sandy

iPad Mini launches in Sandy's wake: CNET's live coverage

For the Apple faithful in the East Coast, the iPad Mini couldn't have come at a worse time.

Apple's newest tablet, the smaller 7.9-inch sibling to the larger 9.7-inch iPad, launched today, just days after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast and left millions without power and many others without water or access to public transportation.

Sandy's damage forced the closure of most shops in Lower Manhattan, including Apple's SoHo and West 14th Street stores. Both cited the extreme weather and posted signs that they were closed until "conditions improve."

CNET's … Read more

NYU loses lab mice, years of medical research to Sandy

In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, researchers are discovering the damage the done to one of New York University's research facilities and mourning the loss of lab animals and of scientific data that could take years to rebuild.

After the New York Daily News reported on Tuesday that flooding and power loss claimed the lives of thousands of lab mice as well as wiping out enzymes, antibodies, and DNA used in cancer and other research, the NYU Langone Medical Center confirmed in a statement released yesterday that its Smilow building was "adversely impacted" by the speed and severity of the flood surge.… Read more

How to text a $10 donation to the Red Cross for Sandy disaster relief

Hurricane Sandy has moved on from the eastern United States, but relief efforts are just beginning. If you would like to help out, you can use your phone to make a $10 donation via text to the Red Cross.

To do so, text "Redcross" to 90999. You'll receive a reply, asking you to confirm by texting "yes."

You can also donate online at the American Red Cross Web site, and you can use iTunes to make a donation.

Boxee set to battle Apple TV, Roku

While CNET's New York office waits for power to come back after the storm, we're bringing you the Update show from our San Francisco office. Thursday's top tech stories include:

- Boxee TV arrives at Walmart for $99 and offers perks for early adopters, including three months of free service and a discounted DVR subscription afterward.

- AT&T and T-Mobile have activated a new service that blocks smartphone thieves from using a stolen phone on GSM networks.

- AT&T launched the AT&T Locker app that offers 5GB of free cloud storage … Read more

How to keep your devices charged up during a blackout

The night Hurricane Sandy hit New York, I had no reason to believe the power in Manhattan would go out. After all, Hurricane Irene the year before had left the lights on here, even if big swaths of NYC's outer boroughs and suburbs lost power.

But, almost as an afterthought, I pulled out a bulky Dell laptop I had sitting around (just visible in the bottom left of the photo above) and plugged it in to charge its internal battery, just to have as many charged-up devices on hand as possible. Of course, the lights did go out in … Read more

Storm surge: Uber just doubled car service pricing in NYC

New Yorkers already are having a tough time getting around in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, but Uber just made it a little harder, at least on the wallet.

The company, which provides an app for locating and booking car service, says today that it has reinstated "Surge Pricing" in the city. Basically what that means is car drivers can charge astronomical fees to shuttle riders around. Yesterday, that would have been about double the normal fare, based on what Uber ended up paying drivers.

In New York, where public transportation has been hobbled by the natural disaster, … Read more

NYC mayor: AT&T satellite 'hot spots' on the way

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says help from AT&T is on the way for wireless customers stranded without cell service following Superstorm Sandy.

During a press conference today, the mayor said that he had met with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, who promised that AT&T would be getting service back to normal for the millions of AT&T wireless customers in New York City who have been affected by the hurricane that hit in full force Monday evening.

Specifically, Bloomberg said that AT&T will be bringing in trucks that will have … Read more

Fab reaches 9 million users, opens up holiday shops

After shutting down shipping because of Hurricane Sandy, shopping site Fab made sure to keep its holiday deadlines, unveiling its holiday shopping stores and a milestone of 9 million members.

"This has been a tough week for us here at Fab in NYC, but we're still smiling. Big time," the company said in a blog post.

Like other New York-based online companies, Fab felt the impact of the superstorm, but the ever-cheeky site was determined to plow on with its holiday promotions scheduled for today. This includes the addition of holiday shops to the site and to … Read more

iTunes now accepts donations for Hurricane Sandy relief

Hurricane Sandy's damage toll is rising, and charities including the Red Cross are doing what they can to assist.

Dozens of deaths have been reported, countless homes have been destroyed or damaged, public transport is only slowly getting back into service, and financial losses are reaching into the billions of dollars.

Government agencies and private organizations are pitching in to the relief effort for those impacted by the super storm. The Internet has a role, too, with Apple's iTunes serving as a hub to accept donations from users across the United States.

When you sign in to your … Read more