• CNET
  • All gem posts

gem

Gems With Friends is a gem of a game

Gems With Friends Free for iOS is social puzzle game that uses drag-and-drop gems to rack up points against your opponent. We loved the game's simple, but strategic gameplay, and found it very addictive.

To begin, you can log in with either your Facebook account or with your e-mail address. For new users, logging in with either will create a new account where you can select your username. We loved the quick introduction that walks you through a sample game. After going through each tip, we felt we had a good handle on how to play the game. Gems … Read more

The 404 1,120: Where we pay you in nickels (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- 51 percent of people believe stormy weather can interfere with cloud computing.

- No, Samsung did not try to pay Apple its $1 billion fine in nickels.

- Apple's AirPlay might soon work without Wi-Fi.

- Stop douching your noses, people.… Read more

The 404 1,110: Where we're more than meats the eye (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google may start a same-day delivery service that uses automated vehicles.

- YouTube is the No. 1 source of music for teenagers.

- People also spend more time watching their phones than television.

- 3D printed meat: It's what's for dinner.

- 'The Price is Right' seeking first male model.

Bathroom break video: Why should I be on the Internet?… Read more

The 404 1,109: Where we're running low on memory (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- F-bomb makes it into mainstream dictionary.

- Someone broke into Steve Jobs' home in Palo Alto.

- Hair-raising 4D movie theater chair gives you goosebumps.

- The CNET iPhone 5 rumor roundup.

Bathroom break video: Opting out of Olive Garden's bread bowl.… Read more

The 404 1,108: Where we're not looking from behind (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

Crazy tape on Olympians: Does it work?

Fair or foul? Experts split over whether Pistorius has advantage.

U.S. Speed Suits could make all the difference.

World records set despite ban on high-tech suits.

Are humans or technology breaking Olympic records?

Creepy Weknowyourhouse.com scans your tweets to publish your address.

Bathroom break video: Some of the best LifeHacks ever.… Read more

Zynga's new Gems With Friends puts spotlight on mobile

Zynga's latest game, Gems With Friends, launches today and it may give some hope for the game-creator's mobile future.

As the series' first arcade-style and first non-word game, Gems -- available in Canada with a worldwide rollout to follow in the coming weeks -- features gemstones of different colors and numbers that can be combined to score points.

"They combine and they create these epic combos," said Paul Bettner, vice president and general manager at Zynga. "It's a thrilling game and very, very addictive."

Zynga is introducing this mobile-only game amid criticism of … Read more

The 404 1,106: Where the legend continues (podcast)

We've heard stories about 3D printers being used for both good and evil, but we're not sure how to categorize a company in Japan offering pregnant women a 3D-printed model of their unborn fetuses. Gross. Other stories on today's podcast include a crowdsourced funding site for porn, Amazon accidentally shipping assault rifles, and a sealed first-gen iPhone hitting eBay for $10,000.

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Japanese companies offer a 3D-printed model of your unborn child.

- Offbeatr is the Kickstarter for porn.

- DC resident orders TV on Amazon, gets assault rifle instead.

- Sealed first-gen iPhone hits eBay for $10,000.

Bathroom break video: Olympic nutcracking… Read more

The 404 1,086: Where we left our dreams in a cab (podcast)

Filling in for a Justin Yu who thinks his air conditioner got him sick is the wild card Joey Kaminksi, a man who can apparently talk about -- in painfully great detail -- tipping etiquette in and around New York City. We love Joey for his tangential speaking habits, but also because he lends us his unique skew on the important matters of the day -- that and the fact that he brought us a Google Nexus 7 tablet for us to play with.

Do you have a game plan if you ever left your phone behind in a cab? Our producer Ariel Nunez tells the tale of such a predicament. Does Ariel get the phone back? Or is he forced to plop down $500 on a new device in addition to non-defective shorts?

The 404 crew also dishes out the dirt that saw multiple Web sites and services go down over the weekend including enormous time-suckers Netflix, Instagram, and Pinterest. How did planet Earth go 45 minutes without commenting on a sepia-filtered photo of your dessert? Find out inside!

Make sure you start your holiday week on the right foot by listening to these stories and so much more on today's show! … Read more

Nokia R&D dreams up mind-bending tech

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--With the Nokia Research Center leading the way, the Finnish handset manufacturer could be headed down one twisted road--and we mean that in a good way.

Since its founding in 1986, the NRC has been charged with developing mobile technology through the exploration of science. The center recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and to commemorate the milestone, Nokia hosted various events around the world. CNET got to take part in the U.S. celebrations at Nokia's Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters yesterday, where we got to check out some of the latest innovations from the NRC. … Read more