Crave

The Pyramids at Giza sound like the perfect place for an Apple Store.

(Credit: Crave UK)

Apple has opened an Apple Store at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, an upscale shopping center beneath the famous Louvre art gallery. We reckon Apple products will look right at home in an art gallery, and we've come up with some suggestions for where Monsieur Jobs should open the next branch of Apple Store.

The new Magasin du Pomme, which opened this weekend, is located beneath the Louvre Museum. It features the usual white decor and split-level glass staircase.

The Paris shop is the first Apple Store in France. A branch in Montpellier was ready sooner, but the opening has been held back until Saturday to let the Paris branch grab the headlines. Microsoft, which is branching into its own dedicated stores, has a cafe on Rue Sebastopol where Parisians can try out, but not buy, Windows 7.

So where next for Apple? Here are our suggestions.

Read more of "Apple Store opens in the Louvre: Where next?" at Crave UK.

Initially inspired by the keyboards on the Treo smartphones, the OOMouse was designed by a game designer who was annoyed with the paltry number of buttons available on high-end gaming mice.

(Credit: WarMouse)

First impression of the OOMouse? Wow! Never have we seen so many buttons on a pointing device (18 at last count). To top it off, it may even be the first mouse to sport an analog joystick on the side.

Private company WarMouse is primarily marketing the OOMousebeing as a peripheral for OpenOffice (a Microsoft Office alternative), but we feel it's targeted at the wrong audience. With the 18 programmable mouse buttons, clickable scroll wheel, three different button modes (key, keypress, and macro), and up to 16 macros on the joystick, the OOMouse can launch 52 different commands with the touch of a button. This makes it perfect for real-time strategy games like World of Warcraft and StarCraft 2. Thanks to the onboard memory, the mouse itself can store specific macros for up to 63 different games and applications. The resolution can also be adjusted from 400dpi to 1,600dpi.

Our only complaint? With so many buttons you'll probably need an exceptional memory, especially when switching between programs. The OOMouse supports Windows, Linux, and Macintosh operating systems and will retail for $74.99 when the online store opens.

(Source: Crave Asia)

The iPhone gets HD radio.

(Credit: RadioShack)

Staying competitive in an iPod-ruled marketplace is a challenge, and not just because of the player's built-in virtues (or Apple's massive marketing budget). The reigning king of the MP3 players has an advantage simply because it resides at the top of the heap, and that advantage comes in the form of feature-adding third-party accessories. Case in point: the Gigaware In-Line Remote with HD Radio, an $80 add-on for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

That's right, kids...that would be the iPod addressing a major selling point and advantage of the Zune HD. Please don't act surprised. You knew this day was coming. And yes, the Gigaware remote does allow display of track information on the iPod screen as well as song tagging, which let's you find songs easily for later purchase.

So let's recap: 32GB Zune HD costs $289; 32GB iPod Touch with HD radio addition costs $379. Not exactly apples to apples, but which one do you find more attractive? Does HD radio even matter? Discuss.

Just before it got out of control

(Credit: Wilson Tang, Justin Yu/CNET)

Now that we've had ample time to recover, Wilson and Justin take a few moments out of today's episode of The 404 Podcast to attempt to retrace the events of Wilson's Friday night birthday bash. The night started with a stomach full of Korean Fried Chicken, which you should definitely check out if you live in New York--it's addicting, for real. After that, Wilson surprised us all (not really) with a night of karaoke, which started off innocently enough with Aqua's Barbie Girl and Enrique Iglesias' "Escape," but quickly turned into a rockstar-wannabe free-for-all as Justin and Wilson laid waste to their dignity and belted out that awfully addicting Black Eyed Peas song "I Gotta Feeling." MAZEL TOV! Check out the show to hear all the details and follow the photo slideshow to witness our humiliation.

(Credit: Facebook)

If you've ever wanted to show a Facebook friend how much you despise their mundane status updates and links, a "dislike" button might be your dream feature come true. French developer Thomas Moquet created a Firefox Extension that adds a dislike button to Facebook pages, but other Facebook users must have the extension installed as well to see the note. If you're not a fan of the open-source browser, there's also a Facebook Group that you can join to petition for the absent feature. The question is, should we really bring that element of negativity to our beloved social network? Listen the entire episode to hear our point of view.

In atypical Monday fashion, we actually dig deep into Internet censorship and the age that kids should be allowed to play games rated "Mature." The conversation is sparked by a very informed 13-year-old who left us a voicemail bringing up a great point about the different maturity levels that exist within a specific age bracket, and we're happy to discuss a topic that raises so many questions about maturity level, parental responsibilities, censoring Web content, etc...it all goes down in the second half of the show, so listen up and leave us a voicemail (1866-404-CNET) or e-mail the404[at]cnet[dot]com to voice your opinion!

Finally: Netflix on the PS3.

(Credit: Matthew Moskovciak/CNET)

The PS3 has picked up a lot of momentum as of late (thanks to price cuts, PS3 Slim, Uncharted 2), and the addition of Netflix streaming is the most recent blow in the feature-war against the Xbox 360. While Netflix streaming is nearly identical on most devices that support it, there are some significant differences with the PS3 that make it worth testing.

Netflix on the PS3 photos

Unlike Netflix streaming on other devices, the PS3 requires the Netflix Streaming Disc for PS3. That means you'll need to request a disc from Netflix and it will come in the mail like a standard Netflix movie. It doesn't count against your allotment of movies allowed out and you never need to return the disc. The disc uses Blu-ray's BD-Live functionality to enable streaming, and this is by far the best use of BD-Live we've seen so far.

