CNET News Poll
Concept art for an Apple touch-screen Netbook. Is this what you want to see?
(Credit: Gizmodo)We're nearing 2010, and that means it's time for bloggers like yours truly to stock up on champagne, put on our one necktie, and start making predictions. Instead, I thought it would be fun to talk about the tech I'd like to see in the new year. Then I thought it would be even more fun if we talked about the tech that you, the readers, would like to see.
To be fair, a few of our poll options are left over from my 2008 holiday wish list that didn't come to be in '09. Then I've added a few more that are 2010-specific. But it's not all about what I want. Which of these would you most like to see in 2010? Not which is the most likely, but which would be the coolest?
If we missed anything, be sure to let us know in the TalkBack section below. And happy holidays!
CNET News Poll
He's not just wearing it to be jolly. He always dresses like this.
(Credit: Matt Hickey)If you'd have told me a year ago that late 2009 would see a new format war brewing, I would have said, "Great, I love a good format war!"
If you'd have told me it would be an e-book format war, though, I might have laughed at you and made fun of your stupid Christmas sweater. Because a year ago the Kindle was the only game in town, and by the looks of it you shop at the Mervyns outlet.
This week we got our hands on the Nook, the tight little e-book reader from Barnes & Noble that's aimed squarely at Amazon's popular Kindle. We also saw the first demo of the controversial JooJoo from TechCrunch Fusion Garage. It's not technically a dedicated e-book reader but that's one of the markets it's aimed for.
In addition, the iPhone and iPod remain popular entries in the category. Like the JooJoo, they're not dedicated devices, but their e-book functionality is available to millions already.
So we'd like to know which, if any, e-book reader you, Crave readers, like best. The Kindle? Nook? JooJoo? iPhone/iPod Touch? Or maybe you just prefer old-fashioned paper? Vote in our poll.
CNET News Poll
(Credit:
ABC/Wikimedia)
This week we told you about a couple of breakthroughs in bionics, including a Luke Skywalker-like artificial hand controlled by the brain, and a bionic larynx that uses a speech synthesizer to let people who've had their voice boxes removed speak more realistically. Those are both awesome.
They also hint that we may be on the threshold of a new wave of bionic devices that will boost the quality of life for people around the world. But what's next? What bionic science will most wow us in coming years?
Vote in our poll, and be sure to leave a comment in our TalkBack section telling us what sort of bionic feats you'd like to see accomplished.
Will this be you the day after Thanksgiving?
(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET)CNET News Poll
Black Friday is my favorite day of the year--not just because retailers and manufacturers are falling over each other to try to nab my holiday dollars, but because the rush at the big-box stores is hilariously insane.
Working at a Best Buy-like store for several years, I made sure to take full advantage of my tryptophan-induced coma so I'd be ready to go for the 16-hour workday ahead. In the end I was always exhausted, but also happy, as I'd helped many people get the good deals they were looking for.
We've featured quite a few Black Friday deals in the last few days as they trickle out, and we're sure many of our Crave readers are gearing up for the Super Bowl of gadget buying. So we'd like to know: what, exactly, is your strategy for tackling Black Friday this year?
Vote in our poll, and if you're planning to mark the day in a way we didn't cover, be sure to let us know in the Talkback section below.
My dream evening circa 1999.
(Credit: Matt Hickey)CNET News Poll
So we've all heard that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released Tuesday, broke all kinds of sales records this week and is being touted as the biggest video game release of all time. But that's coming at the same time that we get word of some less-than-good data from The NPD Group: the video game industry was down a staggering 19 percent in sales in October.
Some say the much-anticipated Modern Warfare 2 could give the industry a boost, but it might not be enough.
As a self-proclaimed influential tech journalist and longstanding pundit of the absolute highest caliber, I've come up with a list of ideas that gamemakers might want to use to prop up their sagging market. These are good ideas and I'm offering them to the industry for free. And that's because I'm a very nice guy.
What do you think, readers? How can the game industry make sure it doesn't see a repeat of October's performance? Vote in our poll.
On Sale Now: $52.96 - $67.59
View the latest prices for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC)
On Sale Now: $53.11 - $59.99
View the latest prices for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (XBox 360)
On Sale Now: $58.99 - $59.99
View the latest prices for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
On Sale Now: $59.00 - $79.99
View the latest prices for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Hardened Edition, XBox 360)
On Sale Now: $59.00 - $68.99
View the latest prices for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Hardened Edition, PS3)
CNET News Poll
A new option: the Eris.
(Credit: Verizon)Verizon on Friday is getting the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris, a duo of high-end Android handsets. These are the first next-gen handsets the VZN has offered, and its subscribers are understandably happy about that.
