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Inside CNET Labs 5: Not for commercial use

Eric is Batsh*t over The Dark Knight and the Watchmen trailer. Dong however has heard enough. Also, we do not do commercials here! Finally, a commercial...or is it?

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 5

Dong's Blog on the Drobo

EMI sues Hi5, VideoEgg over user-uploaded videos

Some people might be embarrassed if their friends found an old copy of Mr. Big's "To be with you" or Paula Abdul's "Cold hearted (snake)" stashed away in their CD collection. But not EMI. They own those songs, and they want the world to know it.

The music giant is suing social-networking site Hi5, video advertising start-up VideoEgg, and 10 unnamed defendants for allegedly infringing on the copyrights of those and hundreds of other pop throwbacks.

The lawsuit alleges that Hi5 users have uploaded and disseminated hundreds of music videos the company owns rights … Read more

Something useful: A WYSIWYG WordPress theme editor

Here's an oldie but a goodie. Confounded by trying to track down fancy-looking WordPress themes? Check out this Web-based theme editor that lets you tweak every nook and cranny of a theme then spit it back to your server to go live. You can add columns, change fonts and backgrounds, even throw in a customizable tag cloud--all with no coding experience required. All you need is a little creativity and some working knowledge of drop-down menus.

While some WordPress themes have excellent built-in support for doing this right from the WordPress dashboard, many more don't, and trying to … Read more

The state of the next-gen video game console

With the release Monday of Wii Fit, the exercise game that some video game analysts have predicted could become one of the best-selling titles of all time, it was Nintendo's turn to dominate headlines related to the so-called next generation of consoles.

The "next-gen" era began in November 2005 when Microsoft launched its Xbox 360 and then really kicked into gear a year later when Sony and Nintendo pulled back the wraps on the PlayStation 3 and Wii, respectively.

Being big business--video game sales in the U.S. alone in 2007 were $9.5 billion--everyone has been … Read more

Magnets keep iPod with (and on) you 24/7

This is a must-have accessory for the music lover who can't stand to be apart from the iPod but doesn't have any pockets. The "iStik" is a plastic case with four magnets that attaches to a corresponding set mounted on a plastic plate that goes underneath your clothes, so you can literally wear the player.

How much of a demand is there for something like this? We have no idea, but it's probably not a good sign that the iStik is available only for the second-generation Nano, as iLounge says. You could also get a … Read more

'PowerCube' is a ton of solar goodness

If you're unfortunate enough to have a job that requires charging 20 cell phones simultaneously and on the go, then you may want to have a look at this (or keep it away from your boss). The "PowerCube 600" is a portable generator that can churn out 600 watts of solar power.

"Portable," however, is a relative notion in this case: As Engadget notes, this thing weighs 2,000 pounds. So don't count on keeping it in the trunk of your Prius--it wouldn't fit anyway, at 72 x 124 x 50 inches.

Solar case charges 20 phones at a time

Long ago Crave made a plea for for solar chargers that wouldn't induce hernias and, thankfully, more than a few manufacturers have answered that call. But now Strapya, which offers a keychain-size version of its own, is going in the other direction with a 22-pound beast called the "Sola Unagi Solar Generator."

Developed by Fuji Technologies (PDF), this mega-charger that can purportedly power as many as 20 mobile phones at a time, according to Red Ferret. It would be the perfect accessory for the kind of phone junkies who are so addicted that they embed microphones in their teeth.… Read more

Has crowdsourcing jumped the shark?

Crowdsourcing has entered the mainstream big-time. It has become daunting to find a brand these days that does NOT have some crowdsourcing program in place.

My Starbucks Idea is just the latest example: Starbucks asks its consumers for advice, and besides certainly receiving a lot of good ideas, the troubled coffee chain makes consumers feel part of the brand remake.

It's the same template as usual: engage your community, harness its creativity, and let it create the content for you.

It works, sure, but it's getting stale. For some reason, marketing trends take two to three years before … Read more

Will tomorrow's world still need designers?

Johanna Blakley, Deputy Director at the USC Norman Lear Center, will moderate one of the most provocative panel discussions at SXSW Interactive next weekend: " Will Tomorrow's World Still Need Designers?" Panelists include Alonzo Canada (Jump Associates), David Merkoski (frog design), and Helen Walters (BusinessWeek). In a blog post, Blakley has articulated some points that challenge the raison d'etre of a whole profession and will likely spark a heated debate:

"At Davos this year, four luminaries in the world of design were asked to predict what the future of design will be. The themes that arose … Read more