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01/14/2003 |
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Mac fans, unite! You readers came stampeding for information about the Macworld announcements, especially the Safari browser. Not to be outdone, the CES show also got your attention. |
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Macworld/Safari
Well, well...looks like we have a few Mac fans in the crowd. Far and away, you CNET readers were looking for info on Macworld and Apple's newly announced Safari browser more than any other topic last week. If you're one of the few who haven't heard, Apple unveiled a batch of new software releases, including the superspeedy Safari and Mac's own version of PowerPoint, called Keynote. Plus, the company showed off a slick 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless hub and two hot new PowerBooks: a wide-screen, feature-rich 17-inch version and a pared-down, compact 12-inch laptop. Look for full reviews of this hot Apple hardware coming soon. |
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CES
Nipping close on the heels of the Macworld zealots were techies eager for news of the Consumer Electronics Show, which ran from January 8 through 12 in Las Vegas. This is the trade show that makes gadget hounds drool, and I'm sure that's why most of you were sniffing around for info on this, the biggest CES ever. Lucky for you, we have it covered in our special CES 2003 section. Go read up on each editors' take on their respective beats--from home entertainment to handhelds--and see our picks for the top 10 products of the show. |
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Smart Display
Since so many of you were seeking CES news, it's no surprise you were also checking out CNET's recently posted review of the new ViewSonic Airpanel Smart Display. If you haven't been keeping up, you're probably wondering, what is a Smart Display? Basically, it's a Wi-Fi-equipped LCD built on Microsoft Smart Display technology that lets you work remotely from your wireless-enabled computer--as if you were sitting in front of it. But don't get it confused with tablet PCs; these aren't meant as notebook replacements. Our editor was impressed with the ViewSonic but not enough so to believe that the $1,000 price tag is justified. But more of these devices are coming soon, and many were shown off at CES. So maybe those prices will start to fall as the year wears on. |
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DeCSS
Among the multitude of copyright-protection and piracy cases going on at the moment around the world, the plight of Norwegian teen Jon Johansen has gotten a lot of play. Johansen, known also as "DVD Jon," helped unlock a code and distribute a computer program that enables unauthorized copying of DVD movies--which he accomplished at the tender age of 15. He soon become a symbol for hackers worldwide who say making software is an act of intellectual freedom rather than theft. But last week, after a legal battle with the Motion Picture Association of America, a Norwegian court cleared the now 19-year-old of all piracy charges. Now we'll just wait to see what happens with the appeal. |
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MSN Messenger
If you're an MSN Messenger user (and there are an estimated 75 million of you out there), then this news story is no surprise to you. Last week, Microsoft lost power to its .Net Messenger service, the back-end component that runs all of its instant-messaging clients, including Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger. So that meant no service on a wide scale for most of the day, which probably brought many of you to CNET's News.com for updates. But maybe we're looking for the bad and not the good here; maybe you were all just looking for Messenger 5.0 to download. If so, you can find it here, and cross your fingers that those nasty service interruptions don't keep happening. |
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Game Boy
Sony's PlayStation 2 may rule the TV-top, but Nintendo's Game Boy is the king of palmtop gaming. And last week, Nintendo showed off its upcoming new Game Boy, the Game Boy Advance SP. The sleek, silver clamshell device has a flip-up, illuminated screen (finally, a lit screen, Game Boy fans). It also has built-in rechargeable batteries that provide 10 hours of use. Our colleagues at GameSpot got some hands-on time with this new portable, and you can read their up-close impressions of the device here. Or watch a video demonstration of it here. |
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802.11g
Gaining more ground from last week's Buzz Report, the higher-speed, long-range 802.11g is still popular with you readers this week. I told you about Linksys's plans to roll out equipment soon and Apple's announcement of an 802.11g-enabled PowerBook G4 and AirPort Extreme base station, but last week's CES brought even more 802.11g goodies out of the woodwork, including ones from Netgear, Actiontec, and D-Link. We'll be posting our first reviews of 802.11g wireless products later this week. |
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StreamRipper
Internet radio is great but far from permanent. Enter StreamRipper, a software tool that lets you capture audio data being streamed by Shoutcast and other Internet radio broadcast servers that use the MP3 format and save each broadcast in MP3 format--complete with any ID3 tags and other file information--or each track as a separate MP3 file. StreamRipper also comes as an add-on for the popular Winamp player and in a version for Mac. Of course, programs like this are pretty controversial, but the jury's still out on how the debate will be addressed. |
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ePrompter
Again, you readers fill us in on the latest cool tools. According to its product description, ePrompter lets you check up to 16 password-protected e-mail addresses from most major ISPs and alerts you when you have new mail. Plus, it gives you the ability to read and even delete messages online or offline with the click of an icon. While it sounds great, what do readers think? Glancing at our user opinions, it seems to be faring well. But you may want to try it out for yourself. |
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