Device & Conquer

Which TV is right for me? (Device & Conquer)

The technology behind the screen that creates the image is the core of what you're paying for when you buy a TV.

Understanding the differences can be confusing and, frankly, very technical. Leave it to CNET's Brian Cooley to make it simple and narrow down your choice in just a few minutes. Luckily for even the least attentive consumer, there are very few bad TVs out there. But if you're about to lay out this kind of money for a piece of electronics you'll keep for almost seven years on average, know what you're buying. … Read more

Cutting the cord: Why and why not (Device & Conquer)

Everybody wants to tell the cable or satellite TV company what to do with that three-figure monthly bill that pays for a lot of stuff you don't even want, right?

Today, thanks to Internet-delivered TV, you can actually put some teeth behind that. Know that it's not as simple as throwing a switch and cancelling an account. In this episode of Device & Conquer we show you what we've learned about the process and how you can do it. It might be right for you, it might not. But whether you do it now or do it later, odds are you'll do it eventually. … Read more

Device & Conquer: Understanding 3D TV

You'll have a hard time buying a new TV that isn't 3D by the end of 2012. But that isn't the same as saying you'll be watching 3D TV.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, Brian Cooley gives explains the aspects of this new technology you have to get used to, how it's still evolving and what there is to watch. This isn't a story of a technology that doesn't work -- it does, often spectacularly -- but of on that may not have a mandate to become the next big thing in television, or reverse sliding TV sales numbers. … Read more

Device & Conquer: Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving: Is it the scourge of public safety, or the new normal? What we know is that it's here and its going to grow. Fast.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, Brian Cooley gives us a quick look at the history of understanding distracted driving, what you can do to take control of reducing it in your life, and how the U.S. government may step in to handle that for you. It's the story of driving today. … Read more

Device & Conquer: The flavors of wireless

Wireless Internet is becoming essential for most of us, yet it remains a bit like black magic.

For a lot of people, terms like 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi are cryptic or just barely understood. How do they differ? When do you use each? And why do we even have to think about wireless connections so much? Brian Cooley explains what the different types of wireless do and how to use them. … Read more

Device & Conquer: Connected Cars

If you think a car is high tech because it has Bluetooth and an iPod connection, you're in for a big surprise.

Yes, a "high-tech car" used to mean an iPod connection, hands-free calling, and GPS navigation. Now, that's almost quaint. Cars are getting connected like every other device in your life: wirelessly to the Internet. Navigation, communication, entertainment, and telematics all get better, but there will be some bumps along the road.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, we'll show you a sampling of how connected cars work and get you ready to … Read more

Device & Conquer: Is your phone spying on you?

After the recent phone tracking/tracing revelations around Apple, Google, and Microsoft, a lot of you got understandably freaked.

Did you opt in to constant surveillance just because you bought a smartphone? The answer is "somewhat," but at least when it's your own device doing the tracking you can do something about it.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, I'll lay out how your phone can track you, dispel a few myths about that, and about GPS satellites, and give you a few tips for taking back what privacy you still have.