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Each Tuesday, the newest episode of "Always On" will premiere at 11 a.m. Pacific time, 2 p.m. Eastern, with a live viewing party on the show page. I'll be there with pre-show and post-show commentary on video, and we can watch the first episode together in chat on the page. I'll give behind-the-scenes insights, if I have them, or we can groan at my bad jokes together, or you can give me make-up tips...whatever seems appropriate.

Over the years of doing Buzz Out Loud, I realized that the chat room was one of … Read more

Future tech takes all kinds of forms, and some of those forms are the kind that let you smoke without the guilt or the cancer!

I recently visited Thermo Essence Technologies, which is a Silicon Valley company that makes high-tech "vaporizers" for inhaling nicotine, medical marijuana, or other herbs. They're kind of like electronic cigarettes, but much more premium in terms of construction (and cost). They come in multiple varieties, and they both look cool and keep you from getting cancer, no matter what you're smoking.

The vaporizers use a (rechargeable) battery-powered kiln to conduct super-heated … Read more

Way down in the fine print about Apple's upcoming iOS 6, you'll find a little note that says new features like Flyover and turn-by-turn directions are only available on the iPhone 4S, or the iPad 2 or higher.

A note immediately below that says Siri is only available on the iPhone 4S or third-generation iPad.

Since the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 are all actively for sale and still being marketed by Apple, I have to wonder: is Apple on the road to fragmenting the iOS experience? Could there come a future when not only do … Read more

I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to video game violence. I cut my teeth on Unreal Tournament, and I am a machine with a shotgun in Halo. But the bloody displays at Microsoft's and Sony's press conferences here at E3 left me horrified -- and depressed that an industry with so many challenges chose to offer so little to its existing and potentially new audiences.

Microsoft's Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer was a mano-a mano murder fest (you need to enter your age just to watch it online), featuring multiple headshots that were helpfully slowed down, … Read more

Earlier this week, I wrote about how Facebook is in danger from a new kind of social network, one that's born mobile and figures out how to make money on that mobile usage.

I figured, in response to many questions and comments, it was only fair to get a little wonky for a moment about who actually is making money on mobile, or how a site or startup might try a mix of potentially successful strategies in the future. Here are my guesses.

First, the only apps and companies making significant money on mobile right now are making most … Read more

Welcome to Always On (almost)!

This is the home of my new show, Always On, which premieres right here on CNET on Tuesday, June 19, at 11 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern (and I could not be more excited). Every episode will air with a live chat, hosted by me, so make sure to tune in at "showtime" to get a behind-the-scenes pre-show and so that I can get your thoughts on the episodes in real-time!

Oh, right, what's the show about. Think of it as "the CNET show," on steroids. Each weekly, … Read more

Is Facebook a dead social network walking?

By now you all know the sad tale of Facebook's sinking IPO and the ongoing questions about who is to blame for pumping up the social network's stock valuation and then skittering away at the first sign of actual trading.

Regardless of who got played in the deal (read: small investors, as usual), the market is actually responding appropriately to Facebook's current situation: the site is a behemoth of traffic and attention, a platform underlying the very fabric of the Web, and an indispensable part of the lives of millions, … Read more

Plastic shades seem so passe, compared to Gucci's new liquid wood sunglasses.

The Italian high-end fashion giant worked with sunglasses manufacturer Safilo to create the "green" glasses, which sport a frame made of material never used before in production eyewear: liquid wood, a renewable plastic of sorts that actually consists of biodegradable wood fiber, resins, and the polymer lignin. … Read more

You know how you sometimes are thinking of someone and they suddenly walk down the street in front of you?

Well, I have just had a similar experience. Attempting to wind down for my weekend, I just finished Hank Haney's book about Tiger Woods, "The Big Miss."

No, this is not a tale about one of his larger girlfriends. It is a very thoughtful analysis of the man and his game, written by his former coach.

No sooner had I placed it on the floor (yes, I should be tidier) than I received word that Woods will, … Read more