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Google tool aims to make business sites mobile

If the mobile version of your Web site is a stinker, Google would like to have a word with you.

The company this week began pitching a new initiative (read: marketing push) to get businesses to create mobile versions of their Web sites using compatibility diagnostic tools, along with a directory of mobile-site developers, if the results turn out to be underwhelming.

The new initiative, called GoMo, is a blending of "Go Mobile." The site's name was leaked earlier this week, as spotted by blog Fusible, however it was behind a password-protected page, which, as TechCrunch notes, … Read more

2012 Kia Rio sedan to start at $14,150

Kia Motors revealed the prices of the 2012 Kia Rio sedan starting at $13,400 MSRP (plus in $750 destination charges). The Rio comes in three trim levels: LX, EX and SX, all powered by the same 1.6-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) that boasts 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque.

The base trim, the LX, comes with a six-speed manual transmission, or customers can upgrade to an a six-speed automatic transmission for $14,500. The top-of-the-line SX trim starts at $17,500 (plus destination charges). All three trims offer an estimated 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway.… Read more

Nokia Lumia 800 vs. Nokia N9

One of the first things we noticed about the Nokia Lumia 800 is that it looks strikingly like the Nokia N9, which runs Nokia's soon-to-be-extinct MeeGo OS.

Indeed, it has a similar unibody polycarbonite shell along with the same curved AMOLED display. But on probing further, we found that the differences between the two go far beyond just operating systems. Here we compare the two devices side by side.… Read more

GoPro strikes back with HD Hero2 sports camera

My initial introduction to the world of action cameras was through the lens of a GoPro Motorsports Hero. However, GoPro's camera system, while rugged in construction and versatile, hasn't been what you'd call "easy to use." So consider my interest piqued when GoPro called to inform me that it is pulling the wraps off of the GoPro HD Hero2: the sequel to the HD Hero boasting a simpler interface and increased performance.

GoPro would like us to believe that this sequel is twice as good as the previous-generation HD Hero, and it's got the … Read more

TomTom Go Live 1535 M searches the Web, tweets your trip (review)

Testing GPS devices can be a grind--a dull, boring grind. So when a device comes along promising to revolutionize portable navigation devices, I tend to perk up and take notice. The TomTom Go Live 1535M is one of those attention-getters.

When this portable navigation device (PND) was announced a few weeks ago, I was intrigued by its integration of travel apps that enable the user to tap into Yelp, Trip Advisor, Expedia, and Google Local Search services for up-to-date point-of-interest data and reviews via the same Live data service that beams in its HD Traffic data. I was even more … Read more

A great week for Google challengers

For companies that would take on Google's near-monopoly in the search business, being big is a challenge. There is, in fact, only one truly big Google rival left: Microsoft's Bing. And while it's a worthy opponent in terms of features and raw ingenuity, it's still a hugely pricey, money-losing venture.

Being a smaller, more specialized Google competitor, however, can work. And good things happened for two of my favorites this week.

Favorite #1 is DuckDuckGo. Despite the wacky name, it's a traditional search engine. In fact, part of its appeal is that it feels … Read more

Google threat? Search engine DuckDuckGo scores funding

Another little-known search engine--with the tall order of snagging users from Google--has landed financial backing.

Union Square Ventures today wrote in a blog post today that it invested an undisclosed amount in a search engine called DuckDuckGo, which promises super-fast search results with far less spam and clutter than you get on the biggies. (A number of angel investors also participated in the round).

The biggies, of course, is really just one biggie--Google. For all its forays into areas beside search, search is where it consistently crushes all competitors. Data released yesterday shows Google's market share stood at more than 66 percent in September… Read more

Roku announces $50 LT box, adds HBO Go

Just a few months after Roku introduced a $59.99 entry-level streaming video player, the company has lowered the bar further with a new $49.99 player, the Roku LT. That's half of the price of an Apple TV, which retails for $99.99.

The new player offers the same 720p high-definition video and built-in wireless of the $59.99 Roku 2 HD but leaves out the Bluetooth and microSD card slot (meaning that you can't add the Wii-like remote to play games).

Roku also offers the Roku 2 XD ($79.99) and Roku 2 XS ($99.99). … Read more

TomTom Top Gear Edition quotes Jeremy Clarkson, so you don't have to

It would seem that you couldn't swing a cat these days without hitting something with the "Top Gear" logo on it. Assets from the madly popular automotive show--including the colorful commentary of the show's most popular presenter, Jeremy "Jezza" Clarkson--are featured in both Gran Turismo 5 and the upcoming Forza Motorsport 4 racing games for the PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively, and even in an iOS game. Today brings the news that you can now put ol' Jezza on your dashboard with the announcement of the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition, the first &… Read more

Dragon Go iPhone app expands its search options

Nuance has beefed up its Dragon Go iPhone app to let you search for information across a wider array of Web sites and services.

Available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch since July, this free search-by-voice app is unique compared with the Google and Bing iOS apps. Dragon Go can find results and run commands across dozens of different Web sites, including Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Craiglist, Amazon, eBay, CNN, Reuters, and even CNET.

The latest update adds even more sites to the mix, notably Netflix, Spotify, Wolfram Alpha, Ask.com, and Google+. And when you tap the app's … Read more