Crave

After months underground, during which time she released only a pixellated propaganda video, the felicitous feline has surfaced once again, bent on pursuing her plan for world domination. As evidence, I present to you the Hello Kitty Netbook.

Compared with most previous Hello Kitty laptops, the Hello Kitty C1's design is downright subdued, with the text "Hello Kitty" repeated across the lid and a single impression of the evil mastermind's image in one corner. Otherwise, the 2.6-pound mini laptop looks like nearly every other all-white Netbook.

Its specs are fairly typical as well: a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and a 10.1-inch display. There are also two USB ports, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. It runs on Windows XP Home in your choice of five languages.

But, fellow citizens, do not be fooled by the cuteness! This product is all part of a pernicious plot to attack your wallet: whereas most Netbooks are priced in the $350-$500 range, the Hello Kitty C1 costs a ridiculous $890.

You have been warned.

The day has finally come where gamers can turn to their parents and tell them, I can make living playing video games, and I can get a major product endorsement. Just ask Tom Taylor professional Halo 3 gamer.

Known as TSquared in gaming circles, this 21 year old will be on 175 million 20-ounce Dr Pepper bottles from January to April. Exactly what he's going to make from this deal wasn't stated; however, he does have a lucrative 3 year, $250,000 contract to play video games.

So you've managed to get your hands on one of the world's most popular MP3 players, the Apple iPod Nano. This sleek and stylish device will keep you plenty entertained for sure, but you'll soon realize there's a lot more fun to be had if you move beyond the confines of what comes in the box.

For one thing, those stock Apple earbuds aren't the best-sounding--or most comfortable--headphones to be had. The first step is to upgrade, and our top headphones list is an excellent place to start. That done, head on over to our roundup of iPod Nano accessories, where you can find a case, an armband, a speaker and more for the fourth-generation Nano.

We're not trying to give robots too much power over our lives, but let's face it...there are some things that we'd rather not have to do, and our robot underlings would be perfect fill-ins. That is, of course, until they become self aware and jump onto our faces until we surrender to their immense robotic power. But that won't happen for a long time, so don't worry about that just yet.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Episode 115

DanBall the finger massaging robot looks like anything but a finger massaging robot

R2D2’s new guise: Fishtank

Whisking, the hands-free way

Roofus the snow-sweeping robot protects the roofs of large buildings

Magic system fills glasses from the bottom up somehow

Pink Watch
Sony announces Bluetooth headphones, travel-friendly speakers

A propos (of) nothing
Erasable Shower Tablet for inspired moments (thanks HollyHock!)
Here it is for sale!

What the hell?! (Vibrating stool edition)
Vibrating Toilet Seat

Mario Mushroom vibrating stool (thanks Dr. Karl!)

Gender Gap
Tomahawk Skull Gauntlet

Tool Time (baby edition)
Badass Oakley Roddler stroller gives your kid an early chip on his shoulder

Electric-drill-powered stroller should come with a Father of the Year award

Pretty……..
BMW unveils electric Mini Cooper

Dirt-cheap Christmas crap
Walmart offers $128 Blu-Ray

MSI on Friday announced the next iteration of its popular Wind Netbook, the 3-pound Wind U120. The updated model includes many of the same features as its predecessor, but sports a new look (white with black accents) and adds WiMax or HSDPA connectivity.

Mobile broadband was one of the items we thought was missing from the Wind U100, so we're glad to see it's been included with this update, at least in theory. (At the moment, WiMax networks are pretty scarce in the U.S.) Also included is a six-cell battery, which is a necessity when you're talking about a device as mobile as a Netbook. In fact, our only wish that isn't granted with the Wind U120 has to do with storage: though the hard drive size has doubled to 160GB, there is still no solid-state drive option.

The Wind U120's other specs look similar to the previous version, including its 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, three USB ports, and 4-in-1 card reader. In a concession to those who hate the Netbook's tiny touch pad, it ships with an external mouse.

MSI did not specify pricing or availability for the Wind U120, but the announcement press release trumpeted that the minilaptop will be on display at CES in January 2009.

Only the most passionate cell phone geeks know that the Federal Communications Commission holds a treasure trove of information on upcoming handsets. Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its digital SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.

