Audiophiliac readers' show off their hi-fis and home theaters

Reader Al F.'s old Apogree speakers and Krell amplifiers.(Credit:Al F.)I never had any doubt that readers of this blog have the coolest systems, but the magnitude of the flood of homemade speakers, desktop systems, headphones, and all sorts of groovy turntables totally knocked me out. There's some sweet gear here, so click to the slideshow and check out the systems. Thanks to all who sent JPEGs --...

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Picture this: Photosynth debuts for Windows Phone 8

Photosynth is now available for Windows Phone 8. (Credit:Photosynth) Microsoft's Windows Phone app store has just gotten a little bigger, thanks to the addition of Photosynth. The software giant said Photosynth, a 3-D panorama photo app, has now debuted for the latest version of Microsoft's smartphone operating system. It's available for free from the Windows Phone Store. The app allows users to stitch...

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iCloud nearly back to normal after early morning outage

Apple's iCloud status at 8:41 a.m. PT(Credit:Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)Apple's iCloud had a major outage this morning, but things are slowly but surely returning to normal.The outage was reported this morning on Apple's Status page, showing that 11 percent of users were affected. All of iCloud's services, including Mail support, Notes, and sign-in weren't working. Since then, the services have...

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Sorry, LTE compatibility in the U.S. still years away

Unfortunately, AT&T's iPhone 5 is only LTE at AT&T. (Credit:CNET)BARCELONA, Spain--Here's the good news: the U.S. wireless industry is working to ensure that you'll eventually be able to take your LTE-enabled phone from one carrier to another and get the same experience.The bad news: it likely won't happen for a few years.That's according to T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray, who...

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Plug in a BeeWi Mobot to control your gadgets while you're out

BARCELONA, Spain--Time for a new meaning to 'plug and play': the BeeWi Mobot is a power plug that not only controls the gadgets in your home, but also tells you what's going on while you're out, thanks to a SIM card and an iPhone app. The Mobot is a prototype shown off by BeeWi at mobile phone show Mobile World Congress. Plug it into a power socket, then plug an electrical appliance or gadget into...

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Tesla CEO: NYT review cost us $100M in value -- Bloomberg

Tesla's Model S(Credit:Wayne Cunningham/CNET) The New York Times/Tesla debacle may have cost the car maker $100 million in value, Tesla's CEO told Bloomberg. Elon Musk, speaking on Bloomberg TV, said "a lot" of people canceled orders for Tesla's Model S following a scathing New York Times review. "It probably affected us to the tune of tens of millions, to the order of $100 million, so it's not...

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A budget-priced, audiophile USB digital converter

The HRT MicroStreamer(Credit:HRT)High Resolution Technologies makes some of the very best and most affordable digital-to-analog converters on the market. The company's newest model, the MicroStreamer, is a tiny thing, just 2.5 inches by 1.2 inches by 0.4 inch, and since it's USB-powered it doesn't have a power supply or require batteries. It works as an external sound card for computers, tablets,...

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Randi Zuckerberg on what it means to be "Dot Complicated" (Q&A)

Randi Zuckerberg knows a thing or two about complications caused by the Internet. The sister of Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has seen her fair share of controversial choices or awkward missteps become fodder for attacks from those who view her as the ultimate benefactor of nepotism. After serving as Facebook's marketing director for six years, Zuckerberg struck out on her own with Zuckerberg...

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Homeland Security to review aerial drone privacy

The Draganflyer X4-P can carry still and video cameras or thermal imaging sensors.(Credit:Dragan)A Homeland Security office says it plans to review the privacy implications of using drones to monitor U.S. citizens.The department's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties has created a working group that will "clarify any misunderstandings that exist" about DHS's drone program, as well as make an...

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Microsoft is cooler than it used to be, say half of those polled

Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet.(Credit:Best Buy)Is Microsoft a cooler company than it was in the past? Some people certainly think so. Among 853 people between the ages of 18 and 29 questioned in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, half believe the software giant is cooler than it was a year or two ago. Though 50 percent may not be a resounding endorsement, it topped the coolness factor for a couple of other tech...

