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The great thing about headphones is that you can, with a bit of effort, find great-sounding models in every price range. True, the best expensive models definitely sound better, but my picks for the cheapest ones are still pretty awesome. In fact, the $89 Velodyne vPulse headphones are the ones I regularly used long after I wrote the review! There was something about the sound of the vPulse that had me coming back for more. I cover audiophile, in-ear, full-size, wireless, and noise-canceling headphones, and prices run from dirt-cheap to insanely expensive.

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) The Nexus 7 is my favorite tablet right now. Google nailed the price, the interface, and the features, and avoided the mistake of selling it exclusively through a mobile carrier. It's enough to make the Motorola Xoom feel like a distant memory.

But no gadget is perfect, and the Nexus 7 is no exception. If you honestly think a $200 tablet can be made without cutting any corners, let me know. I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

Android fans, I recommend following this one up with … Read more

Editors' note: This post was updated December 21, 2012, with five new products, including cases from Aduro, Covert, Samsung, Sena, and Urban Armor Gear.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has quickly become one of the most popular Android smartphones, and like the iPhone, has spurred a cottage industry of cases and covers.

In boiling down the best of what's currently out there, I tried to provide a good mix of well-designed, affordable cases with more expensive models that offer some unique attributes.

One thing to watch for when buying cases these days is that you can come across pricier products … Read more

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) When I think about college, all the fun memories come to mind -- the kind of fun that makes me grateful Facebook didn't exist back then.

But time has a way of helping you forget what a traumatic, mind-bending hell college really is. And if your kid or someone you know is heading back to school soon, there's a good chance that he or she is justifiably freaking out right now.

That kid needs your help, and we're here to help you. CNET has published its annual back to school tech guide, … Read more

When online chatting first became popular, most of us did it using a chat client, such as AOL's Instant Messenger or (if we really want to show our age) ICQ. These days, many people chat using Facebook, and why not? The vast majority of the people you know are probably there, and chat is integrated into Facebook's interface, which you probably have open all the time anyway. If you miss having the option to chat without having your browser open, however, try Facebook Chat DeskTop. This simple program lets you access your Facebook chat buddies from your desktop. … Read more

If you're still enjoying the dog days of summer, sitting by the pool drinking lemonade (hard or otherwise), good for you. But here in CNET-land, we're already gearing up for the fall rush. This week, we've had our noses to the grindstone reviewing Samsung's most lovely laptop, as well as do-it-all NAS drives, among other tech products. We had a little fun too, though, with an iPhone case you can use in that pool should you decide you absolutely have to surf the Web while you surf the waves. (You don't by the way, but … Read more

Among all the sights to see at Comic-Con in San Diego this year (David Hasselhoff, "Iron Man 3," Lucy Liu), the best attraction is always the creative cosplay.

Each year, hundreds of geeks spend months preparing for the show, showing off their DIY ethic using everything from electronics to cardboard to Mom's own ironing board.

Click through the slideshow below for The 404's favorite costumes from Comic-Con 2012, and check out our wrap-up episode for more coverage.

A couple of years ago, we had 40 movies on this list. But as new releases have arrived, we've gradually pruned the list, and today we're down to a mere 15 top movies that aren't out yet on Blu-ray.

Yes, there are several other great movies that still haven't gotten the Blu-ray treatment. But like I say with the top 40 must-have Blu-rays list, feel free to express your opinions, and if you have a legitimate case, I'll update the list with new picks.

For the latest round we've dropped "The Sting" and "Chariots of Fire," and several other movies, including "Jaws," "Titanic," and the "Indiana Jones Trilogy," are due to come off the list in the coming months because they're already available for preorder, so stay tuned for a big revamp of the list this fall.

… Read more

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) While everyone has become distracted with storing their data in "the cloud," portable drives have been quietly evolving. Today's crop of bus-powered portable drives offer unbelievably compact designs, terrabytes of capacity, and blazing fast USB 3.0 speeds that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

The best news is that there are several great portable drive options out there under $100. CNET Senior Editor Dong Ngo has an ongoing roundup of them over on CNET's Crave blog. I asked him to rank his current … Read more