milling

When I dropped by the Oswalds Mill Audio (OMA) showroom/loft space, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I'd heard OMA speakers at hi-fi shows and was always impressed by the sound, but the full immersion OMA experience was a very different trip. The wildly retro-futuristic designs looked more extreme than I remembered them. Jonathan Weiss, OMA's founder and CEO and also my tour guide put on quite a show, but not by hammering my ears with a high-decibel attack. I have no doubt Weiss' huge Imperia four-way horn speakers and 21-inch subwoofer could easily reproduce … Read more

For many, kitchen decor is a work in progress. Nothing wrong with that; in fact, it makes sense considering the room in question. Tastes change, recipes evolve, and something that tasted amazing the first time is not going to hold the same impact the next time. That being said, what goes around comes around, and sometimes an old classic compares to nothing -- especially when it comes in an updated version.

Once upon a time, wood-grain finish was popular with everything. Heavy earth tones and splashes of orange, yellow, and brown adorned every room including the kitchen and everything in … Read more

The debate over personal data on the Internet and how it is used is always heated, but it becomes even more so when it involves children.

Nearly two dozen children advocacy groups are reportedly teaming up this week to file at least five separate complaints with the Federal Trade Commission against some very large global corporations, such as McDonald's and General Mills, which heavily depend upon business from kids and their parents.

Specifically, the Web sites in question in the complaints are HappyMeal.com, Nick.com, ReesesPuffs.com, SubwayKids.com, TrixWorld.com, and CartoonNetwork.com.

Groups such as … Read more

If deck railings, shower innards, old bike wheels, and Nike sneakers can be made into musical instruments, why stop there?

In the grand tradition of making music from unlikely materials, students at the U.K.'s University of Manchester incorporated the sounds of a giant working steam mill engine into an original composition.

Three brass players accompanied the running twin Victoria and Alexandra engines (yes, they have names) at Ellenroad Mill in Rochdale, England, at a performance earlier this month. The brass players started with a fanfare, gathering speed as the 85-ton flywheel, which measures 28 feet in diameter, gradually roared to life to play its part in a piece by Simon Joyner, a Manchester master's student in composition. … Read more

In a win for animal shelters and dogs in general, puppy mill ads on Facebook are being pulled.

Oodle Classifieds, the company that powers the marketplace section of Facebook, has agreed to stop allowing ads on the popular social-networking site from people who breed dogs and sell them over the Internet, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Many puppies sold online come from breeders that keep dogs caged in unsanitary, overcrowded, and often cruel conditions without adequate veterinary care, food, water or socialization. Puppy mills that sell directly to people are exempt from … Read more

Preparing food creates a lot of waste. It's an unavoidable necessity; meats, fruits and vegetables all have parts that are inedible or undesirable. And that doesn't even bring into consideration the packaging that is necessary to get it all into our kitchens. It's what we do with that waste that we can control. Like make it grow into something beautiful (and delicious).

While it would be nice if all unwanted kitchen items (and cooking experiments) could be planted into the ground, hidden from view until they turned into something useful, sadly, that is not usually the case. … Read more

Few would question the impact that mergers and acquisitions have had on the IT landscape over the past year, and most people believe the acquisition trend will continue to heat up in 2011. Market consolidation is already happening with big companies getting bigger, and a host of start-ups are looking to carve out a niche.

One of the biggest consolidators via acquisition is IBM. Big Blue has acquired no less than 65 companies since 2003 and in an exclusive interview with CNET, IBM Senior VP and Group Executive Steve Mills told me the company will continue to look for acquisitions … Read more

I know it only seems like mincing piles of fresh herbs feels like it takes forever. It isn't that tough a task, but it can be made easier and faster with the Microplane Herb Mill. Just fill the mill with fresh, leafy herbs and with a twist of the handle, they are minced and ready to be added to all sorts of recipes. Add to tasty sauces, salad dressings, curries, soups, or just sprinkle over a finished plate as garnish. Best of all, the Microplane Herb Mill keeps your fingers away from blades.

The Microplane Herb Mill uses dual-action … Read more

This week: Probably one of the biggest stories of the year, if not the decade: Google vs China. On January 12, the search company announced it was pulling out of China. We're going to discuss why Google did that, what's new in the Google-China story, and what's likely to happen as this story continues to unfold.

Our guests today make up the impressive CNET reporting team covering this topic, and it's quite a feat to get them together at once. Here in the studio, from the Google beat: Tom Krazit. Covering security: Elinor Mills. And connecting from Washington, D.C., via Skype, politics and policy writer Declan McCullagh.