w

Sony's new waterproof wearable Walkman

Sony has revealed the next generation of wearable waterproof Walkman portable music players.

The new W260 series is an incremental update to the line of small, screen-less MP3 players, which have been reviewed fairly well by CNET editors in the past.

Two models will be available this August: the 2GB NWZ-W262 ($59) and the 4GB NWZ-W263 ($79). The newest version of the Walkman W "weighs about 24 percent less and is about two-thirds smaller than previous models," according to the press release. Sony has improved bass frequencies in this latest model as well, for those fitness junkies listening … Read more

B&W intros loopy C5 in-ear headphones

First it was iPod docks. Then computer speakers and over-the-ear headphones. Now Bowers & Wilkins, a brand once known for expensive high-end speakers, is further expanding into the mainstream with a set of $179.95 C5 in-ear headphones.

Along with touting the C5's "pristine, natural audio," B&W is highlighting the earphones' signature design trait, the Secure Loop, "an ingenious innovation where a cushioned loop fixes quickly and comfortably in the inner ridge of the user's ear." The company adds that the Loop is "infinitely adjustable, so it works perfectly with anyone's ears.

The C5 comes with a Made For iPhone-compatible cable, which allows you to make calls, and a quilted pouch. For more specs, you can go to the C5's product detail page.

The C5 earphones will be available in August for $179.95 (U.S. & Canada). We'll let you know what we think of them as soon as we get our hands on a set. We're particularly interested in trying out that Secure Loop. … Read more

Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L review: Anti-glare coating gets the shaft

As 23-inch monitors go, the Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L is fairly unique. It eschews the traditional foot stand in favor of an adjustable lever, it steers clear of even the smallest inkling of anti-glare coating (AG), and its reinforced glass screen makes it a perfect candidate for the included multitouch touch-screen feature.

Still, at the end of the day, it's a 23-inch monitor priced at more than $1,000, so I can't blame you if reading that price and size combo elicits only the most dubious of responses. Is it worth that price? You'll need to check out … Read more

World of Warcraft now free for 20 levels

Rejoice, World of Warcraft n00bs. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is now free to play for up to 20 levels. That means players can now take as long as they need to get familiar with the game before they have to pay a subscription fee.

The game's developer, Blizzard Entertainment, has eliminated the prior free 14-day trial period in favor of the new beginner system, which it's calling World of Warcraft Starter Edition.

The move is brilliant considering that WoW, which was first released in 2004, is known for immersing users in a deep game world. The limited trial seemed too short a time to get acclimated to the rich virtual landscape.

Although the trial subscription had its limits, WoW remains wildly successful, reaching 12 million subscribers in 2010. Will the new trial model help increase the MMORPG's user base? … Read more

Cisco RV110W review: Affordable small-business VPN option

Generally, getting a VPN for your business that allows remote users to access the local network via the Internet as though they were physically at the office means you'd need a real server or a relatively expensive VPN router. It doesn't have to be that way anymore with the RV110W Wireless-N VPN Firewall that Cisco announced today.

This is a router designed specifically for small businesses of five employees or fewer. Its built-in PPTP VPN server is limited to supporting up to five concurrent remote users. The good news is that the router is very easy to use … Read more

Jailbreak of Apple's iOS 5 beta gets Redsn0w update

Apple's new beta version of iOS 5 has been jailbroken for the second time this week, now opening the door for users to jailbreak their iOS 5 devices using the latest version of the popular Redsn0w tool.

In a blog post today about the new jailbreak, the iPhone-dev Team, a group of hackers that target Apple devices, announced that it has released a tethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 5.

As with the group's first jailbreak of iOS 5 earlier this week, the redsn0w jailbreak will let users install Cydia, which allows them to use apps unapproved and unsanctioned … Read more

The 404 836: Where it's big, round, and shaped like a spaceship (podcast)

We enjoyed yesterday's show with Joey Kaminski so much that we invited him back to sub for Jeff again today. He weighs in with us on Apple's new spaceship-shaped campus, Chinese prisoners allegedly mining MMO gold, Steve Jobs' freakiest Apple patents, and muffing the ball.

The 404 Digest for Episode 836

Steve Jobs proposes a new Apple campus--shaped like a spaceship. Steve Jobs' freakiest patents. China reportedly forces prisoners to mine MMO gold. Richard Dreyfuss reads the iTunes EULA on tomorrow's Reporters' Roundtable!

Episode 836 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

LG Flatron W2363D review: Glorious or gimmicky lights?

The LG W2363D-PF is a 3D monitor, but apparently that distinction is no longer enough for a monitor to stand out from the pack. These days, 3D everything is quite ubiquitous, backlashes notwithstanding.

So, when you're the 100th monitor with a black chassis or the 30th 3D monitor released in the last three months, it's difficult to stand out from the crowd. Sure, you could throw some oddly placed pastels into your design or go all white as some vendors have, but there's an important detail to remember.

A good design allows a monitor to showcase its … Read more

CSS 2.1 emerges as official Web standard

Much of the Web world has moved on to CSS 3, but today the World Wide Web Consortium has declared the CSS 2.1 standard for Web page formatting to be done.

In W3C standards lingo, CSS 2.1 has reached "recommendation" stage. Phillipe Le Hegaret, leader of the HTML working at the W3C group, announced the milestone on Twitter today.

Browser makers, even longtime laggard Microsoft, have turned much of their attention to CSS 3, which offers glamorous new features such as animating the transition from one page to another, endowing boxes with rounded corners, and if … Read more