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NYC Hopes to Launch Subway Text Message Alert System

The New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is looking for a vendor to put together what may end up being the largest text message and e-mail alert system in the country. The MTA said that, following massive flooding of the NYC ... Read more →

Don't Just Call Your Friends, Spam Them! 1 year ago on Switched

Mobile, instant, always-on access to everyone you know is the new obnoxious forefront in communications technology. A new start-up calling itself Trumpia, has decided to take the obsession with constant communication to its absurd illogical ...

Gmail Overhaul On the Way? 1 year ago on Switched

Gmail, everybody's favorite beta product, may be getting ready for its first major update since launching in 2004. At the time of launch, Gmail was revolutionary, breaking the mold for what a Web mail application could be with unprecedented ease ...

Sex Less Important Than the Web for Many Americans 1 year ago on Switched

The Internet has become so ingrained in our lives that a full fifth of Americans admit to having less sex so they can spend more time online. Those 20 percent happen to be the most extreme cases, but have we become a nation of connectivity addicts? ...

Alaska Air to Test In-Flight Wi-Fi this Spring 1 year ago on Switched

This whole in-flight Wi-Fi thing is really taking off (induce pun groans now). Alaska Air is the latest company to announce it will be testing wireless broadband access on its jets. Starting in the Spring of '08. Alaska Air will outfit one of its ...

Virgin America Details In-Flight Internet 1 year ago on Switched

When Richard Branson rolled out the Virgin America airline in August, he promised us in-flight Internet -- though left out the how and when. While the latter is still a mysterious "sometime in 2008," the how will be dealt with through a newly ...

Handy List of Cell Phone-Friendly Web Sites 1 year ago on Switched

Finding Web sites that look good on the substandard Web browsers and screens of most PDAs and PDA phones (read: Treos, Windows Mobile devices, and BlackBerrys) is a challenge. Thankfully, mobile-obsessed blogger Brian Cantoni has produced a quick ...

New Blackberry Coming From AT&T Tuesday? 1 year ago on Switched

Sure, AT&T already has the Curve, the 8800 and the Pearl, not to mention older Blackberries such as the 8700 and the 7130c. But they won't let that stop them from introducing yet another push e-mail powerhouse from RIM. Rumor has it that the ...

Electronics Causing Teenagers to Get "Junk Sleep" 1 year ago on Switched

Teenagers can sometimes be a miserable bunch. According to British researchers, that may have something to do with a lack of quality sleep. The culprit of this "junk sleep?" Electronics, of course. According to a survey done by The Sleep Council, ...

The New Palm Centro - Can it Redeem the Company? 1 year ago on Switched

After four years of tweaking and re-releasing the chubby Treo 600 design, Palm is finally ready to release a new smartphone. Unfortunately for the struggling handset maker, the reception so far towards its leaked Palm Centro (previously known as ...

Spammers' New Methods of Deception Uncovered 1 year ago on Switched

Spammers, while evil, are a crafty bunch. They constantly adapt to the security firms who attempt to stay ahead of these scam artists. It used to be that spammers were simply the junk mailers of the electronic world, assuring you were aware of the ...

Internet Turning Into a Boob Tube of Sorts, Survey Says 1 year ago on Switched

Way back in the day (a whole four years ago) the Internet was primarily a tool of communication -- e-mail, message boards, instant messaging. Then somewhere along the way things began to change. Content became king. A study conducted by ...

Girl Videotapes 300-Page iPhone Bill 1 year ago on Switched

If you're not familiar with AT&T's billing practices you might be a bit shocked to receive your first iPhone bill. Justine Ezarik was less-than amused when her 300-page bill was delivered in a box. AT&T makes sure to take note of every ...

Google Offers 250 Gigs of Storage for $500 1 year ago on Switched

When Yahoo decided to offer unlimited free storage with Yahoo Mail, we all figured it was only a matter of time before Google offered the same... well, Google has put the kibosh on that idea. The search giant has unveiled its new pay-for-storage ...

China's Summer Camp for Internet Addicts 1 year ago on Switched

Federal or state programs to help citizens deal with drug and alcohol addiction is something we're used to in the U.S. In China it's a little different. The scourge of the streets in Shanghai and Beijing is... (bum bum bum) the Internet. Over the ...

Top 10 Most E-Mail Addicted Cities 1 year ago on Switched

Though a youngster today might look at you with absolute bewilderment at the mention of the word "e-mail," the medium is actually more popular than ever with Americans. AOL just completed a massive, broad-sweeping survey on the subject, which ...

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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

Top Product Reviews

  • Home Audio Reviews

    9.0 out of 10

    Denon AVR-4306 (black)
    Incredibly well-featured 7.1-channel receiver; excellent sound quality; three HDMI inputs; converts analog video to HDMI output; upconverts analog video to 720p/1080i HD resolution; iPod and USB MP3 player connectivity; Internet radio and MP3/WMA streaming audio via built-in Ethernet port; XM Satellite Radio compatible; touch-screen remote; multizone, multisource operation; browser-based control via home network; accurate autocalibration routine. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (black)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (silver)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

  • Cell Phone Reviews

    8.6 out of 10

    Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL cell phone signal extender
    The Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL significantly boosts your cell phone reception and is easy to operate. Also, it uses a wireless connection to your phone. Full Review

    8.6 out of 10

    Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger
    The Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger successfully delivers emergency power to your cell phone. It's easy to use and comes with a couple of surprising features. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    LG VX6000 (Verizon Wireless)
    Compact and stylish; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; built-in camera; USB ready; affordable. Full Review

  • Digital Camera Reviews

    9.3 out of 10

    Canon EOS 1D Mark III
    Extremely fast, 10-megapixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD; abundant optional accessories. Full Review

    9.3 out of 10

    Nikon D3 (body only)
    Full-frame sensor; well designed, pro-level weather-sealed body; very low noise, even at extremely high ISOs; fast. Full Review

    9.0 out of 10

    Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
    Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance. Full Review

  • Desktop Reviews

    8.5 out of 10

    Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
    A minor specification update results in some significant performance gains; graphics upgrade an option on this 24-inch model; sleek, polished design didn't receive an update, but we won't start clamoring for a new design until the current one is at least 12 months old. Full Review

    8.4 out of 10

    Velocity Raptor Signature Edition Gaming PC
    One of the fastest PCs we've tested; a PCI Express RAID card helps media encoding performance; typically immaculate Velocity Micro assembly; strong, three-year warranty. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    Dell Studio Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 750GB HDD, 6GB)
    Best performance in its class; dedicated graphics card; large hard drive. Full Review

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