Crave

(Credit: Google)

One of the highlights of Android 2.0 has been the Google Maps Navigation app that delivers voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation on your phone for free. Until now, only Motorola Droid owners could take advantage of this sweet perk, but times they are a-changing.

On Monday, Google announced that its navigation app is now available for devices running Android 1.6 and higher, including the T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G. While still in beta, the app provides voice-guided directions between two points, traffic information, and business searches.

This release also includes a new Layers feature that lets you overlay more information on the map, such as transit lines and Wikipedia articles about places, but it does not support the "Navigate to" voice command feature found on Android 2.0, so you'll have to input all your destinations using your phone's keyboard.

Google Maps Navigation for Android 1.6 is now available for download from the Android Market. Unlike other navigation apps or location-based services from the likes of TomTom, Garmin, and ... Read more

T-Mobile MyTouch 3G

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Just a couple of weeks after Google released its Android 1.6 SDK to developers, T-Mobile began its official roll out of Android 1.6 (aka Donut) to T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile MyTouch 3G owners on Thursday.

The update will be delivered to customers over the coming days, and though it's not considered to be a major upgrade to the operating system, Android 1.6 does bring a number of new features and enhancements and fixes a bug that would reboot the phone after dialing 911.

Highlights of Donut include:

• An improved Android Market
• Quick Search Box, which lets you search across various apps, such as browser bookmarks and history, contacts, and the Web, right from the home screen
• Updated voice search
• Integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery
• Battery usage indicator

2,048x1,152 resolution? It has it.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

I've talked a lot about 16:9 lately. Some people like it, others don't. For me, it depends on the monitor. For example, I love the idea of a 16:9, 23-inch monitor like the Dell SP2309W running at a super high native resolution of 2048x1152. Or even a 21.5-incher like the Lenovo L215p running at 1,920x1,080.

On the other hand, a 20-inch, 16:9-er like the HP 2009m running at 1,600x900, is a little disconcerting when a 16:10 20-incher would have a slightly larger 1,680x1,050 resolution.

Anyway, choosing which aspect ratio is right for you can be a little tricky, depending on your needs. If you're comfortable with 16:9, check out CNET's top-rated 16:9 monitors. Only monitors we've actually reviewed have been selected.

Also, be sure to keep your eye out for the latest LCD monitor reviews.

A pleasing design, if nothing else. (There is something else, though...a few things, actually.)

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

It's been awhile since we've reviewed a Gateway monitor. The last one was the 19-inch Gateway HD1900 and over a year ago I reviewed the Gateway FHD2400. We skipped the FHD2401 model, as it didn't really offer much that was new.

The FHD2402 is a different story. The biggest change is its move from a 16:10 aspect ratio--with an accompanying resolution of 1,920x1,200--to a 16:9 aspect ratio and a lower resolution of 1,920x1,080. The reason for this change is to bring LCD computer monitors closer to HDTVs in terms of capabilities. A 16:9 monitor can display a full screen 16:9 Blu-ray or digital movie shot in 1.85:1, without stretching the image to fit the screen. A 16:10 monitor will need to stretch the same movie's image a bit to get it to full screen and without any black bars.

So, ... Read more

(Credit: MSI)

The 2009 budget train continues, as MSI has just announced a back-to-school lineup of 16- and 17-inch additions to the Classic C Series notebook line, promising starting prices as low as $549. What's new and notable here is that the 17.3-inch models all have 1600x900 resolutions, which is a nice upgrade from the 1366x768 we're used to seeing on budget machines. Even more intriguingly, the 16-inch CR600-017 includes a Blu-ray/DVD drive for hi-def movie watching (but sadly and quizzically, only a 1366x768 resolution on that one). But this is the kicker: it only costs $649.

All machines also feature ATI or Nvidia graphics of some sort--the CX600 and CX700 models have ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 graphics cards with 512MB RAM, while the CR600 and CR700 models have Nvidia GeForce 8200M GPUs.

