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Review: mOffice - Outlook sync is a solid non-Google planner

If you're looking for a solid, non-Google planner, you've found it in mOffice. It has a smooth layout and most of the features you love about Google--all in a neat package.

This app is designed to sync with your Outlook desktop program. It will also sync with a client called Mobisynapse, but that costs an extra $10. This app falls under the "Getting Things Done" category, which seems to mean it's optimized to make work convenient. As such, mOffice has a very clean interface that makes it easy to find the features and menus you'… Read more

Crave giveaway: Crucial SSD, plus System Mechanic PC tune-up software

Congrats to Enrique G. of Tracy, Calif., for winning a pair of Sennheiser Momentum headphones in last week's giveaway. This week, we're got a twofer -- hardware and software.

First off, the winner gets a 120GB Crucial M500 solid-state drive with a three-year limited warranty. Like most new SSDs, the Crucial M500 supports the SATA 3 (6Gbps) standard and has a standard 2.5-inch design with 7mm thickness. This means it can fit in all standard laptops and desktops, as well as some ultrabooks. If your computer is running on a hard drive, replacing it with an SSD will be a big upgrade in terms of performance.

Once you've revved up your machine with your new drive, you can make sure it runs like new longer with the other half of this week's prize -- a copy of Iolo's System Mechanic, a highly rated PC tune-up suite designed to fix and clean up your machine. You'll be getting version 11.5, which works with all versions of Windows. … Read more

Exploring expert guidance through Glass

CNET Update hits the bullseye:

In this special edition of CNET Update, I put Google Glass to the test as a coaching tool. Since I need to learn archery to become a proper heroine (e.g. Katniss, Merida, Lara), I wanted to try an archery coaching session through a Google+ Hangout.

I reached out to CoachUp.com to find a coach that was willing to go on this tech adventure with me. CoachUp connected me with M.J. Rogers, an archery coach in South Dakota who has worked with Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

I traveled to Pro Line Archery Lanes … Read more

Samsung M400 does simple cell phone duties

If you're looking for a simple cell phone on Sprint, the Samsung M400 could do the trick. Configured as a flip phone, the silver handset has a small external display that shows the battery level, time, and alerts. Inside, a 2.4-inch screen navigates you around.

The M400 has a 1.3-megapixel camera launched by a dedicated hardware button on the side; there are personal essentials like an alarm clock, speakerphone, and browser; and in-case-of-emergency (ICE) settings round out the intentionally limited feature set. It also supports Bluetooth 3.0 for pairing with headsets and transferring photos.

As for … Read more

WhatsApp CEO: We're bigger than Twitter's 200M users

WhatsApp is bigger than Twitter, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum boasted today.

Koum, speaking at AllThingsD's mobile conference today, wouldn't talk about specific figures when it comes to usage, but he confirmed that the mobile messaging service topped Twitter's usage. Twitter declared in December that it had exceeded 200 million monthly users.

WhatsApp boasts an average of 8 billion inbound messages and 12 billion outbound messages a day, he said.

Koum also addressed the rumors that WhatsApp would be acquired, reiterating that the company wants to remain independent and doesn't really think about acquisition as an exit … Read more

Psy's 'Gangnam Style' sequel, 'Gentleman M/V,' hits YouTube

Psy's follow-up vid to the hyper-uber-gigantic "Gangnam Style" landed on YouTube today, and as of this writing it's garnered only a paltry 7 million viewings or so, with about 350,000 thumbs up and 38,000 thumbs down.

It's tough being an international sensation.

Of course, it's impossible to know if "Gentleman M/V" will top its predecessor's more than 1.5 billion views -- the most ever on YouTube -- but something tells us the preadolescent crowd will find one or two things to love here (things we're too … Read more

Apple reportedly settles iPhone warranty suit for $53M

Anyone who got into it with Apple over botched early versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch may be in the running to get some extra cash.

The hardware giant has agreed to shell out $53 million to settle a class action lawsuit originally filed against the company in 2010, according to Wired. The suit involved Apple vs. user warranty disputes.

Apparently, thousands of owners of the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, or the first three generations of the iPod Touch who unsuccessfully haggled with Apple to get their defective device replaced or repaired under warranty can submit claims … Read more

Crucial M500 brings SSD pricing to a new low

The dream of a solid-state drive that offers near 1TB of storage space without breaking the bank has just come true.

Crucial today announced the availability of the M500 SSD, its first terabyte-class drive, which comes in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB capacities and costs $129.99, $219.99, $399.99, and $599.99, respectively.

This is the first SSD on the market to offer close to 1TB at a cost close to that of most existing 480GB to 512GB SSDs.

According to Crucial, the M500 uses Micron's 20nm MLC NAND flash and Micron's custom firmware to deliver … Read more

Reddit's 'Explain Like I'm Five' videos star real 5-year-olds

Some subjects, like communism, zippers, and our long absence from the moon, can be a little hard to explain. That's when people turn to "Explain Like I'm Five," a Reddit group dedicated to breaking complex ideas down into understandable terms. While the group has been geared for adult readers, it has now morphed into a video series featuring real 5-year-olds.

The YouTube series kicks off with three entries. The topics covered are Syria, existentialism, and the stock market. If you can make a group of bored 5-year-olds understand these topics, you should be good to go for most adults, too.… Read more

Episode 30: A Chromebook Pixel drinking game!

I feel like I might be the only person in the world who loves the poor Chromebook Pixel. It's just so misunderstood, with its ridiculously high price, its tiny 32GB hard drive, and its odd 3:2 screen resolution. But the design is just so gorgeous (drink), and the touch screen is so exciting, and the Chrome OS is so simple and Web-based! Perhaps you'll fall in love like I did ... or be wildly skeptical like Jeff Cannata. Check out this week's Unboxing, and find out.

On the other hand, Jeff is delighted by the idea of … Read more