Top 5

Top 5 Most Popular products for August

Once again, we dig into the CNET traffic logs to find out what reviews you folks have been looking at in the greatest numbers. Lately, it's been dominated by phones, but the Netbooks have started to make a move. What will the makeup be this week? Watch the video and find out.

Then come back here to post your answer to our trivia question for a chance to win a CES backpack--worn by actual journalists! But hey, it's still free.

Top 5 slow-motion videos

While I'm very excited with the actual content of this week's Top 5, I'm very sad about one thing. We wanted to give away a lava lamp. It would have been very cool. It would have been a not lame prize. But it broke.

You'll have to watch the video to see just what happened. But if you're here for the giveaway, know that you're going to get a Watto cup-topper. Not a lava lamp. Sorry.

The Top 5 worst downloads of summer 2009

While the rest of you are off gallivanting about in the summer sun, I've been chained to my desk under the San Francisco fog to parse through the worst downloads of the summer. This time around, the range varies from programs that sound useful but aren't, to programs that sound horrible and are, and include one that just defies common decency--and not in a good way.

Be sure to check out CNET TV editor Tom Merritt's video on these five train wrecks and just what I get out of all this. Oh, and a quick disclaimer, just … Read more

Top 5 best laptops

We're trying something a little different this time around on Top 5. Since our monthly Most Popular countdown is so dominated by phones, we figured we could give a little love to some other product categories. We'll start with laptops and see how you like it. If all goes well, maybe we'll move on to TVs or cameras.

Of course you need to watch the show to get the trivia question, if you want to win the USB drive. Post your answer to the question in the comments below. Be one of the first 10 to get … Read more

Top 5 most popular products for July

Time once again to check in on the products you folks are spending the most time looking at on CNET these days. Remember, these are based purely on the number of page views for the product review page.

Just like that cheerleader, Brittany, you knew in high school, these aren't necessarily the best, but they are the most popular.

And don't forget to be one of the first 10 people to watch the video and then post the correct answer to the trivia question in the blog comments below. That Mandelbrot Set commemorative T-shirt is waiting for you.… Read more

Top 5 Google searches

Every three months we like to dip into Google Insights and see what the fastest-rising search terms were in the world.

This time we got clever. You see, because we're examining a 90 day period, usually the results don't change very fast. So we thought--a-ha!--since we're off on Friday, July 3 in the U.S, we'll be superefficient and shoot the search terms video early so we get ahead. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

Well, let's see: Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, and freaking Michael Jackson all died between the … Read more

Top 5 tech disappointments

Technology never, ever, ever lives up to our expectations. No matter how much promise a gadget has, there's always a small level of disappointment. But some products have let us down a lot more than others. Sometimes it's the fault of the manufacturer's overhyping their wares, and sometimes we just dream too big.

Watch our video of the top 5 biggest tech disappointments, then come back to this page and answer the trivia question for a chance to win the army of small Jar-Jars.

Top 5 most popular products for June

It's time to check in on the most popular products of the month, which usually means phones. This month is no exception. We do have one not-phone. And to keep the suspense, we don't know which of the phones will be number one. Note: this all came out before the iPhone 3G S.

So watch the video and come back here to post your answer to the lame-prize trivia question.

Top 5 military research projects

Military research projects fascinate me. They usually involve crazy ideas, robots, lasers, and explosions. So what's not to love? DARPA recently announced its top research projects. You remember DARPA. They invented the Internet.

So watch the Top 5 video to see what I think are its most fascinating projects and then come back here to post an answer to the trivia question and win your own military research project. It's a toy. Don't get too excited.