sf

Can tech make us healthier?

SAN LEANDRO, Calif.--While it's unlikely that we can tweet our way out of the obesity epidemic, social media does offer some opportunities to shift some of the factors that have led to our society's expanding waistlines.

Already there are plenty of services aimed at creating online communities for dieters or for people to post their workout successes online. And it's clear that Twitter and Facebook offer opportunities for positive reinforcement, online community and peer pressure to encourage healthier choices. But, despite a lot of innovation, just how to best harness social media is still a tricky … Read more

Samsung debuts new QX, RF, NF and SF laptops

A year ago, Samsung wasn't much of a player in the laptop space aside from a few Netbooks. This year, however, the equation changed. We've seen Samsung midrange laptops that have offered great value for their components, with designs that seem to be getting progressively better. With the company's newest batch of laptop announcements, that trend seems to be continuing.

The NF and SF series of Netbooks and laptops adopt a similar design, with curved, glossy lines and raised walls around the keyboard deck. The look feels particularly suited to living-room use, as if these laptops were … Read more

SF AppShow gives developers leg up on competition

SAN FRANCISCO--With more than 200,000 apps bursting the seams of Apple's App Store, how can developers get their projects to stand out?

That's a common sentiment among those creating apps, and among those looking for quality content for their iPhones and iPads. But to Seth Socolow, himself a developer and businessman, it was the question that inspired what has become one of the hottest tickets on the Bay Area technology scene.

On Tuesday night, Socolow and Dale Larson, his partner in a consulting firm called SF App Studio, hosted the sixth iteration of their app showcase, the … Read more

Sony's new sound bars get the 3D treatment

We've been longtime fans of Sony's HT-CT100 sound bar home theater system, as it's the only system of its kind we're aware of that offers extensive HDMI connectivity for a bargain-level price. Sony's now announced two successor products, the HT-CT150 and HT-CT350, updating the HDMI connectivity to handle 3D video signals. Here are the details we could glean from the press release.

Key features of the Sony HT-CT150:

3.1-channel sound bar home theater system 340 watts of total system power 32 inches long Three HDMI inputs, all 3D-compatible HDMI pass-through in standby mode Two … Read more

Inside CNET Labs 23: This is 23, not 24...

We remember James Kim. Just a couple minutes of remembrance. James is still missed to this day.

Then, the unsung heroes of CNET Edit finally get their song. Well not really a song, but just some props.

After that it's the obligatory "gadgets we're thankful for" segment. Ours is pretty funny, though, and we also go into a few gadgets we're not so thankful for.

Finally Dong goes on a bit about something we've talked about many times on the show. Well, hopefully you haven't heard this stuff before.

James Kim Tech Foundation… Read more

The 404 112: Where all we are is dust in the wind, dude

CNET producer and SF transplant Cheryl Holloway steps into the studio today to lament over crappy New York burritos and discuss the "dangers" of marijuana smoke, awful movie sequels, Hilary's announcement, and the upcoming movie from faux-news group The Onion. EPISODE 112 Download today's podcast

The "fake news" virus spreads to San Francisco weekly

Do you remember the name Stephen Glass? How about Jayson Blair? Both men were hired as journalists at highly esteemed news publications but chose to write fiction instead of acting as reporters.

After reading Steroids Confidential, this week's cover story in the SF Weekly, my first conclusion was that its authors, Nic Foit and Ira Tes, had secured themselves a place alongside Glass and Blair in the business of manufacturing the truth. As it turns out, the title belongs The SF Weekly itself and, as the SFist points out "Nic Foit and Ira Tes" is nothing more than an anagram for steroid fanatic.

Welcome To Media Sphere

After Matt Smith at the SF Weeklyfirst reported on this project last week, a broad swath of engaging questions about this endeavor began to spring up. While I don?t have all the answers quite just yet, I think this would be a good opportunity to disavow those merit-less suspicions that festered after I tried to talk about this blog without revealing anything prematurely. So here goes: