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The Daily Engadget: Track Your Tech at gdgt, Microsoft 'Pink' Phone?

Our friends over at Engadget obsessively cover everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics, which is why we compile this daily roundup of their top stuff. For more details on any of these stories, click on the Engadget links in each story ... Read more →

The Rudest Place to Use Your Cell Phone Is.... 2 months ago on Switched

We hit the streets of Miami Beach recently with our cameras to find the answer to some questions we've been debating furiously around here at Switched headquarters -- where is the rudest place to use a cell phone? What about talking on your phone ...

Is It Rude To Talk On Your Cellphone While Waiting in Line? 2 months ago on Switched

We hit the streets of Miami Beach recently with our cameras to find the answer to some questions we've been debating furiously around here at Switched headquarters -- is it rude to talk on your cellphone while waiting in a line? What about talking ...

Is It Rude to Talk on Your Cell Phone in a Public Restroom? 2 months ago on Switched

We hit the streets of Miami Beach recently with our cameras to find the answer to a question we've been debating furiously around here at Switched headquarters -- is it rude to talk on your cellphone in a public restroom? What about talking on ...

Toys of 2009: Best of the Rest 3 months ago on Switched

We spent a week at the 2009 New York Toy Fair and came away with a renewed desire to be 10 years old again. This episode of our Toy Fair series showcases some other great toys that defied easy categorization. ...

Toys of 2009: Online-Enabled Games for Kids 3 months ago on Switched

We spent a week at the 2009 New York Toy Fair and came away with a renewed desire to be 10 years old again. This episode of our Toy Fair series showcases what's new in kids online gaming. Thanks to the phenomenal success of Webkinz, there ...

Toys of 2009: Star Wars Science 3 months ago on Switched

We spent a week at the 2009 New York Toy Fair last month and came away with a renewed desire to be ten years old again. This episode of our Toy Fair series showcases a new line of Star Wars science toys: Star Wars Science - This new line ...

Shop Hop: AC Gears, New York's Import-Gadget Emporium 3 months ago on Switched

SHOP HOP: In this new series, the Switched Video crew will be touring shops around the country in search of great gadgets and gear. For the first episode, we show up at AC Gears in New York City to sample some of its newer wares: AC Gears ...

Toys of 2009: Robots and Revamped Rubik's Cubes 4 months ago on Switched

We spent a week at the 2009 New York Toy Fair a couple of weeks ago and came away with a renewed desire to be ten-years old again. This episode of our Toy Fair series showcases four new high-tech toys: Ollo Bug Kits: This miniature ...

Hype Check: Verizon Hub 4 months ago on Switched

var embed_205 = '' HYPE CHECK: Verizon Hub What it is: The Hub is a VoIP (Voice over IP) home smartphone: Picture your normal home phone and add a 7-inch touch screen, Internet connectivity, and an interface similar to your computer's desktop ...

Real-World Financial Tips From Virtual World Investing Pros 4 months ago on Switched

var embed_206 = '' With Wall Street in disgrace and the economy in a nosedive, where should the country turn for financial advice? Would you ever think gamers? Since 2003, players on the massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) ...

'Green' Areaware Moof Bike Saves Money and the Environment 4 months ago on Switched

With the whole world going green, we're seeing less Hummers and more hybrids than ever before--but did you know that there's zero-emissions way to get around using nothing but the power of your legs? Be the envy of your hipster friends with the ...

Hype Check: Amazon Kindle 2 (Hands-on Review) 4 months ago on Switched

We were able to get our hands on an Amazon Kindle 2 a few days before today's ship date. The next-generation e-book reader is lighter and thinner, has a longer battery life, and now includes text-to-speech capability, but for $359, is it ...

Porn Star Belladonna Picks Top Sex Tech: Lelo Sex Toys 4 months ago on Switched

Many of our writers could tell you about the latest sex toys, but wouldn't you much rather here it from the lovely and ebullient adult star Belladonna? As our roving reporter at the AVN Expo in Vegas, she's given us glimpses into some of the most ...

Porn Star Belladonna Picks Top Sex Tech: Belladonna Talks FyreTV 5 months ago on Switched

It seems that every mainstream tech innovation is followed closely behind by an answer from the porn industry. Like Roku's Netflix box, FyreTV's set-top player delivers a library of over 20,000 DVD-quality porn flicks from you to choose from - and ...

Switched Visits the House of the Future at CES 5 months ago on Switched

During our trip to the desert, we took some time off from the convention floor to head over to the NextGen Home Experience. This super-green, 5,200 square-foot "smart" home boasts some smooth accoutrements, including a powerful home-automation ...

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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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