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I'd love to see your hi-fi or home theater.

It doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be interesting or quirky. Some people decorate their speakers or paint them in wild colors. I once had a girlfriend with great old Acoustic Research speakers (a gift from her father), a funky amp she found on the street, and a beat up Garrard turntable. The system looked like hell, but it sounded wonderful on rock and roll.

If you have a state-of-the-art high-end system, or a tricked out iPod speaker we'd love to see it. Take an interesting … Read more

There is no more influential business lobby group in the world than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which boasts that its "core purpose is to fight for free enterprise" and "individual freedom."

Which is why the Chamber's unflagging--even unyielding--support of a controversial copyright bill loathed by Silicon Valley might come as something of a surprise. Not only do critics view the Stop Online Piracy Act as antithetical to the individual freedom the Chamber applauds, but the technology industry has contributed more to economic growth and free enterprise in the last decade than Hollywood has. … Read more

The HTC Wildfire S for U.S. Cellular certainly packs a punch for such a small device. But it's not for everyone.

The Wildfire S has a 3.2-inch touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and it runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC's Sense interface. As with other entry-level smartphones, it doesn't break any new ground, and its specs are far from top of the line. Still, if you're looking for a bargain and your hands aren't too big, this phone (free after a rebate) holds some appeal. The phone is ideal for first-time users … Read more

We predicted that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release would cause some trouble, but there's three stories in particular we report today that put a dent in Jeff's argument that video games don't cause violence in real life.

If you're looking for a way to distract your kids while you play said games, though, Toys 'R Us is offering an Android tablet made just for kids that can browse the Web, read e-books aloud, among other time-wasters. It can even play 1080p HD video using a dual-core processor and a build-in Wi-Fi antenna.

Other stories leaked from today's podcast episode include Ashton Kutcher finally taking a step back from Twitter, the strange celebrity photos from the SKYRIM launch party, and the start of super-inflated hard drive prices as a result of the floods in Thailand.… Read more

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers today that the Justice Department's antitrust division is "ready and eager" to pursue its lawsuit and stop AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile USA.

Holder said the division is "committed to seeing this through," Reuters reported today. Holder was speaking at an oversight meeting with the Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel.

In August, the Justice Department sued to block the proposed $39 billion merger, putting the brakes on what many in the industry assumed to be a done deal. The Justice Department cited concern over competition … Read more

Just over a year after enthusiastically telling CNET that U.S. Cellular wanted the iPhone, the carrier's CEO has changed her mind.

During the company's third-quarter earnings call today, Mary Dillon said that U.S. Cellular considered adding the iPhone to its lineup, but that Apple's "terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint." Dillon didn't offer specifics, Fierce Wireless reported, but she added that the potential strain on the carrier's data network was not a factor.

Though U.S. Cellular's decision may come as surprising following the arrival of the … Read more

U.S. Cellular has just announced the PCD Wrangler, which isn't as exciting as its name makes it out to be.

This basic clamshell phone won't wow anyone with its features and design--it only has a 2.2-inch QVGA display, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a microSD card, a speakerphone, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, and not much else.

But it does have one important thing going for it, and that's durability. The Wrangler has apparently been designed to withstand water, extreme temperature, dust, shock, poor weather conditions, and scratches to the screen.

There's no word on pricing and availability just yet, but since the phone has already made an appearance in U.S. Cellular's online store, we're sure it'll be any day now.… Read more

Challenges to the Federal Communications Commission's Net neutrality rules will be heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, a situation supporters of the rules had hoped to avoid.

On Thursday, the D.C. Circuit was chosen at random to be the court where challenges to the new rules, which prohibit broadband Internet providers from deliberately slowing or blocking subscribers' network traffic, will be heard. The rules were passed by the FCC in 2010. And they were officially registered with the government last month, opening up the process for legal challenges before the rules … Read more

Keeping up with its promise to deliver eight smartphones this year, including one from Motorola, U.S. Cellular unveiled that it will offer the Motorola Electrify later this month for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Similar to the Motorola Photon 4G for Sprint, the Electrify features a 4.3-inch qHD display, a dual-core 1GHz processor, 16GB of internal memory, an 8-megapixel camera, and a front-facing VGA camera. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread phone also has an HDMI port, comes with the Webtop app, and is compatible with such accessories as the HD Station.

U.S. Cellular did not … Read more