new year's

Like most folks, I've made "enthusiastic" commitments to be more resolute in staying healthy this year. Such crazy claims include getting off the buttocks and working out, eating healthy, and other life-changing nonsense. Recently, one of my friends started this diet called the TAO Diet, which stands for Ten and One. The premise is simple: You eat 10 salads and one meal of whatever you please. Then rinse and repeat.

I've come to realize that I'm an attention-seeking and easily distracted geek with a healthy track record of...falling off track. But rather than giving … Read more

Google is aiming to harness people's motivation to carry out their New Year's resolutions and then use that to help others achieve their goals. Be it lose weight, make more money, learn a new language, or travel more, users can see what people around the world are striving for on Google's new interactive resolution map.

"Research shows that you're more likely to achieve your resolutions if you write them down and have support," Google's Associate Product Marketing Manager Liz Wessel wrote in a blog post yesterday. "Try sharing your goals with communities … Read more

I could have been a better geek in 2012. When it comes down to it, there just aren't enough hours in a day to do all the gaming, social networking, rooting, modding, and general geekery we'd like to. When forced to make the choice between a family vacation or staying home to indulge in nerdy pleasures like crunching the data generated by the newly flashed firmware on my Wi-Fi router, that trusty old Linksys model and my other devices tend to be the ones that get scorned.

But I resolve that this New Year will be different. … Read more

Millions of Instagram users are documenting their night as confetti is thrown, party horns are blown, and revelers count down to 2013. The photo-sharing social network has decided to put all of these photos in one place -- a desktop-optimized New Year's Eve photo stream.

"We love seeing photos shared from all different parts of the world," Instagram wrote in a blog post today. "At instagram.com/nye, you can see photos from every part of the world as the clock strikes midnight in a given time zone."

Are you wondering how you're going to reach and maintain your fitness goals in the new year?

Fitness-tracking apps take advantage of your Android phone's GPS sensor and can track your route, pace, distance, and heart rate (with a supported heart rate monitor). Most of them also allow you to upload your stats so you can view your activity history. Going further, most of them even allow you to share your workouts on Twitter or Facebook, which is a great way to solicit encouragement from your friends and family.

Here are five popular fitness-tracking apps for your Android … Read more

Planning to cram yourself into Times Square on New Year's Eve with half a million of your closest funbuddies?

Kodak wants to help you kick the drunken revelry up a notch this year. Instead of just hanging out waiting for the energy-efficient ball to drop, you'll be able to upload photos of the festivities to a shared album on Kodak Gallery, which will then be live-streamed--though hopefully moderated--to the JumboTron atop the Marriott Marquis. … Read more

2012 is coming fast. It's time to quit smoking, cut out the cola calories, and start backing up your data on a regular basis--for real this time.

I know CNET readers will have some technology-related resolutions on their lists. Maybe you're planning to cut back on the 12 hours per day you spend on Skyrim. Maybe you're going to pick up one of the bajillion fitness gadgets that have hit the market recently.

Clink champagne glasses, watch the LED ball drop in Times Square, and enjoy your last few care-free minutes before your New Year's resolutions set in.… Read more

Early in my career, I was assigned as the production supervisor for CBS New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo (look it up, people under 40).

My assignment was not the fancy Waldorf Astoria where Guy and the band entertained high-paying New Year's Eve revelers. I was the "guy" who was freezing his butt off across town in Times Square at our little CBS mobile unit on 45th Street and Broadway.

The Guy Lombardo New Year's Eve special was the No. 1 New Year's Eve entertainment special for more than a decade, simulcast on TV … Read more

Think back to last year's resolutions--can you even remember what you resolved to achieve?

Me neither.

Change isn't easy, and when it comes to New Year's resolutions, most people spend more time planning their goals than pursuing them. It's the exact reason why fitness centers seem so packed in January and desolate by March.

But this year, if you're resolving to lose weight, eat healthier, read more books, or improve your life in any other way, consider doing it differently with the help of technology.

1. Tell your social network Make yourself accountable for your … Read more