awards

CEA announces 2013 Innovation Awards winners

NEW YORK -- Believe it or not, the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show is just eight weeks away. And that means it's time for the show's organizer, the Consumer Electronics Association, to begin drumming up excitement for the world's largest showcase of new gadgets and electronics. First up: the announcement today of the CEA's Best of Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Award winners at the CES preview event in Manhattan.

The awards are given across 29 consumer electronics product categories, and include two new ones for 2013: "Accessible and Universal Design Technologies" and "Tech … Read more

And now, the Tabby Awards for best apps for tablets

Just when you thought there couldn't be any more award contests, here comes one for tablet apps.

The Tabby Awards seek to recognize the best apps for tablets and open for nominations now. From the press release:

For the very first time, the best apps for iPad, Android and Windows tablets will be judged for their outstanding tablet specific features and utility by a panel of tablet professionals. The competition will be open to both native apps and web apps for tablets and will include app developers worldwide. Consumer and Business apps will be evaluated by two separate panels, … Read more

Nokia Lumia shows off new camera tricks

Wednesday's tech news roundup cures the colorful phone shakes:

Nokia revealed new Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 920 comes in red and yellow and the camera has "floating lens" technology, meaning it helps stabilize shaky movements and allows the shutter to stay open longer for more light to enter. It also has photo editing tools that remove someone walking by your picture, or you can animate part of a still photo as a cinemagraph. (Check out these examples.) It also has a charging station, so it doesn't need cords. The JBL Power Up … Read more

Presenting Rafe Needleman's Outie Awards

It has been a fantastic run, but it's time for me to try something new, so I'm leaving CNET. This is my last post for this great company, at least in my current role as Editor at Large.

Instead of boring everyone with the usual departure platitudes or a history of illustrious achievements, I thought I'd give out a few awards to companies, products, and ideas that I covered for CNET, ideas that have stayed with me long after I wrote about them. So here they are: The Rafe Needleman I'm Outta Here Awards. The Outies. … Read more

Ford's 999cc EcoBoost engine wins top honors at Engine Awards

Click through for the full photo gallery and more details.

This year's International Engine of the Year Awards saw many repeats from 2011, but stealing the show was a new sub-1-liter engine from Ford. Using direct injection and a turbocharger, this 999cc engine manages to generate 123 horsepower, enough for most subcompact and compact cars. And in European test cycles, the engine manages well over 50 mpg.

Despite the economy of Ford's engine, the Green Engine Award went to GM for the range extended electric power train in the Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera.

Here are the various … Read more

Apple announces 2012 Design Award winners

What were the prettiest, or otherwise design-centric apps made on Apple's platforms this year?

The results are in.… Read more

Your vote could change Facebook's privacy policy

It's time to vote on Facebook policy, expect changes in Motorola, and give thanks in five words:

Within the coming days, expect the chance to vote on Facebook's privacy policy. Facebook recently made an amendment stating that if it announces a policy change and 7,000 users write comments on that announcement post, then Facebook has to put it up to a world-wide vote. Activists from the website our-policy.org encouraged people to post comments on a recent change, and it worked: more than 47,000 comments poured in, so its expected Facebook will open the change to … Read more

The 404 1,058: Where CNET fans for the win (podcast)

Congratulations to all of our colleagues at CNET TV for winning a Webby Award in People's Voice Award in the Technology category at last night's ceremony.

Plenty of celebrities including Bono, George Lucas, Al Gore, Buzz Aldrin, and more were on hand to pay tribute to Steve Jobs and celebrate the best of the Web. None of CNET's programming would be useful without viewers to watch it, so thanks to you for tuning in!… Read more

Obama, Clinton pay tribute to Steve Jobs at the Webbys

Nearly a dozen celebrities, politicians and tech luminaries paid tribute to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs at today's annual Webby awards show.

A video featuring President Barack Obama, former president Bill Clinton and others expressing admiration for Jobs, who died last October, was shown to attendees and streamed over the Web.

Also making appearances were U2 frontman Bono, Star Wars creator George Lucas, former U.S. vice president (and current Apple board member) Al Gore, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, comedians Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Fallon, as well as Web mogul Adriana Huffington, and computer scientist Vint … Read more