tech

The RAV4 EV is no Tesla in Toyota clothing

Just about every automaker has an electric vehicle in its lineup now, from the Nissan Leaf to the soon-to-be-released BMW i3, but among this crop of quiet cars there is only one electric SUV. The Toyota RAV4 EV came about as tribute from Tesla Motors, in recompense for Toyota ceding its Fremont, Calif., manufacturing digs. I think Tesla got the best end of that deal.

However, the RAV4 EV, powered by a Tesla Motors driveline, steals a march on Tesla's own upcoming Model X electric SUV. With the Tesla-derived 41.5-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack, the RAV4 EV boasts … Read more

My life with the BodyMedia Fit activity tracker

Time to assess the last of the four activity trackers I've been living with for over two months, the BodyMedia Fit.

If you're serious about tracking every calorie burned as accurately as possible, this makes the other trackers look like toys. But it's also the least comfortable to wear, and monthly subscription fees may also put some off.

BodyMedia sells two versions of the Fit. The "Core" version for $120 lacks Bluetooth and so can't talk directly to apps on your iPhone or Android device. The "Link" version sells for $150 and … Read more

Acer now eying wearable tech too

Acer is looking at wearable technology as its next big opportunity, a high-level executive told tech Web site Pocket-Lint.

The wearable technology market could be worth billions of dollars to the industry, ST Liew, president of the smartphone business group at Acer, told Pocket-Lint in an interview. He teased some wearable tech product to emerge in 2014.

Acer is just the latest company to look into wearable tech, a burgeoning market that is starting to see interest from major players. From Google Glass to the Nike Fuelband, the category has begun to pick up steam. The products are often seen … Read more

From Old School to Tech Cool

Back in April something happened here at CNET that has never happened before: a TV was given a perfect 5 stars, as well as an Editors' Choice Award. We don't throw around "Spectactular" reviews all willy nilly, so this was a big deal. Such a big deal in fact, we decided to give our users a chance to win* one for their very own.

However, we aren't going to make this too easy! We want you to share a photo of your old outdated tech. Simply snap a photo of your retro tech, "like" … Read more

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Amulet camera records your life, stores it in cloud

"The destruction of music through YouTube is enormous."

That's what pianist Krystian Zimerman told an audience in Germany when he stopped his performance to demand a fan stop recording it with a smartphone.

But if you think the ubiquity of phone cameras is more than a little annoying, get ready for one that goes around your neck and can record automatically. … Read more

Low Latency No. 65: Apple i-ffordable

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Friday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.… Read more

Scatterbrained? Focus with the Melon EEG headband

Do you need an app to help you think straight? How about a dorky bit of wearable tech that promises to improve your life?

Melon is an electroencephalography (EEG) headband that supposedly helps you focus your thoughts. If you usually need caffeine for that, it could be worth a look.

The subject of a successful Kickstarter campaign that has more than doubled its $100,000 goal, this wireless headband and app "was built to be worn while engaging in a variety of activities -- from working, to studying, playing sports, dancing, practicing an instrument, programming, painting, or doing yoga." … Read more

Will Verizon ever see a 'pure' Android smartphone again?

My Verizon Galaxy Nexus is getting long in the tooth, as they say. Old. Sluggish. I bought it soon after it launched with Verizon in December 2011 because I wanted a "pure" Android experience on a network I felt had the best speed and coverage. Now I'm ready to replace it, but there's no alternative in sight.

Sure, Verizon has other Android phones I could buy. But those don't have a pure or "stock" experience, where the Android operating system hasn't had modifications made to it by the handset maker.

Pure Android … Read more

Meet Fitwall, where tech and elite fitness get off the ground

Beautiful, active people with overflowing pocketbooks make La Jolla, Calif., a San Diego beach town, the perfect place for an upscale fitness craze to take hold.

At least that's the gamble Josh Weinstein and his three business partners are making with Fitwall, a branded fitness studio where members strap on heart rate monitors, find their assigned Fitwall, and monitor their workout exertion with an attached iPad.

The Fitwall studio in La Jolla, which opened to the public this week, is the first of 100 technology-driven fitness studios that founders Weinstein, Doug Brendle, Ethan Penner, and Anthony Westreich plan to … Read more