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Cell Phones

When It Comes to Viruses, Smartphones Can Be Dumb

According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), computers could cease being the only technology susceptible to viruses. Researchers at Northeastern University suggest that, as mobile networks continue to develop, cell phones could become the next mass-market to be targeted. Marta Gonzalez, one of the study's authors, told the NSF, "We haven't had a problem so far because only phones with operating systems, so-called 'smart phones', are susceptible to viral infection." That being said, such a problem could be just beyond the horizon as the NSF points out that smartphone usage is experiencing a 150-percent annual growth rate.

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Editor's Picks

The Daily Engadget: Game Boy Turns 20, Robot Theater, Jawbone Prime

Our friends over at Engadget obsessively cover everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics, which is why we've decided to compile a daily roundup of their top stuff (or, at least, what we think is tops). For more details on any of these stories, click on the Engadget links.


Meet Probo, the Huggable, Trauma(tic) Robot
Probo (pictured above) is a huggable Belgian robot designed to comfort children who have been through traumatic experiences. Unfortunately, this android (backed by Bill Gates and developed at the University of Brussels) might end up doing the opposite, especially when he's missing his skin. What's more, we can't decide if Probo looks drunk or deeply depressed when he's turned on. Neither seem to be of much use for cheering up kids. Check out the creepily awesome video here.


AT&T Hanging Up on CallVantage Phone Service
Sorry, AT&T CallVantage users, it looks like you're going to have to find another VoiP (Voice Over Internet) provider to convert those pretty voices to zeroes and ones (maybe Skype?). Yesterday, AT&T announced that it will discontinue its Internet phone service, and subscribers will have until the end of the year to switch to another AT&T service or find a new provider.

Nintendo Game Boy Turns 20
Boy, does it make us feel old to announce that Nintendo's Game Boy handheld game system just celebrated its 20th birthday. It seems like just yesterday we were jamming AA batteries into it and struggling through level after level of 'Tetris' on family road trips. In celebration of 20 great years of Nintendo handheld tradition (all the way up to last week's launch of the Nintendo DSi), Engadget dug up this great commercial for the original.




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Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, iPod, iPhone, Mobile Software, Mac Software, Portable Audio, Handheld Devices, Mobile Phones

iPhone 3.0 Update Brings Much Needed New Features

iPhone 3.0 Update Brings Much Needed New Features

The wait is over! Well, the wait to know what we're waiting for is over.

The iPhone 3.0 update is coming, and honestly, it's not coming soon enough. We'll have to wait until this June, when the iPhone will get a major software update that will bring boatloads of new features to everyone's favorite multi-touch cell phone. Of course, many of these features, such as support for Multi-Media-Messaging (MMS), have been on other smart phones for years. Check out the bullet list after the break for what to expect, and hit up Engadget for more in-depth coverage.

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Cell Phones

Growing Support for Total Ban on Cell Phones While Driving



The National Safety Council (NSC) is pushing state and local governments to enact a new rule banning the use of cell phones, even with hands-free devices, while driving.

The organization has been touting studies that show driving while using a Bluetooth headset is just as dangerous as it is when talking on a traditional handset. NSC spokespeople also point to a recent survey, by Nationwide Insurance, that shows 40 percent of drivers have been hit or almost hit by another driver who was talking on the phone. They liken the push for the new blanket ban to that of the battle for child-safety seats and seat belts.

Many have called such a ban unenforceable, but that hasn't stopped the Council from moving forward. They're encouraging businesses to forbid their employees from talking and driving while on the job. ExxonMobil has instituted just such a ban, and a spokesman for the company defended it, saying, "We didn't want people to have to make a choice between safety and business. We will make that choice for them."

We've gotten used to being able to use our Bluetooth headsets while driving around, and it would certainly take a lot to break the habit. We understand the logic behind an all-out ban, but we'd like to see the current bans in places like New York, New Jersey and California enforced a bit better before state governments try to expand the laws. [From: ABC News, Via: Propeller]

Do you support a total ban on using cell phones while driving?





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Cell Phones

Some Cell Phone Fans Being Buried With Their Mobiles

You Can't Take it With You, but you Can Get Buried With It
It's quite common for someone's family to include a treasured memento with a loved one when they're buried, whether it be a piece of jewelry, a note, or some other trinket that was important to them. So, it should probably come as no surprise that this day and age, when everyone seems to spend all day either talking or texting, that trinket is increasingly some sort of cell phone.

Yes, we love to hate them in the living world, but many are choosing to take their mobile addictions to the afterlife by requesting that they be buried with whatever their current handset of choice is. Some families even send them under with fully-charged batteries so that they can receive calls from beyond the dead. To top it all off, there's a report of a frequent Bluetooth headset-wearer (a.k.a. a "Bluetooth guy") getting buried with his earpiece in.

We're not sure how we feel about encouraging gratuitous Bluetooth usage among the living or the dead, but with many people being more attached to their handsets than their pets, you can't blame their families for wanting to send people off with their gadgets -- if only to stop the things from ringing. [From: MSNBC]

Cell Phones

Key Jams Cellphones, Ends Texting/Talking While Driving


Face it, kids. You missed the best time to be a teenager by around five or so years. As it stands now, technology is cutting into that adolescent fun, with device like Ford's MyKey and this one here ensuring that you're actually safe behind the wheel. In all seriousness, the terribly named Key2SafeDriving is a fine concept (at least in the parent's eye), as it fuses a cellphone jammer (of sorts) into a key fob in order to put the kibosh on freeway conversations. Essentially, the signal blocking kicks into action anytime the "key" portion is flicked out, connecting to a handset via Bluetooth or RFID and forcing it into "driving mode." No actual jamming, per se, is going on; it's more like a manual override of the ringer. Anyone who phones / texts you while you're safely driving will receive an automated response informing them of such, though we are told that handsfree devices can be utilized. Researchers at the University of Utah are hoping to see it on the market within six months via a private company "at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee."

[Via Gadgets-Weblog]

Audio/Video, Switched Video, Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2008

Hands-on: iMuffs Wireless Headphones

A recent late night flight back to New York was a great opportunity to test out the new iMuffs MB220 Bluetooth headset ($150) from Wi-Gear. The MB220 links with your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. The built-in music and volume controls allow you to stash your music player away while you listen wirelessly, which can be a space-saver when crammed into the tiny back rows of a 737.

In compliance with the FAA, we didn't have the chance to test out the built in microphone and make some calls, but that important feature is available should you need it. Unfortunately, we had to take our iPod out of its case to connect the Bluetooth transmitter. With the device stashed under the seat it wasn't a problem but we'd like to see the dongle put on a diet on future iterations of these headseats.

Audio/Video, Car Tech, iPod, iPhone

Over Half of 2009 Vehicles in America Offering iPod Support


And we're not talking about that 3.5mm-to-3.5mm trick, either. No sirree, we're referring to bona fide iPod integration, and 2009 marks the first year where over half of all US-bound automobiles are expected to offer optional support for Apple's prolific PMP. When looking at 2008 model year vehicles, just 39-percent offered tight iPod integration, but according to Phil Magney, vice president of automotive research for iSuppli, the "automotive industry is at the point where in-vehicle technologies -- or the lack of them -- are influencing sales." Furthermore, Bluetooth is expected to be in 82-percent of 2009 US vehicles (optional or standard), and just so we're clear, we're talking all cars, not just the luxury brands. Unfortunately, no data was provided for expected compatibility with the DJ Ditty. [Via Wired, image courtesy of JPMagazine]

Cell Phones, Green Tech

A Self-Recharging Headset for Agreeable People

A Self-Recharging Headset for Agreeable PeoplePeople tend to nod when they agree, and when they walk, and pretty much all day long whether they know it or not. It's a motion telephone headset maker Plantronics is hoping to exploit to recharge upcoming generations of wireless headsets. The company has filed a patent for a kinetic energy converter that would be small enough to sit within a Bluetooth headset, yet powerful enough to recharge the thing.

The technology uses the same concept as is found in many "self-winding" watches that rely on the day-to-day motions of your hand to spin a weight and re-wind the thing. That sort of technology has been applied to some interesting places, like a dance-floor that powers the club, a dress that could charge your iPod, and an arm-band that juices up cell phones while you rock out. These are all inventions we can agree with -- especially if we're juicing up our gadgets while doing it. [From: textually.org]

Computers

Sony Ericsson Debuts Bluetooth Watches for Sporty She-Geeks


When a press release is laced with words like "handbag," "sophisticated," and "vibrates," it's clearly targeting the fairer sex. Sony Ericsson's new MBW-200 watches display caller ID and rumble on the wrist when a call comes in to your Bluetooth connected cellphone. You can then reject or mute the call directly from the watch.

