Opinion

Five devices to make your folks techno-comfy

The following statement will not qualify as the biggest news scoop ever published on CNET: Older folks are often uncomfortable with modern technology and gadgets.

It's too easy to look at the senior citizens around you and roll your eyes at their techno-hostility or seeming incompetence when it comes to using gadgets or adjusting to a world seemingly ruled more by gadgets every day. But, that's unfair when you consider the ever-increasing speed of gadget evolution we see now and how hard it is to keep up if you weren't born into the techno stream.

To give you a simple example of what your senior friends are up against, what we understand as the motor car (four wheels, internal combustion engine, etc.) emerged into public view around 1888 and was destined to change the world. But, the first successful mass-produced assembly line car in the U.S. (the Model T) didn't come along until about 20 years later. So, that's about two decades for folks to get used to the idea of motorized transport.

Comparatively, the iPhone--the first big salvo in the age of elite touch-screen smartphones that changed how we communicate, work, and socialize--was released in 2007. In just four years, we've had to get caught up on the concepts of the App Store, FaceTime, airplane mode, and Angry Birds. … Read more

Crave in Comments: From chatbots to HP clamor

It's been a super busy week here at CNET, especially with all of the new products emerging from IFA 2011. On top of the deluge of new devices, there were plenty of curious Crave stories posted over the last week. Here are a couple of my favorite comments from our faithful readers.

In regard to Chatbot-to-chatbot chat is silly and satisfying:

"Reminds me of Fox News for some reason. Meaningless nonsense, back and forth..." --by SwissJay

In regard to Microsoft details Explorer layout for Windows 8:

"Of course they moved the buttons again. They have to move the buttons to charge you for it again. And a billion folks will pay again. YOU will pay again. And then they'll move the buttons again next time. And you'll pay again. We've been playing this game since 1995. It never gets old." --by symbolset

In regard to Physicist cuts plane boarding time in half:

"Nevermind the morons in airline management who figured that charging for checked bags would save money. Bean counter fail." --by n0v0cane

HP x2301 review: Functional, stylish, and cheap

LED-based monitors actually worth their asking price are a recent trend I can easily get behind. Displays such as the Dell S2330MX and the Samsung S23A550H are LED-based, low-priced, and, when push comes to shove, ultimately worth their low prices.

The HP x2301 is the latest in recent monitor releases following the same thin-design paradigm, but does it follow the high-quality trend as well? With its sound design, cool-looking footstand, and low $200 price (currently), all signs point to yes, but there's more to a monitor's worth than simply design and price.

One thing that sets the x2301 apart from the aforementioned TN displays is its glossy screen. I spoke to this in a more general sense a few months back, but this is the first of these recent, superslim LED-based displays to house such a reflective screen.… Read more

Essential tech to pack in your Hurricane Irene Go Bag

I need to reprioritize the items in my Hurricane Irene Go Bag. How do I know this? Because this a.m. I found myself struggling to decide which toy my cat would prefer should we be forced to evacuate our home early tomorrow morning.

Before you go planning a disaster movie marathon this weekend, be sure to check out the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone map or enter your address in the Zone Finder to see if you live in an evacuation area.

And if you do live in one of the affected areas, you can download apps for both iOS and Android devices that show Doppler radar info, detailed maps, and ongoing weather warnings and satellite images for up-to-date news on the storm. But what should you pack in your emergency "Go Bag"? … Read more

Crave in Comments: From Tron to Tim Cook

Last week's Crave in Comments trotted out a treasure trove of tremendous tirades. This week, the humor's even higher than it's hitherto been, as we dole out darn near a dozen doozies for your delectation. Could this pompous paragraph perchance be packed with any additional alliteration? Meh. Maybe.

