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November 17, 2008 4:57 PM PST

Adobe soups up Photoshop with Pixel Bender

by Stephen Shankland
  • 3 comments

Pixel Bender enables a new range of effects sped by a PC's graphics chip.

Pixel Bender enables a new range of effects sped by a PC's graphics chip.

(Credit: Adobe Systems)

Adobe Systems on Monday launched a technology called Pixel Bender that brings new effects to Photoshop--and some new work for computers' often-idle graphics chips.

Pixel Bender, presently an Adobe Labs project, is a new engine for enabling many image transformations. Examples include a kaleidoscopic hall-of-mirrors effect, a twirled distortion effect, a fisheye lens effect, and a ray-tracing effect. Some effects are available at the Pixel Bender Exchange.

... Read more
Originally posted at Underexposed
November 11, 2008 6:35 AM PST

Adobe delays Photoshop.com, CS4 goodies

by Stephen Shankland
  • Post a comment

Adobe Systems has delayed by a few weeks the release of some upgrades to its Photoshop.com online service and to its high-end Photoshop CS4 software.

The upcoming Photoshop site upgrades include features to import address book entries from Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and Gmail to improve photo sharing; an uploading tool to synchronize software on a person's PC with the version stored online; and new pricing options. They had been due Tuesday but now will go live "later this month," Adobe said in a statement Monday night.

Also slipping a few weeks is the Photoshop CS4 Configurator, a tool to let people create customized control panels for the image-editing software. It had been due in October, but now it and another new CS4 option, the Pixel Bender filter gallery, won't debut until later in November, John Nack, senior product manager for Photoshop, said in a blog post. Pixel Bender is a technology enabling high-performance special effects that Adobe hopes will be easier to use than earlier plug-in filter technology.

"We decided to give both tools a little extra bake time, so look for them to appear on Adobe Labs within the next two weeks," Nack said. "Also stay tuned for a Camera Raw update for CS4 that'll include a number of nice little surprises."

Originally posted at Underexposed
September 17, 2007 12:40 PM PDT

Vote: Battle of the nonviolent robots (The Elite 1000)

by Tim Moynihan
  • 1 comment

Get your printer-friendly bracket and start your own high-stakes office pool. For you, free.

Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Final Four matchups here.

Get it now! Your updated, printer-friendly tournament bracket.

This is why they call it Late September Lack-of-Sanity. Upsets, upsets, upsets were the theme of last week's nonviolent robot vote-battles, and only two No. 1 seeds are still in the mix.

Which nonviolent robots will win their division finals and go on to the Final Four? Vote for the winners right now; you have until Sept. 23 to vote on these Elite 1000 matchups.

============================
PROTOTYPE DIVISION FINALS
============================

(Credit: Honda.com)

(Credit: John W. Cornwell)

(1) Asimo vs. (4) Beer-Launching Fridge
In the most intriguing matchup of the Elite 1000, Honda's amazingly smooth astronaut-looking robot takes on a mini-fridge that launches frosty cans of beer. This one really could go either way. Asimo should take the lion's share of robotics enthusiasts' votes, while the Beer-Launching Fridge should capture the hearts and minds of beer aficionados. Like the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl and the Lakers-Pistons NBA Finals, this is a classic finesse vs. blue-collar grit matchup. Will pure heart (and beer) win out over sophisticated technological prowess? You make the call.

(1) Asimo vs. (4) Beer-Launching Fridge: Who wins the Prototype Division championship?

 Asimo
 Beer-Launching Fridge

==========================
CONSUMER DIVISION FINALS
==========================

(Credit: Caleb Goessling)

(Credit: Mobile-review.com)

(6) Nintendo R.O.B. vs. (2) Sony QRIO
If only Nintendo R.O.B's sales had been as strong as its tourney showing thus far. The Cinderella story 6 seed has breezed its way through two "better" opponents, the top-seeded Pleo dinosaur robot and the 3-seed WowWee Alive Chimpanzee. Sony's humanoid QRIO robot had no problem in the first round, crushing 2-XL by a comfortable 50 percentage points. But QRIO's second-round match against Robosapien was the closest of the tourney so far; QRIO squeaked out a 51-49 win. Did last week's close battle get QRIO's competitive juices flowing to the fullest, or is it a sign of vulnerability? After two easy victories, is R.O.B. primed for a letdown? It's game time; cast your vote.

