ie8 fix

topping

Top 5 sci-fi robot girlfriends

Valentine's Day is a horrible tradition. It's a romantic "musical chairs" where you either stand alone in a metaphorical puddle of rejection, or turn to your partner and price out the worth of their love in flowers and chocolates.

To hell with it.

To level the playing field, I say we need to put science fiction's premise of the humanoid robot companion on the fast track to becoming a reality. … Read more

Our favorite Android Jelly Bean smartphones

The latest in Android smartphone software is Android version 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean. But getting your hands on it isn't as easy as hitting the update button on your current smartphone.

Only a handful of current Android smartphones support Jelly Bean, and there are only a few new smartphones shipping with the software preinstalled.

But don't let that discourage you. As CNET's Brian Bennett pointed out in a recent blog post, there are some great Jelly Bean options out there that you can buy right now. Here are CNET's five best options.

Subscribe:… Read more

Apple: Don't get excited about that new Apple TV box

Less than a day after a schematic of what appeared to be the fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box appeared in a U.S. regulatory filing, the company says it's not a new version at all, but a minor behind-the-scenes hardware change.

In a statement today provided to The Verge, the company said it had to file new paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission following a change to one of the internal components.

"We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval," an Apple spokesperson said. "The component changes we made don't affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience." … Read more

Smaller Apple TV box hinted at in FCC filing

A new regulatory filing suggests Apple is readying a fourth-generation Apple TV set, one that looks a whole lot like the last two models, but with one minor difference.

That difference is size. The new version, which Engadget spotted in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission today, is 93.78mm around versus the current model's 98mm. It also carries the model number A1469, which differs from the current model's A1427 designation.

The filing comes on the heels of a reference to an unreleased Apple TV model inside of iOS 6.1, which Apple released to the public yesterdayRead more

Predictions for MWC 2013

We are just one month away from the 2013 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, where the biggest names in the mobile industry will unveil new products.

We're having a difficult time containing our anticipation, especially since CES offered relatively few smartphone announcements. Year by year as the mobile industry grows, so to does the scope and importance of Mobile World Congress.

So what are our CNET editors expecting to see when they touch down in Barcelona next month? Well, I quizzed Senior editors Jessica Dolcourt and Brian Bennett on their predictions and used them as the basis of … Read more

Top 40 must-have Blu-ray discs

Apologies for being a little tardy on updating our long-running list of must-have Blu-ray movies, but here it is, refreshed for 2013. This month's updates entries include "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection," "The Avengers," "Finding Nemo," "Jaws," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "Titanic."

Though my face is at the top of the column, the list was compiled with input from editors John Falcone, Matthew Moskovciak, and David Katzmaier, who look at a lot of video content in their day-to-day testing of products. We also keep an eye on AVS Forum's Blu-ray picture-quality and audio-quality threads, and have always appreciated the site's tiered rating system.

This list is not set in stone, and we'll be adding and removing discs as new ones come out. As always, feel free to make comments and suggest your own personal favorites. They may get added to the list in the future. … Read more

Top car tech from CES and the Detroit auto show: CNET On Cars Episode 10

Subscribe:

iTunes (HD)iTunes (SD)iTunes (HQ)

RSS (HD)RSS (SD)RSS (HQ)

We open the year with a double header from what I think are the two biggest car events in the U.S. each year: The Consumer Electronics Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The latter makes total sense in a show like this, but CES has also moved up the ranks as a major moment for car tech. I mean, Ford and GM climbed all over each other in a battle to be the first major automakers … Read more

Most anticipated gadgets of 2013

I'm excited for 2013. There's a perfect storm of gadget rumors brewing right now, and even if only half of them pan out, it will be a great year for tech.

To get you as excited as I am, here's my list of my five favorite products that will hopefully make their debut this year. You won't find any flying cars or $20,000 Ultra HD TVs here. Consider this a sneak peek at the biggest announcements expected this year from the biggest names in tech.

If I missed something worthy of this list, feel free to nominate your own anticipated products in the comments section. … Read more

Eton's Rukus Rugged: A nifty little solar-charging portable speaker

LAS VEGAS--Eton has unveiled a few different solar charging Bluetooth speakers here in Las Vegas. Earlier we highlighted the Rokus XL, but here's a closer look at the Rugged Rukus, the company's more compact model, which is due to hit stores in the next few months for $99.99.

The lightweight Rugged Rukus has a splashproof rubberized exterior, a 20-square-inch solar panel and a USB port for charging cell phones.

The internal lithium ion battery gives you about 8 hours of audio streaming via its wireless Bluetooth connection and it takes about 5 hours to charge in full … Read more

Top new iPhone 5 cases at CES 2013

LAS VEGAS--Apple may not be at CES, but accessories for its products seem to be everywhere.

I went out in search of new iPhone 5 cases, including extended battery cases, which a lot of readers have been asking about. Alas, Mophie still isn't ready to introduce its popular battery case for the iPhone 5, but a few other companies are getting ready to ship theirs.

I was also on the lookout for tough cases. While Lifeproof has already shipped its industry-leading waterproof case for the iPhone 5, other companies debuted waterproof cases, some slimmer than others.

Here's a … Read more