cards

True story: The cable guy was over just last week, troubleshooting a signal-strength problem with our service. When he saw my CableCard-equipped media center PC, he said, "I've been wanting to do that with my computer, because Windows' channel guide is so much better than ours."

True dat. Windows Media Center offers a mighty sweet 10-foot interface, and when you pair your PC with a CableCard tuner, you've got everything you need for DVR awesomeness.

There are three such tuners on the market, and today's deal is for the most versatile of them. While supplies … Read more

After rumors surfaced earlier this month, Google has officially revealed its new Google Play gift cards.

The cards bear denominations of $10, $25 and $50, and will be sold at RadioShack, Target and GameStop. Their actual release date will vary for each retail chain, according to Google.

The cards, similar to the iTunes gift cards Apple has been selling for years, can be used toward a purchase at Google's former Android app market, now dubbed, well, Google Play.

The cards can be used to buy all the bells and whistles for games -- like extra levels, add-on packs and … Read more

Looking for a gift for your favorite iTunes user, even if that's you? Here's a good deal from Wal-Mart.

The retail giant has shaved $20 off a $100 iTunes electronic gift card. For your $80 purchase, Wal-Mart sends you a PIN, which you can use on an iTunes spending spree or e-mail to someone else as a gift.

The PIN is usually delivered within a few minutes, according to the company, but could take as long as 48 hours, so be patient if you don't receive it right away.

The gift cards are not returnable or refundable, … Read more

Thursday's tech headlines know how to speak your language:

Imaginations are running wild about an Apple TV cable box. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is talking to cable providers, but no deals have been made. Earlier this week Apple was granted a patent for its design of a cable box. But Apple is not alone in its hunt for cable deals. Microsoft's Xbox 360 has slowly been adding video from cable providers in its quest to be the one box to rule all home entertainment.

The Sony Reader is back with a new model, selling for $… Read more

Square launched a flat-rate monthly fee today for small-business owners, turning the credit card industry on its head again.

Merchants who process up to $250,000 in customer payments per year using the card reader can pay a monthly rate of $275, instead of 2.75 percent per swipe, according to a press release from Square. The monthly fee includes the usual Square perks -- no additional fees and no contract.

Square -- known for its small, square card reader that can be plugged into mobile devices to create an instant credit card machine -- said it is "leveling … Read more

Will the Google Play store soon get its own gift cards?

The folks over at Android Central today published photos of what they claim are Google Play gift cards. The Android site, which received the photos from an unidentified source, shows two cards that can be redeemed for $10 or $25 in the marketplace.

The alleged cards themselves are black with the Google Play logo. At the bottom, the card indicates that it can be redeemed for "music, movies, books, apps, and more."

It would only make sense for Google to offer up gift cards that can be … Read more

Wrapp, the Facebook app that lets people give freebie gift cards to their friends, is hoping to gain traction with back-to-school shoppers.

The company, which is shaking up e-commerce on Facebook, continues to grow, bringing some more big name-brands to attract new gifters, the company announced today. These brands include Dockers, Levis, Office Depot, Rovio's Angry Birds online shop, Zappos, and Roots.

Wrapp's business model combines targeted marketing with social metrics. As CNET wrote earlier this year:

"Wrapp will look at the person you're thinking of, figure out where they are and how valuable they are … Read more

Paying someone to do design work can become expensive. That's not to say that designers aren't always worth their cost, but if funds are tight, it might be time to look toward another solution.

MakeBadge.com offers free tools for creating badges or business cards with its easy-to-use online editor. You can even import your logo or other graphics, free of charge. Here's how to get started:

First you'll want to head over to MakeBadge.com. Once there, you can get started on your business cards or badges right away -- the editor loads and … Read more

As Google announced its major upgrade for Google Wallet yesterday -- in which shoppers could use any type of major credit card to load up their smartphone -- American Express confirmed today that it didn't agree to such a deal.

"We want to make sure Google's mobile wallet product meets the standards we set for our card members in terms of the transparency and clarity about transaction detail," American Express' VP of social media communications Brad Minor told CNET in an e-mail. "And right now, American Express does not have an agreement with Google for … Read more