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Entertainment

It's the acronym from hell contest

NVMHCIWG--Baby, remember my name.

I've spent more than a decade reporting on the tech industry--with most of that time logged into the squirrely world of processors and memory--and come across a lot of abbreviations and acronyms. At Intel, Craig Barrett isn't known at Craig Barrett--he's CRB. Then there was the ORBA and CORBA confusion.

And who could forget the time that HANA and DLRA (formerly DHWG) were competing with each other to win the support of the UWBF, ATSC and MPAA? It took three dictionaries and a Ouija board to sort out the conflicts. (And it spells … Read more

Oops! Yahoo dumps Britney

Update 2:20 p.m. PT with Google list of fastest rising search terms.

You've got to give Yahoo credit for trying drag the collective mentality out of the celebrity gossip gutter.

Every year, the company releases a top 10 list for Web searches. Last year, Britney Spears was the No. 1 most popular search term.

But Yahoo is doing things differently this year, notably by promoting lists of top trends in search grouped in certain categories. The topics include not only top news stories (led by Saddam Hussein) and tech trends (no surprise here, YouTube), but also trends … Read more

Attention, holiday procrastinators: Only three weeks left

Some may be thankful there are only three weeks left in the holiday shopping season, but many of you are panicking because there are only three weeks left. For you anxious-ridden procrastinators, we're here to help.

CNET's holiday gift guide is packed with great tech gift ideas, and we're updating it as choice new items hit the shelves. If you just need a little something, check out our stocking stuffers and the tech gifts under $100.

If you're still seeking something perfect for that ubergeek on your list, we've got high-end tech sure to please … Read more

Can Activision Blizzard compete with EA for mindshare?

I woke up this morning to news that France's Vivendi has agreed to buy a controlling interest in Activision, perhaps creating the world's-largest independent video game company.

The new entity will be known as Activision Blizzard--a suitable name based on the fact that Activision has the best-known video game brand in the new company, but that Vivendi's Blizzard Entertainment unit also produces World of Warcraft, one of the most successful massively multiplayer online games of all time.

But what is not clear is whether the new company will be able to achieve something that is clearly part … Read more

Benefit Saturday for stricken Survival Research Labs crew member

In September, after the Survival Research Labs show at Amsterdam's Robodock festival, tragedy struck.

One of the group's crew members, Todd Blair, was involved in an accident, and ended up in a coma, where he lay for weeks.

Recently, he's had some improvement, according to a blog chronicling his recovery, but he still remains in very bad shape.

Additionally, his medical bills have added up, and so SRL is hosting a fundraising benefit Saturday in San Francisco.

Called the Blue + Green Ball, the benefit will be at 8pm at San Francisco's SOMArts gallery, the site of … Read more

NFL Network vs. cable: Who's right? Who's wrong?

Did you catch the Packers-Cowboys game Thursday night? According to USA Today, less than 40 percent of the United States was able to sit at home and watch as the Cowboys edged out the Packers 37-27. The widely anticipated competition between the two 10-1 teams aired locally, but for those not living in Green Bay, Milwaukee,or Dallas/Fort Worth, the only place to see the game was on the NFL Network, a fairly recent cable channel that reportedly, "provides about 24 hours per year of live NFL football and about 8,736 hours of filler."

Unfortunately, the NFL Network isn't available on many cable systems. Some cable providers, such as Comcast, only offer the network as part of its sports tier, despite the NFL's pleas to be included as basic cable. The two major satellite companies offer the channel in their basic package, and the NFL has mounted a campaign urging viewers to dump its cable companies for an alternative that carries the NFL Network.

… Read more

NBC and Netflix offer 'Heroes' and 'The Office' online

As we have seen, Netflix and NBC have a very solid working relationship, offering exclusive web content for the site in the past. Today, Netflix announced that it will offer episodes of hit NBC shows, such as Heroes, The Office, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights to its subscribers for instant viewing online.

Just to clarify, Netflix has offered instant viewing of various DVDs, including Heroes Season 1, prior to today, but now it will be making episodes that are currently unavailable on DVD available for viewing. This also marks the fourth way that you can see NBC shows online. … Read more

'Tis the season to Crave: Michelle Thatcher's picks

NOTE: To commemorate the holidays, different Crave experts will be posting their top 10 gadget picks for the season. See what we crave, and maybe you'll get some ideas! Here's the latest installment.

In her free time, laptop expert Michelle Thatcher can often be found testing out the latest kitchen gadgets or hunting down new restaurants. She recently relocated from San Francisco to Los Angeles, which is not unlike moving to a foreign country.

1. Pioneer Kuro PDP-5080HD. It's long been a matter of embarrassment that I, a technology editor, still watch TV on a gigantic box … Read more

Get a sneak peek at Gibson's Robot Guitar

What do you get when you combine a guitar loaded with robotic technology with one of the most talented musicians of this day and age? Hopefully, one hell of a show.

Guitarist/musician/former choir boy Martin Luther will be showcasing Gibson's self-tuning Robot Guitar at a free show in San Rafael, Calif.

Luther, who recorded the critically acclaimed album Rebel Soul Music in 2004 and recently toured with The Roots, will play the Bananas At Large instrument store on Monday, December 3.

Following the show, which starts at 12:30 p.m., there will be a public question-and-answer … Read more