Bullet train: Will you ride the California rocket?
(Credit: California High-Speed Rail Authority) High-speed railways are common in Europe and Asia, but they’re more scarce than the metric system in the U.S. California, though, aims to change that with a bullet train linking LA and San Francisco in less than three hours. State lawmakers on Friday approved construction of the first phase of [...]
Android: The cable guy analogy
My Motorola Xyboard. (Credit: Brooke Crothers) Let’s see, it’s 5:00 and the cable guy was supposed to show up at 1:00. And, oh yeah, where’s my Android update? I hear Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is great. I’ve been hearing how great ICS is since October (when it was released). Which is about the same [...]
Def Leppard covers own songs to get digital revenues
(Credit: DefLeppard.com Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) Pour some acid on me. Some musicians refuse to come to terms with the terms that digital downloads offer. A few, such as Garth Brooks and AC/DC, have refused to allow their music on iTunes. Def Leppard, the English rock band that some people rather like and others fail [...]
Galaxy Nexus reappears in Google Play store
(Credit: Screenshot by Edward Moyer/CNET) The harried Galaxy Nexus smartphone is again available for purchase in the Google Play store. iPhone, left, Google phone, right. On June 29, a judge in a lower court granted Apple’s request for a pretrial injunction against U.S. sales of the Samsung-made, Android-running smartphone while the court determines whether the [...]
Poll: Where are your speakers?
Speakers on the floor never sound their best. (Credit: Steve Guttenberg) Even if it’s just an inexpensive iPod or Bluetooth speaker, careful placement can really make a difference in the sound. Specific placement requirements vary with the type of speaker, but it’s usually wise to have speakers at least 36 inches off the floor, close [...]
Galaxy Nexus ban temporarily lifted
It’s time yet again to update your scorecard on the Galaxy Nexus ban. A federal appeals court ruled today that the preliminary injunction set by a lower court against sales of the device in the U.S. is being temporarily lifted. But keep your pencil sharp — according to All Things Digital, Apple has till Thursday [...]
Hotel replacing guest phones with iPhones
There’s about to be a whole lot more Angry Birds played at the Opus hotel in Vancouver. The hotel is in the process of swapping out its hotel room phones for iPhones, USA Today reported today. The hotel hopes that its guests, particularly the ones from the U.S., will know how to use them and [...]
Google Glass spurs battle for eyeballs
Friday’s news roundup will have you eyeing Google’s competition: We’ve sung this tune before: Amazon is tinkering with creating its own smartphone. A recent Bloomberg report has the media buzzing again about the possibility, but we first heard this last year from an analyst. If true, would Amazon knock Windows from the No. 3 spot? [...]
What an Amazon smartphone would bring to the table
What if, what if: Might a Kindle smartphone look something like this? (Credit: David Carnoy/CNET) Amazon is reportedly planning to launch a smartphone to compete with the Android army as well as Apple’s iPhone. And why not? There has to be a No. 3 mobile platform and Amazon has the moxie to make it happen. [...]
Is Verizon ‘shaking down’ customers with family plan?
Verizon Wireless’ new family share plan has gotten lots of knickers in knots. But is the new plan really as bad as some people fear it is for consumers? Last week, Verizon’s new family share plans went into effect for the carrier’s new customers. The plans give subscribers unlimited voice and text messaging and allow [...]