Gadget news

The Wi-Fi bunny has done what rabbits do best: multiplied.

Formally known as Nabaztag--it's Armenian for 'rabbit'--the toy from French company Violet that last summer grabbed geek attention worldwide has gotten an upgrade already.

The new guy is called Nabaztag/tag, and besides reading e-mails, RSS feeds through a Wi-Fi connection to a computer, acting as an alarm clock or playing music, he can now respond to sound via a voice-recognition device in its belly. That means owners can talk to their bunny, but it also means it knows when its owner is in the room. When it … Read more

The new and improved Belkin TuneStage isn't slated to hit stores for a few weeks, but got our hands on an early unit and give it a test run. Right out of the box, we had the TuneStage II up and running in less than two minutes. Plug in the base station, run a connecting cable to any stereo or powered speaker system, and you're ready to use your iPod as a wireless music box. The new and improved transmitter dongle uses the standard iPod 30-pin connector, so unlike the original TuneStage, the TuneStage II is compatible with … Read more

We dredged the series of tubes for you: here's today's roundup of link love.

--APPLE: Microsoft takes a swipe at Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads (Engadget)

--GAMING: Major League Gaming gets $25 million funding (PaidContent)

--MEDIA: Amanda Congdon's webcasts are real, and they're spectacular (Gawker)

--DIGITAL HOME: Intel's Viiv low on holiday shopping lists (CNET News.com)**

--APPLE: Defend your MacBook with iSight (CrunchGear)

--NEWS: Boston transit system bans M-rated game ads (Joystiq)

** Krazit, thanks for clarifying the pronunciation of "Viiv." This whole time I'd been thinking it … Read more

If Louis XIV had a MySpace page, a Web cam and iPod he would totally cry his eyes out in this chair.

I can hear him now: "Even though I totally distracted all the nobles by making them hang out at Versailles--finally--and have become the standard for any wannabe absolute monarch, I still feel like my people just don't get who I am. You know? I mean, I wish someone would just notice me as a regular guy with big hair who wears high heels, and not as, like, the quote-unquote Sun King."

Even if you're … Read more

NOTE: From now through December, every few days a different Crave expert will be posting his or her top 10 gadget picks for the holidays. See what we crave, and maybe you'll get some ideas! Here's our ninth installment.

Emily is a news producer at CNET's San Francisco headquarters. After making a daring escape from the philosophy profession, she now spends her days scouring the Interweb for your edification. Her spirit animal is an inch-high purple orangutan, and she likes to camp in the great expanses of the West.

1. Ars Technica hooded sweatshirt. This item is … Read more

Sure, the Internet is great for Holiday shopping in your bathrobe at 3 a.m., but sometimes you just feel like throwing on some shoes and doing a little real-life late-night shopping. Even in the Big Apple, 24-hour outlets are hard to find, and there are times you want something a little more upscale than the wares at your corner bodega--like maybe a new MacBook Pro.

Starting today, December 13, Apple's flagship SoHo store in New York will remain open 24 hours a day, until 11:59 p.m. on December 24 (the glass-box Fifth Avenue store is always … Read more

We dredged the series of tubes for you: here's today's roundup of link love.

--GAMING: Fake wiinjuries: they're all the rage (Joystiq)

--JUICY GOSSIP: MacBook "Thin" Coming Soon? (CrunchGear)

--GADGETRY: New Nabaztag Tag (Information Aesthetics)

--GAMING: China cracks down on online games (Kotaku)

--ARTS & CRAFTS: Casting metal Legos (MAKE)

--ONLY IN JAPAN: Shark USB Mousepad Warmer (Tokyomango)

--POLICE BLOTTER: Guy wants PS3, gets box of floor tiles (Game|Life)

We dredged the series of tubes for you: here's today's roundup of link love.

--FUN & GAMES: Windows Blue Screen Error Generator (The Generator Blog via Eyebeam reBlog)

--MUSIC: "Studio 60" Christmas song free for download (CNET News.com)

--DESIGN: Moonwalker Digital Dance Shoes (Gizmodo)

--WEB 2.0: Chop, slice, and 'deep-tag' your YouTube faves with Gotuit's SceneMaker (Webware)

--WEB 2.0: Diggbait: Top 10 Tech Words of 2006 (Valleywag)

--GAMING: NES Wii Skin (Uncrate)

--MUSIC: Wi-Fi radio gathering steam (Listening Post)

--GAMING: Left-Handers (Might) Make Better Gamers (Kotaku)

--TV: Dutch TV goes digital (CNET … Read more

Today, Verizon Wireless introduced an all-black version of the Motorola Q, and while it's all sexy cool on the outside, it's pretty much the same on the inside. However, the Windows Mobile smart phone is said to ship with the second software update, which should help improve battery life and fix other bugs. Also, this version features a rubberized casing that's black all the way through (via Qusers.com), so scratches shouldn't be too revealing. You'll have to pay a little more for the privilege of carrying the Moto Q black, as pricing starts at $… Read more