The Fossil designed, glare- and scratch-resistant time keepers come in three versions -- Sparkling Allure, Contemporary Elegance and Evening Classic. Each is modeled above by three tennis players for not so obvious reasons. Available in Q4 for an undisclosed price. A few more pics after the break. [Via SEMC Blog]

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Computers

Murata's New Robot Balances on One Wheel

Murata's new balancing robot loses a wheel, gains a trickRiding a bicycle isn't exactly easy, especially if you're made of circuitry, wires, and a gyroscope. That was Murata Seisaku-kun's one trick, and now he's sadly obsolete. Meet Seiko, a 20-inch tall, 11 pound unicycle riding robot. Like her, uh, "cousin" Keisaku-kun, Seiko relies on a chest-mounted gyro to stay upright and uses Bluetooth to communicate with a PC that gives instructions. (Yes, she's a PC.) Lucky robot lovers can watch the whole family of robo-carnies do its stuff at CEATEC Japan 2008, but even luckier you can check out the elder bot on his bike in motion after the break without having to leave your chair.

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Audio/Video

Pea Speaker Concept Makes Multi-Room Wireless Audio Easy


Look, we never said we meant multi-channel, multi-room audio, nor did we imply that these were the real deal, but the Pea Speaker concept would make it mighty easy to fill up to seven (tiny) rooms with audio sans wires. In theory, Lu Le's peas-in-a-pod-like creation would enable each speaker to play back audio that was streamed over Bluetooth, though just one would posses a global volume control. Oh, and unless these spheres are much heavier than they look, we can imagine your kids having an absolute field day. [From: Yanko Design via CyberTheater]

Cell Phones, iPhone, Reviews, Peripherals

Hands-On With New Motorola H15 and H780 Bluetooth Headsets

motorola h15

Motorola unveiled two new Bluetooth headsets today, one of which -- the H15 (pictured, above) -- is about half the size of a thumb and fits discreetly inside your ear via adjustable earbuds. Available in October for $129, the H15 is a souped-up version of the equally tiny H5 Miniblue headset that came out way back in 2006, and incorporates Motorola's CrystalTalk noise-cancellation technology and EasyPair pairing technology, which reduce outside noise on phone calls and make pairing with phones a snap, respectively. Motorola also announced the H780 Universal Bluetooth Headset, which is slightly bigger and offers more battery life (about 7 hours) than the H15 (about 4.5 hours), but only costs $99.

Both headsets also have multipoint technology, which means they can pair with two phones at once --- handy for those who like to double-fist their phones (such as this writer, who tends to carry an iPhone, for fun, in one pocket and a BlackBerry, for work, in another).

We got a chance to play around with both headsets in New York City's cavernous, echo-y, and conversation-filled Grand Central Station, as well as at our local Starbucks and on city streets, with satisfying results. Both friends we called thought we were either in a "Lincoln Town Car" or a "box" (whatever that means), even though we were walking down noisy streets. To be fair, one friend heard the church bell in the distance on one call, while another could hear the a muffled version of the roar of the cappuccino machine at Starbucks, but overall both of these headsets seemed kind to callers' ears on the other end. We also found them both to be easy to pair -- in fact, the H15 automatically goes into pairing mode when you flip out the U-shaped mic, which means never having to remember how to get a headset into pairing mode again (one of our big pet peeves that makes us easily tire of Bluetooth headsets in general).

Both the H15 and the H780 are due out in the 4th Quarter, which probably means early October since they've already started shipping to stores.

Audio/Video

CY-FI Portable Sports Speaker Brings Beats to Your Bike


CY-FI just unwrapped its latest wireless speaker system for your bike. The CY-FI Bluetooth wireless sport speaker weighs just 4-ounces, supports hands-free and stereo Bluetooth profiles, and works for about 5.5-hours on battery when clipped to your bike or pretty much anything else. But by attaching it to a bicycle, Cy-Fi can call it a world's first Bluetooth sport speaker, which is nice. Unfortunately, the September 22nd launch with a $180 price tag is not. [From: cy-fi]

Video Games

Wii Balance Board Used to Control Roomba Vacuum


For Roomba hacking extraordinaire longjie0723, it's just another day in the office. Grasping for one more way to control the circular vacuum with something video game-related, he keyed in on the Wii Balance Board. Granted, he's already had success controlling the Roomba with a Wiimote, so we assume that whipping this one up was a lesson in simplicity. We still can't really understand why this here hack is necessary, but unlike decisions made by publicly traded companies, independent DIYers don't need no logic to get their mod on. Video after the cut. [From YouTube via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

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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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