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'Thinking cap' makes you better at art, math

If you, on your lesser days, could reach for a thinking cap to make you a little brainier, what would you expect?

Would you expect to solve math problems quicker? Would you imagine that complex scientific puzzlers would suddenly seem like simple amusements? Or would you expect to be able to paint a convincing forgery of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in your three-bedroom ranch house?

I ask because a professor in Sydney, Australia, has created a "thinking cap" and thinks he has the answers to the above questions.

According to AFP, Professor Allan Snyder has been testing his invention … Read more

Gaming wrap-up

Another CES in the books means it's time to take a look at the past few days and highlight what we thought were the most exciting moments of the show. To the right are some video First Looks in gaming from CES 2011.

Unlike last year, gaming was able to earn a few moments of glory this year as we were treated to some impressive products, mind-blowing prototypes, and the latest in state-of-the-art surround-sound headsets.

From iPad joysticks to mouse and keyboard control for the Xbox 360, it's safe to say that CES 2011 solidified gaming as a … Read more

CES: Creative's Tactic3D Omega wireless gaming headset plays with everything

LAS VEGAS--In announcing its new Sound Blaster Tactic3D Omega headset, Creative is touting the wireless gaming headset's versatility, calling it "the first wireless, cross-platform gaming headset to work with the PS3, Xbox 360, Mac, and PC, which is fully integrated."

What does fully integrated mean? Well, the wireless technology is built into the headset itself, so the Tactic3D Omega doesn't require any extra attachments to function with gaming consoles--and PCs--wirelessly (the headphones are powered by a rechargeable battery). However, as you can see from the picture, a powered dongle does have to be plugged into your … Read more

Amazon adds Wikipedia to book-shopping pages

Last month, e-commerce marketplace Amazon.com launched a relatively unnoticed new feature that brings content from Wikipedia pages to its own servers in a shadowy new project that appears to be called "Shopping Enabled Wikipedia Pages." Hosted on the Amazon.com domain, they replicate Wikipedia's content but have added links to where a book can be purchased on Amazon.

"Shopping-enabled Wikipedia pages are a new introduction on Amazon.com," Amazon spokeswoman Anya Waring told CNET when asked via e-mail. "As of November, we have rolled [the feature] out in the books category; however, [it] … Read more

Creative announces Android tablets, media player

Coming as a bit of a surprise, Creative today announced a pair of slates dubbed the ZiiO Pure Wireless Entertainment Tablets and a handheld media player called the Zen Touch 2 Wireless Entertainment Device. What differentiates these devices from Creative's earlier products is that they all run on the Google Android mobile operating system.

The ZiiO will come in 7- and 10-inch versions with screen resolutions of 800x480 pixels and 1,024x600 pixels, respectively. Both come in 8GB or 16GB capacities, making for a grand total of four variations. The 7-inch ZiiO starts at $278, while the 10-inch version starts at $332.

Based on Android 2.1 (Eclair), the differentiating factor of this tablet appears to be the inclusion of Creative's X-Fi technology. The company claims a superior audio experience and seamless Bluetooth stereo pairing. … Read more

Redesigning the boom box: Bluetooth speakers compared

The days of blasting music out of a portable boombox are behind us, and while some companies still offer retro jambox wannabes for iPods, the best way to free your music from the aural confines of an MP3 player is through a portable Bluetooth speaker.

We've rounded up several Bluetooth speakers for your consideration. All of these wireless speakers benefit from limited loss in audio quality while still maintaining a small footprint and extended range. Functionality varies according to model, and they differ in regard to rechargeable versus alkaline batteries, size versus sound, and the capability to be used … Read more

Creative debuts Wireless Rock Speaker

For those who don't want to go to all the trouble of running wires out to a fancy rock speaker in the garden, Creative has a solution: the $199 Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker.

Creative says the Wireless Rock Speaker is a "high-quality stereo speaker encased in a granite-rock-like exterior," and is designed to "withstand moderate weather conditions so it doesn't have to be brought in every time it rains." In other words, the speaker isn't entirely weather-proof, but it seems to be water-resistant.

Alas, the Wireless Rock is not a Bluetooth speaker … Read more

Vimeo gets Creative Commons, global settings

Video host Vimeo on Tuesday is rolling out a new feature that will users apply Creative Commons (CC) licenses to their uploaded videos.

In short, when a user applies one of the six standard licenses, which range from "attribution" to "attribution with noncommercial and no derivatives," it gives those who intend to use the video elsewhere a specific set of rules for what they can do with it--all without having to first contact the creator for explicit permission.

Creative Commons licensing has been available for some time on a growing number of video- and photo-sharing sites, … Read more