News Archive

Hoping to help you keep your favorite electronic gadgets charged while on the go, Innergie plans to introduce the next generation of mCube universal power adapters at the 2010 CES show. Innergie describes the mCube Mini as the world’s smallest universal adapter made for auto and air use. The super compact mCube Slim and ultra thin mCube Lite...

Garmin announced the new Oregon 450t and Oregon 450 touchscreen GPS devices. These newest members of Garmin’s next-generation outdoor handheld family are compatible with the online community at Garmin Connect as well as Garmin’s free Custom Maps utility for transferring paper or digital maps onto the handheld. The Oregon 450t and Oregon 450...

Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, escaped from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England three months ago. Since then, he's been mocking police via Facebook, and he's also managed to gain a huge number of Facebook "fans." His Facebook photo isn't exactly family-friendly, so if you visit his page, be...

Clearly 2009 has been a watershed year for all of technology, and we'd be remiss of our duties if we didn't break down our favorites in our most closely watched segments to close out the decade. Read on to see which products and technologies raised the bar and garnered our praise in 2009--from CPUs to SSDs to peripherals, it's all here. Our...

It may not be the first USB 3.0 flash drive to be announced, but it's still one of the first (and it's blazing fast). PQI, a mainstay in the flash storage industry, has just introduced its newest USB stick, and this one is significantly more important than its last.A week after unveiling a pair of USB 3.0 external hard drives, the company...

The DirecTV 12 satellite just launched into orbit, enabling DirecTV to bring even more HD channels to its users. What else could it bring? A 3D channel, maybe.With the amount of high-def television networks seeming to expand by the day, we know it's just a matter of time before adding HD channels isn't enough to sway consumers over from one...

Redbox. It's a name that is now linked directly to one-night DVD rentals on the cheap, and as if Netflix had not done enough already to put a kink in Blockbuster's business model, Redbox has all but destroyed it. These famously red boxes are now littered about at Walmart locales, grocery stores and other shopping complexes, and they allow...

The HDTV business is booming, and even though they aren't nearly as buzz-worthy as they once were, that's clearly not stopping consumers from picking them up. High-def sets have withstood the test of time thus far, with more and more consumers jumping at the chance to upgrade to a flat-panel as each year passes by. Huge events like the Super...

Mozilla won't be releasing new versions of Firefox as early as initially planned. The next version of Firefox (version 3.6) was planned to be released sometime this year. Now, this version won't be released until at least the first quarter of 2010. This pushes back other releases as well, including the major 4.0 release; Firefox 4.0 is now...

After Google announced plans to hold a press event next month regarding its Android mobile phone operating system, some are wondering if the event could be tied to the Internet search giant's plans to release its own smartphone. The Google-branded smartphone has become known as the Nexus One. Rumors have suggested the phone will be launched...

While GPS can be a great tool, following the directions of a GPS system without question isn't always the best move, as one couple from Nevada recently found out. After leaving Portland, John Rhoads, 65, and his wife, Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, followed their Toyota Sequoia's GPS system as it directed them down a remote forest road. The GPS system...

Immediately upon its introduction, the ATI Radeon HD 5870 took the title for the fastest, single-GPU on the market. There was simply no other single-GPU that could touch it, not only in terms of performance, but in regard to features as well. And at the time, virtually all of AMD's strategic board partners were at the ready with products based...

The world continues to get smaller and smaller, and business is simultaneously becoming more and more a global matter. It's tough to do any business these days without some sort of interaction with someone in a foreign land, so knowing foreign languages has become increasingly important. Of course, it's not exactly easy to learn another language,...

Each and every time that we think the e-ink and e-reader market has reached its temporary peak, we're reminded yet again exactly what "temporary" means. LG Display, a giant in the monitor and HDTV arena, has just signed a cross-licensing agreement with Taiwan's Prime View International Co., and it'll be buying up $30.5 million worth of that...

First it was the influx of the pico projector, and now it seems that the projector-equipped phone is the next "big thing." Okay, so maybe we're jumping the gun a bit there, but it is sort of interesting that not one, but two projector phones have surfaced during the same month in the lead-up to CES 2010.Just a few weeks after LG introduced...

It may not have arrived in time to be put under the Christmas tree on Friday, but Sprint did give us a happy start to the week by releasing webOS 1.3.5 today for the Palm Pre. Thanks to a mention from CEO Jon Rubinstein during Palm's Q2FY2010 earnings call, we knew the update was in the works and was scheduled to be released around CES...

According to data released by PlayHaven and Mobclix, iPhone game usage could set records this week reaching levels that are 28 times greater than the same week between Christmas and New Year’s Day in 2009. PlayHaven is an online universe of fan communities for iPhone games. Mobclix is the industry's largest targeted mobile ad exchange. "Consumers...

Google threw a wrench in everyone's expectations when it announced that the Chrome OS wouldn't be widely available to install on just any machine. Unlike Windows 7, which can be installed on pretty much any x86-based machine, Chrome OS will be customized for a specific set of hardware components that Google deems fit. It's an interesting approach,...

Until recently, the price gap between SLC and MLC based solid state drives has been massive. Single-level cell drives can cost anywhere from three to four times the price of multi-level cell SSDs of the same capacity. Even for the most extreme hardware enthusiasts, it made very little sense to splurge on an SLC drive considering the value,...

Electric vehicles sound fantastic in theory, but there's still the issue of charging the vehicles. Energy, even the kind not found in traditional fuel pumps, requires fossil fuels or a green alternative to make, and burning loads of coal in place of petrol doesn't exactly sound like a great compromise. Toyota seems to agree, with the automotive...

Cooler Master Unveils the Universal System P 100 (USP 100) Chino, California – Cooler Master introduces USP 100, an enthusiast ready mid-tower chassis with an integrated 550W Extreme Power Plus power supply. USP 100 is a fully featured performance solution without the high-end price tag.Wide Body Design USP 100 offers a no compromise interior...

According to some reports, AT&T has apparently stopped selling the iPhone in New York City. If you listen to certain customer service representatives, it's because "New York is not ready for the iPhone." It may not be all that cut and dried, however.The story begins as The Consumerist, where a reader discovered that he was unable to buy...

Sanyo's Eneloop charging system has been growing at a rapid pace, but obviously not quite rapid enough. The company has just unleashed its latest in the line: the Eneloop Music Booster. As you might expect, this device is a rechargeable DV9V battery unit made specifically for music devices, and while most modern day music players will last...

Asus, making vacuum cleaners? What on Earth is the world coming to? We know 2012 is supposed to bring about some fairly crazy happenings, but we aren't even out of 2009 yet! As the Roombas dominance in the robotic vac arena streaks towards its end, Asus--a mainstay in the consumer PC market--has decided to take a shot at ousting the king....

If you somehow managed to not get that point and shoot camera for Christmas that you had been begging for, Samsung just might have something that'll suit your fancy coming up. We suspect that the company will make this "more official" sometime soon, but given that a fully detailed product page has already been erected, we're assuming that...

As the decade winds down, it's fun to look back and think just how different our world is now compared to this time in 1999. One of the easiest ways to see just how drastic the chances have been is to look at Amazon, which just put out some rather staggering fun facts. Without a doubt, the company's own hardware device (the Kindle) was its...

We never really thought USB-connected monitors would take off, but take off they have. In the case of Mimo, the demand for them has soared so greatly that they've been able to stay in business and thrive by selling secondary monitors that connect via USB alone. One of the main drivers in making the whole USB monitor revolution tick is DisplayLink,...

We recently had the chance to review an Asus gaming notebook with a mobile Core i7 within, and needless to say, we were rather blown away. If the trend continues, we're guessing the upcoming X77 will be just as impressive. Of course, Asus has yet to come forward and confirm that this machine is in fact a product it plans to produce, but the...

It has probably happened to you if you've ever owned a desktop LCD or desktop tower: the curse of the not-quite-long-enough extension cable. It's pretty difficult to move a whole desk once you've got it set in place within your home, but adding an extension cord doesn't take much effort at all. The only problem is that a bright orange extension...

