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Sharp HT-SB60 review: Superlong sound bar packs fittingly wide sound

Sharp makes some of the biggest TVs in the world, so it's not surprising that the company is applying its plus-size worldview to sound bars.

The Sharp HT-SB60 ($320 street) is a startlingly long sound bar, designed to pair up with TVs 60 inches and up. That length may give it a more balanced look under your own personal Jumbotron, but it also allows the HT-SB60 to produce some fantastic sound quality, surpassing that of smaller sound bars in the same price range. There's also enough space on the back for two HDMI inputs, giving you more flexibility … Read more

The looming big business of facial recognition

The odds are you are not just a face in the crowd any longer. Even if your picture isn't plastered all over social-networking and photo-sharing sites, facial recognition technology in public places is making it harder if not impossible to remain anonymous.

Lesley Stahl reports on the new ways this technology is being used that even has one of its inventors calling it too intrusive. Her "60 Minutes" report will be broadcast Sunday, May 19 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Professor Alessandro Acquisti of Carnegie Mellon, who researches how technology impacts privacy, stunned Stahl with an … Read more

Three great-sounding affordable sound bars

No one can deny the popularity of sound bar speakers, but I've always been frustrated by their sound quality. There were exceptions; the $899 Atlantic Technology PB-235 and $699 SpeakerCraft CS3 are quite good, but in the more popular $300-to-$400 range the 'bars weren't all that great. Granted, they were a big step up from TV speakers, but their sound was still a compromise, compared with what's available from the better $300-to-$400 Emotiva and Audioengine self-powered stereo speakers (they get hooked up from your TV's stereo analog jacks).

A few weeks ago I spent … Read more

Samsung F8500 plasma wins Value Electronics' shootout

In the event's most closely fought battle in years, the Samsung PNF8500 series plasma TV emerged as the winner of the annual Value Electronics Flat Panel Shootout. It narrowly defeated the Panasonic VT60 and ZT60 series plasmas in the final voting by the public in attendance.

The event, in its ninth year, included a field of three Panasonic TVs (ZT60, VT60, and WT60 LED), two Samsungs (the PNF8500 plasma and UNF8000 LED) and Sony's 4K/Ultra HD XBR-X900A.

The lineup also included a 50-inch Pioneer Kuro KRP-500M, which was used primarily to test Panasonic's claim that its … Read more

Bill Gates and learning from Leonardo da Vinci

What inspires a billionaire? In the case of Bill Gates, it's a 500-year-old manuscript penned by Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci.

And at $30.8 million, it was probably a bargain to the Microsoft founder, who considers it a priceless symbol of knowledge. Charlie Rose talks to Gates about the historic document -- the world's most valuable -- for a 60 Minutes story to be broadcast Sunday, May 12, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Gates won't entertain comparisons of his life to that of da Vinci, who conceived of airplanes and helicopters hundreds of years before … Read more

Hooked Up: A backstage pass at the tech behind Cee Lo Green's stage show

Welcome to the start of a new franchise here at CNET -- the first episode of Hooked Up! It's the only show where the world of celebrity and technology collide.

This week, Kevin Frazier checks out Cee Lo Green's Las Vegas show "Loberace" and the technology that's involved in creating a massive production that only Las Vegas can do. Cee Lo also talks about his personal health goals, Goodie Mob's comeback, and their search for the next big music artist.

I'll also break down some of the best ways to bring the biggest … Read more

How Dish's deal could improve Sprint

CNET Update dishes the details:

Dish has made a $25.5 billion unsolicited bid to merge with Sprint. Today's video explains what this deal means for consumers and how it might improve Sprint's network.

Also in this tech roundup:

- Microsoft reportedly is considering making a smartwatch

- Windows 8 apps for news and maps get updates

- Electronic Arts will shut down Sims games on Facebook

- This 55-inch Panasonic plasma is the first television to get a 5-star rating from CNET

Watch CNET Update in the video above, and subscribe to the podcast via the links … Read more

Alarm Lock 6.0 Review

Before Apple made "Find My iPhone" free for all users, there were quite a few security apps on the App Store designed to protect your personal information and make it possible to find your phone if it were ever stolen. Released around the time that that transition was happening, Alarm Lock was designed to provide extra features for any users concerned about the security of their iPhone. Should your device become lost, it is designed to help you find it fast.

While Alarm Lock has far more features than Find My iPhone at first glance, the interface makes … Read more

Panasonic's ST60: best TV value of the year

I've written TV reviews for more than 10 years, but I'm pretty sure this one is the most important. I'll cut to the chase: If you value picture quality and don't have money to burn, you should buy the Panasonic TC-PST60.

Yes, it's a plasma. That's the main reason why its picture is so good. And despite what you may have heard, there's very little reason not to get a plasma TV. Once you decide to go plasma -- don't worry, you'll be fine -- the next question is which one. … Read more

Sharp's LE650 TV a solid value

If you're looking for a big-screen TV of 60 inches or above, then Sharp should be one of the first brands you consider. Last year's LC-LE640U was a very good combination of picture quality and value, and its replacement offers more of the same. In fact they're almost identical, and that's not a bad thing.

The 650 incorporates a couple of tweaks to the set's design and picture processing, as well as a few extra features. The highlights are an expanded Smart TV offering with Skype and Hulu Plus now standard, while in picture-quality terms … Read more