reviews

Google Maps returned to the iOS platform this week, but that was not enough to rescue Apple's map app rep.

Banished from Apple's iOS earlier this fall, Google Maps returned to the mobile platform in the form of a standalone app. The official Google Maps app returned to Apple's App store Thursday evening with turn-by-turn navigation, as well as public transit directions, integrated Street View, and a 3D-like Google Earth view. Google Maps didn't take long to capture the top spot among free iPhone apps.

The release came a few days after Apple again became the … Read more

If you've ever wondered where to find the best iskender kebab in Istanbul or a good accountant in Ankara, Yelp might be able to help.

The local business reviews site announced today it has expanded into Turkey, the 20th country in which Yelp has launched its service. Yelp plans to focus its efforts on Istanbul, the country's largest city, Miriam Warren, Yelp VP of New Markets, said in a blog post today written in both Turkish and English.

"Our initial community building efforts in Turkey will concentrate on Istanbul, the only city in the world to span … Read more

Facebook has offered up the most popular trends across its service in 2012, as well as a new feature that lets users check out their last year.

Facebook's 2012 Trends, which the social network compiles by analyzing the most popular topics across its service this year, doesn't offer up many surprises. This year's top event on Facebook was the U.S. presidential election, followed by Super Bowl XLVI and Whitney Houston's death. Superstorm Sandy and the London Olympics rounded out the top five.

"We Are Young" by Fun was this year's top song, … Read more

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On the second episode of Crave's newly resurrected weekly show, we ain't fraid of no Mr. Ghost iPhone EMF detector. Aaron Rasmussen, the creator of the ghost-hunting app, joins us via Skype to go over some of its cool features. Plus, we check out PopSlate, an iPhone case with an e-ink display on the back. Also, play our new game "Into It/Not Into It." … Read more

The weeks-long hunt for software pioneer turned fugitive John McAfee ended this week with his arrest in Guatemala.

McAfee, who was sought by police in connection with a shooting in Belize, was arrested by Guatemalan police for allegedly entering the country illegally. The 67-year-old founder of the company that bears his name apparently entered Guatemala to seek asylum from officials in Belize, who have been pursuing him for the past few weeks in connection with the shooting death of his neighbor.

The Guatemalan government denied the asylum request of the tech-entrepreneur-turned-fugitive yesterday, opening the door for the eccentric millionaire's … Read more

The Web is a lovely place to not merely get mad, but get even.

But what if the company you're criticizing thinks your version of "even" isn't even-handed?

A woman in Fairfax, Va., may now have to go to court to prove that her Yelping assessment of a contractor's work was vaguely just.

The way the Washington Post tells it, Jane Perez believed that Christopher Dietz had not merely damaged her home, as opposed to repair it, but also invoiced her for work he never did at all.

And then there's the jewelry.

Perez … Read more

Lucky me -- I get to play with lots of headphones, but I sometimes wonder if they're all made in the same factory, and their mostly plastic construction, similar features, and designs feel interchangeable. So when CNET's David Carnoy put the Meze 88 Classics in my hands I was intrigued. The beautifully finished, hand-carved ebony wood ear cups gave a high-end sheen to the design, and a quick audition proved the 88 Classics' beauty was more than skin deep.

Build quality is a step up from what you get with Beats by Dr. Dre 'phones, and I liked … Read more

This year's Cyber Monday was one for the record books.

Market analyst ComScore reported that spending in the U.S. on Monday reached $1.465 billion, up 17 percent from a year ago, "representing the heaviest [U.S.] online spending day in history and the second day this season (in addition to Black Friday) to surpass $1 billion in sales."

ComScore said that the top category for sales was digital content and subscriptions (up 28 percent), followed by consumer electronics (up 24 percent and "buoyed by gains in smartphone sales"), computer hardware (up 22 percent, … Read more