live blog

Apple's big 'little' event: Join us Tuesday (live blog)

Apple is holding its special event on Tuesday, and you can get your full dose of the news right here.

The press conference, at which Apple is expected to debut a smaller version of the iPad as well as updates to Apple's Mac line, kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific. CNET's Scott Stein, Rich Brown and I will be bringing you the news live from the California Theatre in downtown San Jose, Calif.

CNET will also be running live commentary from editors Molly Wood, Brian Tong, and Donald Bell beginning at 9 a.m. PT, which you'll be able to watch right above our live blog. Note that there's no live video of the presentation itself. … Read more

iPad Mini won't be the only Apple news

Monday's CNET Update dusts off the crystal ball:

Everyone is eager to learn about the rumored iPad Mini, but today's tech news roundup looks at what else Apple will be announcing. We're expecting to see at least one new computer, such as an iMac or Mac Mini. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the Mac Pro will get an update in 2013, so it may be too soon to announce that. As for laptops, there have been reports that Apple will give the 13-inch MacBook Pro a retina display.

When Apple does unveil the iPad Mini, … Read more

The Nintendo Wii U press conference: Join us Thursday (live blog)

Since they were first teased more than one year ago at E3 2011, we've seen and sampled Wii U hardware and games a few times, but without any official information on how much the system and its accessories will cost, or when it would be available, beyond the holiday 2012 time frame.

All that is expected to change on Thursday morning in New York, where Nintendo is hosting a press conference just one day after Apple's iPhone 5 event.… Read more

Apple's iPhone event: Join us Wednesday (live blog)

Editors' note (September 12, 2012): It's official, folks. The iPhone 5 is for real. Our first impressions, plus additional full coverage.

Apple is holding its much-anticipated fall event on Wednesday, and you can get your full dose of the news right here.

The press conference, which is expected to bring Apple's next iPhone, takes place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco and kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific. CNET's Scott Stein and I will be bringing you the news live.

You can tune in to the live blog here:

CNET's live coverage of Apple's event on Wednesday … Read more

Live from Berlin: Sony's IFA press conference (Wednesday, 7 a.m. PT)

The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (better known as IFA) is Europe's answer to the Consumer Electronics Show. And like that Vegas extravaganza, the consumer electronics world kicks off the Berlin tech fest with back to back press conferences that stretch over several days.

Among the first up is Sony. CNET will be blogging the event live on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT, with reporters on the ground in Berlin (and others stateside, monitoring via the event's live video stream). Among the rumored product announcements: an 84-inch 4K TV and possibly as many as two … Read more

Google Maps 'next dimension' event (live blog)

Editor's note: This live blog has already taken place. You can replay it in the embedded component below, or read our related coverage on what Google announced: " Google unveils offline mode for Google Maps"; " Google unveils full 3D Google Earth feature"; and " Google Maps heading to new directions (pictures)."

Google is taking the wraps off some new mapping technology today, and CNET will be there to bring you the news live.

The Google Maps event kicks off at 9:30 a.m. PT. You can go here to find out where that is in your time zone, … Read more

Samsung unveils Galaxy S III (live blog)

Update at 11:30 a.m. PT: Samsung has introduced the Galaxy S III. Check out our first take here. Unveiled at an event in London today, the smartphone sports a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, an 8-megapixel camera, and a plastic display. Calling the device "a human phone that understands you," the company also said the S III is intelligent enough to recognize your individual voice and face. Samsung will release the device in Europe this month, followed by other regions. An LTE version of the phone is expected to come to the U.S. this summer. … Read more

Apple unveils iBooks 2 for digital textbooks, self-pub app (live blog)

Apple unveiled today iBooks 2, a "new textbook experience" for the iPad and the company's attempt to bury traditional schoolbooks.

"Clearly, no printed textbook can compete," Roger Rosner, an Apple vice president, said during a press event this morning at New York's Guggenheim Museum.

The company also announced iBooks Author, a free app for self-publishing e-books, and improvements to the iTunes U app that puts entire courses online and allows instructors to post syllabi and messages for students.

Before unveiling the plan, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, noted the … Read more

Sharp unveils 80-inch touch screen (live blog)

LAS VEGAS--Sharp unveiled an 80-inch touch screen for digital meetings at its CES 2012 press conference here Monday.

The smart Aquos Board lets professionals draw on the screen, take notes, and save information to PCs. It will come in 60-, 70-, and 80-inch high-resolution screens. It uses Microsoft software.

Sharp also plans to introduce in the next 90 days, 17 new 60-inch-plus TVs and will introduce 4K technology to deliver "natural 3D-like images." A new 80-inch TV model will be available in April. The rest of line starts shipping this month. TVs will also include new 3D technology … Read more