(6) Nintendo R.O.B. vs. (2) Sony QRIO: Who wins the Consumer Division championship?

 Nintendo R.O.B.
 Sony QRIO

=====================
MOVIE DIVISION FINALS
=====================

(Credit: Johnny-Five.com)

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (5) Johnny Five
Finally, it looks like Marvin has shaken the depression and is playing to his full potential. A 79-21 trouncing of Spaceballs' Dot Matrix in round one was just an appetizer for an impressive 57-43 win over the over-hyped C-3PO in the Sweet Sixteen. That said, Johnny Five-seed shouldn't be overlooked. The Short Circuit robot has nothing to lose, and a 50-percentage-point trouncing of A.I.'s Teddy in the first round and an 85-15 thrashing of D.A.R.Y.L. in the round of 16 shows that he brought his A-game. Johnny Five is alive...but will he still be after this Elite 1000 tete-a-tete with big number 42? Vote now for a winner.

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (5) Johnny Five: Who wins the Movie Division championship?

 Marvin the Paranoid Android
 Johnny Five

===================
TV DIVISION FINALS
===================

(Credit: StarTrek.com)

(6) Data vs. (2) Bender
From Star Wars geeks to Dr. Who-ligans, this year's tourney saw no shortage of rabid fanbases. The TV Division championship ensures that there will be no love lost between Trekkies and Futurama freaks. The 6-seeded Commander Data is at the top of his game, ripping Twiki a new Dr. Theopolis port 81-19 in the Sweet Sixteen and jacking KITT by a comfortable 32-point margin in the first round. But can he out-muscle Bender? The hard-drinking Futurama bot defeated two robots in the first round and hasn't looked back since. He dogged K-9 by a score of 78-22 in the second round, and if he can get past Data, the dream matchup of Bender vs. Beer-Launching Fridge for all the marbles could become a reality. Who will win the TV Division? Your vote counts.

(6) Data vs. (2) Bender: Who wins the TV Division championships?

 Data
 Bender

====

Last week's results

PROTOTYPE DIVISION

(1) Asimo 84
(3) OmniZero.4 16

(4) Beer-Launching Fridge 67
(2) Keepon 33

CONSUMER DIVISION

(6) Nintendo R.O.B. 62
(1) Pleo 38

(2) Sony QRIO 51
(4) Robosapien 49

MOVIE DIVISION

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android 57
(6) C-3PO 43

(5) Johnny Five 85
(2) D.A.R.Y.L. 15

TV DIVISION

(6) Data 81
(1) Twiki 19

(2) Bender 78
(5) K-9 22

September 10, 2007 4:00 AM PDT

Vote: Battle of the nonviolent robots (The Sweet Sixteen)

by Tim Moynihan
  • 14 comments

Get your own full-size printer-friendly bracket and start your own high-stakes office pool.

Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Elite Eight matchups here.

Get it now! Your full-size, printer-friendly tournament bracket.

And then there were 16.

These robots don't want to fight. That's why you have to pick the winners. After two weeks of "battling" it out, our field of nonviolent robots is down to 16 competitors.

Voting is open from now until Sept. 17. Check back then for the results of this round and vote on the Elite Eight matchups.

===================
PROTOTYPE DIVISION
===================

(Credit: Honda.com)

1. Asimo
Fittingly pronounced "awesome-o," Honda's amazing humanoid bipedal robot, is this year's tourney favorite, and with good reason. It's already been inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. It climbs stairs. It looks like an astronaut. And most unfortunately for its opponents, it has some pretty sweet dance moves, as this video can attest.

(Credit: Robot Watch)

3. OmniZero.4
The demonstration-winning robot from this year's Robo-One 11 event in Japan is built for entertainment. Known to his friends as "Li'l Clompy," OmniZero.4 climbs ladders, skips rope, breaks the hell out of eggs, and politely bows. Sure, he can be physically intimidating if you're an egg or 1 foot tall, but everyone else can just kick him into a swimming pool if he gets confrontational.

(1) Asimo vs. (3) OmniZero.4: Who wins?

