mirroring

As noted too many times in this space, we can barely turn around without encountering another personal weather station, as there seems to be one created for every room in the house. But the one place we foolishly thought we'd be able to escape them--the shower--now has one of its own as well.

It may call itself the "Only Weather Station Shower Mirror" but, at this rate, we doubt that distinction will last through the end of the week. We're not exactly sure why anyone would need to monitor the barometric pressure outside while shaving, but … Read more

An unfortunate side effect of having your blog or Web site hit by sudden, massive traffic of the type you get when linked to on sites such as Digg, Del.icio.us, and Reddit, is downtime. While bad for the person who owns the site, it's also the pits for people who want to get at the content and can't. There are services such as Duggmirror, and Google's cache to bail you out, but otherwise you're out of luck. Mr. Uptime is a new Firefox extension from the folks at Pingdom that lets you earmark downed … Read more

Apparently it's not enough to have a mirror that sends text messages or even engages us in conversation. We need one that'll run Windows too.

Facing stiff competition in its mainstay telly business, U.K.-based Mirror Media has created a line that incorporates a PC into its reflective TVs in sizes ranging from 20 to 36 inches with frames in wood, metallic and other finishes, according to Chip Chick. It remains to be seen, however, whether they'll be able to create the ultimate convergence appliance by including a radiator.

Nothing is more jarring to Crave than an interruption to our morning routine, a time reserved for such sanctified rituals as long, hot showers and the day's first cup of coffee. That's why we think this "smart" mirror is an invention of the devil.

In addition to helping you straighten your toupee, the "+336+ SMS Mirror" acts as a remote receiver that picks up text messages streamed from a mobile phone or PDA and displays them on the shiny surface, according to Ubergizmo. (It's also worthy of Crave's odd-name category.)

Obviously perfect … Read more

If you could spend $6,000 on anything right now, it would certainly be a photomosaic mirror comprised of a 30-inch LCD screen and a Mac Mini, right? If so, you're in luck, because The Barbarian Group is now selling custom-made, limited-edition, real-time photomosaic mirrors. They come as a large box that you need simply hang up and plug in. Its built-in Web cam will take your image and display it as a photo mosaic with about a second of lag while it processes many teeny-tiny pictures to reflect a live image (see video here).

To build up its … Read more

Aside from keeping you in touch with your colleagues and friends, your Windows Mobile device might also be your portable music player, personal calendar, gaming machine, and, of course, your mobile gateway to the Internet.

No matter how many uses you already have for your portable device, there's always more to discover. Become a master of mobile technology with this collection of downloads designed for Windows Mobile users on the go.… Read more

With all the technology that's poured into the interior of today's cars, perhaps most surprising is the evolution of the lowly rear-view mirror. As we've noted, various automakers are outfitting them with Webcams to check blind spots, including some that fade away when not in use. Now, it's being used as a radar to detect speed traps too.

The "GPSMirror" checks traffic conditions as well, using its built-in database to look for "accident black spots, common mobile cameras, and fixed safety camera locations," according to NaviGadget. It's not clear how that … Read more

Car makers are increasingly looking backward in their visual safety features--as in Webcam screens built into their rear-view mirrors in an effort to eliminate blind spots once and for all. While we're all in favor of the idea, for some reason we have a feeling that the cost of such add-ons will involve bodily appendages such as arms and legs.

But SkyMall, of all places, is offering a "Wireless Backup Camera" that plugs into the license plate light socket and feeds video to a 2.5-inch color display that can be fastened to a visor or the … Read more

We almost passed up this item until we realized how irritating it is. At first, we thought it was just a digital advertising display mounted in a public restroom. Yawn. But it's actually a screen that doubles as a mirror, TechEBlog says, and it goes on and off without warning.

Now we're not given to staring at our reflection for long stretches at a time, but anyone would be annoyed if one of these "Magic Displays" continually interrupted the self-inspection ritual. If you have any doubt, just check out the YouTube clip below. Besides, who would … Read more