HTC SEDN100
LG GT365
Motorola
Samsung B5712C
Samsung M8800C
Samsung SGH-T301g
ZTE-G X760

The zeppelin, Eureka, sits on the tarmac at Moffett Field in Mountain View, Calif. The airship was dedicated Friday at an event celebrating the 75h anniversary of Moffett Field.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.--NASA celebrated the 75th anniversary of this iconic airfield and research center on Friday by dedicating a brand-new zeppelin from a private company called Airship Ventures.

The zeppelin NT ("new technology"), which is one of just three currently functioning zeppelins that exist in the world, and the biggest, at 246 feet, was named "Eureka," a name that relates to the fact that the ship is based in California, as well as the fact that it is "rooted in scientific principles," said Brian Bell, a co-founder of Airship Ventures, the ship's owner, minutes before he revealed the new name.

At an event here to celebrate the two milestones, Alexandra Bell, also a co-founder of Airship Ventures, spoke of the experience of getting the zeppelin program off the ground. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), as well as Pete Worden, director of the NASA Ames Research Center, attended the event.

Airship Ventures is the first company in the United States to offer public access to zeppelins. And the company will be carrying paying passengers around the Bay Area, as well as helping NASA carry out scientific research.

The co-founders of Airship Ventures pull back the cover on the name of their brand-new zeppelin, the largest in the world, at the event Friday. The zeppelin is called the Eureka.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

Brian Bell explained that Airship Ventures had a naming contest and received more than 1,500 submissions, five of which turned out to be "Eureka," a name that those involved in the company had already been thinking about anyway.

But Alexandra Bell said that the Eureka may not end up being Airship Ventures' only zeppelin (See video below of the first flight of the Eureka after its dedication).

"We decided we just have to get a couple more," she said, "so we can name them with some of the other wonderful names" we got.

While the Eureka is the largest currently functioning zeppelin, the airships from the golden age of zeppelins were much, much larger. The Hindenburg and the Graf Zeppelin were about 800 feet long, and the Macon, which was based at Moffat for a couple of years in the 1930s, was 785 feet long.

The cameo is nice but not worth the price.

(Credit: T-Mobile)

They say gift giving is all about getting your friend something that they didn't know they wanted, or something that they would never buy for themselves. We think the new T-Mobile Cameo digital picture frame would fit both categories.

Granted, digital pictures frames remain a popular gift, but we're a little puzzled over the need for a digital pictures frame specifically for your camera phone photos. Nonetheless, T-Mobile is now offering the Cameo in time for the holiday buying season.

The Cameo is a rebranded Parrot DF7700, which we told you about last March. Thanks to a SIM card, it can receive and display photos from any camera phone, be it T-Mobile or not. You send messages via a multimedia message or an e-mail and you can transfer them via a USB cable or a microSD card. It doesn't have Bluetooth, though. The seven-inch screen has a 720x480-pixel resolution; you can place the Cameo on a table or hang it on the wall in portrait or landscape orientation.

The $99 price isn't a bad price, but you will need to pay a monthly fee of $10 for the data connection. That's where we balk.

Just in case you've forgotten, JVC is still around. And apparently it doesn't want you forgetting that fact anytime soon.

On December 2 it plans to unveil what it says will be Times Square's first true 720p HD screen. I assume they mean the first true 720p screen in Times Square that could not fit in your house.

The screen will be LED-based, boast a size of 19 by 34 feet, a 12,500-pound weight, a pair of LED tickers with animated programming synchronized between all three screens, and of course, giant LED letters illuminated by neon. What would Times Square be without neon?

The screen will be located just one story above ground level at Broadway and 43rd. Here's hoping someone has the foresight to get some Call of Duty hooked up to this thing.

Check out additional specs here.

With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, we at Crave this week offered a look at some of the gadgets we're feeling most grateful for these days--and you, readers, had lots of great suggestions of your own. But we wouldn't want to limit our geek gratitude to consumer electronics, now would we? Broadening the scope of your thankfulness, which recent tech development will get a nod of appreciation from you as you prepare to gather with family and friends for the holiday festivities?

As always, if we missed anything, be sure to let us know in the Talkback section.