 Asimo
 OmniZero.4

====

(Credit: John W. Cornwell)

4. Beer-Launching Fridge
Another robot that could potentially do some damage if you're not paying attention, the Beer-Launching Fridge holds up to 10 cans of delicious beer and flings them to you so you don't even have to get up. Unfortunately, at this point, you'll have to know designer John W. Cornwell personally, because he has the only one. But he may build more. One can hope, or at least buddy up to him on Facebook.

(Credit: BeatBots.org)

2. Keepon
The robotic star of two Spoon videos (one unofficial one, and one official one) has the most soul of any Nerf robot we've ever seen. In addition to bass (which it picks up through its nose mic), the secret to Hideki Kozima and Marek Michalowski's head-bobbing robot is in its base. Base! How low can you go?

(4) Beer-Launching Fridge vs. (2) Keepon: Who wins?

 Beer-Launching Fridge
 Keepon

=========================
CONSUMER DIVISION
=========================

(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)

1. Pleo
When most people consider the concept of a robotic dinosaur, thoughts of mechanical T. rexes and velociraptors duking it out on a rickety bridge over a flaming pool of tar come to mind. Ugobe's Pleo is about as far away from that image as possible. He's cute, cuddly, "learns" things as time passes, develops moods and personality traits, makes grunting noises, and is slated to be in stores in October for around $250. However, the robot version of Carl Everett doesn't think Pleo exists.

(Credit: Caleb Goessling)

6. Nintendo R.O.B.
Any votes for R.O.B. will come straight from nostalgia, because Nintendo's game-playing robot sure didn't have many gaming skills. With only two compatible NES games (the forgettable "Gyromite" and "Stack-Up") and molasses-slow movements, R.O.B. was rarely part of any old-school gaming session beyond his first foray out of the box. These days, R.O.B. has hung up his Gyro Blocks and now has his own MySpace page.

(1) Pleo vs. (6) Nintendo R.O.B.: Who wins?

 Pleo
 Nintendo R.O.B.

====

(Credit: WowWee)

4. Robosapien
Another selection from the ultracompetitive WowWee Conference, Robosapien has a bunch of tricks. Namely, belching, farting, caveman noises, dancing, and more farting. That's a nice little repertoire for $50, and Robosapien's hacker-friendly innards have paved the way for some sweet mods. This is another dark horse with an enthusiastic fan base that may propel it to the late rounds. It is also good at farting.

(Credit: Mobile-review.com)

2. Sony QRIO
Hey, where's Aibo? Sorry. Sony's robo-dog was pummeled in the Sony conference finals by this lesser-known humanoid robot. Face and voice recognition, communication skills, and memory were some of QRIO's noticeable traits, but its smooth, fluid dancing moves (showcased in this Beck video) were QRIO's main drawing point. Development on the robot was halted before it hit store shelves, but you can't blame that on QRIO.

(4) Robosapien vs. (2) Sony QRIO: Who wins?

 Robosapien
 Sony QRIO

=================
MOVIE DIVISION
=================

1. Marvin the Paranoid Android (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
The only robot in this year's competition that is (allegedly) the subject of a Radiohead song, Marvin's vast intellect is both his strength and his vulnerability. He may be too mired in depression and bored with this trivial tournament to even put up a good nonfight, or he may completely destroy the competition by employing his 5.5 million IQ. Either way, the championship is there for big number 42's taking if he wants it badly enough.

(Credit: StarWars.com)

6. C-3PO
Decisions, decisions...Would you cast a vote for C-3PO just because you love Star Wars? Or does this droid's incessant nattering and worrying grate on your last nerve? Threepio's fate could go either way in this competition, which makes him one of the more intriguing tourney competitors. Two things I will say for C-3PO: No one would understand most of the stuff R2-D2 said without his reactionary dialogue, and his Halloween costume is best accompanied by creative use of jazz hands.

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (6) C-3PO: Who wins?

 Marvin the Paranoid Android
 C-3PO

====

(Credit: Johnny-Five.com)

5. Johnny Five (Short Circuit 2)
He may be "alive," but he's still a robot. Johnny Five's distinction in the tournament, other than his unparalleled knowledge of pop culture and classic literature, is that he's the only robot that has been arrested. For the purposes of nonviolence, it's important to note that this is the Short Circuit 2 version of Johnny Five, the one with the toolbox instead of an on-board laser.