Magellan GPS announced an upgraded version of its Magellan RoadMate App for the Apple iPhone. The new app is available for purchase from the App Store for a special promotional price of $59.99. The promotion offers a $40 savings off the regular price and will run through January 3, 2010. If you previously purchased the original app, you're...

We've heard numerous arguments to back up both sides of the cell phone radiation debate. Some research indicates they are safe, others disagree. Now, a new study is fueling the argument that cell phones could cause serious side effects. According to a 10-year study from the World Health Organization (WHO), there's a proven link between the...

We had initially called the story about the school employee getting the boot for using school PCs to run SETI the weirdest tech story of 2009, but man, this one is giving the SETI one a run for its money at the tail end of the year. A former Massachusetts prison inmate has been nailed with an 18-month prison sentence for...get this..."hacking...

Video: Sapphire HD 5770 Vapor-X Overclock Edition Review @ OCC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 Roundup @ HardwareZoneMotherboards and Chipsets: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 Motherboard Review @ Benchmark Reviews Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 USB-3 SATA-6G Motherboard Review @ Benchmark ReviewsMemory and Storage: Patriot DDR3 Viper Series Tri-Channel Kit @ LanOC Reviews...

Hulu recently signed an agreement with Warner Music Group to provide music videos, live concerts, and artist interviews. Artist pages and channels will also be featured on Hulu. The band Muse already has a page on the site. "We're pleased to be working with Hulu as we expand our premium ad-supported video strategy to provide our artists with...

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from our rather large, extended family here to you and yours.  We hope whatever you had on your wish-list, naughty or nice, that your Yuletide dreams come true.  But most of all, we wish you all, health, happiness and good times with...

Apple just can't catch a break. In the rumor department, not the sales/performance department. Even with the holidays upon us, the rumors are flaming up higher than ever, with the latest asserting that the company will be hosting a product event next month. Eagle-eyed folks have noticed that Apple has reserved space in late January at a venue...

Not sure if you've noticed, but the human eye is pretty perceptive. So perceptive, in fact, that camera manufacturers have been attempting to create cameras that can see the same colors as a human eye for years, and while some have been created, they've all been so enormous that they're generally not useful to folks who would care to use them....

The International Consumer Electronics Show is upon us, and that means new kit from every direction will be flowing our way. MSI is a big player in the motherboard, desktop and notebook space, so it makes sense to hear that it'll also be using the show to showcase new gear. One previously unmentioned machine that'll be making its debut in...

Here's some news you just won't believe: on average, people spend more time on the Internet now than they did in the past. Shocking, isn't it?! A new Harris Poll has found that adult Internet users are now online an average of 13 hours per week, though the actual usage of those surveyed varies rather significantly. 20% of adult users are online...

New data from Nielsen shows that the iPhone is the top phone among U.S. cell phones.  However, if one looks at market share in terms of manufacturers, not handsets, both RIM and LG top Apple, based on having several different handsets. In fact, the iPhone (i.e., Apple) has 4.0 percent, while RIM has 6.3 percent and LG 6.4 percent.The...

Anything that can be hacked will be hacked, and virtually everything can be hacked. Thus, we see that latest escapade in the land of hacking. The Kindle's DRM (digital rights management, copy protection) has been compromised.Amazon sells content for the Kindle in a proprietary format, .azw.  It contains DRM to prevent users from transferring...

As we rush to finish buying any last minute gifts, it's easy to forget to charge our cell phones and other favorite electronic gadgets. If you find yourself in a bind without power, ZAGG's new ZAGGsparq could help. This portable lithium polymer battery system can help you keep your portable electronics charged while on the go. The ZAGGsparq...

VoIP provider Vonage revealed applications for the iPhone, the iPod touch, and BlackBerry devices that will provide unlimited international calling to 60 countries. The iPhone and iPod touch apps will let users make unlimited Vonage Mobile calls in the U.S. via a Wi-Fi connection without using up cell phone minutes. For BlackBerry users, the...

Let's see: we enjoy cars, and we enjoy Wi-Fi. So what's stopping us from enjoying them both at the same time? Just a small piece of hardware and a cell tower. We've already witnessed General Motors partner up with Autonet Mobile to bring more hotspots into its vehicle lineup, and as any true rival would, Ford is today pressing back with a...

We tend to hear about these "world's thinnest" claims with some degree of frequency, but with HDTVs progressively getting smaller and smaller in terms of depth, we guess it's somewhat justified. Today, LG Display has announced what is thought to be the planet's slimmest TV...for the moment. Measuring ust 2.6mm thick, the newly designed slim...

Maybe this is a case of "we just couldn't help ourselves," but whatever the reason, Acer has decided to introduce a flurry of business notebooks during a period where most of corporate America has taken off (and also just a few weeks before CES). Interesting timing aside, the newest Timeline machines are actually quite interesting on paper.The...

Recently, Jay Sullivan at Mozilla told the BBC that Mozilla's upcoming mobile web browser codenamed Fennec is just "days away" from being launched. The browser will initially be available for Nokia's N900 phone followed by other handsets. Sullivan further explained that the browser is currently going through final testing and could be released...

Cydle, one of South Korea's biggest electronics makers, plans to make a big splash at the 2010 CES trade show with the announcement of a portable GPS system that has built-in HD Radio and free HD live traffic updates. The new T43H from Cydle is part of the company's line of wireless digital devices that combine navigation with entertainment,...

When folks begin to look back at all that went down during this decade, One Laptop Per Child will be impossible to miss as a real standout moment. It's somewhat difficult to believe that the OLPC XO laptop is years old now, and while it has largely fallen out of the limelight due to its higher than expected cost, it is still being shipped...

You can add another product to this growing list of media devices that play content on your TV: the Asus O!Play HDP-R1 digital media player. The O!Play is a relatively small (1.9x7.1x4.9-inches), unassuming black box with rounded corners. It doesn’t have any onboard storage, but is designed to connect with media stored on attached drives or...

When the FTC sued Intel last week over the company's alleged anti-competitive behaviors, we noted that NVIDIA could be one of the main proponents (and beneficiaries) of such a lawsuit, particularly given the price structure of Intel's Atom products. It's now been alleged that NVIDIA's interest in the FTC's investigation goes beyond Atom's...

Earlier this year, Ricoh introduced its GR Digital III with one of the fastest lenses on the market. Today, that very camera is getting a fashion-inspired overhaul. For those who passed on the first edition due to its plain styling, there's a good chance this version will catch your eye.The GR DIGITAL III x STUSSY is a collaboration model...

We wondered earlier this year if netbook sales would cool down after the recession, but it seems as if people love low-cost machines regardless of what's going on in the world around them. According to new data from DisplaySearch, netbook shipments grew a staggering 103% year-over-year in 2009, with revenues up some 72%.Let's take a second...

We just wanted to post a quick reminder to let you all know that the Asus Xtreme Design contest is still going strong! In fact, our friends from Asus recently posted an update with some information about some of the winners so far. At this point, Team HotHardware is looking strong.  Here's what the Asus update said...For those of...

Yamaha has been beefing up its home audio line here in the fourth quarter of 2009, and with CES in just a few weeks, it seems as if the company is looking to get a jump on everyone else. Today, it has revealed its newest two-piece home theater package, which should fit perfectly in cramped studio apartments and in living rooms where space...

We definitely had to take a second look at our calendar, but it's not April 1st. In fact, it's nowhere near it. Microsoft--the giant that you would think could never be taken down--has just has its holiday thrown for a loop. Or, at least Microsoft's team of lawyers. If you'll remember back, Microsoft had heard from a judge that its immensely...

The risk has been confirmed, right down the the number of times your crash vulnerability is increased. Matching an earlier study by the Michigan State Medical Society, a new study says that accident risk is increased by 6 times by texting drivers. The only issue is that people don't seem to be willing to change their behavior, sans legislation.The...

The original BlackBerry Bold made its debut about a year ago. And even though the original model is still a solid device, it's now time for a flashier, faster model that will make you yearn for an upgrade. The latest RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 is available through T-Mobile and AT&T. We evaluate the T-Mobile version here. As T-Mobile's first...

