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LAS VEGAS--Google TV has a way of disappointing expectations, and one strong case in point is the Vizio's VIA Plus platform for TVs.

At CES 2011 we named the VIA Plus models as our favorite TV product of CES. They used Google TV to deliver what the company described as interoperability between the TV and Android-equipped phones and tablets. Among other features, Via Plus was also said to support the OnLive gaming service. Those extras, along with the same kind of full-array local-dimming backlight we know and love, was enough to convince us that the so-equipped TVs were going … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Last year Samsung introduced a TV with a bezel just 0.2 inch wide, and I couldn't help but gush that "the picture comes as close to naked as you'll ever see outside a projector."

This year the company offers that sexy all-picture look on three series of high-end LED TVs announced at CES, the least-expensive of which is the UNES7100. Available in three sizes, its main differentiator compared with the other two--the UNES7500 and the flagship UNES8000--is lack of the company's new Smart Interaction voice/gesture control feature.

By the way, if anybody'… Read more

Continuing the Android handset push, this time into the low end of the handset spectrum, Samsung has just unveiled the Galaxy Ace Plus.

Announced in Korea but also targeted at Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, it seems the only region the Ace Plus won't be shipping is right here in the States. Of course I bet not many hearts will be broken since this modest device won't inspire much gadget lust in Android addicts.

Powering the Galaxy Ace Plus is a 1GHz processor, most likely single-core, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. You won't … Read more

Google+ introduces improvements just before the holidays, text-sending teens increase their data usage by 256 percent over last year, and a federal judge rules that a lawsuit targeting Facebook's "sponsored stories" can proceed.

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Two new paid torrent-managing programs have launched today from BitTorrent, Inc., as the 100-million-user base of uTorrent also earned an update.

First announced in July, uTorrent Plus 3.1 (download) debuted with an unexpected counterpart, BitTorrent Plus 8 (download). Both mark the first time that a paid selection of features the company calls "premium" have been added to either client. Accompanying them is the version 3.1 update to uTorrent (download).

People with the free version of uTorrent will be able to play media files directly in the uTorrent interface, thanks to the newly-baked in media player. The … Read more

A new version of Google+ for Android just hit the Market, and it includes Search.

One of the most user-requested features, according to Google, the new Search icon lets you quickly find posts or people on Google+ right from the app's Dashboard.

The update also includes a nice feature that lets you see who's online and currently typing in Messenger conversations. And to start your own Messenger conversation, now you can just enter a phone number.

Other improvements include higher-resolution photo uploads, the ability to +1 photos and comments, and numerous bug and stability fixes. And finally, Google+ … Read more

It became painfully obvious back in June at Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword would be the console's last blockbuster title. Come to think of it, Skyward Sword was the only Wii game the company even mentioned.

So does Skyward Sword deliver the precision sword controls that Wii owners have been dreaming of since day one? Or is it the final chapter of an era of clunky motion control? We've dusted off our Wii consoles to find out.

Jeff: First, a very happy 25th anniversary to The Legend of Zelda franchise. Thank you for making me feel really old.

Nintendo is justifiably proud to share the milestone with everyone who's picking up Skyward Sword for the Wii, as all copies come with a 25th anniversary music CD featuring all kinds of Zelda tunes.

It's safe to say that Skyward Sword marks the Wii's last hurrah, and thankfully, the latest Zelda game certainly ranks up there with some of the console's best offerings.

For starters, Skyward Sword looks as good as any game can ever hope to on the Wii. The art direction has been brilliantly conceived, taking full advantage of the system's specs, and using a few blurring tricks to make things appear like a gorgeous watercolor painting. … Read more

Although it seems like many initial Google+ users might have dropped off after a few months since signing up, new research shows otherwise.

The latest traffic report from research firm Experian Hitwise affirms that Google+ traffic is up--so much so that last week (the week ending November 12) was the third best week of traffic in the U.S. since launching this summer.

Based on the graph below, it looks like Google+ really hit its peak in September. Although it dipped considerably in October, those figures are still much higher than anything before the week ending September 24.

Of course, … Read more

Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire?

That's the question that's already bedeviling consumers and gadget aficionados alike.

In a matter of weeks, it seems, the tablet market has been compressed to just a handful of choices. The iPad 2 still rules the high end ($500 and above), but the "e-reader as tablet" option now looms large in the sub-$250 range, with the $199 Kindle Fire going mano a mano with the $249 Nook Tablet.

The Kindle Fire has just started shipping, and the Nook Tablet will follow as soon as tomorrow (a few days earlier than originally expected).

Last year, Barnes & Noble released the Nook Color at the same $249 price. Back then, a 7-inch color e-reader that could run apps as well as read color books and magazines, and even play movies and music, was a revelation. The Android tablet could even be rooted--to many, it became known as the not-so-secret most-affordable Android tablet around with the best design (other similarly priced and more-generic Android tablets are, by comparison, terrible).

With the Fire on the horizon, Barnes & Noble knew it had to up the ante.… Read more