(Credit: Amazon.com)

2. D.A.R.Y.L.
Whereas most movie robots can just crush anyone mercilessly with a combination of brute force and laser beams, D.A.R.Y.L. takes a more down-to-earth approach. He will obliterate your high score in Pole Position, make any Little League pitcher's ERA balloon to double digits, and ruin the grading curve on tests.

(5) Johnny Five vs. (2) D.A.R.Y.L.: Who wins?

 Johnny Five
 D.A.R.Y.L.

=================
TV DIVISION
=================

(Credit: Toyshow.org)

1. Twiki (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Despite the bidibidi-bad haircut and the inconsistent silver-or-gold color scheme, Twiki is a player to be reckoned with. The reason for such a high seed? Twiki's actually a double threat, thanks to the fact that he wears another robot--Dr. Theopolis--on his chest like Flavor Flav's clock. Yeaaaaah bidibidi-boyeeeeeeee.

(Credit: StarTrek.com)

6. Data (Star Trek)
Commander Data may have lacked emotions for most of his run, but he definitely can win people's hearts. His childlike innocence combined with the most powerful positonic net-powered brain ever gives him an idiot savantish lovability. Combatants should keep in mind what Tasha Yar found out: Commander Data is fully functional. (Commander Data scouting report written by resident Trekkie Tom Merritt.)

(1) Twiki vs. (6) Data: Who wins?

 Twiki
 Data

====

5. K-9 (Dr. Who)
Yes, K-9 has a laser in his nose, but he ain't gonna use it unless the good doctor tells him to. His top weapons are intelligence and mobile database serving. What K-9 lacks in visual sophistication, the robot dog more than makes up for in sheer loyalty. All that persistence has paid off for K-9, too: He's getting his own spinoff series in 2008.

2. Bender (Futurama)
With Bender, the TV Division has one of the most potentially violent nonviolent robots in the competition. Bender's personality is a volatile cocktail that could blow a fuse at any second: He drinks with the best of them, has a smart mouth, and enjoys bending things. The Futurama star may also have the biggest fan base in the tourney.

(5) K-9 vs. (2) Bender: Who wins?

 K-9
 Bender

Last week's results

All scores represent percentage of votes, but let's pretend it's like a basketball game.

============
Movie Division
============

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android 79
(8) Dot Matrix 21

(3) Robby the Robot 36
(6) C-3PO 64

(4) Teddy 25
(5) Johnny Five 75

(2) D.A.R.Y.L. 58
(7) Woody Allen 42

============
TV Division
============

(1) Twiki 60
(8) Vicki 40

(3) KITT 34
(6) Data 66

(4) Muffit II 63
(5) K-9 37

(2) Bender 73
(7) Crow T. Robot 15
(7) Tom Servo 12

September 2, 2007 12:46 PM PDT

Vote: Battle of the nonviolent robots (Round 1, Part 2)

by Tim Moynihan
  • 1 comment

Voting is now closed for this round. See the results of these battles here and vote on the Sweet Sixteen matchups here.

These robots don't want to fight. That's why you have to pick the winners. Here's part two of the first round of our grand tournament, featuring robots from the movies and TV. All you have to do is vote for the winners.

Voting is open from now until next Monday, September 10. Check back then for the results of this round, exciting second-round matchups, and a couple of surprises.

=================
MOVIE DIVISION
=================

1. Marvin the Paranoid Android (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
The only robot in this year's competition that is (allegedly) the subject of a Radiohead song, Marvin's vast intellect is both his strength and his vulnerability. He may be too mired in depression and bored with this trivial tournament to even put up a good non-fight, or he may completely destroy the competition by employing his 5.5 million IQ. Either way, the championship is there for big number 42's taking if he wants it badly enough.

8. Dot Matrix (Spaceballs)
Voiced annoyingly by Joan Rivers, this Spaceballs bot may meet its inspiration, C-3PO, in the second round. It'll be tough for either of them to get there, though. As much of a cult classic as Mel Brooks' Star Wars parody is, we're betting that there are a lot more blue-blooded Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy aficionados in the Crave audience. We might be wrong.

(1) Marvin the Paranoid Android vs. (8) Dot Matrix: Who wins?