Remember Sony's Reader Daily Edition? Sure you do. It just went up for pre-order around a month ago, and now Sony's biggest Kindle rival finally has a shot at dethroning the king. Yes, these units have finally started to ship, but honestly it may be a bit late to take advantage of the holiday shopping crowd. The good news is that pre-orders...

Evidently HP computers are racist, if you follow the rationale of this snarkily produced video. It shows how HP's webcam software, which is supposed to track the movements of a person's face, doesn't work too well if you're African American.Desi (African-American) and Wanda (Caucasian) appear to be workers in some sort of consumer electronics...

Copycat companies are known to exist within the consumer electronics space, and while we wouldn't classify Magellan as one of those, there's no doubt that TomTom's initial attempt at a real-deal iPhone 3G GPS dock influenced the design of this one. The Magellan Car Kit for iPhone and iPod touch does exactly what you'd expect: it docks your...

CES 2010 hasn't even begun yet, but you wouldn't be able to tell judging by the amount of buzz going on currently in the laptop arena. Shortly after Intel pulled the covers away from their Atom N450 processor, we're already seeing the first few netbooks get announced with that very chip within.The latest to take the leap is MSI, who just unwrapped...

Intel's Pinetrail Atom N450 is on the loose, like it or not. There's no denying that CES 2010 will be a lot crazier because of it, but as we saw in our testing, it could use a little help on the HD video front. Today, Broadcom announced that its next-gen Crystal HD technology will be available to implement alongside the new Intel Atom CPU...

Sprint's 4G network is continuing to expand, but even the company realizes that you won't always be in an area with 4G speeds. To help meet the needs of users everywhere, Sprint announced a new combination 3G / 4G USB modem. As the second dual-mode 3G/4G USB device available from Sprint, the Sprint 3G/4G USB U301 provides access to 4G wireless...

NZXT Debuts Hades Gaming Chassis Newest member of NZXT’s Crafted Series features optimized airflow, premium expandability, and advanced control El Monte, CA – December 21, 2009 – NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to unveil Hades, a chassis that provides an array of advanced features for the most demanding...

With more battery life and "stutter-free" HD video playback, Dell seems to be making a bid to make its Inspiron Mini 10 the go-top device for Internet TV watchers.The redesigned and amped-up netbook, with Intel's next-gen Atom technology will become available in January. With a 10.1-inch display, the Mini 10 can be personalized through Dell's...

Corsair announced new firmware with TRIM support for its Performance Series P64, P128 and P256 solid-state drives. The new firmware and firmware update tool were developed by Samsung and rigorously tested by both Samsung and Corsair to help ensure smooth performance. Additional details are available below. Corsair® releases firmware with...

Nintendo has always marketed their Wii console as the one to get if you're looking to get up off of the sofa and start moving. Indeed, many have been inclined to move about somewhat with the wildly popular Wii Sports title that Nintendo (smartly) includes in the bundle, but if you're looking for so much movement that you'll shed a few pounds,...

Joining the "yeah, there's an app for that" party is yet another previously unexpected guests: war companies. Raytheon, which is considered a US defense contractor, has just recently made public information that shows their efforts to make new iPhone applications that could morph the smartphone into a battlefield necessity. Of course, this...

With just about everyone hopping on the 3D bandwagon (firms like Sony and NVIDIA included), we figured it was only a matter of time before the powers that be granted the 3D specification for Blu-ray the approval it needed to move forward as a serious, backed format. Sure enough, that is exactly what has happened this week, and just in time...

The Eee Keyboard has been on our minds since Asus first announced it months upon months ago. We've heard a few release dates, and we've watched the days go by as delays set in. As of now, the device seems to have slipped from most everyone's mind. We're sure it'll make a revived push for attention when Asus finally does get everything worked...

If you consider Intel's design execution over the past 12 months or so, you'd have to admit it's nothing short of impressive. Not only did we see the launch of a new desktop chip with the Core i7, but Intel then ramped up clock speeds, introduced lower cost mainstream variants of the platform, and then drove that technology down into the mobile...

Have you ever wondered what is going to happen to all the digital traces of your life after you pass away? To be honest, most of it will probably be available, and searchable, at least until they are de-indexed by search engines. However, a new start-up called WebWill hopes to at least close off the social networking parts of your life.WebWill...

Business users who want instant-on access to productivity tools without having to boot into the operating system will be interested in Dell's latest Latitude ON | FLASH offering. This optional memory module can boot up a computer in seconds. As the latest addition to the Latitude ON family, Latitude ON | FLASH runs on a special flash memory...

Motherboards and Chipsets: Intel DP55WG and DP55KG P55 Motherboards Benchmarked @ Legit ReviewsMemory and Storage: G.Skill RipJaws DDR3 Kit F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM @ Benchmark Reviews Corsair Dominator 6GB PC3-12800 RAM Review @ TechwareLabs Thecus N2200 Dual bay NAS Box @ DragonSteelMods Network Attached Storage Comparison – 8 Tested and Compared...

You know you're in trouble if your issues with coverage and signature product becomes the butt of Saturday Night Live, right? Very reminiscent of how John McCain knew his campaign was in trouble when SNL made jokes about Sarah Palin by using her own words, virtually verbatim. Thus, the iPhone and its issues became a highlight on SNL's Weekend...

According to research firm comScore, Apple's iPhone now has the second largest user base in the U.S. smartphone market, having surpassed Windows Mobile based phones. Research In Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry still holds the No. 1 spot and enjoyed pretty significant growth throughout the year. Mark Donovan, senior analyst with Virginia-based comScore,...

The conversations surrounding broadband in the USA are as varied as ever. Some say the US is number one. Some say the US is lacking severely. The FCC--which is one of the only entities that actually has a say that matters--thinks that money should be used to improve access to broadband for more Americans. Apparently, so does Mr. Joe Biden....

We hope you're ready for speed in the coming year, because that's exactly what you're going to get. Be it higher-speed wireless protocols or higher-speed ports, 2010 is shaping up to be a year in which our mainstream connection options finally match up with the amount of content we're moving around. We fully expect those two to become off-balanced...

Bluetooth 3.0 just got official in the Spring, and already we're hearing about Bluetooth 4.0. So much for the latest and greatest staying the latest and greatest, huh? The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the adoption of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology, which is the hallmark feature of the Bluetooth Core Specification...

NAVIGON announced the fourth free update (version 1.4.0) to its MobileNavigator iPhone navigation App. The update now integrates Google Local Search into the application and offers new functions such as enhanced pedestrian navigation, an audiobook mode, directions in a turn-by-turn list format, an Emergency Help function, geographic Coordinate...

LaCie and Symwave have teamed up to create the 2Big USB 3.0, a dual hard disk RAID 0/1 storage solution that uses the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard. Symwave’s USB 3.0 standard-compliant dual SATA and RAID bridge controller powers the 2Big USB 3.0. According to LaCie, the 2Big USB 3.0 is capable of burst read speeds of up to 275MB per second....

We've heard a lot about NVIDIA's Ion technology here lately, but we haven't heard much of Tegra since Microsoft's Zune HD launched. If you'll recall, that was the latest mainstream device to launch with Tegra technology within, but it sounds like Tegra might get another shot in the arm via a completely unexpected device. Notion Ink, a company...

Continental Airlines plans to become the latest airline to offer Gogo Inflight Internet service beginning in the second quarter of next year. The service is expected to be available on Continental's fleet of 21 Boeing 757-300 aircraft that primarily serves domestic routes. "We've been closely watching technology developments to offer onboard...

In the latest installment of our weekly video podcast, we're sitting down with our friends from TechVi to talk about the Zotac HD-ND01 MAG nettop, six high performance PCs that are perfect for gaming, Intel's cancellation of their first discreet GPU in years, and we look at the New York Times "video games to avoid" list, which reads more like...

AMD and Intel may have settled their court case and bills—Intel paid the smaller company $1.25 billion last week—but the manufacturer has been hit with an additional charge of unlawful behavior, this time from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to the FTC's complaint, Intel has systemically waged a campaign to "shut out rivals’...

Smartphones have sure come a long way in a short amount of time. These days, we've got phones with 1GHz CPUs in them, and some netbooks can't even say that. But you know what the smartphone is still missing? 1080p playback, that's what. But if Broadcom has their way with things, that won't be the case for very long. The newly announced BCM2763...

