touchscreen

Forget the Apple tablet, HP's TouchSmart tm2 is already here

With all the hype around Apple's still-mythical tablet, it's easy to forget that HP has been making a 12-inch consumer tablet for several years.

In fact, the product that started life as the HP tx1000, and is now called the TouchSmart tm2, is one of the only convertible tablet laptops aimed at mainstream entertainment consumers; most tablets are intended for medical, educational, or other specialized markets.

While convertible tablet laptops, which have screens that rotate 180 degrees to fold down over their keyboards, have never been a mainstream product, there's a certain appeal to using the multitouch … Read more

Don't cause a crash!

Traffic Rush is a fun, fast-paced, cartoony arcade game in which you must direct traffic at a busy four-way intersection--much like other "traffic control" games. The touch interface is easy and natural, with you swiping vehicles to speed them up or tapping them to temporarily stop them. You have to choreograph a colorful collection of trucks, motorcycles, and various passenger cars, all with different speeds (and sound effects), and the number of vehicles--and, inevitably, close calls--increases as the game progresses. Your game ends when you fail to avert a crash, and you're given your score, average vehicle … Read more

Will the Apple tablet be a full-fledged computer?

With all the crystal-ball-watching over the seemingly imminent Apple tablet, one issue hotly debated around the CNET offices, but infrequently mentioned elsewhere, is the hypothetical device's status as a mobile computer.

There are two schools of thought on this: either the Apple tablet (or iSlate, or whatever it ends up being called) will be a 10-or-so-inch tablet PC with a full Mac OS X operating system; or it will merely be a larger-screen version of the current iPod Touch, which has a closed, limited phone-like OS.

The former would mean it could very likely run any software you'd run on a MacBook, from Firefox to Photoshop, and maybe even install Windows 7 via Boot Camp or Parallels. The later points to a hermetically sealed ecosystem, where apps would have to be approved and sold through an official app store (as in iTunes). … Read more

The Gizmo Report: WikiReader--simple, singular

It's been years since the concept of a digital convergence was seriously debated. Today, it's rare to see a single-function electronic device.

Digital still cameras can record video, and camcorders can take still photos. Even cheap cell phones include cameras. There are Web browsers in cell phones, cameras, televisions, and digital picture frames. In fact, it seems like it's only a matter of time before everything with a battery or power cord will be connected to the Internet.

So it's a little startling to see a new gizmo that does nothing but display text, especially when … Read more

Windows 7: The first wave

With the launch of Windows 7, computer shoppers are emerging from a dark period when newly purchased desktops and laptops would arrive with an already archaic operating system. Even with the promise of a free upgrade, it made sense for most to wait until systems started shipping with the new OS.

If you're eager to hit the ground running, we've already reviewed several Windows 7 PCs, from big names such as Lenovo, Toshiba, and HP. Click on the gallery below to check out each one, including the massive Toshiba Qosmio X505, the touch-screen Lenovo T400s, and the HP Touchsmart 600 … Read more

Nikon Coolpix S70 Quick Take

Editor's note: The Nikon Coolpix S70 is going through the hands-on testing process and its review will be posted soon.

Samsung DualView TL225, TL220 Quick Take

Editor's note: The Samsung DualView TL225 and TL220 are going through the hands-on testing process and its review will be posted soon. The two models are nearly identical, however, the less-expensive TL220 uses a slightly smaller, lower-resolution display and cannot output to a TV or monitor via HDMI.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 Quick Take

There's very little that's different between the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 and the DSC-T900. The T90 has a 0.5-inch smaller screen that has a significantly lower resolution (910K to 230K dots). It also doesn't have a stereo mic or have HD output via HDMI, only component. But, that's pretty much where the feature shed ends.

Basic specs for the ultracompact include a 12-megapixel sensor, 4X optical zoom with stabilization, 3.0-inch LCD, and 720p HD movie recording. You also get Sony's intelligent scene recognition, intelligent auto mode, Smile Shutter, and face detection with child and … Read more

Acer adds a couple of new Windows 7 laptops

PC maker Acer is adding another pair of laptops to its Windows 7 laptop lineup. The two entries are a 15.6-inch touchscreen system, called the Aspire 5738PG; and a 11.6-inch addition to the Timeline series, called the Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ.

The touchscreen Aspire 5738PG has a multi-touch display that can understand two-finger gestures, but in a standard laptop design instead of a convertible tablet. We've seen something similar recently with the Lenovo ThinkPad T400s.

The Aspire Timeline AS1810TZ has an 11-inch Netbook chassis, but instead of the Intel Atom CPU, it has the dual-core Intel SU7300 -- … Read more