 Marvin the Paranoid Android
 Dot Matrix

====

(Credit: U. of Michigan Science Fiction Filmsite)

3. Robby the Robot
Making his debut in the 1956 film The Forbidden Planet, the semi-ubiquitous Robby the Robot also did some guest spots on TV's "Mork and Mindy," "Lost in Space," and even "The Simpsons." In addition to simply being a classic, Robby made the tournament due to his inner conflict about killing a human in The Forbidden Planet. The hardest-working robot in show biz is a hall-of-famer, too; Robby made the Robot Hall of Fame in 2004.

(Credit: StarWars.com)

6. C-3PO
Decisions, decisions...Would you cast a vote for C-3PO just because you love Star Wars? Or does this droid's incessant nattering and worrying grate on your last nerve? Threepio's fate could go either way in this competition, which makes this first-round battle one of the more intriguing in the tourney. Two things I will say for C-3PO: no one would understand most of the stuff R2-D2 said without his reactionary dialogue, and his Halloween costume is best accompanied by creative use of jazz hands.

(3) Robby the Robot vs. (6) C-3PO: Who wins?

 Robby the Robot
 C-3PO

====

(Credit: IGN)

4. Teddy (A.I.)
He may smell like Haley Joel Osment's armpit, but the animatronic teddy bear from Steven Spielberg's A.I. steals scenes and hearts like it's nobody's business. Stanley Kubrick worked on A.I. for years before handing the project off to Spielberg before his death. Part of Kubrick's vision for the film was that the robots in the film would be played by actual robots, but the real world never quite caught up to his vision. As this video shows, Teddy came closest to that reality.

(Credit: Johnny-Five.com)

5. Johnny Five (Short Circuit 2)
He may be "alive," but he's still a robot. Johnny Five's distinction in the tournament, other than his unparalleled knowledge of pop culture and classic literature, is that he's the only robot that has been arrested. For the purposes of nonviolence, it's important to note that this is the Short Circuit 2 version of Johnny Five, the one with the toolbox instead of an on-board laser.

(4) Teddy vs. (5) Johnny Five: Who wins?

 Teddy
 Johnny Five

====

(Credit: Amazon.com)

2. D.A.R.Y.L.
Whereas most movie robots can just crush anyone mercilessly with a combination of brute force and laser beams, D.A.R.Y.L. takes a more down-to-earth approach. He will obliterate your high score in Pole Position, make any Little League pitcher's ERA balloon to double digits, and ruin the grading curve on tests. There may be a deeper story brewing here, too; Barret Oliver, who played the boy robot in the 1985 film, also did a couple of guest spots on "Knight Rider" in the '80s. D.A.R.Y.L. may run into KITT in the later rounds.

(Credit: MikeReger.net)

7. Woody Allen in Sleeper
OK, OK, so he's not really a robot. But when Woody Allen disguises himself as a robot butler in this 1973 film, some of the best robot hijinks in film history ensue: crappy foot-shuffling, semi-robotic hand gestures, and people passing around a silver orb that produces orgasms. I couldn't find any of the relevant Sleeper clips on YouTube, but this guy does a pretty good impersonation of the walking schtick.

(2) D.A.R.Y.L. vs. (7) Woody Allen: Who wins?

 D.A.R.Y .L.
 Woody Allen

=================
TV DIVISION
=================

(Credit: Toyshow.org)

1. Twiki (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)
Despite the bidibidi-bad haircut and the inconsistent silver-or-gold color scheme, Twiki is a player to be reckoned with. The reason for such a high seed? Twiki's actually a double threat, thanks to the fact that he wears another robot--Dr. Theopolis--on his chest like Flavor Flav's clock. Yeaaaaah bidibidi-boyeeeeeeee.

(Credit: PopHangover.com)

8. Vicki (Small Wonder)
Hey, remember Small Wonder? Who could forget this visionary, superbly acted sitcom, which delved into the subtle intricacies of in-home robotics by personifying them in the form of the archetypical Vicki. Despite her brute strength and endless sass, if Vicki had any violent instincts, the Lawsons' neighbor Harriet (and all the show's writers) would have been toast by episode three. Vicki's greatest contribution to the world, however, is inspiring this in-depth written analysis of the plausibility of her various powers.