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Apple chairman Levinson: I still 'miss Steve'

Apple chairman Arthur Levinson.(Credit:Genentech)Arthur Levinson, Apple's chairman of the board, still misses Steve Jobs."I'm still not to the point where I walk into that board room and don't miss Steve," Levinson told Fortune in an interview published today. He went on to say that being Apple chairman, a position he took in 2011 after Steve Jobs' death, still feels "weird."Levinson is one of the...

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Apple granted 36 patents, including for proximity detection

Apple was granted a patent for proximity detection.(Credit:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) Apple was granted 36 patents today, including one for a proximity sensor for the iPhone and iPad and another for haptic feedback to create a sort of virtual keyboard. The patents, approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, cover a wide range of technologies, as earlier reported by Patently Apple. The...

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What are Quantum Dots, and how could they help your next TV?

At CES in January, Sony announced several LCD TVs with "Triluminos," a new backlighting method that they promise offered "rich, authentic color, and excellent red and green reproduction." Digging deeper, it turns out Triluminos includes an optical component produced by QD Vision, Inc. called "Color IQ" which uses quantum dots to help create light. OK, so what are quantum dots?Quantum dots are a "semiconductor...

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Remember when video discs were the size of LPs?

Pioneer VP-1000 LaserDisc Player(Credit:Pioneer)Years ago, long before the dawn of the DVD or Blu-ray formats, consumer video was strictly all-analog, from the very first broadcasts right up to the introduction of the LaserDisc. The 12-inch, double-sided LaserDisc looked like a giant CD, but the video was analog encoded on two single-sided aluminum discs layered in plastic. The discs that debuted...

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Do separate components sound better than AV receivers?

The Outlaw Audio Model 975 (top) and Model 7125 (bottom)(Credit:Outlaw Audio)There's no doubt that the best of today's receivers sound great and come jam-packed with a vast range of features. Even entry-level models paired with a decent 5.1 speaker/subwoofer system can do a fine job, but some buyers aim higher. They may have invested in a 65-inch or larger display, or maybe a video projector and a...

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What is the 'Soap Opera Effect'?

Do movies look weird on your new TV? Does everything have a hyper-real, ultra-smooth motion to it? Are you sure something is happening with the TV's image you don't like, but you can't figure out what? Chances are, what you're seeing is called the "Soap Opera Effect," as descriptive a moniker as we get in tech, in that this feature makes everything on your TV look like a cheap soap opera. Here's what...

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LG debuts Optimus G Pro ahead of Mobile World Congress

The 5.5-inch LG Optimus G Pro will take the fight directly to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.(Credit:LG)LG, seemingly unable to keep a secret, today teased (translate) a 5.5-inch version of the Optimus G Pro. Presumably arriving at Mobile World Congress 2013, the handset aims to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.A teaser image posted on an LG Facebook page provides an early glimpse of the larger, yet familiar...

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Cell phone subsidies claimed by many who can't prove eligibility

A hefty chunk of taxpayer dollars spent by the government on mobile phone service for low-income Americans may have been wasted.A federal program called Lifeline provides hefty discounts on mobile phone service to qualifying low-income households. The goal is to ensure that they can connect with families, employers, and emergency services.How many of those households should actually have been receiving...

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'The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia' now a NYT Best Seller

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia(Credit:Amazon)It turns out that Hyrule isn't the only place Link can dominate.The New York Times yesterday published its list of best-selling books for the week. Sitting atop the "Hardcover Advice & Misc." list is none other than "The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia," the book published last month by Dark Horse Books and Nintendo.The title, which is described...

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AktiMate Micro speakers, better than Bluetooth

The AktiMate Micro speakers in white(Credit:AktiMate)To be honest, I've never heard a Bluetooth speaker I liked, because better sound was available from wired speakers, like the AktiMate Micro model. They're sold in pairs for $499, so you get true stereo sound, a rarity even with higher-end Bluetooth and most other wireless alternatives like the $600 Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air, $600 Bose SoundDock...

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