And it's about time. AT&T has offered Apple's iPhone for more than two years. Sprint users have been enjoying the Palm Pre for a while and can also opt for the HTC Hero, a sibling of Verizon's Eris. T-Mobile users have had access to Android devices for more than a year.
So why is Verizon so far behind the other carriers in offering these awesome new phones? Vote in our poll. And if you think of a reason we didn't mention, be sure to share it in our TalkBack section below.
CNET News Poll
This week, we learned of a guy who proposed to his girlfriend in the game Super Mario World. Using an editing program called Lunar Magic, he put the words "Lisa Will You Marry Me?" inside a game level. And (spoiler alert): she accepted.
(Credit:
JD Andrews)
But that's not the first geeky marriage proposal we've heard of.
Way back in the early days of the Information Superhighway, Slashdot co-founder Rob Malda popped the question to Kathleen Fent on his own "News for Nerds" site.
More recently, one of our readers engraved a proposal on the back of a new iPod Nano. Of course, there are those who have taken the risk of floating the big question via Twitter. We even dug up an awesome patent application for "Method and instrument for proposing marriage to an individual," wherein one Ryan Grace asks for the hand of his true love, Ellie.
If none of those melt your hardened heart, Wired has a few others in its list of five geeky marriage proposals. A couple of our faves include a Google employee who posed the question via Google Maps and a guy who modded his girlfriend's favorite game, Bejeweled, so the jewel pieces formed the shape of a diamond ring. Awww...
So, what's the most romantic geek proposal of them all? Vote in our poll. And surely, some of our inventive readers have told their inamoratas (inamoratos) how they feel in a way only geeks can. Made a Facebook app? Rearranged the keys on your loved one's MacBook? Created a shmoopy comic? Let us know in the TalkBack section below.
CNET News Poll
Even a classic jingle needs a refresh now and then.
As part of a $100 million ad campaign, Yahoo had musicians record new versions of the famous Yahoo yodel in 22 musical genres--from disco to ska. The resulting snippets are amazing--in that so-terrible-you-can't-decide-whether-to-stab-your-own-ears-with-a-pen-or-make-these-your-new-ringtone kind of way. At any rate, they've had us cracking up all week, and for this week's Crave Friday Poll, we wanted to invite you to join in on the fun.
So here's a sampling of some of our favorites. Listen to these little bits of musical genius and let us know which one you like best in our poll. We don't want to sway your opinions or anything, but the CNET cubicles have been ringing with (or is that assaulted with?) the sounds of a few editors spontaneously busting out with the final line of "Old Skool 1" at random times. Just sayin'.
Want more? Check out the complete list of revamped yodels here. And remember: Some PC, some prefer the Mac. But if you Yahoo, then we got your back.
Big Band 1
Download mp3
Funk 1
Download mp3
Latin 2
Download mp3
Metal 2
Download mp3
Miami Bass 2
Download mp3
Old Skool 1
Download mp3
Reggae 1
Download mp3
R&B 2
Download mp3
Techno 1
Download mp3
CNET Poll
(Credit:
eBay)
Someone, somewhere, may be willing to pay $1.1 million for an Xbox 360 signed by former governor, former vice presidential candidate, and best-selling author Sarah Palin.
We aren't sure how Palin's name gives a game console cachet, as from what we can tell she isn't much of a gamer (looking up SaraccudaAK as a gamer tag turned up nothing).
Nonetheless, the starting bid on eBay for this thing makes us wonder more broadly about the Xbox. Is it magic now? Enchanted? Cursed? Or is this just about the name recognition? It's certainly a one-of-a-kind item (for now anyway).
I want in on this game. If I can get a celeb to sign my Xbox 360 and sell it on eBay for loads of cash, I could be rich! So I'm going to leave it to you, readers, to tell me who I should get to sign my Xbox. And yes, I'll do it. CNET is owned by CBS, so, you know, I know people who know people.
CNET News Poll
Mail-in rebates are a pain in the neck. I'd stop short of calling them a scam, but I really don't like the fact that they seem to rely on consumers' forgetfulness and/or laziness.
And there doesn't seem to be any oversight--as far as I can tell, there's nobody watching to see if a company happens to "lose" a few rebate forms.
But I also know people who've had incredible luck with mail-in rebates and save money often. I even know one person who filled out one rebate form and got two checks back from Acer a couple of years back!
CNET blogger Rick Broida asked a good question in a post Thursday. Has the reliability of mail-in rebates improved? While the jury is still out on that one, we'd like to know how our gadget-attentive Crave readers feel. Which statement best describes your current thinking on mail-in rebates?
