighting bloody battles against the North on foot, on horseback, and with at least one hand-powered submarine. This month, almost 150 years after becoming what the U.S. Navy calls the first submarine in history to successfully attack another vessel--and then promptly and mysteriously sinking to the bottom of Charleston Harbor--one side of the C.S.S. Hunley is finally seeing the light of day again.

The psuedo-steampunk relic was finally found at the bottom of the Atlantic resting on its side at a 45-degree angle about 11 years ago, and it's been in a South Carolina lab, held in the exact same position in slings ever since. Until now. Last week, the Hunley was rotated to an upright position for the first time since Abraham Lincoln was still breathing--how's that for old-school heavy metal? … Read more

CANNES, France--The Cannes Film Festival wrapped up this weekend and I joined the throng of media shuffling wearily through the Nice airport and away from the perfect sunshine of the French Riviera--but not before having had a look at the obscenely expensive toys of the proverbial nouveau riche.

When not attending screenings, I had a chance to skulk around the Plage de la Croisette along the Mediterranean shore to spy big-ticket items soon to be for sale to those with the most disposable incomes.

I could not avoid the gold- and diamond-encrusted smartphone and tablet cases. In every case, no photography was allowed inside the elite boutiques featuring such accessories. Anyone taking a snapshot of an emerald-studded BlackBerry kit would only be scouting trouble.

So how much were these decorative doodads? A single refrain rules in shops like this: "If you have to ask, don't bother."

But not everything was under wraps. … Read more

BRENTWOOD, N.H.--Road Trip 2010 has officially covered enough miles to make it from one coast of America to the other.

Of course, that's not what's really happened. Instead, I've driven 3,000 miles up and down--and up and down, and up and down, following a truly inefficient path--the East Coast in search of great destinations to report on.

And that's what has brought me here, to this town of population 4,200 in the southeastern corner of the Granite State--that quest for great things to write about. It's not that I had … Read more