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Vizio S4251w-B4 review: A sterling sound bar for surround-sound devotees

Nearly every sound bar claims it can create faux surround sound without extra speakers, and with a few exceptions, those claims are always overhyped.

The Vizio S4251w-B4 ($330 list) is one of the very few sound bar systems on the market that can deliver true surround sound, precisely because it augments the traditional sound bar/subwoofer configuration with two rear speakers. The combination delivers some of the best sound we've heard from a budget sound bar, and nothing at this price competes in terms of immersive home theater sound. The rest of the package is polished, too, with a … Read more

Samsung announces WB750 18x compact camera

If you're looking for the most lens in a small body, the new Samsung WB750 might do the trick. It offers an 18x f3.2-5.8 24-432mm zoom lens (35mm equivalent) in a camera that can squeeze in a pants pocket. Now, whether that's a good thing will come down to its photo quality.

To help with that, Samsung used a 12-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor. Samsung says it's a proprietary sensor, but doesn't really mention what that brings to the table. It seems to do all of the things that other BSI CMOS sensors do, including … Read more

ViewSonic's VP2365wb fails to see the light

We get in a lot of 16:9 monitors, but this is the first we've gotten that didn't have a TN-based panel. The 23-inch wide-screen ViewSonic VP2365wb monitor has an Enhanced In-Plane Switching panel (E-IPS).

E-IPS panels usually have improved viewing angles over TNs, especially from the lower angle. The VP2365wb does, indeed, have the type of viewing angle you'd expect from an IPS model, but its brightness leaves a bit to be desired.

Check out the full review. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the monitor product door for new monitor reviews every week.… Read more

Lego Rock Band: When franchises breed

Do you feel like you need one more music game for the holidays? It's getting pretty strained, isn't it, between The Beatles: Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, Band Hero, and now this very family-friendly-oriented spin on Harmonix' franchise, Lego Rock Band. Taking two gaming hits--games based on Lego, and Rock Band--and combining them sounds like a slam dunk, but how does this all work out? We played it and have our thoughts.

Good news: you won't need new instruments. Lego Rock Band uses the same drum/mic/guitar compatibility system that's finally starting to become an industry norm. The other fun thing about Lego Rock Band is its weird, whimsical settings and sense of humor. All the Lego games, from Indiana Jones to Star Wars, have shared a Charlie Chaplin-ish winking humor with frequently cute/bizarre overtones, and the rock "battles" aboard pirate ships and other settings makes for music videos worth watching in the background. Other than that, it's standard Rock Band stuff. The game is developed by TT Games, the group responsible for all the other Lego titles, so it feels consistently similar to what you might be expecting, except with a Rock Band engine attached.

Bad news: 45 included tracks span pop and mainstream, and the game will also access the online catalog of Rock Band DLC tracks--but only ones that are considered family-friendly. That means some songs won't make the import cut. The censorship is annoying, but the Lego versions of rock stars almost make it worth it.… Read more

Atheros releases first Wireless-N/Bluetooth combo minicard

Generally, wireless functions--such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular data, and so on--are added to your portable computer via add-in cards. These cards share the same PCI standard as other PCI add-in cards found in desktop computers, but they are much smaller in size.

Though small, there are only so many add-in cards a laptop, and especially a Netbook, can accommodate. For this reason, what Atheros, a known maker of wireless solutions, introduced Tuesday is a significant development.

The company announced Tuesday the industry's first single-stream 802.11n and Bluetooth combo solution on a Half MiniCard form factor for the PC … Read more

TheWB.com: Big media's beacon of hope?

DANA POINT, Calif.--For an event populated with digital media's self-styled futurists, there is a whole lot of talk at the WebbyConnect conference about a defunct television network.

Marketers, ad gurus, and production types alike showed a notable level of interest in TheWB.com, a video site launched by Warner Bros. this summer as a digital replacement for the youth-oriented television network that it shut down in 2006. Available on the new site are archived Warner Bros. shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's Creek, as well as new just-for-the-Web series like Sorority Forever, which stars Jessica … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 713: Chore Wars--The Cleanening

There can be only one (see Highlander II, you n00bs) MMORPG that makes you clean your room. And we have found it. Chore Wars. Also, iPhone comes to Canada and we go green: new Prius talk, disappearing ink to save on energy and people, and how to stop buying CDs (uh, once the labels get on board). Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 713

XP SP3 is out today! (oh wait… never mind)

iPhone coming to Canada http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9931208-7.html

Psystar in the wild http://gizmodo.com/384526/exclusive-video-psystar-in-the-wild

OQO hacked to run Leopard, now world’… Read more