There is one caveat, however: all these laptops have Pentium Dual Core T4200 and T4300 processors. Therein lies the discount. However, it could be an excellent compromise for those who value some multimedia and screen size over processor

Windows 7 64-bit will soon take over desktop computers.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Consumers have had the option of 64-bit Windows computing since the release of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition in May 2005, four years after the release of Windows XP 32-bit. At the end of 2006, Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit versions were released simultaneously. Yet chances are you're currently using a machine that runs the 32-bit version of Windows.

This is about to change. Windows 64-bit has started to gain a significant foothold in the past two years as more systems ship with 3GB or more of memory. However, with Windows 7, 64-bit computing is likely to become even more common.

What's the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit computing? In a nutshell, the numbers refer to the amount of bits a computer can process in one computation. They also translate into the amount of random access memory (RAM) a computer can address. A 32-bit Windows computer can address a maximum of 4GB of RAM, while a 64-bit Windows machine can address up to 128GB and even more (64-bit applications can address theoretically up to 16 billion gigabytes of memory). So the higher number of bit means better computing, both in terms of precision and capability.

Despite the potential, the transition to the new platform has been slow. This is because of the high price of RAM and the lack of device drivers and 64-bit software applications. (Drivers are a special type of software that make hardware components work with the operating system. Without the sound driver, for example, your computer wouldn't be able to play music.)

Back when Windows Vista was released, 2GB of RAM, which is the recommended amount to make Vista run properly, could easily cost a couple hundred dollars. (This is one of the reasons Vista failed so badly as a new OS release.) There was virtually no 64-bit application then, either, other than a few game demos, and most hardware vendors didn't provide the 64-bit version of the drivers. Apart from this, 32-bit computers have been able to satisfy most of our daily computing needs.

Although the very sleek-looking H235H will not manipulate time and space, it at least looks like it could.

(Credit: Acer)

For the most part, I'm really loving this era of 16:9 LCD computer monitors. The fact that we can get a 21.5- or 23-inch monitor with a resolution of 1,920x1,080, can't be a bad thing since previously monitors of those sizes would have topped out at 1,680x1,050 in 16:10. While I have a little something to say about 20-inchers with 16:9, for the most part I'm happy.

Today, Acer continues the trend of giving us more pixels by announcing the Acer H235H. It's a 23-inch LCD computer monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1,920x1,080 resolution.

According to Acer, the monitor includes a 2ms response time, 300 cd/m2 brightness and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio. That last number can mostly likely be attributed to its dynamic contrast ratio however.

The display features Acer's SensorTouch technology. Which ... Read more

Warning: This is not its actual size.

(Credit: RIM/BlackBerry)

It's only been about a month and a half since RIM released the last update to Facebook for Blackberry (and then a fix to that update just after that), and BlackBerry's maker has already come out with a more streamlined version of the popular social networking app it codeveloped with Facebook's help.

Facebook for BlackBerry 1.6 folds its status feed content, originally in its own screen, right onto the home page. The result is immediate access to view your friends' status update, and a slightly quicker way to update your own status message. The same goes for poking a friend or commenting on their photos.

Use the pearl to scroll through friends' photos.

(Credit: RIM/BlackBerry)

In addition, the app update removes some of the hassle in the previous version of getting to your pal's Wall. Instead of having to switch to the mobile site to view it in its glory, a click to your buddy's profile picture ... Read more

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

I am a fan of practicality. The only reason I have the key fob that I've been carrying around for a while is because it also works as a beer bottle opener. But I am about to replace that with something I could use a lot more frequently, and which won't make me fat.

The CableCar USB drive is yet another design from Active Media. This time it's a miniature of a San Francisco cable car, measuring only 2 inches long by 1.2 inches wide by 0.8 inch deep. It's a rather accurate replica of the kind of vintage cable car you're likely to run into on many San Francisco streets. The drive comes in two color combinations: blue/red or green/red.

The body of the drive is made of hardened rubber, which protects its stored contents from damage. It also comes with a hook on which to set the detachable part when the drive is open or in use.

Other than that, ... Read more