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Crave at CES: On the lookout for weird (pictures)

Crave trolls the halls of CES 2013 in search of the wackiest finds.

Tim Hornyak
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
Tim Hornyak
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1 of 9 Tim Hornyak/CNET

Medical advice from outer space

Like your tech sprinkled with a little freak on top? We delved into the nether regions of CES to dig up oddities and curiosities ranging from the offbeat to the truly bizarre. On the latter end of the spectrum are a series of "downloadable medicines" called QuantumMan. Served up by Dr. X's Zurich Alpine Group and supposedly based on extraterrestrial technology, they're available as smartphone apps. Say awww!

Read more: Step right up for Dr. X's amazing cure from outer space!

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2 of 9 Amanda Kooser/CNET

Musical massage vest

What would "Gangnam Stye" feel like as a massage? Find out by putting on this vest, jacking it into your iPhone, and cranking some Psy. We have the lowdown on the fully functioning prototype, modeled here by Crave writer Amanda Kooser.

Read more: Freaky-awesome massage vest rubs you up with your own tunes

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3 of 9 Tim Hornyak/CNET

The reclining keyboard

You can't get away with sitting at your computer for hours at a stretch, so why not make yourself more comfortable? The uChair from China puts a keyboard into a recliner, with bonus foot switches.

Read more: Turn your keyboard into a recliner with uChair

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4 of 9 Tim Hornyak/CNET

Get happy with HapiFork

Put on a pound or two over the holidays? Rein in your appetite with HapiFork. The electric utensil vibrates if you take a mouthful without pausing for at least 10 seconds.

Read more: Bolting your food? Put on the brakes with HapiFork

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5 of 9 Amanda Kooser/CNET

iPotty for iPad

Your tots can't part with their tablets and they can already launch apps faster than you. So use that to your advantage and toilet train them with the iPotty for iPad. Fortunately, there's a splash guard.

Read more: iPotty for iPad aims for high-tech toilet training

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6 of 9 Christopher MacManus/CNET

Get dreamy with iDream

The iDream3 by Breo might remind you of a helmet from "Tron" or "Star Wars," but it actually works as an eye and head massager. Crave contributor Christopher MacManus had a ho-hum experience with the headset due to his unusually large cranium, but several others using the device appeared to be greatly relaxed by the experience after several minutes of using the massager.

The iDream3's capabilities include air pressure, vibration, and pressure point massage as well as infrared heat compression. Expect some weird stares if people catch you wearing it.

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7 of 9 Tim Hornyak/CNET

Archive it old-school

This is what you need now: electronic filing cabinets with blinking LED lights that can tell you where you filed that important piece of paper. Assuming you still have important pieces of paper.

Read more: Archive it old-school with wired, LED-lit filing cabinet

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8 of 9 Christopher MacManus/CNET

Go zero-G with GameCube

Looking for real gaming immersion in a completely embarrassing package? The unusual GameCube by Intellect Motion straps a gamer into an outfit filled with cords and harnesses to simulate a half-weightless environment.

In a demo at CES 2013, a person inside the GameCube jumped and moved around with great ease while the corresponding in-game character did the same. An Intellect Motion representative mentioned availability of the GameCube later this year with an initial target of selling the product to Internet cafes.

The person in the picture wields an IM Gun, which works as a navigational gamepad that enables a gamer to move around by simply moving the gun in that direction.

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9 of 9 Tim Hornyak/CNET

The 10-key keyboard

Who says we should keep the 1870s keyboard? DecaTxt is a touch-typing gadget that you can write with while your hand is snugly in your pocket. As long as you put in the hours to learn all the key combinations.

Read more: Junk your QWERTY for this 10-key keyboard

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