In regard to 'Tron'-inspired scooter could make geek kids rejoice:

"OMG. Why couldn't we have had this when I was a kid? I would have foregone every birth and Christmas present for a few years if I could have had this." --by sdf0013

In regard to Friday Poll: Worried about phones zapping sperm? :

"I doubt that 'don't worry, I have a cell phone' is gonna convince any woman.'" --by WheresMyLisa

In regard to Azumio app turns iPhone into a stress gauge:

"I thought it measured stress by measuring call quality and dropped calls." --by drfillgood

Crave in Comments: Now with more comments

Today, CiC has more comments than usual for your consumption. We're not sure what it is about the last week of Crave stories, but there have been even more great and amusing remarks from our community than usual. Some jabs and jives from our jesters:

Freshly minted in regard to iFrogz case protects your iPad 2, battery life:

"iFrogz? It sounds like some spyware process you find running on your girlfriend's computer." --by Donniebrasco

In regard to Tagg Pet Tracker hooks Fluffy up to Verizon:

"So this tracker is not good for dogs under 10 lbs. Just as well, those yap-yap dogs aren't worth tracking." --by wapalouse

In regard to Minecraft maker offers to settle suit with trial by virtual combat:

"This is the way all patient disputes should be settled.'" --by cristate67

In regard to 'Big Lebowski' cast reunites for Blu-ray release:

"I shall celebrate with a White Russian." --by Notjub

'Woot' is officially a thing, according to Oxford English Dictionary

August marks the 100th anniversary of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (COED), the smaller but most widely recognized derivative of the official Oxford English Dictionary, or OED. To celebrate, the lexicon published its 12th edition today that adds more than 400 new entries--many of which reflect the technological pervasiveness of modern society, like "woot," "mankini," and "jeggings."

COED Editor Angus Stevenson heads up a small team at the Oxford University Press's academic cabinet tasked with choosing the next words for inclusion, and the process involves keying popular words into a database that shows frequency of use in print and online.

Since publishing its first edition back in 1911, the COED's evolution shows the tremendous effects of social media and instant-access technology on language, creating new words but also modifying existing definitions of words like "follower."

What once meant "a person who imitates or copies" now earns a second and more widely used meaning: "someone who is tracking a particular person, group, etc., on a social networking site." Another example that's a little unsettling is the general term "friend" that loses gravity in its new form: "a contact on a social networking Web site."… Read more

Crave in Comments: Flying iPads to Trek resorts

Take a look, in a Crave blog, it's Crave in Comments! Ok, that was a horrible rip off of the 'Reading Rainbow' song, but a boy can dream that his weekly feature will one day have its own theme song. What tune would you choose for CiC? Perhaps some classical, or maybe just the 'Benny Hill' theme song? Perhaps this is just a silly idea.

Hit the nail on the head in regard to Flying-iPad smuggling operation busted:

"You can't say that Apple products don't go zipping off the shelves now..." --by solitare_pax

Hit the nail on the head in regard to Device serves date-rape drug detection on the rocks:

"This won't work in hipster areas. They use date-rape drugs you probably haven't heard of." --by thebadhatharry

Crave in Comments: Facebook woe to toilet seats

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. When Crave readers hand us comments, we make shiny blog posts showcasing the best and brightest. While the lemon drink might be a little more delicious, we still think you'll enjoy our selection of jocular jives.

Freshly squeezed in regard to A tale of Facebook woe: Nobody 'Likes' me anymore:

"Seems like more people are zuckered into thinking what's on Facebook is more important than anything else in their lives." --by solitare_pax

Freshly squeezed in regard to How to tweet like a man:

"This title is a paradox. Men don't tweet. They build engines, hang Sheetrock, and chew on scrap iron. BRB, going to rev a Harley in front of a Victoria's Secret Outlet." --by chronia

Thunderbolt vs. USB 3.0: Why it's a lose-lose

Ever since Intel announced Thunderbolt and made it exclusively available to Macs, Windows users have been wondering if they are missing out. The truth is: yes, they are, big-time. I've been working with the first Thunderbolt storage device, the Pegasus R6 from Promise, and find it to be the fastest consumer-grade storage device out there, period. (Stay tuned for my full review, coming up soon.)

On the other hand, since Macs generally don't support USB 3.0, which has been out for a long time and is becoming more and more popular in the PC world, Mac users have also been missing out quite a bit. Many people are wondering which is better, Thunderbolt or USB 3.0. This is a hard question, as Thunderbolt is about more than data storage; it's also about video transport, connectivity, expandability, and synced audio. However, strictly in terms of storage applications, neither is better. Consumers should really have both. The current separation of the two standards is a lose-lose situation for Windows and Mac users alike. … Read more