Smart

Windows 8 touch ultrabooks see price cuts at Microsoft Store

Touch ultrabooks are seeing decent price cuts at the Microsoft Store, making these expensive models a bit more affordable.

Touch-screen laptops are generally priced significantly higher than non-touch models, as the screens have been expensive to procure.

The well-received Acer Aspire S7 has seen one of the steepest discounts, falling to $1,299 from $1,649.

The S7 features a 256GB solid-state drive, a 13.3-inch 1,920x1,080 resolution display, and a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U processor.

Next up, Sony's Vaio T Series 13 has been reduced to $999 from $1,299. That 13.3-inch touch model … Read more

Smart pajamas read your kids a bedtime story

Technology has tiptoed into kids' pajamas with onesies covered in QR codes that link to bedtime stories.

"It's time for bed, Tommy. Brush your teeth, put on your PJs, and let's scan you."

Smart PJs, called the world's "first and only interactive pajamas," require downloading a free app for iOS or Android and scanning one of dozens of codes from the Smart PJs with a smartphone or tablet. The device then reads aloud a story, sings a lullaby, or broadcasts pictures of animals or other bedtime-appropriate cuteness. … Read more

Get a Vizio 32-inch LCD smart TV for $258

Sure, you can buy a 32-inch TV for around $200, but it won't have Wi-FI, it won't have apps, and it might just be refurbished. (Much as I love refurb gear, TVs are an exception. I almost always recommend buying new.)

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Dell has the Vizio E322AR 32-inch smart TV for $258 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). It's new, not refurbished, and definitely packing some bells and whistles.

First up: Wi-Fi. Which is good for second up: apps. Vizio offers a wealth of them, everything from Amazon Instant … Read more

Android originally designed as smart-camera system

Back when Microsoft and Symbian ruled the smartphone market, before iOS or the iPhone even existed, Android was an operating system for cameras.

Android co-founder Andy Rubin said today that the operating system, now a dominant force in the smartphone market, was actually built for digital cameras. When smartphones took off, the Android team switched gears and tweaked the system accordingly.

Rubin -- who recently left the Android team to head up a new endeavor within parent company Google -- talked about Android's beginnings at an economic summit in Tokyo, according to PC World.

The Android creators intended to … Read more

SmartMini Aux adds Bluetooth to cars on the cheap

Most cars these days come with Bluetooth, supporting both hands-free calls and audio streaming. For older cars, GoGroove's SmartMini Aux works as a relatively cheap means of adding these wireless features.

However, the car needs an auxiliary input or adapter for running audio to the stereo.

The SmartMini Aux, constructed of black plastic, looks like an ultramodern drawer pull. Its offset T shape includes a flared base fitted with a Velcro pad for mounting in a car. A long wire tipped with a 1/8-inch audio jack leads out of the base.

The business end, a short, curved bar, … Read more

Twitter launching music discovery app

CNET Update tweets to the beat:

Twitter is launching a new music service that will suggest songs to listen to based on accounts you follow or artists that are trending. As the world waits for the official launch, Ryan Seacrest seems to be enjoying it.

Android users can experience Chat Heads on the Facebook Messenger app, rather than download the Facebook Home interface.

Also in this tech roundup, I bring you the highlights from the DigitalFocus technology showcase, which includes the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, the Linkase Wi-Fi signal booster for smartphones, the new Duracell Powermat iPhone 5 wireless charging … Read more

Honeywell wants in on smart thermostats

Honeywell doesn't get any more specific than referring to "other 'smart' thermostats" in announcing its new Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat this week, but the feature and price similarities between Honeywell's new product and the Nest Learning Thermostat couldn't be more clear.

For $249, the same price as the Nest, the Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat will provide a similar set of functions to help you regulate and customize your home heating and cooling. Like the Nest, Honeywell's thermostat lets you program temperature settings on the device itself and remotely via iOS and Android devices. It also has … Read more

Samsung takes smartphone battle to the storefront

DALLAS -- Samsung has opened a new front in its battle for smartphone supremacy: the storefront.

The Korean electronics giant plans to set up mini Samsung stores inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple of months -- just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch. The "Samsung Experience Shops," which start rolling out Monday, will be in 500 big-box Best Buy stores and all 410 Best Buy Mobile locations by early May. Best Buy's remaining 550 large-format Best Buy stores will feature the shops by early June.

A larger … Read more

Microsoft Store slashes prices on Windows 8 tablets, hybrids

In what could be a sign of things to come, the Microsoft Store is slashing prices on a variety of hybrid laptop-tablet models.

Here are some of the highlights now appearing on the Microsoft Store "Tablets and Convertibles" page:

Toshiba Satellite U925t-S2130 Convertible Ultrabook: Cut to $799 from $1,149. 12.5-inch screen, Core i5 Intel chip, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). ( Read the CNET review.) Acer Iconia W510-1674 Tablet: reduced to $399 from $499. 10.1-inch display, Intel Atom 1.8GHz "Clover Trail" Z2760 chip, 32GB SSD. ( Read the CNET review.) HP ENVY x2 11-g012nr Touchscreen: … Read more