TV

Conan reviews Tomb Raider, suffers

One thing that Conan O'Brien does very well is express his utter bemusement with video games.

He reviews them with a sense of incomprehension that is to be both respected and admired. (Unlike my colleague Jeff Bakalar, who comprehends everything.)

So faced with the new "Tomb Raider" game, he found the existential questions came at him a little too quickly.

For example, why is she called Lara Croft and not Laura Croft? Somehow, "Laura" flows from the tongue more readily.

And does she clutch her stomach because she's trying to look thinner or because … Read more

Samsung HomeSync lets Android take over your TV

BARCELONA, Spain--Announced on Saturday at Mobile World Congress, the Samsung HomeSync is a home theater media hub that aims to inject a little Android OS into your TV via your Galaxy handset. Slated for April, the device can stream videos, games, and other media from your Galaxy phone to your big-screen TV through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Think of it as an Apple TV for the Samsung faithful.

Design The Samsung HomeSync is packaged in a minimalistic glossy black box, and it's about the size of three DVD cases stacked on top of one another. When placed on a flat … Read more

Countdown begins for Galaxy S4 reveal

Monday's CNET Update does it with stylus:

The mother of all mobile trade shows, Mobile World Congress, kicked off in Barcelona. Today's video roundup highlights the buzz over Samsung, WebOS and a new way to talk to your phone:

- Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S4 on March 14

- Visa's mobile payment program will be built into the Galaxy S4

- More on MasterCard's mobile payment plan, MasterPass

- First impressions of the Galaxy Note 8 tablet

- Samsung HomeSync to rival Apple TV

- WebOS lives in future LG smart TVs

- HP tries tablets again with the Slate 7 … Read more

Get a Westinghouse 24-inch HDTV for $139.99

Looking for a TV for the den or bedroom? For many folks, a 24-inch LCD would seem to be the ideal size.

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Westinghouse EW24T8FW 24-inch LCD HDTV for $139.99 shipped (plus sales tax). It's pretty rare to find a 24-inch monitor at that price, so this is definitely worth a look.

The reasonably slim EW24T8FW measures just 1.9 inches deep. It features a 23.6-inch, 60Hz LCD with a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels (aka 1080p) -- unnecessary at that size, but nice if you'… Read more

YouTube video of him burying cars gets snow plow driver fired

Over the last few years, we've all been told that work must be fun.

We should skip along office corridors on our skateboards. We should have a cheer after every meeting.

Indeed, when Mark Hussey -- aka Dogg -- had some fun at work, he was so overcome he actually wanted to tell people about it.

This got him fired.

What could possibly be wrong with showing your enthusiasm for your metier? Well, Dogg drove a snow plow in the city of Lowell, Mass.

As CBS Boston reports, he said this was the best job he ever had. It'… Read more

Samsung TV Discovery service launches this quarter

Samsung today revealed more details about its TV discovery service -- except for the finalized name for the U.S. version -- as the Korean electronics giant gears up for the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.

Samsung first unveiled the service last month during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At that time, it said users would be able to use one app to navigate all of their different video services on their smart TVs and tablets, and use their mobile devices as remotes to control their TVs.

Today, it noted that the service will give consumers a … Read more

Get a Proscan 55-inch LED HDTV for $499.99

About 10 months ago, I paid $899 for a no-brand 55-inch TV. It was a roll of the dice, as I had only a handful of user reviews to rely on, but that was the best deal I could find at the time.

Through midnight tomorrow, and while supplies last, TigerDirect has the Proscan PLED5529A 55-inch LED HDTV for $499.99, plus around $50 for shipping. That's after applying coupon code EPE83551 at checkout.

(Note: The sellout risk here is huge. I apologize in advance if you're not able to grab this.)

That's the lowest price I'… Read more

Apple may update iPad design this spring, analyst says

If history is any guide, the iPad may be due for an update in March or April, Piper Jaffray says.

Gene Munster, an analyst at the firm, today noted that Apple has averaged four months between events since 2009, and it has tended to update its tablet in the spring. While Apple just updated the iPad in October when it introduced the iPad Mini, it may unveil new iPad body styles similar to the smaller tablet, Munster said.

He added that it's unlikely Apple will introduce an iPad Mini with Retina display given current iPad Mini supply constraints.

Another … Read more

How to set a TV up by eye

Let's say you're at your father-in-law's house and he just got a new TV. You're stuck in a corner, having recommended the TV, and you're the only person who knows contrast from composite. What to do?

In an ideal world you'd have a setup disc on hand to set it up for him. Better yet, you'd have the number of a local calibrator instantly available and pop-in-law is willing to spring for a full calibration.

But that's not always possible. Here are a few tips that will help you get the picture settings on his TV close to ideal -- or at least closer than it was.… Read more

Apple TV SDK coming out next month?

Apple TV rumors have about as much currency in the real world today as a Circuit City gift card, but a new round of rumblings this morning are strangely specific.

The word from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek and his "channel checks" is that Apple is planning an event for next month at which it could introduce an SDK for an iTV set in the 42-inch to 55-inch range. He thinks the Apple HDTV itself could launch in September or October at a price point starting around $1,500.

"Apple is likely to largely rely on leveraging content via partnerships with existing pay-TV operators," reads the note to investors.… Read more