devices

A seemingly minor user interface change in iTunes 11 is sure to drive some users crazy.

Apple has removed the the traditional sidebar view from this latest version of iTunes. Previously, if you wanted to switch between your music and movie libraries, you did so in the sidebar. The same went for playlists, the iTunes Store, and connected iOS devices -- all of which were found in the sidebar.

To access the same features in iTunes 11, you'll need to click on buttons along the top of iTunes. The Library and iTunes Store buttons are always present, but the … Read more

We're pretty busy reviewing almost every device known to man here at CNET, so we don't write about ourselves very often.

So please indulge me for just a moment while I promote something new for CNET: starting now, we're putting our badge of approval and links to reviews on aisle signs at Target stores and on Target.com. The goal? To make our expert, impartial opinion easy to find for more people.

You're reading this now, so you already know where to find CNET opinions. But if you or a less-tech-savvy friend find yourself standing in … Read more

Some of Apple and Samsung's latest devices have been given the go-ahead to be included in an ongoing lawsuit between the two tech giants.

In an order yesterday, U.S. magistrate judge Paul Grewal granted motions from both companies that sought to add devices launched after a legal cutoff in mid-June.

That shortlist includes Apple's iPhone 5, which debuted in September, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, the U.S. model of the Galaxy S3, and, notably, Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS in conjunction with the Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

The new devices add to an … Read more

MARANA, Ariz. - Three-dimensional printing: hype, or hope?

That's the question industry leaders sought to answer at the Techonomy conference here in the sunny greater Tucson area. A panel of experts -- Geomagic's Ping Fu, Shapeways' Peter Weijmarshausen and PARC's Stephen Hoover, with CNET's own Paul Sloan moderating -- discussed the promises, pitfalls and potential of a technology that allows almost anyone to turn a digital file into a perfect copy of a physical object, from puzzle pieces to airplane wings, in materials such as plastic, metal and rubberlike polymers.

Can 3D printing change the world? … Read more

Devices that monitor inner ear activity could eventually be powered by the ear itself, according to research detailed in the current issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology by scientists from MIT, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST).

They say that for decades we have known the inner ear houses its own natural battery, but this is the first demonstration of its ability to power something external without compromising hearing.… Read more

Smartphone batteries may soon last twice as long -- if an MIT spinoff's power amplifier technology lives up to its promise.

The power amplifier is one of the most power-hungry pieces of hardware in a phone. It converts electricity into radio signals and consumes power in two basic modes: standby and output signal for sending out digital data. Such a chip wastes more than 65 percent of its energy, according to a report in the MIT Technology Review, and the only way to make it more efficient is by reducing the power used in standby. … Read more

Find My iPhone is one of those apps you don't need until you need it. When you need it, it's priceless (even though it is free). Find My iPhone works on iOS devices and requires an iCloud account and a valid Apple ID. When turned on, Find My iPhone sends the geolocation data of your device to the servers at regular intervals, allowing you to find your phone from any other device you can log into (including Web browsers). Find My iPhone is installed by default with iOS 5 and 6, but must be turned on to be … Read more

It's not news that people aren't too happy with iOS 6's maps. But what about other aspects of the operating system?

Well, a new survey shows that iPhone owners satisfaction with the iOS 6 overall seems to be decreasing compared with iOS 5.

According to TechCrunch, the mobile customer research firm On Device conducted a poll of nearly 16,000 iPhone owners in the U.S. and found that owner satisfaction had slightly dropped compared with previous surveys done on iOS 4 and 5. Although the drop is minimal, this is the first time On Device has … Read more

A team of engineers out of Stanford is introducing a truly tiny wireless cardiac device to demonstrate that, thanks to a little ingenuity and impressive math, all medical implants may soon be powered wirelessly.

Which means that devices such as pacemakers, which owe the majority of their bulk to the battery, are about to get a whole lot smaller.

Head researcher Ada Poon, who earlier this year showed off a proof-of-concept, wirelessly powered device small enough to propel itself through the bloodstream, says the main achievement with the cardiac device is that it can be implanted on the surface of … Read more