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There had already been years of speculation before Apple's iPad finally made it on stage with Steve Jobs this year. Every Macworld Expo and Apple event for the past few years had always had a run-up with rumors of a new slate device that just might make its first appearance on stage. But it was always pushed out to the next Apple event.

When it was finally released, there were mixed reviews. Some wanted it to be a laptop, while others couldn't get enough of Apple's larger touch-screen device. But over the coming months, the iPad would … Read more

Now that your new Mac is set up and you have the Internet hooked up, how about some software? Out of the box, your Mac is loaded with cool apps to get you started on stuff like uploading and organizing your digital images, creating a music library, making your own movies, and surfing the Web. But it doesn't come with everything.

There are several apps Mac users count on every day that aren't included in the initial setup. To get you started, we've rounded up our must-have downloads for your new Mac. From Web browsers and useful … Read more

For tech lovers, there are few greater things on this earth than getting one's hands on a shiny, new gadget. Plenty of tech toys are drool-worthy, but an Android device certainly earns a spot near the top of the list when it comes to mobile gear--especially according to some data.

Naturally, we understand the overwhelming joy at unpacking that feature-packed smartphone for the very first time. You pop in the battery, fire it up, and--whoa--this thing does a lot. Where is a gadget-happy Android newbie to begin? As it turns out, we've got some ideas for you. Namely: … Read more

The holidays present a fun time for many of us, whether your form of enjoyment is snowy activities, hot boozy beverages, or new gadgets released specifically for the Q4 buying season. If you count yourself in that last category, you may have been lucky enough to acquire a shiny smartphone recently. It's a BlackBerry, you say? Well, you've come to the right place.

Once you get that sucker out of the box and power it up, the first thing to do is download BlackBerry App World. Now, you have a gallery of apps just waiting to fill up … Read more

Decware makes low power amplifiers and high-end speakers in the United States. Their entry-level Zen Triode amplifier ($775) pumps out 2 watts per channel, and if you need more get the 6 watt Zen Taboo ($995), or the mighty 26-watt Zen Torii ($2,495). The Zen Triode was the company's very first model and has charmed tough to please high-end critics on a regular basis.

Trust me on this; you'd be amazed how good a few watts can sound, and when they're matched with the right speakers, micro power amps can definitely play loud enough to annoy … Read more

Viewing photos on your iPad is a beautiful thing. Getting photos onto your iPad: not so much.

The traditional method requires copying snapshots from your camera to your PC, then from your PC to your iPad. That's one irksome extra step, and not exactly practical if you're traveling.

Hence Apple's iPad Camera Connection Kit, which for $29 gives you two dongles: one for reading SD media, another for connecting your camera directly via USB.

It's bad enough you have to pack a dongle at all, but two of them? Bleh. That's why I'm jazzed … Read more

Dexim--manufacturer of accessories for iPhones, BlackBerrys, and other smartphones--has sent us a pair of devices from its car solutions line of products.

The first is the DFU012 Touch Screen FM Transmitter, a universal adapter for smartphones and MP3 players that takes an audio signal and broadcasts it over a low-power FM channel to be picked up by a nearby car stereo.

The device runs on a single AAA battery and should work with any device that features a 3.5mm headphone jack or audio output. At an MSRP of about $30, an FM transmitter such as this is one of … Read more

WikiLeaks encountered another round of criticism in Washington political circles today as the two senators who head the Senate Intelligence Committee called for the espionage prosecution of editor Julian Assange.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kit Bond (R-Miss.) said that Assange--and, in wording that was likely designed to intimidate programmers and other volunteers aiding WikiLeaks--any of "his possible accomplices" should be charged with federal crimes.

"We believe that Mr. Assange's conduct is espionage and that his actions fall under the elements of this section of law," the senators told Attorney General Eric Holder in a … Read more

Apple's professional image-editing software, Aperture, has recently been updated to version 3.1 though some users running Mac OS X 10.5.8 may not be able to install the update.

Users may find that using Software Update to install Aperture 3.1 fails to upgrade the software. Similarly, attempting to use the manual update (found on CNET's Downloads site) also fails to install the update.

Should you experience this issue on your Mac, you may need to install the latest ProKit for Leopard update, version 5.1. ProKit addresses various interface and compatibility issues for Apple's … Read more