Reviews

Initially available on Boost Mobile, the Samsung Array has made its way onto Sprint today.

Offered at $19.99 after a two-year contract and mail-in rebate, this feature phone has a sliding four-row QWERTY keyboard, a 2.4-inch screen, and a 2-megapixel camera in the rear.

It's powered by a 480MHz CPU and a 1,000mAh battery, which roughly translates to a reported talk time of 4 hours.

When CNET's own Brian Bennett got his hands on the phone, the device's build aesthetic was reminiscent of a Sidekick, and its screen's low resolution was unimpressive.

For … Read more

I'm a lucky guy; audio companies keep asking me to check out their gear, and that's not a bad way to make a living. Before you get too jealous, I have to listen to a lot of crap to find the good stuff. There's a lot of shipping to and fro, and that's not a fun part of my work. Every now and then something really special arrives, and that makes it all worthwhile.

The nice folks at Heir Audio sent over two models of universal-fit headphones, the 3.Ai and 4.Ai, and even before I popped 'em in my ears I thought they might be out of the ordinary.… Read more

Val Kolton has a lot of ideas. I know him first as the man who runs V-Moda, but he's also a hotshot DJ. I met with him in NYC last week for a sneak preview of his brand-new Crossfade M-100 over-the-ear headphones. Kolton had just received the first production batch and hadn't actually listened to the completed headphones yet. I had the honor of listening first, even before the V-Man, and the M-100s totally knocked me out. It has a closed-back 'phone design, but the sound was remarkably open and spacious, a rare feat for a closed design. … Read more

We're now in the second week of the NFL football season, and if you're a fan of the game you probably already know when and where you're going to watch your favorite team play this weekend. But when it's not game watching time in the middle of the week, or even at halftime, these are some great games that make you a part of the action without getting too involved.

There are full American football game options at the App Store like Madden NFL 12 and Gameloft's NFL series, but neither are nearly as good as what you would find on a console and the touch-screen interfaces leave a lot to be desired. That's why instead of talking about those games here, I went with easier to pick up and play arcade-like football games that won't keep you glued to your iPhone for a long time.

This week's collection of iOS apps let you focus on playing as specific players on a football team. The first focuses on running, letting you dodge tackles, and even showboat as you run into the end zone. The second lets you play as a kicker, sending the football through the goal posts or trying to get the perfect punt right by the goal line. The third puts you in the shoes of a quarterback as you swipe to make perfect passes to moving receivers.… Read more

Amid brief speculation this morning, AT&T announced that it will indeed carry the entry-level Android 4.0 smartphone known as the LG Escape.

The Escape houses a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, a 4.3-inch qHD IPS touch-screen display, and NFC capabilities. It will also include QuickMemo, LG's note-taking and drawing feature seen in devices like the LG Optimus Vu and the Optimus 4X HD.

On the back of the handset you'll find a 5-megapixel camera, which offers goodies like continuous and panoramic shooting. It can also record 1080p HD video.

Other specs include a 2,150mAh … Read more

Today, LG and U.S. Cellular launched the LG Splendor, another Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich handset.

The Splendor, which comes in at a very reasonable $79.99 (with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate), features a 4.3-inch screen, 5-megapixel camera, and a VGA front-facing camera for video chats.

Its processor specs won't blow you away, with a 1GHz single-core processor. There's also a 2GB of onboard memory, which isn't a ton, but LG supplements that by including a 4GB memory card. You'll be able to add up to 32GB of … Read more

The Burson Soloist looks and feels like a scaled down high-end stereo power amplifier, but the Soloist is a headphone amp. The chassis is constructed from thick slabs of machined aluminum that dissipate the heat from the amp's Class-A electronics. The amp would appeal to Ferrari and Leica camera owners who appreciate no-holds-barred industrial design. The Soloist is the real deal.… Read more

There are several games on both of my iOS devices at any given time from just about every genre. But there are only a few games I go back to on an almost daily basis and that's because they are fun, addictive, and a great way to keep in touch with friends and family.

These "casual" games are turn-based and require you to connect with a friend to start playing -- there is no single-player option with this collection. They have also been around for a while, but that's kind of the point: these are the games I continue to play because it only requires a couple of minutes to take my turn and send it to a friend. While it is sometimes a pain to go in and complete my turns (especially when life gets busy), the overall experience of competing with your friends and family is a good one and acts as a way to stay connected, even in our busy everyday lives.… Read more

When it comes to jaw-droppingly beautiful role-playing games steeped in medieval hack-and-slash action, Infinity Blade II is pretty much the gold standard.

Gameloft's Wild Blood may not set a new standard, but it definitely deserves a place in the same pantheon of groundbreaking iOS games.

The story goes like this: in King Arthur's Camelot, things have gone cray-cray. Sir Lancelot got busy with Queen Guinevere, who's now being held captive by Arthur's sister, sorceress Morgana Le Fey. To rescue the imprisoned queen, Lancelot will have to fight his way past hordes of Hellgate demons -- you … Read more