Reviews

Has it really been 10 years since Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City made its PlayStation 2 debut? And has it really been 26 years since the big hair, pastel suits, and electronic-infused pop celebrated in that game were all the rage? Heaven help me, I'm old.

Just as Rockstar brought Grand Theft Auto 3 to smartphones and tablets to celebrate that game's 10-year anniversary, so has its sequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, arrived for iOS. (The Android version has been temporarily delayed but is due shortly.) And although it suffers from similar control issues, the … 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

Though "new" to the market, the entry-level ZTE Groove from Cricket Wireless feels dated already.

First, it's called Groove -- which no one says anymore except when referring to that Madonna song. Second, it ships natively with the outdated Android Gingerbread 2.3.

Other than that, it features Muve Music, Cricket's music subscription service that lets you stream thousands of albums and songs.

The 3G handset also has a 3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 3.5-inch HVGA touch screen with a 480x320-pixel resolution.

It's powered by a 1,500mAh battery that has a reported … Read more

Manufactured by ZTE, the AT&T Z431 is a prepaid GoPhone that's equipped with a four-row keyboard and a 3G data connection.

The device also houses a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2.4-inch touch screen with a 1,600x1,200-pixel resolution, and 58MB of internal memory.

In addition, the handset includes an expandable microSD card slot, and a 1,000mAh battery that offers roughly 4.5 hours of talk time.

The phone is available from AT&T and other retail outlets like RadioShack for $49.99 and requires no carrier contract.

Every now and then, I like to report on the best new discs that have come my way. Let's get started!

Amy Winehouse: "At the BBC" (CD/DVD) Fourteen stunning performances from 2004 to 2009 showcase aspects of her talent that the studio recordings gloss over. The DVD, "The Day She Came to Dingle," is a documentary featuring Winehouse at the height of her powers in December 2006 in a tiny church in Ireland. She's backed up with just guitar and bass, so her voice, in all its glory, is upfront and clear. Awesome!… Read more

I recently wrote about a Hsu Research subwoofer, "Shaken & stirred: The Hsu VTF-1 MK2," but today I'll cover a complete Hsu 5.1 channel sub/satellite system. There are four HB-1 MK2 sats, one HC-1 MK2 center channel speaker, and the VTF-1 MK2 sub. The six pieces sell for $1,159, and the sound is truly astonishing for the money. A Denon AVR-1912 receiver and an Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player completed the test system.

The Hsu system has extraordinary power and dynamic oomph. It also sounds sweet at late-night listening levels, but it can rock with … Read more

There are tons of music-listening apps in both of the big app stores, but when you want to find new music, there's nothing better than a streaming-radio app. These apps are set up for browsing through stations and genres so you can get a fresh dose of new options based on the music you like.

The obvious choice here is an app like Pandora (free - iOS|Android), but there are a few I like that have other options that might appeal to different types of music listeners.… Read more

If you're trying to avoid a monthly data charge and are looking for an inexpensive monthly plan, TracFone's Samsung S390G is as good a place to start as any.

The QWERTY feature phone is a few steps up from a basic flip phone, but it won't incur that monthly data rate that piles up to many ducats spent on a smartphone.

In addition to the keyboard, which makes for easier texting, the S390G connects to Wi-Fi, a rather rare trait these days for a non-smartphone handset. In addition, you'll find e-mail, voice recognition, and a video … Read more

I don't know how I missed Kudos Audio before, but the company has been in business for more than 20 years. When I heard Kudos' little X2 speaker at Sound by Singer in NYC I knew it was a serious high-end contender, but one that can easily fit in the most cramped apartments. Andrew Singer knows his market, and even fairly wealthy New Yorkers live in small spaces. The X2 is a mere 31 inches high, unusually petite for a tower speaker.

Though the speakers are made in England, the X2's 6-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter are manufactured … Read more