If you're looking for bandwagons that are heating up as the new decade gets set to begin, look no further than these two: 3D and Augmented Reality. The former has gained all sorts of industry support, from film producers to consumer electronics mainstays, while the latter is still building a loyal following underground. But at this rate, it...

Google's mobile app store, the Android Market, has grown significantly since its inception. According to unofficial numbers from specialist portal AndroLib, the Android Market now has over 18,000 apps. Perhaps just as interesting is the fact that 61% of the apps are free. While initial reports from AndroLib suggested that Google had surpassed...

Is it over? Is it really, really over? Can we finally stick a fork in Psystar and consider them "done?" We can't honestly say we can until the company comes forward and makes a claim that it's giving up the act of selling its own flavor of OS X-loaded machines, but it sure looks as if it may have sold its final rig based on new reports from...

Intel is planning to show off a myriad of new products at the Consumer Electronics show taking place in Las Vegas in a few weeks, including a whole family of processes built using the company's advanced 32nm High-K / metal gate manufacturing process. On tap will be a number of mobile parts that feature 32nm processor cores linked to 45nm...

Belkin announced a new Bluetooth Music Receiver that lets you wirelessly stream music from your iPhone or iPod touch through your home's stereo system. After connecting the receiver to your home stereo system using the included cables, you'll need to pair your device to the Receiver wirelessly to listen to, share, and control your music. Like...

It's the talk that every parent hates to even consider having. No, we're not referring to "that talk," referring to "this talk." It's the talk that goes something like this: "Son, did you utilize your cellphone's data connection to download gobs of data from Internet last month?" "Yeah, um, I think I did dad--I thought no one would notice...

Audio-Technica added to its lineup of QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones with the new ATH-ANC1. These compact, on-ear headphones use Audio-Technica’s active noise-cancelling (ANC) technology to block up to 85% of outside noise. In addition, the headphones are compact and fold for easy storage and travel in the included carrying...

The proliferation of NVIDIA's Ion GPU has been a long time coming. We've been talking about its merits for the better part of this year, but only recently has it been able to find its way into more than a handful of mainstream, shipping netbooks. We recently had a look at HP's Mini 311 with Windows 7 Home Premium, and while the Ion definitely...

It is said that anything that can be hacked, will be hacked, and that pretty much anything can be hacked. In this case, the Wall Street Journal was the first to report the sad tale.  It reported on Thursday that Iranian-backed insurgents in Iraq are using a software package, SkyGrabber, one that costs a mere $25.95, to download imagery...

Last month, SquareTrade—a company in the business of selling extended warranties directly to consumers online, with what it claims are better prices and coverage plans than store-bought options—released a report on netbook and notebook failure rates. Much of the discussion the report generated focused on the company's estimated failure rates...

OLPC tried its best to come out with a $100 (or so) notebook, but after all was said and done, it failed. Cherrypal is known for producing low-cost wares, and now it's claiming that it has just launched the planet's first $99 laptop. Sure, you can pick up small notebooks overseas for less than $100, but no mainstream US-based machine has hit...

What's better than a WLAN router? Why, a WWAN router, of course! D-Link has just introduced its newest 3.5G router in the DIR-412, which is a compact wireless access point that essentially enables multiple users with Wi-Fi devices to share a single cellular data connection. The portable router ships with 802.11n functionality, which essentially...

It is becoming ever more unusual to find entertainment devices without wi-fi technology built in, and that's a trend that should only increase in the next several years. In-Stat conducted an in-depth report on the wi-fi market and believes shipments of devices incorporating wireless tech will increase from 108.8 million this year to 177.3...

Toshiba launched a new 64GB flash memory module that is designed for use in portable devices. The company claims the new module is the highest-capacity flash module in the industry. The new 64GB NAND flash module is 30 micrometers thin and has a dedicated controller and sixteen 32Gbit chips. It is manufactured using Toshiba's 32-nanometer...

As promised, Comcast's online television experiment is rolling out across the nation, part of the industry-wide TV Everywhere initiative designed to keep cable companies relevant in a Web 2.0 world.Fancast Xfinity TV, as it's called, allows Comcast subscribers to legally watch certain shows online for the first time. For the time being, it's...

It's time we, as a nation, came to grips with something. No, we're not about to go on some rant about healthcare, and we aren't talking about the Federal Interest Rate, we're talking about something far, far more endearing to the US public. Yes folks, we're talking about texting. Hold your gasps, please. But feel free to send your immediate...

McDonald's is about to up the ante in the wi-fi arena. While it has already been providing free wi-fi via AT&T's hotspot service to AT&T broadband customers as well as iPhone users, it will soon be providing free wi-fi, period.  That new program will begin in January.Currently, for those not eligible for free wi-fi via an AT&T...

When Intel introduced its LGA1166 Lynnfield processors earlier this fall, one of its goals was to introduce Nehalem's advanced technology at lower price points. To that end, Digital Storm has designed a high-end system around the P55 chipset and Core i5 processor. At a price of ~$1900, the customized system isn't what you'd call cheap, but...

According to a source familiar with the matter, Google is planning to offer two versions of a rumored self-branded cell phone. One version will be available directly through Google as an unlocked device. The other will come with a service contract through T-Mobile USA. The phone, which is manufactured by HTC, could be available directly through...

This will probably raise red flags across the publishing industry, but it is certainly a coup for Amazon.com and its Kindle e-book reader. Steven Covey is Amazon.com's 13th-highest top-selling author overall, and Amazon.com now has "electronic exclusivity" to two of his best-sellers.The e-book versions of Stephen Covey's bestselling books,...

You know those huge, rugged cases that musicians generally carry their amplifiers and speakers around in? Yeah, those ones that are made to take years of abuse from touring and the like. Turns out there's a need for those kind of cases, but for desktop computers. Crazy as that may sound, CaseCruzer has just introduced its newest (and potentially...

Who knows if this whole "end of an ordeal" has anything to do with the current season, but it looks like the European Union is in the giving mood. Today, the EU announced that it would be dropping the pending charges against Microsoft regarding its decision to force Internet Explorer upon poor, lost European Windows 7 buyers. If you'll think...

If Apple holds the crown for best looking laptops, we're pretty confident LaCie holds the crown for best looking hard drives. The company made famous for taking standard storage drives and converting them into objects of desire has just pushed out their latest device, and yes, it's a looker. The LaCie Rikiki is a real tongue-twister, and furthermore,...

Can't say we've ever heard of Agama, but it's not like the world doesn't need yet another peripherals and accessories provider, right? Just before the kick-off of CES 2010, Agama has decided to make a pre-Christmas splash in the market with the launch of new mice that feature high-precision sensors tailored for gamers and professionals. The...

Sony Ericsson added two new handsets and a Bluetooth handsfree unit to the manufacturer's earth-friendly GreenHeart portfolio. The new Sony Ericsson Elm phone, the Sony Ericsson Hazel phone, and the VH700 all use recycled plastics, are free from hazardous chemicals, use a low power consumption charger, and feature minimized packaging. The...

WD (Western Digital) is starting to use a new hard disk drive format that enables 7-11% greater capacity on hard disk drives. The disk expansion technique is known as Advanced Format. This technique takes advantage of changes in the industry in drive sector sizes and consolidates overhead information to free up additional space for data storage....

VIA Nano Processor Readies VIA EPIA Boards for Next Generation Embedded Applications and Windows 7 Technologies VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800 boards featureVIA Nano processor for advanced multimedia performance in next generation embedded applications Taipei, Taiwan, December 15, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power...

It must have been World URL Shortener Day yesterday. First came the news that Facebook has been testing a URL shortener, fb.me. Then Google announced the arrival of Goo.gl. And though it wasn't as flashy as the first two pieces of news, those paying attention saw that URL shortener powerhouse bit.ly announced a new Pro version that allows...

KVM switches are one of the most underrated PC accessories on the market, hands-down. Not too many average consumers need one, but they are a miracle-worker for those with multiple machines and screens. Gefen is looking to step up the tried-and-true KVM with the introduction of the next generation 4x1 KVM DVI DL Switcher, which is actually...

