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It's hard to hide from the Basis Band's many sensors

LAS VEGAS--A big trend at CES this year is wearable tech, meaning essentially any smart gadget you clip, strap, or pocket to carry around. Part pedometer, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracker, the $199 Basis Band certainly fits the bill.

Like many of the new personal tech products shown at CES 2013, the Basis Band looks like a simple, if large, digital watch at first glance. The device has a soft rubber strap that comes in white and black, though Basis Science promises that more colors are on the way.

Design A small rectangular LCD screen dominates most of the … Read more

Amped Wireless' 802.11ac router, the RTA15, is so amped!

LAS VEGAS--Amped Wireless, maker of extra-long-range, high-power Wi-Fi products, showed off at CES 2013 the upcoming RTA15 High Power Dual Band AC 700mW Wi-Fi Router, the company's first that supports the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard.

Like previous routers from Amped Wireless, such as the 600mW Gigabit Dual Band R20000G, the new RTA15 promises to offer incredible Wi-Fi coverage.

According to Amped Wireless, the new router features three high-gain, dual-band antennas and 10 total power amplifiers: four 5GHz 700mW, two-stage amplifiers, two 2.4GHz amplifiers, and four low-noise amplifiers. As the result, Amped Wireless claims it can cover up … Read more

Qualcomm and Wilocity mix Wi-Fi and WiGig, demo first Tri-band consumer products

LAS VEGAS--Your laptop might already have dual-band Wi-Fi, but how about Tri-band for a change?

Qualcomm and Wilocity today announced at CES 2013 the first Tri-band reference design that combines Wireless-N (802.11n), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and 802.11ad (also known as WiGig) in one single networking product.

The new chip is based on the Qualcomm VIVE 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip, which was launched just a few days ago, and Wilocity 802.11ad WiGig wireless technologies. It's the first chip with tri-band Wi-Fi, meaning it offers wireless networking signals in all three existing bands of the Wi-Fi standard -- … Read more

The 404 1,187: Where we bully the bullies (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- One way or another, Danny DeVito will join us on the CNET stage at CES 2013.

- Here's hoping this doesn't happen to us on tomorrow's CES flight.

- How blind people use Instagram.

- Lego is officially producing the "Back to the Future" DeLorean time machine.

- Streetlight Manifesto trombonist thwarts phone theft with OKCupid trolling.… Read more

Wearable technology

At the Technosensual exhibition in Vienna earlier this year, models sashayed down the runway in clothing rigged with sensors, speakers, and LEDs. Fashion of the future? Maybe, but hitting the street decked out in wearable tech has never been more today.

Some of the technology -- like the fleece with embedded video player that just went on sale at Macy's -- aims for fashion, while much of it aims for function.

Been noticing more jogging stats and maps running through your Facebook and Twitter feeds? Pedometer-style devices like the Fitbit Zip and Nike FuelBand kicked up the social this … Read more

Google's JAM with Chrome lets users play in virtual rock bands

Google is trying an experiment: it's letting armchair musicians shred virtual guitars and bang animated keyboards with a new interactive Web app called JAM, which is on its Chrome browser.

"If you ever dreamed of playing in a band, now's your chance to be a rock star," Google Creative Lab's marketing manager Emma Turpin wrote in a blog post today. "No matter what your level of talent -- from daydreaming air guitarist to music pro -- you can JAM together in real time over the web."

The way JAM works is it lets … Read more

Record, mix and release your No. 1 hit

GarageBand '11 is the latest iteration of Apple's recording studio application. With it you can record instrument and vocal feeds (with the right interfaces) or audio tracks, then mix your magnum opus. There's a built-in "learn to play" feature for both guitar and piano. GarageBand '11 installs easily but is a large download, and costs $14.99.

The GarageBand '11 interface is split into panes. The main area shows you tracks layered one on top of the other. Beneath that is an output track representation. To the right are images of devices and effects you can … Read more

Ohio State marching band plays game tribute at halftime

I've always said that if there is ever a time to talk about video games, it's at a college football game. Of course, I'm almost always wrong about these kinds of things. But not this time! I've finally been validated in the form of a halftime show marching band. Check it out.

If you missed it, make sure to watch the running horse at 6:01 -- simply incredible! The sweet tribute to gaming was posted by YouTube user handmrow gobucks, who writes: … Read more

Activision and No Doubt settle Band Hero lawsuit

The pop band No Doubt claimed that the video game Band Hero turned its front woman Gwen Stefani into a "virtual karaoke circus act." Now, that circus act may have sung its last song.

Activision, the maker of Band Hero, and No Doubt settled an ongoing lawsuit this week, according to the Associated Press. The settlement was agreed upon just weeks before a jury trial was set to begin.

The legal case began in 2009 when No Doubt charged that Activision didn't tell the pop musicians that gamers would be able to unlock the band's avatars … Read more