(1) Twiki vs. (8) Vicki: Who wins?

 Twiki
 Vicki

====

3. KITT (Knight Rider)
Technically, KITT is more of a souped-up car than a robot, but anything that carries around The Hoff is automatically granted robot status. Plus, KITT could smell, see, hear, use x-ray vision, talk, take your blood pressure, perform drug tests, and kick it with The Hoff. Yes, KITT had flame throwers and lasers, but those needed to be manually operated by The Hoff. Anyone who still disagrees that KITT should be in this tournament should talk to The Hoff.

(Credit: StarTrek.com)

6. Data (Star Trek)
Commander Data may have lacked emotions for most of his run, but he definitely can win people's hearts. His childlike innocence combined with the most powerful positonic net-powered brain ever gives him an idiot savantish lovability. Combatants should keep in mind what Tasha Yar found out: Commander Data is fully functional. (Commander Data scouting report written by resident Trekkie Tom Merritt.)

(3) KITT vs. (6) Data: Who wins?

 KITT
 Data

====

(Credit: Battlestar Wiki)

4. Muffit II (Battlestar Galactica)
It's a dog-eat-dog world, even when it comes to nonviolent robot battles. Muffit II, the Daggit from Battlestar Galactica, has the upper seed on his first-round robotic canine opponent for one simple fact: he's also half robotic bear. Also helping Muffit's cause is the fact that there was a trained chimp inside his costume. For some reason, Daggit didn't make it to the fancy new Battlestar Galactica series, probably due to widespread robo-rabies concerns.

5. K-9 (Dr. Who)
Yes, K-9 has a laser in his nose, but he ain't gonna use it unless the good doctor tells him to. His top weapons are intelligence and mobile database serving. What K-9 lacks in visual sophistication, the robot dog more than makes up for in sheer loyalty. All that persistence has paid off for K-9, too: he's getting his own spinoff series in 2008.

(4) Muffit II vs. (5) K-9: Who wins?

 Muffit II
 K-9

====

2. Bender (Futurama)
With Bender and KITT in the same bracket, the TV Division has the two most potentially violent nonviolent robots in the competition. Bender's personality is a volatile cocktail that could blow a fuse at any second: he drinks with the best of them, has a smart mouth, and enjoys bending things. The Futurama star may also have the biggest fan base in the tourney, but his cult following is fiercely rivalled by his first-round opponent: the smarmy bots from MST 3K.

7. Crow T. Robot/Tom Servo (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
Ah yes, this MST 3K play-in game may cause the geekiest of geeks' heads to spontaneously combust. Oh, the horror of deciding between bowling-pin-headed Crow's Monty Python references and gumball-machine-headed Servo's Lord of the Rings references. Only one can advance. Just to pack some more cult-status hair-pulling into your decision, Tom Servo made a brief cameo in an episode of Homestar Runner, while both appear in an episode of Futurama...an episode, coincidentally, about a robot battle.

(2) Bender vs. (7) Crow T. Robot vs. (7) Tom Servo: Who wins?

 Bender
 Crow T. Robot
 Tom Servo

====

Last week's results: Prototype Division

All scores represent percentage of votes, but let's pretend it's like a basketball game.

(1) Asimo 91
(8) Partner Ballroom Dance Robot 9

(3) OmniZero.4 58
(6) Motoman 42

(4) Beer-Launching Fridge 56
(5) The Rock-Afire Explosion 44

(2) Keepon 64
(7) Tiro 36

Last week's results: Consumer Division

(1) Pleo 71
(8) Hello Kitty Robot 29

(6) Nintendo R.O.B. 59
(3) WowWee Alive Chimpanzee 41

(4) Robosapien 74
(5) Necoro 26

(2) Sony QRIO 75
(7) 2-XL 25

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Rubik's cubers compete

Puzzlers from around the world descend upon Stanford University for 18 mind-boggling events.



Kicking off game season

See Madden and other highly anticipated platform-agnostic games.



Eyeing Zune HD browser

Take a closer look at the mobile Web browser offered on Microsoft's Zune HD portable media player.



Twitter on your TV

The Twitter widget for Yahoo TV Widgets offers a well-designed, fully featured client that lets you post tweets from your TV.



Sony Walkman turns 30

CNET looks back at the last three decades of Sony Walkmans and the pop music that went with them.



