Why Microsoft needs small tablets

This is Microsoft's newly unveiled Surface 2 tablet. Should we expect a smaller sibling soon? (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) When Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 next month, there will surely be new swipe-friendly screens introduced to accommodate it -- and with good reason. While Windows 8.1 includes some niceties for those who...

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Apple bumps Coca-Cola to become world's top brand

Interbrand said the value of Apple's brand soared over Coca-Cola to become No. 1 in its annual ranking. Google secured the No. 2 spot and is rising fast. (Credit: Interbrand) For the first time in its 13-year history, Interbrand has a new leader of its annual study of the most valuable brand names: Apple. The iPhone maker...

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Why the NFL made Twitter its first social draft pick

Anquan Boldin, wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, scores a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams during Thursday Night Football on September 26, 2013. Ahead of the game, fans could watch a pregame analysis video in a promoted tweet from the NFL. (Credit: Michael Thomas/Getty Images) The National Football League doesn't...

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NSA maps some Americans' social connections, says report

NSA Director Keith Alexander (Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images) Facebook, Google, and other tech firms apparently aren't the only ones who've been fascinated by the potential of "social graphs" -- maps of people's social connections. The NSA has reportedly been tapping its giant repositories of phone and e-mail data to create...

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Classics Corner: 16V dreams

When you reach a certain age, you begin to look back on the motoring world with a huge dose of nostalgia. You don't so much visit Specsavers for an annual checkup as to submit a repeat prescription for a pair of rose-tinted glasses. You see, when it comes to cars, time is a great leveller. I introduced this dusty corner of XCAR as a focus on the automotive twilight zone. The period between classic and modern where only...

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Lego shines as beautiful art in new book (Q&A)

Lego fans, rejoice! This week, bookstores everywhere will begin getting copies of "Beautiful Lego," a new book by Mike Doyle and published by No Starch Press filled to brimming with some of the most stunning Lego art ever seen. Throughout the 267-page volume, readers are treated to one fantastic Lego work after another. From...

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TouchCast (iOS)

TouchCast, for iPad only, brings broadcast quality tools for making video blogs, reviews, how-tos, news broadcasts, and more with a touch-friendly and interactive interface. You also can browse and see what other TouchCasters have made and follow them much like you would on a social network. What sets TouchCast apart from other video creation...

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Asus RT-AC68U Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router

You probably don't need such an advanced home networking device like the new Asus RT-AC68U Dual-band Wireless-AC1900 Gigabit Router, but you want it, and when you get it, you'll love it. This router is an excellent upgrade to the already-excellent RT-AC66U that came out a year ago. The new router boasts a fast 800MHz dual-core processor...

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Canon videos show off 70D's dual-pixel autofocus technology

The Canon EOS 70D's autofocus system can focus on a particular subject when a videographer taps on it with the camera's touch screen. (Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET) Canon wants to show off what its new EOS 70D camera can do when it comes to one persistent shortcoming in the digital photography revolution: autofocus....

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T-Mobile vs. Sprint: Who offers a better early upgrade?

There's finally some competition in the early phone upgrade program, and that's good news for you. T-Mobile might have kicked off the trend to let consumers swap out their phones more frequently with "Jump," but it certainly wasn't the last. With Sprint introducing "One Up" last week, there's finally a legitimate alternative out...

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Ericsson aims to bring cell signal everywhere, one Dot at a time

The Ericsson Dot cell signal radio broadcaster is tiny and easy to install. (Credit: Ericsson) If you've been frustrated with the cell phone signal -- or more precisely, the lack of one -- in your office building, relief might be on the way. Ericsson announced today a new method designed to bring cellular signal to...

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Crave giveaway: 'Tron'-inspired Tokyo Flash Kisai Seven watch

Congrats to Kathleen M. of Savannah, Ga., for winning a Swann Bolt HD wearable action camera in last week's giveaway. This week, we have something you wear on your wrist. Something mighty sleek. We're giving away a limited-edition green Kisai Seven wristwatch from Tokyo Flash, purveyor of wacky timepieces. The inner ring on the futuristic-looking LED watch functions as the hour hand, and the outer ring as the minute hand....

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Noontec Zoro HD True Sound (Black)

It's easy to mistake the Noontec Zoro HD for the original Zoro on-ear headphones, which became a budget audiophile favorite when it was introduced in 2012. The Zoros offered similar styling to the on-ear Beats Solo headphones but cost a lot less and sounded far more neutral (less bass heavy) -- an appealing trait for those seeking a headphone...

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Moto X beats out iPhone 5S, 5C, and Galaxy S4 for durability

Apple fanboys and Samsung believers aren't going to like this: Google's Moto X has been crowned the king of durability. The latest "breakability" score by protection plan company SquareTrade claims Moto X is the best surviving smartphone when it comes to drops, slides, and water dunks. Coming in second place is Apple's iPhone 5S, then Apple's iPhone 5C, and lastly Samsung's Galaxy S4. SquareTrade only tested these four smartphones,...

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At this pace, iTunes Radio beats Pandora in a month

Apple unveils iTunes Radio at WWDC 2013. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Apple spent more than a year to bring together the major music labels and realize its vision of an online radio service, and at its unveiling, the world was quick to denigrate the late-stage attempt to enter a space -- online streaming music -- that is growing...

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HP, allies launch Mopria to keep printers relevant in mobile era

The Mopria Alliance has set up detailed requirements designed to make it easy for people to print from their mobile devices. (Credit: Mopria Alliance) As the computing industry expands its attention beyond PCs to smartphones and tablets, one technology has struggled to keep up: printing. But a new alliance of printer makers...

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Get a 17.3-inch quad-core desktop replacement for $399.99

Purple! (Credit: 1Sale) I quit you, basic black. And garish gray. When it comes to consumer electronics of every stripe, I want a splash of color. If you feel the same way, and you're in the market for a new desktop-minded PC, and you're not in a huge rush, today might just be your lucky deal-day: Ending at midnight, and...

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New OS X Trojan found and blocked by Apple's XProtect

Security company Intego recently found a new malware package for OS X, called OSX/Leverage.A, which appears to be yet another targeted command-and-control Trojan horse, this time with apparent associations with the Syrian Electronic Army; however, Apple has blocked its ability to run with an XProtect update only days after its discovery....

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Life on Mars: Down but not out says Mars Society founder

A self-portrait of Curiosity rover. (Credit: NASA) Hopes of alien life on Mars were dashed Thursday when a paper published in the journal Science concluded that the Curiosity rover has yet to find any methane gas, a strong indicator of microbial life. But Robert Zubrin, cofounder and president of the Mars Society, says that...

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Magisto: Magical Video Editor (Android)

With Magisto, you can turn all of your stale mobile footage into a polished compilation video that's ready to be shared. With the help of Magisto's seemingly magical technology, the app analyzes your videos, picks out interesting clips, and automatically edits them together, complete with music and transitions. It requires no editing skills...

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Daggers out for Windows 8, plaudits for the iPad

The war on Windows 8 continued this week. But there's probably something more to that than an unpopular operating system. The week began with Dell -- ostensibly one of the biggest proponents of Window 8 -- making bleak predictions about the OS in an SEC filing. Dell didn't stop there. It had a damning statement about the PC too. "The deteriorating outlook for the PC market [is] a result of, among other things, smartphones...

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