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Hands-on with new Nook: Better than the Kindle?

Note: CNET's full review of the new Nook is up now.

The day after Kobo served up a new $129.99 touch-screen e-reader, Barnes & Noble, as expected, unveiled its own touch-screen e-ink Nook, which it's branding as "The Simple eReader."

We had a very good idea what the new device would be prior to the launch, but before we get to the initial impressions, here's a quick rundown of the new Nook's key specs:

Touch screen with Neonode "responsive" zForce infrared touch technology 6-inch Pearl e-ink screen (same screen as Kindle'… Read more

'Clippy' alive? Sighting raises questions, fears

In a mysterious turn of events worthy of Elvis Presley, "Clippy," everyone's least favorite talking paper clip cum animated software assistant, appears to be the star of a new Microsoft initiative--despite the fact that he's supposedly been dead since 2004.

GeekWire's Todd Bishop spied the fastener in what he reports is--gasp!--Microsoft's new training tool for Office, a game called Ribbon Hero 2. Clippy even appears to get top billing--the game's official name, Bishop reports, is Ribbon Hero 2: Clippy's Second Chance (a title that's sure to send shivers down the spine of many an Office user).

It's not the first time the aroma of conspiracy has wafted around the cloying length of wire. A month after Clippy's supposed 2001 ousting from Microsoft's flagship software suite (and his supposed move to jobs as a cab driver and a UPS deliveryman), a duo of crack CNET investigative journalists revealed that the fastener had somehow made his way into Office XP.… Read more

New Dell Alienware M11x, M14x, M18x laptops: Small-, medium-, and large-scale gaming

Despite leaked product announcements dampening the impact of the streamed Webcast today, Alienware added to its product lineup with additional Alienwares at the extreme small and large ends of the laptop spectrum. The M11x, M14x, and M18x cover the size gamut. We've already reviewed the M14x: check out the hands-on video below for a look at the M14 close-up.

Last year, we loved the Alienware M11x, particularly for its combination of size and power. During today's Alienware Webcast, the successor was announced--and it's got the updated Sandy Bridge specs we expected.

The new Alienware M11x R3 starts … Read more

Hands-on with Second Screen: Bonus Blu-ray features on your iPad

While my iPad has become a second screen in many ways--as an e-reader, social-networking pane, video viewer, and more--a new series of apps from Disney is ready to take that into a whole new direction. Disney's Second Screen is a series of apps that take over your iPad and offer up a second screen of information during movie viewings, acting as a disembodied set of bonus features.

Second Screen is a feature that's currently offered on Disney's "Tron" and "Bambi" Blu-ray discs. Each movie has its own app in Apple's App Store. These apps are free, and hefty, too--the "Tron: Legacy" app clocked in at over 800MB, the "Bambi" app comes in at 498MB. However, you can't do anything with the app without activating a "Magic Code" found inside the Blu-ray disc's box. I made the mistake of downloading the app and leaving the Blu-ray box in the office, taking home the disc in a plastic sleeve. Unfortunately, the disc itself can't unlock the app, so I had to wait till the next day to Second Screen my home "Tron: Legacy"-viewing experience. Bottom line: don't lose that code.

The cleverest part of the whole Second Screen idea isn't its content: it's the app's ability to synchronize with the movie and play its related content alongside a time code of sorts that counts down in the upper part of the screen.… Read more

How much will the iPad 2 weigh?

Update, February 26: to reflect the announcement of the iPad 2 on March 2.

Weight. It's something our society tends to dwell on when it comes to physical appearance, but it's also a big factor in today's mobile products.

Like a lot of people, the first time I saw the iPad my eye was drawn to its vibrant screen and those sleek lines that are the signature of Apple products. Yet the one overwhelming thought I had when picking it up for the first time was, "Damn, this is kind of heavy."

No, at around 1.5 pounds, it's not that heavy. And it's obviously lighter than every laptop on the market, including Apple's own MacBook Air, which comes in at 2.3 pounds for the 11.6-inch model (the new $299 HP Mini 1103 Netbook weighs 2.8 pounds). But the iPad ostensibly is a handheld device, and for a lot of folks, holding up a 1.5-pound weight for extended periods is a challenge.… Read more

Facebook, Twitter stock trading drawing SEC eye?

The high degree of investor interest in shares of hot Silicon Valley companies that aren't yet publicly traded--like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Zynga--may be leading to scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a report late Monday on The New York Times' Dealbook blog.

Companies like SharesPost and SecondMarket offer exchanges for privately traded stock, and there's been no shortage of supply thanks to early employees and investors of companies like Facebook and Twitter who are looking to take some cash off the table. Much of the interest in the exchanges has been … Read more

iPad Mini rumors surface again

Just a few days after reports of iPad 2 rumors flooded the blogosphere, Reuters is stoking the fires with a story that says Apple is "preparing new iPads," as in plural. And one of those models, according to the usual anonymous supply chain sources, is "about half the size of the current tablet computer, and will include front- and back-mounted cameras" for Apple's FaceTime video-conferencing app.

Aside from the cameras, one source claimed the new iPad "would be slimmer, lighter, and have a better-resolution display than the first iPad."

Duh. None of that's new info--or particularly revealing (of course, the new iPad is going to be slimmer and have a better screen, right?). But it's interesting that we continue to hear chatter about Apple having a smaller iPad up its sleeve. Back in October, Steve Jobs famously scoffed at the notion of a 7-inch iPad, insisting the screen would be "too small to express the software." Since then, Barnes & Noble has released the $250 7-inch Nook Color and several other Android-powered 7-inch tablets have hit the market or will soon. … Read more

Is now the wrong time to buy an iPad?

Mr. Carnoy:

Some months back I read with interest your amusing series of articles about buying an iPad. I myself have held off but have been recently considering picking one up as a Xmas gift for myself. However, I just read about how the iPad 2 might be shipping in February. Also, I saw that Apple lowered the price for refurbished iPads, which got me wondering, all things considered, whether it was a bad idea to buy one now. Know you're busy, but can you give me any advice?"

Charles, St. Louis

Ah, Charles, I just went by … Read more

Why I think Steve Jobs is lying

At yesterday's Apple earnings call, CEO Steve Jobs quelled rumors that the company was on the verge of producing a smaller 7-inch iPad to counter the arrival of such mini slates as Samsung's Galaxy Tab. He said that these devices were "tweeners" and would be dead on arrival. He scoffed that normal-size human fingers are simply too big to be able to accurately hit icons on a screen that size.

"Apple has done extensive user testing and we really understand this stuff," he said. "There are clear limits on how close you can … Read more