cuteness

As fashion fiend Tim Gunn likes to say, you can never go wrong with a classic black dress. And if it's fitted with 2,000 LEDs and broadcasts tweets in real time, all the better, right Tim?

Nicole Scherzinger took that fashion rule to heart when she showed up at a launch party for new British 4G mobile network EE last week wearing a haute couture gown that flashes like a light show on top while displaying scrolling tweets on the skirt below.

CuteCircuit, a London-based fashion company that designs interactive clothing, created the electronic dress especially for the … Read more

You've always wanted to see an animated cat say things in a squeaky voice, haven't you? If so, then Talking Tom Cat is for you! Talking Tom Cat is a free app that shows a cartoon cat onscreen that repeats whatever you say into the device in a funny voice. Talking Tom Cat also responds to pokes and strokes of the screen.

Talking Tom Cat lets you say anything into your microphone, which it then repeats with sound modifications, as well as onscreen animation. You can pet the cat and hear him purr. You can pour him a … Read more

T-shirts have long been used to express opinions, assert individuality, and spread messages. The tshirtOS prototype is trying to become the first commercially available programmable, Internet-connected digital T-shirt.

The shirt is a joint venture between high-tech fashion company CuteCircuit and Scotch whisky maker Ballantine's. I'm not entirely sure what a high-tech T-shirt has to do with a venerable Scottish alcoholic beverage, but I'm sure there's a marketing tie-in here somewhere.… Read more

We like puppies, and we were prepared to release our inner 12-year-old girl upon downloading Cute Puppy Clock. Unfortunately, though, our plans to squeal and giggle fell flat. Although the program is in fact a clock that involves cute puppies, it has drawbacks that make it hard to recommend, even for puppy-lovers.

There's really not much to Cute Puppy Clock, which is part of the problem. It's a couple of inches tall and features a puppy standing on what looks like a wooden crate. The time is displayed on the crate, 24-hour style, in a goofy font that'… Read more

Forget the flowers this Valentine's Day. Go for a lightsaber-lit dinner, the open-source iNecklace, and the flirtatious Fingle app. Bridget Carey shows off tech to woo the nerd of your dreams.… Read more

2cute is a free, ad-supported app that lets you browse, download, and share images from the 2cute Web site--images that are empirically very cute (or as the app points out, in Japanese, "kawaii") of puppies, kittens, bunnies, and more. You can browse through large thumbnails of the pictures just by swiping left and right, and you can tap to rate, share, or download a normal or high-resolution version of the photo.

Flipping through the photos on 2cute is fun (with an occasional surprise, like a baby octopus or pygmy marmoset), and this app provides a great and easy … Read more

The weekend is all about downtime. Well, maybe not for everybody, but we certainly hope you get a little time to yourself. In any case, it's always good to have some great time-wasters on your iPhone for whenever you get a break in the action. Fortunately, some excellent games came out recently (and one went on sale) that you really should check out.

This week's iOS apps are all top-shelf titles that are perfect for taking a break. The first is a popular console remake with tons of content that has hit its lowest price to date. The second is a very well-designed platformer that's skyrocketing up the iTunes app charts. The third app takes zombie destruction to a whole new level--way up in a machine-gun-equipped airplane.… Read more

Talking Tom Cat 2 is the free, ad-supported follow-up to the popular app Talking Tom, featuring an animated cat that repeats everything you say in a funny voice.

Although Talking Tom Cat 2 has little repeat play value for grownups, the app is predictably a hit with the most kiddos--and its animation and graphics are above average for an app like this (especially in the iPad version). In addition to repeating what you say, Tom has several reactions you can trigger, like purring when you stroke him or hissing and clawing when you poke him. You can also record a … Read more

What you see before you is the Julius Dance Machine, Paul Frank's answer to the iPod speaker. It's not the first piece of audio gadgetry we've seen from the monkey-loving designer, and it probably won't be the last. And as far as cutesy music accessories go, it's not our favorite, either, but this speaker is sure to be a hit with Julius lovers. After all, a little monkey cradling your iPhone or iPod has a certain appeal.

Of course, any speaker worth its salt needs to be more than just adorable. The Julius Dance Machine … Read more