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From poached eggs to moon shots, Free Countdown Timer Portable can handle it

Countdown timer, egg timer, kitchen timer; whatever you call it, this simple gadget has applications ranging from "handy" to "essential." Since the beginning of the computer age, software versions of this common object have been keeping scientists, chefs, and busy parents on schedule; like their hardware counterparts, they employ some sort of bell or alarm signaling "time's up!" Comfort Software's Free Countdown Timer Portable is exactly what it claims to be: it's freeware that lets you set countdown timers, as many as you need, for events ranging from your next break … Read more

Ready, set, go with Free Stopwatch Portable

We typically think of stopwatches as items that go on your wrist or in your pocket, but there's no reason you can't have a stopwatch on your desktop, too. Free Stopwatch Portable is a simple program that lets you take your stopwatch with you on a USB drive or other portable device. It doesn't have a ton of features, but it's not a bad choice if all you need is the ability to time something.

Free Stopwatch Portable has a plain but intuitive interface, with a large start button that turns into a stop button when … Read more

HTC One X, Canon DSLR, budget speakers make their mark

If you clicked over to CNET on Thursday, you might not have noticed any of our full reviews, because we were too busy nerding out over (and previewing in-depth) Samsung's announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Samsung's followup to the hugely popular S2 and flagship Android phone dominated the conversation this week with its Siri-like voice commands and ability to sense your eye movement.

The Galaxy S3 won't come out until this summer, though, and we don't expect everyone (or anyone) to sit around and wait for it, especially since no one is sure yet how … Read more

Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 a better Kindle Fire than the Kindle Fire?

The greatest thing about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is its price. The Tab 2 7.0 strikes a balance between features and performance that allows the tablet to be sold for as low as $250.

If the tablet's price had been higher -- say, $350 -- it wouldn't be worth the money. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good tablet, but at the end of the day, it's a depowered version of Samsung's own $350-$400 Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

Getting its price down to $250 puts it right smack-dab in front of the Kindle Fire, its gauntlet tossed between the two. The Tab 2 7.0 is a full Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) tablet with dual cameras and expandable memory. The Fire was designed to deliver to users Amazon's books, video, and music services in the simplest and most straightforward way possible.

Given that, can the Tab 2 7.0 hope to match the Fire as an Amazon consumption device? Let's be honest, the chances are slim, but it doesn't mean it won't be fun finding out just how close it can get.

Quick note, though: this is not a prizefight or a dual review. I won't be comparing these tablets based on everything they can do (see the conclusion of the Tab 2 7.0 review for that). I will however focus on each tablet's strengths as Amazon media consumption devices with an emphasis on books, video, and music. End over-explained disclaimer.… Read more

Tech that matters: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 2012's best Blu-ray player

Every week at CNET, we test dozens of gadgets. Not every device stands out as amazing or wonderful, and we've seen our share of failing storage drives or -- shudder -- candy bar "feature phones." (That's what the industry calls a cell phone that's not quite a smart phone.)

But not a week goes by without at least a few standout gadgets. Sometimes, these gems shine in a crowded field. Sometimes, they break the mold. Occasionally, we review a high-quality device from an older category that does its job so well, we fall in love … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review: The anti-Kindle Fire?

The Kindle Fire. Sure, it's low-priced and has a built-in Amazon content ecosystem that conveniently delivers movies, music, books, and apps through a simple, if stripped-down, interface, but there are quite a few things it doesn't do that have stopped you short of actually buying one.

If you find yourself being hesitant about the purchase, then you've probably at one point or another asked yourself some of the following questions: "Is 8GB of storage enough?" or "I want to access the full Android store. Why won't the Kindle Fire let me?" and "I feel comfortable taking pictures with my tablet in public. Why won't the Kindle Fire allow me to do that?!"… Read more

Making a great cheap Android tablet

Ematic entered the Android tablet fray yesterday when it announced the inexpensive eGlide Prism.

Priced as low as $157, the device runs Android 4.0 and features a 7-inch 800x480-pixel resolution display. Powered by a 1GHz processor, it also brings 8GB flash memory, 512MB RAM, and a front-facing Webcam. While it's certainly not the type of hardware to contend with a Galaxy Tab 2, it's in that interesting space between a Kindle Fire and a "real" tablet.

I typically cringe when I hear the word "value" associated with mobile tech -- Ematic proudly call themselves a "leader in value tablets" -- since the word conjures images of creaky plastic and poorly lit, low-resolution displays. That's why I'll pass on this model and recommend that others save a few bucks on something else. … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hands-on

SAN FRANCISCO--The announcement that Samsung's follow-up to its Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be receiving some downgrades from the previous entry, filled me with a mixture confusion and disappointment.

I just couldn't wrap my head around why the sequel to one of the premiere Android tablets would launch with a less impressive spec list than its predecessor.

Today, Samsung revealed that the Tab 2 10.1 would be released on May 13 for $400. That's $100 lower than the original Tab 10.1's list price and it fills the logic hole I believe Samsung was falling … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 hands-on

SAN FRANCISCO--Going into today's Samsung media event in San Francisco, there was one device that I was having trouble wrapping my head around: The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

The 7.0 Plus released last year was quite a good tablet and not four months later, here was Samsung showing what it called the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Surely this device would be thinner, sexier, and more powerful than any Samsung tablet before it right? Wrong.

Samsung announced that the Tab 2 7.0 would house a 1GHz CPU (down from 1.2GHz on the 7.0 … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 actually gets a competitive price

Today at a Samsung media event in San Francisco, the company unveiled pricing and release dates for both its Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 tablets. We took a brief look at both tablets at Mobile World Congress in February, but this is the first time they've been officially shown in the U.S.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 will be released on April 22 for $250 with 8GB of storage. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 follows a few weeks later on May 13 at a price of $400 for 16GB of storage.

While the $400 price … Read more