weekly

Apple harvests new iPhone, iPods

An object of much anticipation and speculation over the last several months, the iPhone 5 was finally announced this week.

According to Apple, the device is 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S, measuring just 7.6mm. It's also 20 percent lighter than its predecessor at 112 grams. The company is calling the aluminum backplate -- which has been shown in several leaked images over the last several weeks -- the "slate."

One of the biggest additions is the new 4-inch Retina Display, with the same 326 pixels per inch found in the iPhone 4S. The phone … Read more

The 404 1,127: Where we eat our utility bill (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google Glass makes catwalk debut at New York Fashion Week.

- The Fifth Element inspired: Remote-controlled roaches to the rescue.

- Odd "digital rituals" we perform to make technology serve us.

- Will putting a car remote under your chin increase its range?

Bathroom break video: Pong traffic light in Germany.

Video voice mail: Matt is now the ultimate trucker.

Episode 1,127 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  

Toys 'R' Us takes on tablets with Tabeo

This Monday tech news roundup doesn't want to grow up:

Toys "R" Us has created it's own tablet designed for kids, called Tabeo. It goes on sale in stores Oct. 21 for $150, but the store is now taking preorders online. This kid-safe tablet comes with 50 apps pre-installed for games, education, reading -- even apps for cooking and editing photos. And there's 7,000 more apps available in an app store. It comes with 4GB of memory, but is expandable with a memory card slot. And Toys 'R' Us won't be sharing this … Read more

This week in Crave: The high-flying edition

Too busy deciding whether you'd rather live in a "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" universe to keep up with Crave all week? Dial back your sci-fi daydreams for a moment and catch up on what you missed.

- Finally! Video proof that Assassin's Creed is really just parkour.

- Grand Theft Auto gets a "Back to the Future" wardrobe.

- What's that we spot overhead? Oh, just 50 flying LED drones.

- We like butt-mounted iPhone bike lights and we cannot lie.

- What if the iPhone 5 and the rumored … Read more

Amazon sets fire to the tablet market

Amazon is heating up competition in the tablet sector with three new models of the Kindle Fire that are clearly aimed at wooing those who might buy a tablet from Apple.

The Amazon assault begins with a new $199, 7-inch model with an HD screen that doubles the built-in storage of the previous entry-level Kindle Fire to 16GB. Amazon has also doubled down on that product line with a larger, 8.9-inch model that has a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution, features 16GB of built-in storage, costs $299 and ships November 20. Topping out the line is a new 32GB model … Read more

This week in Crave: The imposter edition

Too busy trying to keep thieves out of your brain this week to stay on top of Crave? Continue not thinking about your PINs while you ponder the stories you missed.

- Finally! Your iPad can pretend to be a MacBook.

- It's an "iPhone 5," minus just one key feature.

- Stargazers, have a gaze at this massive Mars mosaic.

- A suborbital space flight? Yeah, we'd call that a decent frequent flyer award.

- Ecce Homo: Behold the meme spawned by a botched art restoration. … Read more

Could patent peace be at hand?

As the tech world was focused on the Apple-Samsung patent trial, Apple and Google were talking to try to resolve the myriad intellectual property and patent disputes between the companies.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook and Google's Larry Page talked before last week's verdict in the Samsung-Apple trial and plan to talk in a few weeks, to a person familiar with dealings told CNET. Talks are also reportedly taking place between the companies at a lower echelon. •  Back to the future: Apple and Microsoft on collision course, again

When the Samsung decision got announced last Friday afternoon, … Read more

This week in Crave: The patented edition

It's election time! Too busy deciding who should make it into the Robot Hall of Fame to keep up with Crave all week? Put down your ballots for a moment and take a look back at the week that was.

- You might have heard of a verdict reached in an itty-bitty patent case? The result you expected?

- If Venus de Milo had an iPhone, she would look like this.

- Microsoft's logo got a makeover. What do you think of it?

- Note-taking app Evernote teams with... a paper company?

- Yee-haw! The west is getting even wilder in Grand Theft Auto V. … Read more

In Apple v. Samsung, the jury has spoken

Apple and Samsung both rested their cases this week in the ongoing billion-dollar patent infringement dispute, and the jury has found Apple the clear victor.

After 21 hours of deliberation, a nine-person jury Friday afternoon sided with Apple on a majority of its patent infringement claims against Samsung Electronics. The jury also awarded Apple more than $1 billion in damages.

Apple had originally sought $2.75 billion in damages and although it wasn't unanimous on all counts, the verdict was overwhelmingly in Apple's favor. •  Apple's $1,049,343,540 victory: Google, don't tread on me … Read more