On the hunt for more RAM, are you? If you weren't swayed by any of our options in the 2009 Gift Guide, Corsair has yet another round of Dominator memory coming your way. This time it's the 24GB triple-channel kit, which packs more memory than some low-end SSDs. Naturally, the kit is designed for high-end workstations, hardcore power users...

You know those hardware accessories that you never think about needing, but when you need them, you really need them? Addonics tends to make a lot of devices that fall into that category, and we're pretty certain their latest two devices fit that same bill. Today, the company has introduced new multi-Flash readers with a high-speed SATA interface,...

Sony Ericsson may be going through some serious restructuring right now, but that's not to say it's not plugging along with its handset business all the while. The XPERIA X2 and the Android-based X10 are undoubtedly garnering the most attention right now, with the latter being SE's first-ever Google-powered smartphone. But for those with a...

ENERMAX is proud to announce the launch of its latest keyboard “ACRYLUX” City of Industry, CA – December 14, 2009 - Slimness is the eternal demand on any peripheral for most users. ENERMAX industrial engineers have achieved a new level of slimness – Unlike other slim keyboards that only achieve their slimness by sacrificing the wrist rest...

MSI announced the new X-Slim X350 laptop that uses the Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) energy-saving platform and a high-performance Intel Core 2 Duo processor. As you would expect from its X-Slim name, this 13.4-inch notebook features an ultra-slim design that measures less than one inch thick and weighs just 1.5 kg (approximately...

We've already learned that Wi-Fi is a vital part of being stuck in an airport, and without it, one just might keel over for good. Well, maybe that's not entirely accurate, but surveys that we seen certainly point out just how important having Internet everywhere is to modern consumers. Even in cars, apparently.Chevrolet is doing its best to...

Hot on the heels of AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega's announcement that the carrier would be pursuing tiered pricing for data plans, Fake Steve Jobs took AT&T to task. Ah, but he didn't stop there. Fake Steve has a plan to bring AT&T to its knees on Friday: Operation Chokehold.Already amazed at the fact that AT&T is complaining about...

HP's Mini range of netbooks have been well respected in the industry, and while they were never as instrumental as Asus in the explosion of the netbook as a whole, they've really managed to nail their niche. From the start, the HP Mini was one of the most fashionable netbook lines out there, boasting subtle curves, a uniform keyboard, gorgeous...

We've heard a lot about 4G technologies in recent years. For most of us, however, the promise of faster mobile broadband is not likely to become reality in the short-term. Customers in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway are another story: Today, TeliaSonera launched commercial 4G services in these cities. With the launch of 4G/LTE (Long Term...

Uh, this is weird. If you're a judge and/or lawyer in Florida, you should probably go through and clean house on your Facebook account. If you're a judge, you're now disallowed from "friending" lawyers for fear of having some sort of bias when or if that lawyer steps into your courtroom. No, we aren't kidding.The Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory...

Home Theater PCs are a dying breed, but they won't vanish completely. We think there will always be a niche market of individuals who want to hook up full-featured PCs to their TVs, and with TV tuners and the explosion of web content (Hulu and Boxee, anyone?), it's no surprise to see more and more boutique companies coming out with more interesting...

We know the whole "There's An App For That!" campaign is getting stale, but you know what? It's pretty accurate. For almost any scenario you can dream up, the App Store has an app for what you need to accomplish. It may not be free or full-featured, but you can get almost any kind of web-based action you need from Apple's software market....

Earlier this month, we heard that storage mainstay Seagate would be introducing a new, ultra-thin notebook hard drive at CES. Evidently the company has decided not to wait, and it has today spoiled its own surprise by serving up the official details that were missing in the teaser release. Essentially, the Momentus Thin will be the world's...

Wow, talk about reviving something from the dead. Years back, when Google was just beginning their quest to dominate the world in every imaginable aspect, rumors were swirling about a "Googlephone" that no one could prove was actually real. Amazingly, it seems that such a device may have actually been talked about back in the day, as some...

My, oh, my. What a difference a few years makes in the smartphone market. Nokia has long since been the dominant cellphone provider the world over, holding well over 40% of the overall market share in terms of mobile phone sales. But with companies such as RIM (who makes the BlackBerry), HTC (responsible for the Hero and myTouch 3G), Motorola...

Jelfin unveiled a new type of computer mouse that the company is touting as the first of its kind. This ball-shaped mouse has a gel cover that covers its entire surface area. To use this mouse, users cup their fingers around the ball instead of extending them outward. To back up the need for a newly designed mouse, Jelfin points to a survey...

Well, well--we sure thought Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was hot stuff, but frankly, it has nothing on this. Microvision, the company responsible for a PicoP-based pico projection technology, has just released a video of what we're calling its "killer app." Seriously--even if you have no interest in putting a projector in your pocket, it's...

Dell added two new small form factor PCs to its commercial line of OptiPlex desktops. According to Dell, the new OptiPlex 780 USFF (Ultra Small Form Factor) is the world’s smallest fully functional commercial desktop PC with an integrated power supply and Intel vPro technology. Also new to the OptiPlex lineup, the OptiPlex 380 offers more...

MSI added to its ultra-thin laptop line with the new X-Slim X600 Pro. This laptop features Intel's CULV low-power platform along with a high performance Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Windows 7, and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 discrete graphics card with 512MB VRAM. This 15.6-inch notebook has an overall thickness of 2.5cm (approximately...

We know it's just semantics, but evidently AMD billed Intel with NET30 terms, because just under a month after Intel decided to cough up a whopping $1.25 billion in order to put an end to the lingering (and costly) litigation between the two regarding antitrust claims and IP disputes, Intel has delivered. AMD just received one of the biggest...

Sharkoon doesn't carry the same weight as a name like Logitech or Belkin in the accessories market, but it's quickly making a name for itself with its recent rash of HDD docks and LAN-USB connectors. The company's latest device, the SATA QuickPort Pro LAN, enables SATA HDDs, storage cards, USB devices, etc. LAN compatible. Basically, it's...

MSI announced the new Wind Top AE2220 Hi-Fi, an all-in-one PC that offers high-end audio. The Wind Top AE2220 Hi-Fi features SRS Surround Sound technology as well as MSI's Premium Sound Technology. According to MSI, this combination of technologies produces more authentic sound that resembles the professional-grade acoustic fidelity preferred...

Enermax Unveils Aurora Wireless Compact Keyboard - First true full-functionality wireless compact keyboard - City of Industry, CA – December 10, 2009 - ENERMAX is proud to announce new addition to its award-winning AURORA keyboard series, the AURORA Micro Wireless; first wireless compact keyboard featuring total media functionalities. With...

Amazon unveiled a promotion called Disc+ On Demand that could change the way some of us consume media. When you buy select DVD or Blu-ray discs under the new offering, you'll get the ability to download a digital copy of a film for instant viewing on your Mac, PC, Roku, TiVo, and other devices. There are a few catches to the Disc+ On Demand...

AMD may be holding steady compared to Intel, but what it really needs to pull ahead (or at least gain ground) in the market place is a few good machines that aren't easily overlooked and forgotten. How's this for "not easy to overlook?" Acer has expanded its sexy Ferrari line once again, this week introducing an AMD-based version that's seductive...

Speakal is no Apple, but it has certainly generated a name for itself due to its iPig speakers. Those USB wonders have sold like hotcakes, and folks needing a gag gift for the technology lover in their life have probably fallen in love with this here company. Just in time for this holiday season, Speakal is returning with an all new gift that's...

Peek-a-boo! There's a decent chance that many, many more people will be "seeing you" if you aren't careful with your Facebook privacy settings, which were just recently overhauled by the powers that be. But many folks aren't exactly happy with the changes. When you think "privacy overhaul," you generally assume that the company you're dealing...

If it's dealing with flash storage, NAND or any combination of the two, there's a chance Fusion-io is involved somewhere. The company responsible for serving up one of the fastest consumer SSDs we've ever seen is also making waves in the enterprise, as today is has announced the company’s core ioMemory technology will serve as the basis for...

