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Olympics turns to gold for Expat Shield

As the Summer Olympics kicks into high gear, complaints about television coverage from outside Britain appear to be driving people watching the games online to Expat Shield (download for Windows only) to get real-time BBC streaming.

Anchor Free's ad-supported Expat Shield masks your actual IP address and sends your Internet traffic through its servers in England. Like its software sibling HotSpot Shield, it's a VPN service that encrypts your traffic as it reroutes it. The primary differences between them are that HotSpot Shield (Windows | Mac | iOS | Android) offers an ad-free Elite version, and that HotSpot Shield's VPN … Read more

Realistic Batman toys battle in eerie stop-motion video

Who knew action figures could be so expressive? The trailer for a fan-made Batman film called "Batman: Dark Knightfall" uses toys to create a dark battle between Gotham's forces of good and the Joker's evil minions.

Everything from the lighting to the music to the movement of the figures is full of moody, broody atmosphere. What makes this unusual stop-motion project work is the super-realistic action figures. The 12-inch figures made by Hot Toys turn the trailer into a creepy romp through the Uncanny Valley.… Read more

The 404 meets David Hasselhoff: A car and a stud

Comic-Con is filled with memorable moments, but nothing could prepare The 404 guys going face to face with The Hoff himself, legendary pop culture icon David Hasselhoff.

Hasselhoff was at Mattel's Comic-Con booth to help promote the Hot Wheels 30th Anniversary Limited Edition K.I.T.T. car, which was being sold exclusively at the show. After getting to sit in Michael Knight's magic ride ourselves, we asked The Hoff a few questions about the timeless "Knight Rider" franchise. Just as expected, we got some eye-opening answers.

But before we got to speak with David, we … Read more

Always room for hamburgers and hot dogs

For some, there is always room for dessert. Meanwhile, for the more savory-inclined, hamburgers and hot dogs may be the more eternally available option. The two meat-in-a-bun products may have always gotten along splendidly, but that doesn't mean there has always been enough room for the two.

The Cuisinart GC-15 Griddler Compact Grill Centro is the smaller version of the previously covered Cuisinart GC-17 Grill Centro grilling behemoth. The diminutive device measures 15.7 inches across and is 10 inches deep. With a height of only 5.6 inches, the little indoor-grill-that-could is well suited for any countertop where … Read more

Google reveals what's hot in user searches

If you go to Google's "Hot Searches" list, you'll find that the top three searches today were Apple, Robin Roberts, and the LA Kings. You'll also see how many times each has been Googled; for example, Apple had more than half a million searches in the past few hours.

All of these features are new with Google's revamp of its U.S. Hot Searches, which it rolled out today.

"With Hot Searches in Google Trends, you can see a list of the fastest rising search terms in the U.S. for a snapshot … Read more

HotKeyMan makes hot keys easy

Hot keys make life easier, at least during the time you spend at your computer. Properly configured hot keys can save you time and effort by reducing the keystrokes you need to perform common tasks, such as minimizing open windows, entering data, and triggering macros. Hulubulu's HotKeyMan is a free tool that makes it easy to set and use hot keys in Windows.

HotKeyMan's installation wizard gave us the option to start HotKeyMan with Windows, but this choice is easy to change later on via the program's settings. The setup process establishes a few basic hot keys … Read more

HotSpot Shield's new shine not without blemish

Following the addition of anti-malware protection in January, AnchorFree pulls the covers off a new look for HotSpot Shield, available exclusively today from CNET Download.com.

Both the standard, ad-supported HotSpot Shield (download) and the paid upgrade sport the refreshed interface and easier install options. However, it still has a lot of visual clutter that could make many either upgrade to Elite or uninstall it.

The new version is easier to install. HotSpot Shield 2.5 automatically detects your Internet connection in all instances, can be used on corporate networks and no longer requires administrative privileges to install. It also … Read more

Homeless hot spots at SXSW: A manufactured controversy

commentary AUSTIN, Texas--If you've been reading South by Southwest-centered blogs over the last 24 hours, you've probably gotten a sense of the outrage over what's being called the "homeless hot spots" program.

If you don't know what that's about, let me catch you up. A marketing agency sent some Austin homeless folks out on the streets, wireless hot spots in tote, with the idea that SXSW attendees in desperate search of Wi-Fi would pay a few bucks for the connectivity and for the chance to help out someone in need.

Some of the … Read more

Crave 79: Choose the form of the Destructor (podcast)

This week, the Crave crew uncovers a cupcake-dispensing ATM, hot-tub boats, and a sonic weapon that confounds your enemy into silence. Plus, a concept Xbox controller that massages your thumbs, merit badges for nerdlings, and a DARPA cheetah bot that will be chasing us in our nightmares.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video … Read more