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Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:37:00 PST
The end of the VHS era
 Ding dong, the VCR is dead I've never been very good at giving up on old technology. I held on to my audio cassettes well into the compact disc era; my old Handspring Visor is still sitting in my desk drawer; and I admit that I still have an ...
Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:37:00 PST
Memory-maker Transcend offers another place for memory storage
(Credit: Transcend) On the short list of things I appreciate in a digital photo frame is a lot of internal memory. Sure, it's cheap enough to buy an extra SD card, but when a flash-memory manufacturer like Transcend makes a frame, I expect it to have a healthy amount. ...
Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:01:00 PST
Philips Prestigo SRT9320 universal remote mixes touch screen with hard keys
(Credit: Philips)The Philips universal remote line has a new top dog. The Prestigo SRT9320 combines a 2.8-inch color touch screen on the top half with hard buttons on the lower portion. The screen handles both channel favorites (replete with familiar icon logos) and customized commands. The SRT9320 can ... Originally posted at CES 2009
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:13:00 PST
Philips adds two new network audio products to its Streamium line
 The Philips Streamium NP2500 (front left) and NP2900 (back right) (Credit: John Falcone/CBS Interactive)
Philips' line of Streamium products was one of the pioneers in the network audio realm, but it never really clicked with consumers (at least in the U.S.), even as competitors like Sonos and Logitech'... Originally posted at CES 2009
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:59:00 PST
Jobo's new 7-inch photo frame includes a remote
(Credit: Jobo)
You know it's bad when the most exciting thing about a product is that it comes with a remote control. However, to be fair to Jobo AG and its PDJ077 digital photo frame, most sub-$100 7-inch displays don't include a remote. Or support for CF ...
Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:30:00 PST
Viewsonic's 1080p TV for your kitchen
(Credit: Viewsonic)This certainly isn't the first time we've seen a monitor with identity issues, but Viewsonic at least gets current HDTV marketing strategies correct by making the VT2430 24-inch LCD monitor HDTV full HD with a 1080p resolution.
Along with the VT2430's 1,920x1,080 resolution ...
Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:34:00 PST
White Bread Wrist Rest: Without it, your hands are toast (get it? TOAST)
The current generation of compunerds is totally screwed. We (yes, I'm one of you) spend at least eight hours surfing the Internet on a daily basis, weekends included! Those YouTube videos aren't going to watch themselves, right?
That's why ergonomics is so important. We need specific keyboards ...
Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:28:00 PST
iLuv debuts $200 Wi-Fi clock radio
(Credit: iLuv/Jwin)
Earlier in 2008, iLuv made news with its release of the i168, one of the most affordable tabletop HD Radios to date (currently available for less than $100). Now the company is turning its sights toward online audio with the iNT170. The bedside clock radio employs the ...
Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:55:00 PST
Nokia wants to make your home much smarter
(Credit: Ubergizmo)
Wouldn't it be nice if you could manage all your home appliances, electronics, entertainment, and security, plus your climate control system, from your mobile phone? That is exactly what Nokia is promising with its Home Control Center solution.
The beauty of this Linux-based platform is its comprehensive ...
Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:30:00 PST
Good morning, Vietnam
 Kentucky Fried Chicken: in case you're worried Hanoi might be too exotic for you. (Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)
Editor's note: This is the first in an occasional series of dispatches by CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo, who is spending the next month in his homeland of Vietnam. He'll be looking at the country through his now nerdy and Americanized eyes, in particular exploring how people there do the sorts of things he does every day in the States: play video games, use a cell phone, and try to stay safe online.
HANOI, Vietnam--There's a standing joke that goes like this: "What do you call an Asian who gets lost? Disoriented." Not really funny, but if you want to meet one Asian who gets lost in his own neighborhood, that would be me.
Originally from Hanoi but now living in San Francisco, I visit friends and family in Vietnam as often as I am financially able, which is not as often as I would like.
The country has been changing so fast, every time I go back to the place I still consider home, I experience a little reverse culture shock. This time is no exception.
I tried to figure out where I was and what direction I should go by looking for familiar landmarks, but none were still there.
It took 20-plus hours of travel time to get here from San Francisco. The first morning in Hanoi, jetlag woke me at 4:30 a.m. and I decided to get up for a jog. In the States this would be super early; over here, nobody is remotely impressed.
The moment I left the house, it felt somewhat like a national holiday, noisy and bustling. Restaurants and makeshift breakfast places selling sticky rice, pho (noodle soup), and other delicious morning edibles were just being opened. Some were already serving their first patrons.
On the sidewalks were already people everywhere--running, walking, playing badminton, doing Tai chi, or just simply sitting and looking. There were scores of scooters and bicycles, and once in a while, small trucks weaving back and forth, carrying vegetables, chickens, or other food-related items in bulk, honking all the while.
(There are many things you will need to get used to when in Vietnam, and one would be the honking. Nothing personal, it's just that people want to make sure their existence on the street is well-noticed. And considering the crazy nature of the traffic here, this totally makes sense.)
It was, indeed, just another day.
...
Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:00:00 PST
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