According to a recent report from the University of California, San Diego, American households consumed 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008. A zettabyte is 10 to the 21st power bytes, or a million million gigabytes. Put another way, Americans consumed approximately 34GB per individual per day in 2008. The report also suggests that the average...

VIA Brings Enhanced Windows 7 Desktop to Life with World's Most Power Efficient DX10.1 Chipset VIA VN1000 boasts Blu-ray playback, DX10.1 graphics and DDR3 memory support and coupled with VIA Nano 3000 Series processors offers the ultimate multimedia experience on next generation all-in-one PCs Taipei, Taiwan, December 10, 2009 - VIA Technologies,...

Intel Turbo-Charging Transistors December 10, 2009 - Intel has reached a milestone in its quest to make transistors switch ever faster while using less energy, by integrating a high-k gate with a compound semiconductor transistor. Details were presented this week at the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). Intel has...

Shutterfly announced a new service called Wink that combines real-time sharing with photo printing. Designed for the social networking generation, Wink lets you create and share printed photostrips (2x6-inch prints) using photos from your iPhone and social network sites such as Flickr and Facebook. As part of the service, your photostrips...

Some ISPs are trying tiered broadband pricing, but AT&T is looking into tiered wireless pricing. While not being up front about issues caused by the data-hogging app phone, AT&T seems to be realizing that it really, really wants iPhone users to use less bandwidth, at least in the short term.After all, it recently released an iPhone...

You're stuffed full of turkey, you somehow managed to erect a Christmas tree, and you're still recovering from Black Friday. Without a doubt, you've had one whirlwind of a holiday. But before you get too comfortable in that chair of yours, we should probably remind you that the gift giving day you've all been waiting for is only a few weeks...

As Google continues on its path to world domination, it's more than just Offline Gmail and Chrome OS getting attention. Just in time for the holidays, Google has announced that its Chrome Web browser is now available (in beta form, of course) for those "other" operating systems. You know, Mac and Linux! We kid, we kid. Chrome has only been...

Ah, Christmas. The word itself conjures images of hearth and home, inspires (occasionally debaucherous) celebration, and is a time of spiritual contemplation for millions. In this crazy modern age, it's also a time when the bewildered parents of tech-savvy children all over the civilized world, regardless of race, ethnicity, religious background,...

Nokia may have just recently announced that it would be shutting the doors on its flagship stores in London, Chicago and New York, but that's not stopping a new pair of Symbian-based phones from shipping here to the United States. First up is a new variation of the popular 5800, the 5800 Navigation Edition. As you might expect, this phone...

iSCSI used to be a term that was infrequently uttered in the storage community at large, but more and more it's being talked about alongside the traditional NAS. Drobo recently released a professional drive of its own that utilized iSCSI, and now LaCie is doing likewise with its all-new 12big Rack Network. As with all LaCie products, this...

Could the e-reader market possibly be any larger? Evidently so, as the booming sector just keeps booming even louder. For a society that had supposedly given up on this whole "reading" thing, there sure are a lot of companies out there vying for those eyes. While the mainstays in the bunch (Amazon, Sony and Barnes & Noble, for starters)...

Seagate is planning to launch a new hard drive at CES that is 25% thinner than current models. At 7-millimeteres, the new drive will enable laptop manufacturer to reduce the thickness and weight of their computers even more than current hard drives (which measure either 9.5 millimeters high or 12.5 millimeters high) will allow. Today's thicker...

Google has a history of creating cool new features for many of its offerings and then letting them sit in testing stage for quite a while. The Offline feature of Gmail is no exception. Nearly a year after its initial launch, the Offline Gmail feature is finally graduating from Gmail Labs. After you install Offline Gmail, you'll be able to...

Remember Thermaltake's Level 10 gaming chassis? How could you forget? The extreme, high-end, niche case just recently went on sale to the general public at around $850, but for those who don't have the time or know-how to build their own full system within it, iBuyPower is coming to the rescue. The company has today announced that it will...

Nevermind the iPhone or Droid - or even the Pre, for that matter. Samsung is betting there's room for more in the smartphone market and unveiled its new bada OS yesterday in London.The name "bada," means "ocean" in Korean and "was chosen to convey the limitless variety of potential applications which can be created using the new platform."...

It happens to all of us at some point. We constantly run short of hard drive space, no matter how incredibly cavernous you thought your current drive was when you bought it. Did you really expect Dragon Age: Origins and Borderlands to soak up almost thirty gigabytes between them? Didn't think so. You either shove Office 2007 and Photoshop...

NVIDIA DEMONSTRATES 3D BLU-RAY PLAYBACK ACCELERATED ON GEFORCE AND 3D VISION TECHNOLOGIES NVIDIA 3D Vision Ecosystem Expands Once Again to Include Support for 3D Blu-ray HD Playback and New 120Hz, 1080p 3D LCD Displays SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Dec. 9, 2009 - 2010 is poised to be the year where consumers can enjoy stunning 3D experiences...

AT&T hasn't earned the greatest reputation since the launch of the iPhone. Most users in huge cities complain of reception issues, dropped calls and lackluster 3G response. Some folks aren't griping, but you don't have to look hard to find someone who isn't fond of the carrier. In fact, many are only sticking with AT&T due to its death...

See there, we told you the 3D revolution was underway, didn't we? With LG looking to produce a 1080p 3D LCD and the 2010 World Cup broadcasting at least 25 events in 3D, we knew it was only a matter of time before the chip makers that we know and love around here dove in and joined the bandwagon. AMD has just announced that it will be demonstrating...

Apple Tablet, schmablet. Who needs a tablet PC from Cupertino when The Joojoo is on the loose? In what is easily the wildest, strangest tech story of 2009, the Joojoo is the result of a long-standing project gone awry, bruised egos and lots of hard work in the engineering lab. Honestly, this is the stuff that WWE matches and daytime dramas...

Thanks to a new iPhone app from VeriFone, small businesses will be able to securely process credit card transactions using the popular smartphone. The new PAYware Mobile solution targets small businesses that need a mobile way to accept credit cards such as home repair businesses, small cafes, or door-to-door sales. PAYware Mobile is a combination...

For the past 18 months, Intel has been the company talking about mobile internet devices (MIDs), Atom, ultra-mobile PC's (UMPCs), and how it sees these burgeoning form factories as a new frontier for the company. AMD, in contrast, has talked down the importance of the netbook and sub-netbook market, choosing instead to focus on a thin-and-light...

If you find yourself in an unfamiliar city and feeling a bit under the weather, a new iPhone app may be useful. The new i Need a Doctor (www.ineedadoc.net) app helps you find a nearby physician using powerful databases from two of the most respected doctor-rating services in the United States. As a joint venture between The Paladin Group LLC...

We've all heard plenty of statistics that tell us how dangerous it is to talk on our cell phones while driving. Now a new study from the University of Illinois has also found that talking on a cell phone while crossing the street is also dangerous. In fact, it's more dangerous than listening to an MP3 player while crossing the street. (Interestingly...

Windows XP has lived longer than anyone, including Microsoft, ever expected, but the software giant is preparing to EOL (end-of-life) the nearly decade-old operating system. On July 13, 2010, MS will cease to support XP SP2, although critical security updates will still be provided free of charge through April 8, 2014. XP SP2 isn't the only...

Let's face it: for as cool as the Adamo XPS is, it's hardly a reasonably priced machine. Even if you've got the cash, you know you're paying a huge premium for the seductive form factor. Just weeks after that 9.99mm thick machine launched, Dell has now introduced what could easily be mistaken as the Adamo XPS' weaker sibling: the Vostro V13.What's...

Preacher: "It's official on Facebook, it's official in my book!"We kid you not, that's the quote from a pastor who officiated a recent wedding between two obvious tech nerds. Dana Hanna, a recently married dude from Maryland, actually paused his own wedding after the pastor announced that he and his wife were now officially married in order...

What a couple of years it has been for Boxee. Granted, 2008 and 2009 hasn't been the easiest years for startups to gain funding and solicit business, but somehow Boxee has struck a chord with consumers. It just so happened to surface at the right time in order to take the world by storm, and by and large it has yet to let go. It's a simple...

