friday

As you've surely heard, something new is coming to the tablet marketspace: Honeycomb, otherwise known as Android 3.0.

It's Google's first mobile operating system aimed specifically at tablets, and Google let us get our hands on it again this week--the same day Apple and News Corp. showed off a new publication built for the iPad.

So far we like Honeycomb, but it could have a fight ahead of it, as the iPad, which many consider to be the creator of the category, currently has 87 percent market share (remember, though, that the iPhone dominated smartphone coolness too until Android took root and began claiming a large chunk of that market).

But Honeycomb looks sweet, with a clear road map established, a new app store ready to roll, features like 3D maps, and support for powerful hardware. And it has plenty of hardware makers, like Motorola and LG, ready to back it up. If they can keep the prices of their devices reasonable, tablets running Honeycomb might have a chance at stinging Apple where it hurts. … Read more

It seems like just yesterday that the only mobile gaming systems in existence were Nintendo Game Boys. Now, we have choices, perhaps too many.

Nintendo last week took the wraps off of its latest portable, the 3DS, which offers a dual-screen gaming system with a glasses-free 3D screen for a new generation of games.

Then, this week, Sony debuted its next-generation portable, code-named, well, Next Generation Portable (NGP). It packs an impressive-looking OLED display, control sticks, and multitouch surfaces into a sleek-looking package.

And for more casual gamers, the iPhone and iPod Touch (as well as the iPad) offer an inexpensive, extensible platform with a load of games. Many iOS hardware owners don't even realize they have a powerful gaming device in their pockets, but they do. And now with the iPhone hitting Verizon, the audience is expanding. … Read more

Yesterday, we reported on a bit of a brouhaha over Apple adding tamper-resistant screws to its products, most recently the iPhone 4.

Some critics say the company switched from standard Phillips and Torx screws to proprietary pentalobe screws to thwart DIY fixes and keep consumers relying on Apple repair services.

iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens went so far as to title a blog post on the matter "Apple's Diabolical Plan to Screw Your iPhone." "Apple chose this fastener specifically because it was new, guaranteeing repair tools would be both rare and expensive. Shame on them," he wrote.

Granted, a good number of gadgeteers--likely including many Crave readers--feel strongly about having the right to open up gear at will to remove and replace batteries, memory, and drivers (or just have a good look at the inner workings).

But as one tech service rep who posted on ipodnn pointed out, a surprising number of people open up their gadgets before bringing them in for warranty service, leading to more damage than the problem that led them to open up the machine in the first place. … Read more

Snow hit all 50 states but one this week, with Florida spared the blanket of white stuff that has disrupted transport nearly everywhere. New York City officials declared a "weather emergency," 5 inches had fallen in Philadelphia, and flights were canceled from Atlanta to Chicago to Boston.

We've seen a flurry of winter gear designed to help you keep warm, have fun in the snow, or just look (un)cool.

There are, for example, these Liquid Image goggles that shoot high-def video; USB-heated furry cat slippers; Freehands gloves with removable fingertips for tapping on touch screens; and the Trane Remote Energy Management Thermostat, which lets you change temperature settings from anywhere in the world directly over the Net.

Of course, for those dreaming of warmer climes, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition has 3D video content. … Read more

While it's hard to keep up with the hundreds upon hundreds of product announcements out of CES 2011 this week, there have been some attention-grabbers.

Dell announced its Streak 7 tablet, Motorola its Xoom tablet and Droid Bionic phone, and HTC its Thunderbolt 4G LTE handset, to name just a few.

There's the new Ford electric Focus, Microsoft's new Surface, and all the new computers powered by Intel's Sandy Bridge. And, of course, there are the Lady Gaga Polaroid camera sunglasses from Gaga's new Grey Line. … Read more

We're on the cusp of a new year, and that means it's time to make all sorts of resolutions we probably won't keep (who knows? Maybe we will this year). That list might include resolutions to be healthier, more organized, more fiscally responsible, more philanthropic. But given that you read Crave (faithfully, we hope!), a few tech-related resolutions have probably made it onto your list, as well.

Maybe you vow to untangle the gnarl of cords that's choking the life out of your home office. Or come up with a viable plan for curbing your home energy use. Or refrain from texting while crossing busy intersections. Or spend less time playing World of Warcraft and more time playing with your nieces and nephews. … Read more

So here we are, looking at the end of 2010, a year that's been fairly exciting in the personal-technology world. Led by the iPad, tablets became a common sight, sounding a warning call to the Netbook business. E-readers got more affordable and more widespread, and many phone makers stepped up to take on the iPhone 4, which was leaked in the spring, dramatically, after an Apple tech left a prototype in a bar.

But where there's innovation there's often conflict. Companies like Apple and Google and Microsoft are again going head-to-head in many markets. Motion control gaming systems, digital TV, and even e-books were competitive battlegrounds. … Read more

Some people are making noise about Time's choice for Person of the Year. The magazine tapped Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which caused many armchair pundits to shake their fists and assert that WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange, a runner-up for the title, deserved to be named for flipping many business and diplomatic groups on their heads.

Both Zuckerberg and Assange use technology to affect how we live. But they're not the only two who do that, of course. … Read more