alerts

Tripit, which I mentioned in an earlier post about Planjam, is a do-it-all travel service that helps people organize their travel plans (flight numbers, car rental info, accommodations, etc.) in one central location that can be updated and accessed on the go. Today they're launching a new feature called "closeness" alerts.

Much like Dopplr, which we peeked at last month, the whole idea behind the alerts is to let you know when your buddies (Tripit calls them "colleagues") will be in town or traveling in or around the same place at the same time. The … Read more

Depending on where you live, lost kids (and adults) aren't the only ones who could use the occasional aid of an identification device. In San Francisco, for example, it's been widely reported that dogs outnumber children.

And with about 10 million pets expected to get lost each year, technologies like "KoogaPet" will become an increasingly common sight. Though far from the only digital dog tag on the market, the KoogaPet is much smaller than others and holds more data.

The $30 dime-sized tag, which is waterproof and comes in various colors, can store information transferred from … Read more

We've seen all kinds of innovative concepts lately from car manufacturers trying to prevent people from falling asleep at the wheel. From Infiniti's Lane Departure Warning system to BMW's vibrating steering wheel to Volvo's coffee-break notification system, these optional systems use all kinds of technology to keep drivers conscious, but they nearly always come as part of pricey technology package. Fortunately, it turns out there is a budget option for those wanting to stay awake at the wheel in the form of the Drive Alert Master. This $15 device hooks around a driver's ear in … Read more

Yesterday Google rolled out video alerts to its Google Alerts service. If you've never used Alerts, it's a handy way to get Web content updates delivered straight to your e-mail inbox based on keywords. In the case of the new video search, Google will deliver links to videos it's indexed. So how is this helpful? Say you're a big video fan, and you dig seeing those Diet Coke and Mentos videos online. There are always some crazy teenagers out in the suburbs doing new things with them, and that equates to a lot of new videos. … Read more

Being of a somewhat fastidious nature here at Crave, we've been delighted to see such advances in hand-cleaning systems as touchless faucets for the home and Dyson's "Airblade" hand-drying machine. There's just one minor complication: They work only if people use them.

That's where the "Speechpod" comes in. It's sort of a surrogate mom, always at the ready to nag us to wash our hands when its sensors detect a human in the vicinity, according to the Gadget Blog.

At present it's designated only for medical facilities, which reportedly have … Read more

We don't have an obsession with thunderstorms, but we fully acknowledge that this is a popular topic with more than a few readers. And Crave, of course, is here to serve.

But rather than citing another device of dubious value, today we offer one that seems to make a bit more sense to us. The "First Alert Storm Sentry" stays tuned to the National Weather Service's NOAA Weather Radio and can monitor 79 emergency broadcasts, including warnings for hurricanes, tornadoes, evacuations, civil dangers, nuclear accidents and even AMBER Alerts.

Better still, it can be programmed to … Read more

Microsoft is expanding the detail available in its service to notify people of upcoming security fixes, the company said Wednesday.

On the first Thursday of each month, Microsoft's Advance Notification Service (ANS) tells those who've signed up for it some particulars of patches the company issues the following Tuesday. Currently, Microsoft shares some aggregate information about the patches--for example, how many are severe--but beginning June 7, it will offer more information for each of the bulletins in the notification, according to Microsoft's Security Response Center blog.

Specifically, Microsoft will share for each vulnerability bulletin its maximum severity, … Read more

California plans to launch a text messaging alert system in the next 12 to 14 months, according to a story posted Thursday on Insidethebayarea.com.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi told lawmakers at a hearing that California is working with federal officials to develop an alert system that will use SMS text messaging to disseminate emergency information. He said that the state is willing to move along without the feds in order to get the service up and running as quickly as possible, the story said.

Several universities throughout the country have already begun using text message alerts to inform students … Read more

This item ranks right up there with the "qStart," that device that reminds you which side of the road to drive on.

The "StrikeAlert" describes itself as "the world's first convenient, dependable and easy-to-use personal lightning detector." During a thunderstorm it supposedly gauges the distance of lightning based on the decibel level of their crackle up to 40 miles away, according to OhGizmo.

Forgive us, but we must ask: Do we really need a gadget to tell us that lightning is approaching? Would it not be more prudent, say, to just weather the … Read more