So here's a riveting question: what kind of chilled beverage do you reach for when you've just been canned by your employer for using company PCs to allegedly look for life in other universes? Space beer, of course! A Japanese brewing company has just introduced what is likely to be the wildest beer since the introduction of Kid Rock's Bad...

Another month and another quarter, and yet again Apple is on top of the computer world for something. It's fairly amazing when you think about. On a global basis, OS X-based machines still make up less than 10% of all machines, yet Apple has somehow managed to captivate the general populace and dominate the media. It has also managed to stay...

OWC announced a new line of portable hard drives that features aluminum cases, bus powered drives, and quad interfaces. Because the new Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini case design is a small version of the case that is used in the company's Mercury Elite-Al Pro line, it should be familiar to OWC customers. Measuring 3.8 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches, the Mercury...

For a company with a 2TB hard drive and a serious chunk of market share in the overall storage sector, it's really tough to believe that it has yet to produce a solid state drive of its own. But sure enough, Seagate is still standing on the sidelines while OCZ, Kingston, Super Talent and a host of other outfits soak up the rays over in NAND...

As you may recall, last month Verizon Wireless upped the Early Termination Fee (EFT) that it charges customers who cancel their contract early. The fee increase wasn't a small one, either: if you have what Verizon calls an "advanced device," you'll now pay $350 if you want to cancel early compared to the previous fee of $175. Customers certainly...

Intel formally announced today that its controversial and much-hyped Larrabee GPU will not hit retail stores in 2010. The company declined to speculate on when retail Larrabee-based GPUs will be available, but stated that the current generation of products will be used for in-house development and sampled to relevant partners. Intel declined...

What's this? Some arms race to produce the wildest, most alien-approved set of speakers ever? In the same month that JBL issued the third generation of its completely wild Creature speakers, yet another trusted name in sound has stepped forward with a pair of PC speakers that could very well blast off at any moment. Harman Kardon's GLA-55...

The market for nettops-small, highly-integrated, mini-ITX desktops, typically based around Intel's Atom-didn't explode off the block the way netbooks did in the past 18 months, but an increasing number of manufacturers from Acer to Dell have released new designs built around the standard, and the systems in question are steadily becoming more...

When Microsoft earlier confirmed the Windows 7 Family Pack pricing, it made the comment that the Family Pack would be available "while supplies last." In the U.S, at least, those supplies are running out fast. The Windows 7 Family Pack is a 3-PC installation package of Windows 7 Home Premium. As confirmed by WindowsITPro, the $149 three-pack...

Your smartphone has an app store, so why doesn't your netbook? That's a question that Intel wants answered on the double, and with the adoption of netbooks still in "explosion" phase, Intel is expecting a new explosion in applications that are specifically tailored for use on these lower-powered machines. If you think about it, most mainstream...

We still haven't quite figured out Japan's fascination with flip phones with huge, long displays, but there's no denying that the technology within them is second to none. This past week, Fujitsu--who makes an awful lot of phones for the Asia-Pacific market--announced a wild new flip phone with not one, but two killer features that really...

Out with the rumors, in with reality. LG Display has just announced that it will be grabbing this whole 3D revolution by the horns, and if you have any doubts, we'd say that its intentions to produce the world's first commercial launch of a 3D LCD panel with a Full HD resolution should be them to rest. In the past, we've seen both 3D HDTVs...

MSI cards are no stranger to being at the top of the heap when it comes to breaking FPS records, and yet again the company is bragging about one of its own shattering the mold. The R5870-PM2D1G (not surprisingly based around AMD's Radeon HD 5870, a GPU that we adore) has just been used to create the new highest 3DMark Vantage P-Score of 24416,...

The gaming mouse market has grown increasingly saturated over the past few years, and with outfits like Razer and Logitech leading the way, it's tough for companies like SteelSeries to make an impact. That said, the new Limited Edition Sudden Attack Ikari Laser Mouse is bound to get noticed, if for nothing more than its wild styling. Designed...

Video:GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5970 2GB Video Card @ TweaktownATI HD 5770 Review - XSReviewsMotherboards and Chipsets:iXBT Labs Review: Intel DP55WG "Warrensburg" MotherboardMarvell SATA-6G SSD Performance vs Intel ICH10 @ BmRECS P55H-A P55 Lynnfield Motherboard Review @ PC PerSuperSpeed USB 3.0 Performance on the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium Motherboard...

Super Talent released a new compact digital storage product line, CFast storage cards. The CFast storage card uses a SATA interface to offer improved and unmatched write/read performance speeds. As you should guess from its name, the new card is an evolution of the traditional CompactFlash card. At 375MB/s, CFast offers four times the bandwidth...

Up until now, 3D has been mostly a joke. It required unsightly glasses, it was only available in a few places, and most 3D content was hardly entertaining. Today, however, 3D is experiencing a revolution. Movie producers are backing it, cinemas are spending money to support it, and even TV makers are marketing it. Only time will tell if consumers...

The Domain Name System, or DNS, is the address book of the Internet. Type in a site name such as www.amazon.com, and DNS servers "resolves" that name into an IP address, which is a set of numbers that can get you to the site. On Thursday, Google announced its own DNS service, called Google Public DNS, which it says is part of its initiative...

Like rock 'n roll? Classical? Jazz? Heavy metal? Yeah, heavy metal. Whatever your style of music, all you need to enjoy BOSS' new is a desire to thrash and a guitar. The eBand  Audio Player with Guitar Effects (JS-8) is a new portable audio player that's designed for guitarists who yearn to play along with their favorite tunes. Put simply,...

According to Rambus, Samsung Electronics plans to offer a 1 Gigabit XDR DRAM memory device. As a result of this development, Rambus' technology may finally start to see more widespread availability. The XDR memory architecture is interesting because it achieves performance that is higher than would be attainable by current mainstream memory...

Your options are pretty close to limitless when it comes to PC speakers, but who could ever forget the original Creatures? You know--those weirdly shaped 2.1 speakers that were quite popular with the Apple crowd in that glistening white color. Now, JBL has decided to milk its hit speaker set for a bit more cash, and the third-generation of...

AT&T and Lenovo are bundling AT&T Tech Support 360 with select Lenovo PCs and offering a discount to small and midsize businesses that take advantage of the offer. With the new bundles, businesses can purchase Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 laptops, T400 laptops, and ThinkCentre A58 small form factor desktops and save up to $200 through February...

Epson announced the PictureMate Show, a portable two-in-one digital photo frame and 4” x 6” photo printer. This hybrid lets users display, share, and print images directly from a single machine. You'll find a 7-inch, 16:9 tilt digital photo display with 800 x 480 dpi WVGA resolution on the PictureMate Show. In terms of print resolution, the...

This week we peek at the computer enthusiast's wish list with our friends at TechVi. On the list this time around? We talk processors, video cards and notebooks / netbooks. Also, a peek at the D5000, Nikon's latest DSLR sexy-cam, and ChromiumOS, the pre-release version of ChromeOS from Google. Show Notes: 0:36 — Nikon D5000 DSLR, 2:01 — Gift...

We've already heard of SDXC--in fact, it's a format that was announced almost a year ago now--but we've really seen nothing to make us believe it (or the technology behind it) was ready for primetime. Now, however, it looks as if the underpinnings are finally coming together, and we're hearing things that are making us smile about existing...

Here at Hot Hardware, few things irk us worse than dealing with batteries. If you think about it, much of the trouble we still deal with in the consumer electronics realm is due to batteries, particularly when thinking of the mobile sector. Most everything (cell phones, notebooks, portable media players, watches, etc.) is limited by the size...

Need some more DDR3 RAM for your forthcoming rig? Who doesn't need more RAM, right? If you're on the hunt, Crucial has a new 4GB DDR3-1333MHz DIMM it would like you to take a look at, which are designed to enable 16GB setups within systems with 4 DIMM slots and to performance exceptionally well within 64-bit environments. The unbuffered PC3-10600...

You can file this one in the drawer labeled "Weird, Weirder and Weirdest." In what's easily one of the strangest tales we're heard this year in the technology realm, a (former) Arizona school district employee has been shown his leaving papers after he tinkered with school computers. We know what you're thinking--some guy downloaded some not-so-nice...

