friday

Friday Poll: Tech tradeoffs in D.C.

After much ado, we now know that President Obama gets to keep a security-enhanced version of his beloved BlackBerry.

But due to those same sorts of security concerns, many White House staffers will have to give up technology they leaned on to win the election, like their MacBooks.

If you were working in the West Wing, what would you miss most?

Friday Poll: Which flying car do you give a leap about?

For some reason, the last couple of months have seen us covering a number of flying cars. It's 2009 and about time they started rolling out, isn't it?

We've got a couple of futuristic concepts, one made from a Ferrari, one that's gearing up for production, and a relic from a utopian past.

I know which one I want, but this isn't about me. Cravers, which flying car do you want to own in the next five years?

Friday Poll: What stood out in the gadget avalanche?

This week has been an uber-busy one in the gadget world, and we're as tired as you are--and far more hungover. We've seen some surprises, as well as been surprised that some rumors didn't pan out. But it has been fun. Macworld and CES always are.

So, we want to know what your favorite part of this week was. If we missed anything, let us know in the Talkback section below. Now go take a nap.

Consumers still buying electronics as family gifts

Holiday spending on electronics for family members remains high on the to-do list, according to a survey by IDC and the National Research Network (NRN).

According to results from a survey of more than 3,000 consumers, 62 percent indicated they planned to spend the same amount or more on electronics for family members this holiday.

Those surprising results come as big-box electronics retailers face a challenging time. Best Buy announced a 77 percent drop in earnings and call for employee buyouts earlier this month and Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.

Nonetheless, consumers are maintaining their … Read more

Digital City: Episode 11

On this week's installment of the Digital City, we discuss the best video games of the year (according to The New York Times), tough times for print magazines, iPod shortages in retail stores, Last.fm vs. SiriusXM, and a plan to use bicycle power to light up the Times Square New Year's Eve sign.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Digital City: Episode 10

On this week's installment of the Digital City, we discus holiday spending habits, what tech gift suggestions people ask us for, how to fix Black Friday doorbuster nightmares, which Netbook Santa may shove in your stocking, and which new smart phone Dan should trade in his Treo 700p for.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Friday Poll: Where do you draw the line on luxury?

This week, as word came that November job cuts represented the biggest one-month decline in more than 30 years, we also brought you news of some serious gadget glitz.

Our most recent luxury reportage focused on items including $168,000 glass speakers, swank gold speakers, a $40,000 100-inch display, and a rare flying car (up for auction for $3.5 million) that will probably never hit the clouds, but may impress your friends. It appears some gadget makers just aren't reading those Labor Department memos.

So bearing in mind that we all have different budgets and priorities, here'… Read more

Premium LCD TV brands slash prices to compete for holiday shoppers

Black Friday retail results were a pleasant surprise for retailers this year, with sales inching up slightly from the same day last year. A big part of that was the heavy discounting designed to attract consumers.

TV makers were no exception. But the discounts on LCD TVs were heaviest from the premium names in the business--Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Philips, LG, and Toshiba.

That's according to market research firm iSuppli, which reported Thursday that the top brands cut slashed prices on their LCD TV models on average of 23 percent for the holiday shopping weekend beginning on the day after … Read more

Microsoft-HP cashback saga continues

Microsoft is still trying to sort things out following a glitch on Friday that prevented people from getting a promised 40 percent cash back on purchases made on HP.com via Microsoft's Live Search Cashback program.

A crush of traffic led to a glitch that apparently led to a number of problems. Some shoppers were credited with only 3 percent cash back, rather than the promised 40 percent. Microsoft has said all those who made purchases through Live Search during the Black Friday promotion would get the higher rebate.

But some folks were unable to make their purchase at … Read more