best

Video: Best downloads of 2007

To every sweet there is a sour; to every storm cloud, there is a silver lining. We took care of the sour storm clouds first with a demonstration of the worst downloads of 2007 on CNET Download.com. I reiterate editor Peter Butler's disclaimer that the absolute worst downloads, stuffed with spyware or adware, never make it near our site.

The amusing mudslinging for misdirected software aside, may we now present Tom Merritt's ever-humorous take on the five most awesome downloads to break out in 2007. These applications that will save you time, and possibly a whole lot … Read more

Phenom-based PCs signal AMD-Intel quad-core rivalry

Let the quad-core competition begin. The arrival of consumer systems based on AMD's quad-core Phenom processor at retail stores will finally bring much-needed four-core rivalry to the high-end PC segment, where, until January, there was only one choice: Intel. Gateway Computer's Phenom-based models had a widely publicized debut at Best Buy this week, making the Irvine, CA-based company the second major U.S. PC vendor after Hewlett-Packard (HP) to adopt the Phenom processor. Earlier in January, Wal-Mart began selling the HP Phenom-based Pavilion M8330F desktop (which, according to Wal-Mart's Web site, is now out of stock).

Gateway'… Read more

Rafe's picks from Demo 2008: Lots of doubles, no home runs

There was a good, but not earthshaking, lineup of products at this year's Demo 2008 conference (see all stories). The show didn't offer any new products to capture the hearts and minds of the general public or even a majority of the tech elite. There was no Pleo, no Moobella, no Palm Pilot--all products introduced at Demo in years past. But there were several very strong new ideas and products here. These are my top picks.

Blist. This is the Flash- and Flex-based database I raved about yesterday. It is the database that FileMaker should have become by … Read more

Gadgettes 75: The "Superbug" Episode

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Best Buy issues security warning on Insignia digital picture frames

Say cheese...not.

Best Buy is warning customers who purchased its Insignia 10.4-inch Digital Picture Frames that their device may be harboring a virus, according an advisory posted on its Web site over the weekend.

Insignia digital frames, with model number NS-DPF10A, may be infected with the virus, Best Buy states in its posting. The company is asking users to contact its Insignia customer care number, 877-467-4289, to determine whether their digital picture frame is infected and how to troubleshoot the virus that can travel through the USB cord and infect a user's PC.

Best Buy learned of … Read more

Crossfade TV: Best of 2007

Later this week we'll post a brand-new Crossfade TV episode, featuring three artists who are already making a big splash in 2008. In the meantime, and before '07 fades entirely into memory, have a look at our end-of-the-season video special highlighting faves from last year's crop, including Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Kanye West, and Richard Hawley.

Best Buy CEO worried on economy, digital TV transition

LAS VEGAS--Asked about the state of the U.S. economy, Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson said on Tuesday that it is clearly a concern.

"People that are getting their first (home heating) oil bills at $3 a gallon," he said, even as the U.S. mortgage crisis continues to hang over the economy. "The share of mind that the 'r word' is getting in the media has us concerned," he said, alluding to but not uttering, the word recession.

But Anderson said it was the transition to digital television that posed the biggest threat to his … Read more

Best Buy wants Macs in more of its stores

Apple's store-within-a-store partnership with Best Buy is going to expand this year, according to Best Buy executives.

So says UBS analyst Ben Reitzes, who met with Best Buy during the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas. Best Buy wants to have Macs inside 500 of its stores by February of next year, up from around 270 stores at present. The Blue Shirts already sell iPods in about 900 stores, but the Mac operation is a little different.

Best Buy allows Apple to set up its own retail space within its stores in an attempt to re-create the … Read more

Best of CES 2008 nominees are in!

For the third year in a row, the Consumer Electronics Association has asked the expert editors at CNET to pick the hottest new gadgets from the International Consumer Electronics Show. The 30 finalists for Best of CES 2008 have been announced, and you can vote your favorite for the People's Voice Award.

Winners will be announced live on CNET TV at 2 p.m. tomorrow, January 9, so check back then to see who the winners are, and which lucky gadget will earn the coveted Best in Show award.