Opinion

It started life as an April Fool's prank on ThinkGeek.com, but overwhelming consumer interest prodded the company to bring the iCade to life (much like the Tauntaun sleeping bag, another ThinkGeek mockup that became a real product). For the uninitiated, the iCade is a pint-size arcade cabinet/stand for Apple's iPad. Slide an iPad in, and it acts as a wireless Bluetooth controller for the Atari iPad app, which offers 100 classic arcade and home console games for $15 (or individual game packs for 99 cents).

Our iCade just arrived this morning, so we quickly assembled it … Read more

This week, we're rolling out a new feature, "Crave in Comments," to highlight just a few of the many intelligent, provocative, and funny comments readers share about Crave stories daily. Every Friday, we'll showcase a handful of comments that caught our eye during the week. We encourage you to join the discussion and share your own opinions, quips, and creative suggestions. The more voices, the merrier the Crave chorus!

From Microsoft criticizes Intel over Windows 8 comments:

It's been my personal experience that that nerds love their room in the basement, which tends to be kinda dark even during daytime, where they have fast Internet access and lots of gadgets. And I have to admit that it's nice down there here, where you I can do all kinds of fun things, such as playing games, programing, playing more games, or just quietly enjoying the sound of crunchy Cheetos while pondering over the prospect of some romantic date...without being bothered.

But it's not true anymore that you can only have fast Internet at home.… Read more

Last week, I conducted an informal poll on a CNET article I wrote called "Chromebook, Netbook, iPad: which would you rather spend $500 on?" In it, I outlined equivalent price options in the world of Android tablets, Chromebooks, small laptops, and iPads. In the poll, I opened the options further, asking what readers would spend $500 on. The options: a Netbook, an iPad, a Chromebook, an Android tablet, a smartphone, or a cheap laptop.

Even I, a serious iPad user, was surprised at the results. See below, current as of today.

Tune in to today's episode of preGame for an extended demo of the 1940s thrilling crime drama L.A. Noire. We'll play nearly an entire case to give you an idea of what all three types of gameplay include, and how to make your way through investigations, interrogations, and more.

Need more coverage of Rockstar Games' blockbuster? Make sure to read our review on Crave.

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame every Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT.

Got an idea for preGame? E-mail us! … Read more

In an interview with PC World posted this morning, HP's Consumer Desktops Product Manager Xavier Lauwaert was quoted as follows in regard to the absence of Thunderbolt ports in HP's newly announced desktops: "On the PC side, everybody seems to be content with the expansion of USB 3.0. Do we need to go into more fancy solutions? Not convinced yet."

Thunderbolt, if you're unaware, is a new peripheral device input standard. In development at Intel since 2009 (when it was code-named Light Peak), Thunderbolt debuted this year in Apple's most recent MacBook Pro laptops … Read more

On today's preGame we'll interview Mr. Mortal Kombat himself, the co-creator of the entire franchise, Ed Boon. It's been a few weeks since the latest iteration of Mortal Kombat hit store shelves, and we'll ask Mr. Boon all about the game as well as the series' history.

But first we'll run down the hottest gaming news of the week including word that a new Alan Wake game will be hitting the Xbox 360, hopefully this year.

We'll also discuss what Microsoft buying Skype means for Xbox 360 owners and then run through a new … Read more

In a bit of news that could drive some iPhone users to gnaw their own legs off at the knees, AT&T has been named the "world's most valuable telecom brand," according to Millward Brown's BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2011 study. Not since Marisa Tomei's Oscar victory or President Obama's early win of the Nobel Peace Prize has an accolade generated such an immediate "huh?".

It's not a Watergate-caliber scoop that AT&T's network struggles have held many iPhone users back from enjoying their smartphones to the fullest. So, today's announcement of the telecom provider's victory comes with an inch-thick slab of sweet beefy irony as Apple--the iPhone's trendsetting manufacturer--sits atop that very same list as the world's top global brand of any category. En route, Apple beat out Microsoft, IBM, McDonalds, and Coca Cola. Valued at $69.9 billion, AT&T is No. 7 in the overall global ranking. … Read more