Is it really possible to build an iPod recharger with a couple of standard AA batteries and an Altoids gum tin? This post gives step-by-step instructions to assemble what it says is a "very powerful USB charger for your MP3 player, camera, cell phone, and any other gadget you can plug into a USB port to charge." And if you have more spare tins lying around, you can try your hand at some other homemade gadgets.
Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.
Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.
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Software, Interrupted
Flexing the boundaries of flash memoryFlash memory is already a part of our daily computing lives. A breakthrough in flexible material may open many new market opportunities.
Gallery
Top-rated reviews of the week (photos)
Wireless
AT&T ceases online iPhone sales in NY areaCustomers with a New York area ZIP code trying to buy an iPhone on the wireless carrier's Web site are greeted with a message saying that there are no phones available. Is data congestion or credit card fraud to blame?
Beyond Binary
Visual Studio launch delayed by 'a few weeks'Microsoft says it's still working to resolve some performance issues related to the Visual Studio 2010 developer tool suite, which was slated for a March release.
Video
Behind the scenes of CBS's NFL coverage
Technically Incorrect
Escaped convict continues to update FacebookCraig "Lazie" Lynch has been on the run from a U.K. prison since September. However, he continues to taunt police by updating his Facebook status. Now he is threatening to quit.
Video
Deep-sea volcanic explosion--part 2 (video)
The Social
Facebook COO nominated to Disney boardSheryl Sandberg, who has been chief operating officer of the social network for nearly two years now, will join the board if shareholders approve in March.
The Space Shot
Soyuz craft docks, boosts space station crewA Russian Soyuz spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Tuesday after a smooth, automated approach, boosting the lab's crew back up to five.
Gallery
Lookout keeps an eye on mobile-device security (photos)
Crave
Reports: Panasonic battery to power homes for one weekPanasonic is planning to market a home-use storage cell that will supposedly hold enough juice to power a typical Japanese home for one week, according to reports.
Green Tech
Ford sees bump in hybrid salesCarmaker says its hybrid sales are up 67 percent this year, despite an 11 percent slump industrywide.
