Lifestyle

It's been a banner week for germaphobes. Just the other day we pointed to a device that purifies water with UV rays, and now we get word of a product that filters out airborne germs from the air within its immediate vicinity.

The "Ionic USB Air Purifier," according to Fareastgizmos, "discharges negative ions to absorb second-hand smoke, odors, clean airborne dust, and eliminate bacteria, germs, viruses." The device circulates air silently without a fan and needs no filters. All you need, apparently, is faith.

Ever heard of Gary Small? He's the neuroscientist who wrote the The Memory Bible, the best-seller that claims to improve your memory with five mental exercises. But what if you forget what to do?

Dr. Small has an answer for that too with his "Handheld Brain And Memory Fitness Trainer," which includes the brain games necessary to execute his program. On its LCD, the memory-challenged can play games that "simultaneously exercise the left-brain (verbal memory and logical skills) and the right-brain (visual memory)." It also monitors progress automatically along the way--a good thing, because that … Read more

Say what you will about Britney's relationships (including the one with her hair), but there's one love where her loyalty has never wavered: her bond with the BlackBerry.

Just as it was instrumental in her final text message to K-Fed, the trusty device has never left her side through the latest rehab stint (and escape), as the paparazzi found out. And she's not alone: the BlackBerry 8700, according to GeekSugar, is apparently the smart phone of choice for scads of other celebs, from Brit-buddy Jamie-Lynn Sigler to Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, and the ubiquitous Paris Hilton.

We'… Read more

If you're a parent, chances are you've tried a baby monitor. And chances are even greater that you've tried one that sucked. That, at least, has been our experience and that of practically every other mom and dad we know.

Hammacher Schlemmer is trying to right this widespread wrong with a $200 "Superior Baby Monitor" that does address one obvious flaw in many other models: This one uses "digital enhanced cordless communication" (DECT) that will automatically find an open frequency among 60 channels, avoiding interference from phones, microwaves and other electronic appliances. (In … Read more

We're almost afraid to post any information about this item because more people might actually buy it.

Some of us at Crave happen to think that the undying popularity of the Lightsaber is a sign of societal decay--or at least depressing nerdiness. But being equal-opportunity bloggers, we feel obligated to mention the "Lightsaber Umbrella" featured on Red Ferret.

There's not much to say, really--it's name pretty much sums it up. It lights up and keeps you dry. Or, more important, it keeps your DS Lite dry. (More photos here.)

Good news, fellow germaphobes. We've seen all manner of gadgets that sterilize surfaces but none that address what we ingest. Until now.

The "SteriPEN UV Light Water Purifier" treats H2O with a germicidal lamp, supposedly rendering it bacteria-free with no chemical aftertaste and "99.99 percent safe to drink," according to Mobile Magazine. With our luck, we'll probably be among the remaining 0.01 percent.

She's holding a lit lightbulb in her hand. Is the prophecy true? Is she the chosen one?

No, that's just Amber Nystrom, founder of Social Fusion, holding up the Pharox, an LED light by Lemnis Lighting that's designed to fit into an ordinary lamp socket (there's a battery in this one; the home models just screw in). It offers about the same amount of light as a 40-watt bulb but consumes about 90 percent less energy. If you haven't heard by now, lightbulbs waste a lot of energy. Around 95 percent of the energy turns … Read more

You may not have Snoop Dogg's private collection of weapons or the ability to pay for limousines to drive you everywhere, but you can have the rapper's drywall.

The picture shows off samples of QuietRock and QuietWood, wall coverings from Serious Materials that dampen sound. If you outfit a room with this stuff, no one can hear you rap inside, according to CEO Kevin Surace (who, needless to say, is not the model in the picture). This sort of drywall also allows you to put a home theater in a room that's next to a bedroom.

Customers … Read more

"Hey! Who left that package there?" Today that question triggers an avalanche of the latest bomb-disposal gear, not to mention the obligatory traffic jam that ensues. But now you can defuse that situation yourself if the bomb squad isn't around the corner.

Today a $10, pocket-sized explosive detector called "ELITE" (for Easy Livermore Inspection Test for Explosives) puts you in charge--at least until you touch the wrong wire. The 5- by 7.5-centimeter device requires minimal training to quickly and cheaply locate and identify up to 30 types of explosives and propellants. The card gives … Read more