Best 10 digital DJ rigs

CNET's Donald Bell rounds up his favorite digital DJ systems, including controllers and interfaces from Numark, Serato, Vestax, and Pioneer.



Saying hi to HTC's Hero

We take a close look at HTC's Hero, the company's third handset to sport the Google Android operating system.



iPhone 3G S and OS 3.0

CNET rounds up Apple's photos of the iPhone 3G S. Also, revisit iPhone OS 3.0 with screenshots from our iPhone 3G.



Giant Gundam after dark

Bandai has built a giant robot in Tokyo to mark the 30th anniversary of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" anime series.



Cracking open the Palm Pre

Tech Republic pries open the latest smartphone to create buzz and sees how it--and its insides--stack up against the iPhone.



Microsoft shakes up gaming

A recap of the motion-sensor system, games, and social-networking features Microsoft is bringing to the Xbox 360.



E3's wackiest moments

Getting ready to hit L.A. for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, we were inspired to peek back at photos taken at E3s past.



Meet the Amazon Kindle DX

Similar to the Kindle 2, the DX model's larger 9.7-inch screen is designed to better accommodate newspaper and magazine reading.



2011: The year of the electric car

Mass production of e-cars is coming faster than we would have thought. Nissan is out in front, but Mitsubishi and Ford aren't far behind.



Moto Labs' multitouch display

Updated sensing-screen concept uses--you guessed it--multitouch technology.



Part insect, part timepiece

Artist customizes real insect specimens with antique watch parts and other technological components.



All-in-one Nettops

Less expensive all-in-one desktop PCs with Atom processors are one of the few ways to buy Windows XP on a desktop these days.



Cracking open the Dell Adamo

TechRepublic disassembles the upscale, ultrathin laptop and even compares it with Apple's rival MacBook Air.



Give your iPhone a make-under

Embarrassed to be seen in public with your trendy iPhone? A zweiPhone sticker can make it look like an old clunker instead.



Raising CB2, the child robot

Japanese researchers are working on a bot that can mimic real kids' behavior to teach lessons about early development.



Yahoo Messenger for iPhone

Yahoo Messenger gets its own free app just for iPhones and iPod Touches. Take a look at the core features.



The inner life of gadgets

Artist Satre Stuelke uses a CT scan machine to offer a penetrating take on objects from the iPhone and iPod to a vacuum tube and a wind-up rabbit.



Controlling bots with thoughts

Honda has come up with a system that lets humans control a bot through thought alone. But don't start telepathing your Scooba yet.



Rube Goldberg showdown

Penn State held a contest for Rube Goldberg devices, which do a simple task in a complex way. The winner had a Super Mario theme.



Hands-on with the Dell Adamo

We've managed to get our hands on a preproduction version of one of the most buzzed-about new laptops of 2009.



iPhone 3.0 new features

Apple rolled out a host of new features with the iPhone OS 3.0. Check them out in our slideshow.



Step-by-step to geek chic

Former "Project Runway" contestant Diana Eng shares ideas for twinkling shoes, a music-filled hoodie, and more.



Fitness gadgets of the future

At health expo in San Francisco, "exergaming" makes a play, and a vibrating gadget moves your muscles for you.



Terrafugia's flying car flies

The Transition "roadable aircraft" makes its debut flight over upstate New York. It's still just a proof of concept, though, and another prototype is yet to come.



Inside Dell's design labs

The design staff has ballooned as the maker of PCs and servers aims to create a new look. Crave got a tour of two design labs at company headquarters.



Top five Swarovski disasters

Here's a look at the five crystal-clad abominations that have stood out most over the last few years. There are others, of course.



Favorite iPhone photo apps

Apple's App Store is loaded with really cool tools to make the most of the little camera that couldn't.



Windows Mobile 6.5 hands-on

We've just had a super-sneaky peak at the future of Windows Mobile--version 6.5--and got to demo the new operating system in all its glory.



Gadgets that broke our hearts

See which gadgets have broken Crave contributors' hearts--or at least made us question our undying love.



To Timbuktu, in a flying car

A bio-fueled flying vehicle called the Parajet Skycar is journeying from England to Mali via France, Spain, Morocco, and the Western Sahara.