2009

Yes, Monday was a work holiday for most people. But the Toy Fair is in town at the Javitz Center in New York, and like every other online gadget publication, we wanted to give you a little taste of what's there.

Granted, with somewhere around 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers, and sales agents from 30 countries making the rounds at the convention center, we're only highlighting a small fraction of all the products that are on display. But hopefully there's a little something for everyone in this lengthy photomontage (click on any image to start the slideshow). … Read more

Windows' built-in Disk Defragmenter does a pretty good job keeping your hard disks tidy, but it has limitations. To really squeeze every bit of performance and capacity out of your hard drives, USB drives, and other storage devices, you can turn to a specialized third-party app that picks up where Windows' standard defragmenter leaves off. ZoneLink's SystemUp Defrag is just such a tool. It uses proprietary defragmentation technology, including a three-zone optimization algorithm, eight different optimization methods, and automatic background defragmenting, to not only defragment your drives but also prevent them from being refragmented.

SystemUp Defrag's slick, competent … Read more

This just released promo video of the Audi R8 V10 Spyder is inspirational. The 5.2-liter V10 engine (same as the couple) hits 60 mph in 4 seconds and can deliver a top speed of 194 mph.

The R8 Spyder has an aluminum Audi Space Frame and an electrohydraulic soft top made from leak-proof fabric.

The R8 made its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.

Global PC processor unit shipments rose 31.3 percent year-to-year in the fourth quarter of 2009, a record, according to market researcher IDC. On Tuesday, Apple also reported robust unit shipments.

"Compared to (the fourth quarter of 2008), the huge rise in shipments indicates that the market has put the recession behind it," Shane Rau, director of semiconductors, personal computing research at IDC, said in a statement.

Though the sequential increase over the third quarter in 2009 was modest, that "indicates that the market is returning to normal seasonal patterns," Rau said.

For the full year … Read more

Italians love soccer. Despite the fact that the country does occasionally win the World Cup, however, the Italian brand of soccer is more venal than Ben Kingsley in "Sexy Beast."

The teams intimidate, they're negative, they will stoop to violence, and they're infinitely less interesting to watch than Joaquin Phoenix on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

I mention this because I understand that the Italian love of soccer, even virtual soccer, has led to a domestic dispute of stunningly negative proportions.

According to Reuters, a 16-year-old boy identified as Mario R was merrily engrossed in a game of FIFA 2009 on his PlayStation when his dad decided to offer a little advice.

The story doesn't recount whether Dad suggested the son play another two men across the back (a very Italian suggestion) or whether he merely figured that Mario's team needed to get a one goal lead and then cease to play soccer altogether--another very Italian characteristic.

Mario was not impressed with Dad's tactics. Perhaps he expressed himself forcefully. For Dad's reaction was to turn off the TV.

Mario seems to have felt this was provocation beyond the limits of filial loyalty. This was provocation not unlike Italian defender Marco Materazzi offering allegedly disgraceful slurs that caused France's Zinedine Zidane to lose his head--into Materazzi's chest--during the 2006 World Cup Final.

Mario reportedly wandered into the kitchen, grabbed a 15-inch knife, and stabbed his dad in the neck. He then supposedly wandered back into the kitchen, washed the knife, as his mom looked on, still unknowing, and put it down to dry.… Read more

Advanced Micro Devices posted a fourth-quarter profit of $1.18 billion, its first profit in three years, largely due to a massive settlement with Intel.

The $1.178 billion profit, or $1.52 per share, beat the analyst consensus estimate that had projected AMD to record a loss of 18 cents per share. In the same quarter last year, AMD lost $1.4 billion, or $2.36 per share.

The second largest global supplier of processors for PCs posted revenue of $1.646 billion, an increase of 42 percent compared with the same period a year ago. This beat analyst … Read more

Intel posted a fourth-quarter net income of $2.3 billion, up 875 percent over the same period last year. Revenue came in at $10.6 billion, up 28 percent year over year.

Earnings per share was 40 cents. The analyst consensus for the fourth quarter called for 30 cents a share on earnings of $10.17 billion. Adjusted income came to 55 cents per share.

Income was about 10 times greater than the $234 million (4 cents per share) that the chipmaker reported in the fourth quarter of 2008.

One of the key financial indicators, gross margin, hit a record … Read more

I'm sure I've baffled a few readers after several days of Web video on Ferraris and then totally switch gears and start showing videos of minivans, showing moms and their little kids. But variety is the spice of life, my friends, and besides, the thing won a prestigious award at the International Auto Show in Detroit this week for being "Truck of the Year" (interesting, seeing as this is a cargo van, but anyway...). Tuesday's Web video demonstrated the Ford TC's usefulness as a family vehicle, but today's clip basically serves as a … Read more

Anyone who thinks that American automobiles don't stack up against their European and Asian rivals may need to reconsider such an attitude. Why? Just recently two Ford vehicles won both of the prizes in the North American Car and Truck of the Year contests as decided by roughly 50 automotive critics at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The winning car was Ford's first foray into the world of hybrid vehicles (the Ford Fusion), and the other winner for Ford was its new Transit Connect van.

The Transit Connect part cargo van, with plenty of room … Read more