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GameDr destroys recreation of youth

Parents, I've found a device that you will love and your children will hate. Just don't tell them you heard it from me, I have my geek cred to look out for. It's an evil video game timer called the GameDr.

It attaches to the power plug on your kid's console via a combination lock. Then you can program the amount of time left until it kills the power, losing your child's progress, and making him or her resent you. It will give them 10- then 1-minute warnings, so that's something.

Sure, they'll … Read more

Blu-ray on a budget: Asus F50SV-A2 reviewed

Sixteen-inch laptops comprise a growing category, perhaps because they sit between the semiportable, 15-inch, mainstream systems and the heavy, 17- and 18-inch models that are essentially desk-bound machines with hinged screens.

The $1,249 Asus F50SV-A2 ($1,149 for base configuration with less RAM) packs a Blu-ray drive and a new mainstream Nvidia graphics chip into a relatively on-the-go package that's lighter than gaming beasts, but heavier than a standard laptop.

Our review found it solidly performing, but a little lacking on the design and features front. Are 16-inch systems worth the compromise between mainstream and hardcore desktop-replacing performance? … Read more

Lenovo updates Netbook line: meet the IdeaPad S10-2

We were impressed with the recent 6-cell battery upgrade for Lenovo's S10 Netbook, and now the company (most famous for the ThinkPad line of business laptops) has announced a bigger revamp.

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 (well, it's transparency in product naming, if nothing else) will be slightly thinner and lighter than the original, starting at 2.2 pounds and .71-inches. There's a new patterned design on the lids, available in white, black, pink, or grey.

We recently got a sneak peek at the new S10-2, and the most notable improvement was probably the tweaked keyboard, which has … Read more

Lenovo IdeaPad Y650: A 16-inch laptop that weighs in like a 13-incher

In a media-saturated online world, it's no surprise that whole categories of laptops now seem made to appeal to the home streaming-video connoisseur. Lenovo's IdeaPad Y series, and the Y650 in particular, looks tailor-made for those who want to watch TV and media on a big, bright screen with better-than-average audio, and a decor-friendly design to match.

The $1,249 Y650 we reviewed is the higher end of the two fixed-configuration models, which includes a fast 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 and 4GB of DDR3 memory. The Y650 is the thinnest, lightest 16-inch laptop we've … Read more

Bright Automotive to share its plug-in IDEA on Capitol Hill

Bright Automotive announced an earlier-than-anticipated reveal date for its plug-in hybrid vehicle, IDEA.

The Indiana-based automotive company will unveil the prototype light-duty vehicle, which includes pickup trucks, SUVs, and sedans, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 21 instead of at the Norway's Electric Vehicle Symposium in May.

No explanation for this change was given, but the press release states, "Members of Congress and companies involved with Bright Automotive will take part in a briefing on the IDEA and a public event."

Little is known about the IDEA, but the start-up's CEO, John Waters, hinted that the first production PHEV vehicle from Bright Automotive may not be a passenger sedan. … Read more

Lenovo separates Think, Idea product groups

Lenovo announced an internal overhaul Wednesday, reorganizing both its regional and product groups.

Think products, like the iconic ThinkPad and the desktop ThinkStation, will be separated from the Idea group, which makes the IdeaPad and IdeaCentre PCs. The Think group will focus on commercial customers as well as high-end small and medium businesses (SMB). The Idea group will target consumer and SMB transactional customers.

The reorganization also spawned two new business units: one that targets mature markets, and another that targets emerging markets. They will replace the current business units that focus on specific regions. Lenovo considers the U.S., … Read more

Lenovo says the IdeaPad Y650 is the thinnest, lightest 16-inch laptop

Kicking off the first wave of CES laptop announcements (and beating the competition by about 24 hours), Lenovo is bolstering its consumer-targeted IdeaPad line with a few new models, highlighted by the 16-inch Y650.

The new Y series includes the 16-inch Y650, the 15-inch Y550, and the 14-inch Y450. All will share a similar design, with a black, "interlocked hexagon pattern," on the lid and a copper accent band around the edge.

The 16:9 displays on all three point towards multimedia use, as does the Dolby Home Theater Surround Sound-branded audio. Both audio and video settings can … Read more

Dan's favorite laptops of 2008

After looking at countless laptops during 2008, a small handful have jumped out as personal favorites. I'm not saying these are the very best laptops of the year, nor the highest-rated--they're just the ones that struck me as particularly interesting, useful, or well-designed.

Chances are high that you'll disagree with some or all of this list--which is what makes the comment section below so handy. Share your personal favorites, and see how they stack up against mine.

Gateway P-7811FX For a brief time in 2008, PC gamers had a single bright spot in their otherwise drab world (… Read more

Apple's Black Friday deals

Update: New information has leaked about Apple's 2009 Black Friday deals. Read about it here.

Apple will be holding a one-day shopping event on Black Friday, according to a teaser up on Apple's Web site. Every sale on the Apple Store is an event, as it happens very rarely, and discounts on Apple products are meager throughout the year. That is, if this is an event full of discounts and sales. The interesting part is in the wording:

"Come back to the Apple Online Store this Friday for a special one-day-only Christmas shopping event. You'll find … Read more