Once you insert the Netflix Streaming Disc, it shows up in the XMB in the video section. Select Netflix from the XMB and the experience is largely identical to streaming Netflix on other devices, with a few new features.

The main interface shows you the cover art of the movies in your instant queue, arranged horizontally. If you select a movie, it will show a screen with more detailed information, a summary of the plot, and a star rating. You're also able to scroll horizontally within the more detailed view, without having to return to the main screen. If you stop watching a movie, you're able to resume where you left off or start again from the beginning.

The step-up over standard streaming Netflix devices are the tabs at the top of the interface. With other devices, like the Roku Digital Video Player, you're only able to access movies that you've added to your Instant Queue using a PC. On the PS3, you're given some additional tabs that allow you to browse new arrivals, movies Netflix thinks you'll like, and categories you use often. That's not quite as good as the Xbox 360's Netflix interface, which allows you to add new titles to your instant queue without using a PC, but it's a welcome addition to the basic Netflix streaming available on other devices.

While we've seen some reports that the image quality of streaming Netflix isn't quite as good as it is on the Xbox 360, we didn't notice any significant quality drop-offs in our testing. In our experience, the image quality of streaming Netflix movies is basically identical across devices. ... Read more

That little eye in the midst of the silver speaker is a motion detector.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

In case you haven't noticed, "green" is big business. One way for HDTV makers to cash in on the public's craving for efficiency is to label a TV "eco-friendly." Sony's KDL-VE5 series does just that, but unlike a lot of so-called green electronics, this TV can actually save power in a new, potentially very effective way. That's because it incorporates a "presence sensor" that can automatically turn the picture off when it detects nobody's watching.

Amazingly, the feature worked pretty well in our tests, and we hope to see similar automatic turn-offs in future televisions--as long as irate couch potatoes don't flood Sony's customer service call centers to complain of malfunctioning TVs. Otherwise the Sony uses about as much power as a typical LCD--it's nowhere near as miserly as the LED-backlit Sharp's LC-LE700UN series, for example.

The KDL-VE5 also offers very good picture quality for a standard LCD, but on the downside, it charges a hefty premium over the step-down KDL-V5100 series--the only major differences between the two are styling and the VE5's presence sensor. If you're prone to forgetting to turn the TV off, however, the KDL-VE5 might be able to make up the difference in a few years.

Read the full review of the Sony KDL-VE5 series.

Sony KDL-VE5 series -- photos

Imagine the HP Mini 311 with a new Atom...

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

With CES coming in January and Windows 7 computers already everywhere to be found, a casual observer might assume that Vegas' annual consumer electronics extravaganza might not be as exciting for laptops. For Netbooks, at least, that seems to be completely untrue. Although Netbooks have seen an across-the-board upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 and, in some instances, boosts like HD-resolution screens, added RAM, and discrete Nvidia GPUs, Netbooks still tend to run variants of the same N270/280 Atom processor we've seen since 2008.

Intel has been readying its newer Atoms, including a dual-core D510, for a while, but a rumor of a leaked document suggests that Intel might be unveiling the new Atom N450 (the successor to the N270), and even new Netbooks and Nettops containing it, at CES. The report also suggests a possibly quick decommissioning of the old Atom N270s. Intel's new Atoms are supposed to provide better battery life as well as smoother video playback.

We've already found some great new Netbooks recently (check our 2009 Holiday Tech Guide for suggestions), and this should only drive the new wave of Netbooks ever forward.

We're excited about seeing some of these future Netbooks. As long as they stay affordable, that is.

(Via Engadget)

Lexmark's X4650 multifunction printer works over Wi-Fi--or with the bundled USB cable.

(Credit: Wal-Mart)

In the market for a new printer? Might as well get one that doubles as a scanner and copier. And one that works without wires.

Wal-Mart has the Lexmark X4650 wireless all-in-one printer for $59. Shipping will run you 97 cents, though you can skip that by opting for store pickup. Either way, plan on paying sales tax.

As most of you know, I hold Wi-Fi printers in the same high regard as chocolate-covered caramels and Jessica Alba. The X4650 connects to your Wi-Fi router for blissfully wireless printing and scanning.

Ironically, Wal-Mart bundles a 10-foot Tripp Lite gold-plated USB cable, just in case you're not planning to go the Wi-Fi route.

The X4650 offers dual-cartridge printing. If you want the best possible photo results, you can swap in a photo-ink cartridge for the black one and enjoy six-color output.

The downside is that, as with most inkjets, cartridges cost a pretty penny. Plan on dropping at least $25 for each replacement--a little less if you go the remanufactured route.

The printer supports all the latest versions of Windows and Mac OS X. Though it lacks fax capabilities, it can scan to your PC's fax modem (if it has one) and also offers a handy scan-to-e-mail option.

In short, it's a fairly basic multifunction printer, one that sold for $130 when it debuted about a year ago. CNET hasn't reviewed it, but the reviews I've seen elsewhere have been mostly positive. (The only real ding is relatively slow printing.)

In any case, $59 for a Wi-Fi-equipped all-in-one is a rare find. Definitely worth considering.

Nokia is replacing potentially dangerous phone chargers for free, the mobile giant said Monday.

The recall affects 14 million chargers, according to the Associated Press.

The affected chargers are manufactured by third-party suppliers, Nokia said. A loose cover could potentially expose the charger's internal components and thus pose an electrical shock hazard if accidentally touched during use, the company said.

Chargers involved in the exchange are 2-pin types and include the AC-3E and AC-3U models manufactured between June 15 and August 9, 2009, as well as the AC-4U model made between April 13 and October 25, 2009. A Nokia site offers more information.

Read more of "Nokia rolls out charger exchange program" at CNET Asia.