Some have said that the addition of video recording to the iPod nano earlier this year spelled the possible demise of Flip Video's popular line of handheld camcorders. The Cisco division is not standing still, however, waiting for Apple to catch up, as on Wednesday they announced FlipShare TV, which is a new $150 box that you can use to view...

AT&T has dropped its lawsuit Verizon over the latter's "There's A Map For That" commercials. The commercials, which began earlier this year, mocked the iPhone's coverage issues on AT&T by saying there was "a map for that," a take-off on the "there's an app for that" tagline used for the iPhone. However, the commercials put two maps...

Intel has re-released TRIM enabling firmware for its Intel X25-M and X18-M SSDs. TRIM is available in Windows 7, and its function is to prevent the performance degradation that SSDs see over time.  TRIM clears flash pages instead of marking them as available when users delete data. That is what happens for normal hard drives, and there's...

The Asus Eee Top ET2002 is an all-in-one desktop computer that provides the basics for everyday computing as well as multimedia entertainment in a space-saving design. It features a large, 20-inch 16:9 widescreen display and a 1.6GHz dual core Intel Atom 330 processor. Perhaps one of the coolest new features of the ET2002 is the fact that...

As many of you know, we have been running a contest with our friends at Viddler, where you could have had a shot at winning a Flip UltraHD pocket camcorder.  To say it has been an interesting, entertaining and wild ride, would be a complete understatement. Coasterfreak900's entry for example, gave us some tips on protecting ourselves...

Video:Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ Razor Edition @ HardwareZoneSapphire Radeon HD 5750 Vapor-X Video Card Review @ Legit ReviewsGalaxy GeForce GT 240 (DDR5) Graphics Card Review @ TechARPDiRT2 DirectX 11 ATI Radeon HD 5000 Series Comparison @ TweaktownMotherboards and Chipsets:ASUS P7P55D Evo Intel P55 Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers.orgMemory...

Corsair launched its new Dominator GTX ultra-high performance DDR3 memory modules for Intel and AMD platforms. The new memory modules target performance enthusiasts, gamers, and extreme overclockers. Each of the Dominator GTX modules are individually screened and tested to ensure they operate at the expected frequency of 2250MHz at low-latency...

We've already learned that Wi-Fi is more important than food within an airport, and we've seen just how popular in-flight Internet has become, so it's not at all surprising to hear that Americans are eating up mobile broadband and e-mail services. In a new consumer study entitled "Mobile Convergence: Platforms, Applications, and Services,"...

It seems that a new "most powerful notebook" pops up every six months or so, but it's not that often that we hear about the "world's most powerful mobile workstation." Of course, workstations aren't nearly as sexy as general machines, but we have to say, Dell's latest really is a powerhouse worth drooling on. Or beside. Just have a look at...

IPS may not mean much to the common man, but to a tech enthusiast, it says a lot. In fact, it's tough for any tech junkie to buy an LCD monitor these days that doesn't use an IPS panel, as the In Plane Switching screens generally have wider viewing angles and an all-around superior picture. Today, ViewSonic is launching two new monitors in...

The residents of Portland, Oregon are the first lucky Comcast users in the country to get the chance to try out Comcast's newly deployed (and long expected) data usage meter. For users who have long been trying to guesstimate how close they are to their allotted 250GB limit and the overage charges that could result from using too much bandwidth,...

NEC announced its first LED-backlit desktop monitor. The new 22-inch MultiSync EA222WMe provides the same amount of brightness as other panel types but requires 20% less power due to its LED technology. In comparison to previous generation LCDs from NED, the EA222WMe uses up to 52% less power. The monitor also radiates up to 61% less heat,...

Earlier today in a San Francisco press briefing Intel Chief Technology Officer, Justin Rattner took the wraps off a proof of concept and experimental product that Intel dubbed a "Single-Chip Cloud Computer". The objective this chip was designed to address is the huge opportunity that exists to reduce power consumption and space in the data...

Micron's no stranger to the world of flash memory, but it looks like the company is dead-set on going head-to-head with the Seagates and Western Digitals of the world. The new RealSSD C300 solid state drive is reportedly the first to deliver native SATA 6GB/s performance, which should mean that it does great in the benchmarks that are sure...

Right now, my production PC is humming along under my desk. It’s built into a massive Antec P193 case, which is built like a tank. It’s relatively quiet, especially since I removed the 200mm side fan. As a hardware reviewer, my lab testing seems to revolve around large cases. I’ve got several test systems built into three Coolermaster Cosmos...

Apple's iPhone is obviously hot, Android is gaining steam and WebOS is easily the slickest operating system to ever come from Palm's labs. What do all of these points have in common? They're all proof that the smartphone is evolving in rapid fashion, far quicker than we've seen in years past. What this also means is that competition is fierce,...

Pico projectors are a dime a dozen these days, and most of them aren't too different from any other. Most are small enough to slip inside a pocket, and most have native resolutions of just 640x480. Most require a reasonably dark room to perform, and some of them have internal batteries to give users some flexibility away from the AC outlet....

Up until now two major things have evaded AT&T: an Android phone and Snapdragon. If you're unfamiliar with the second, Snapdragon is a new mobile CPU that can be clocked as high as 1GHz, and the phones based on that CPU are understandably quick. Starting this week, AT&T will at least be able to say that it stocks a 1GHz smartphone...

Navigation systems have been a luxury add-on option to many vehicles for some time now. With the exception of the Suzuki SX4 however, a built-in navigation system with a new car generally cost at least $1,000 if not much more. Given the plethora of personal navigation devices from the likes of Garmin and TomTom, as well as the many options...

If you've bought a laptop recently, chances are good it has an integrated SDHC flash memory card reader. Today, the SDHC standard is pretty commonly used in various devices including digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, and many other devices. By integrating SDHC card readers into laptops, manufacturers have made the standard even more...

The PC Demo for Codemaster's upcoming DirectX 11 racing title Dirt 2 has just hit the web and is available for download right here. If you're unfamiliar with Dirt 2, Codemaster's says this about the game, "DiRT 2 will feature a roster of contemporary off-road events, taking players to the most diverse and challenging real-world environments....

Mac clone maker Psystar, whose investors apparently drank a lot of their Kool-aid when looking to back the company, sold a total of 768 units. The company had last year projected it would sell millions of units by 2012. An economic consultant hired by Apple, Dr. Matthew Lynde, determined the actual number. Of course, at this point, with Apple...

Sharkoon is best known for its HDD Docks, which enable internal 3.5" HDDs to be quickly accessed outside of a PC. The company's latest product, however, has little to do with connecting hard drives to actual rigs via the traditional methods and lots more to do with making your existing drives accessible over the Internet.The Sharkoon USB LANPort...

When Pico-ITX hit the market in mid-2008, many figured that it would be quite some time before we saw a replacement shrink any further. Leave it to the folks at VIA to prove us all wrong. Today, the company is introducing its newest platform, one that's a whopping 50% small than Pico-ITX, which itself is quite a bit smaller than Micro-ITX.The...

Bluetooth speakers aren't nearly as popular as they once were, but for those still needing a small, portable speaker that can stream tunes directly from their BT-enabled phone, SoundMatters has a solid option. The new foxL V2 Bluetooth is a new and improved model from the similar-looking version that won praise last year, with this pocket-sized...

Jitterbug may have the "senior phone" on lockdown, but believe it or not, those with aging eyes and a desire for simplicity actually do have more options than just that one iconic flip phone. This winter, Consumer Cellular has teamed up with Doro in order to offer up two super-simple cell phones to "active seniors." Or you, if you don't feel...

Got an itch for travel? Got an even bigger itch for keeping up with the latest technologies? If so, TravelTrac's new iPhone app is tailor made for your kind, and it's likely to both make your friends envious and fulfill your wishes to better journal your journeys. Available now in the App Store, the application enables users to upload media...

Electric vehicles may not be in the exact same playing field as USB drives, mainboards and SSDs, but there's still something whiz-bang-y about 'em that makes us drool. With Chevy's Volt inching towards production and a couple of other all-electric vehicles already leaking out to the wealthy, where are we common folk expected to fulfill our...