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New BMW X5 makes navigation, apps standard

BMW used to make even iPod integration an option, but those days seem to be over. The new X5 will come standard with many tech features, from a USB port and navigation to BMW Apps, which integrates social media running on an iPhone with the car's dashboard.

Exterior changes reflect evolving BMW design language, and give the vehicle looks similar to the X1. Aerodynamic changes include something BMW calls Air Curtains, which funnel air into, then out of, the wheel wells. LED fog lights will come standard on the new X5, while adaptive LED headlights are optional.

BMW will … Read more

Windows 8 Release Preview puts gadgets in the backseat

Nothing is as fascinating as the thing you can't have yet. Between Windows 8 Release Preview and a deafening cavalcade of iPhone 5 rumors, the current gadget crop didn't stand a chance this week.

This week's roundup of top-rated gear includes everything we've awarded three-and-a-half stars or above in our rating scale, and you can browse all of them in our slideshow. But first, read through our unrated Windows 8 Release Preview, written by Seth Rosenblatt. Seth has spent a lot of time with the new Windows preview, and he's played with the two-screen, app-centric … Read more

GE Power Pro X500 review: Second verse, same as the first (almost)

GE took an if-ain't-broke approach with the Power Pro X500. Almost nothing changes from its predecessor, the X5. There's just a bump in resolution from 14 to 16 megapixels and some new scene modes. Otherwise, it retains all the same things that made the X5 a popular camera: a wide-angle lens with a 15x zoom; an electronic viewfinder (EVF); semimanual and manual shooting modes; and power from AA-size batteries--all for a very reasonable sub-$150 price.

It's that price and its feature set that helped earn the camera its above average rating. The X500 is capable of … Read more

GE X5 camera review: Long zoom, low price

Reviewing budget cameras is tricky. Add in a brand name that is synonymous with another product category like light bulbs and appliances and taking the camera seriously is even more difficult. Such is the case with the GE X5.

During the 2010 holiday season I received a few reader e-mails asking me about the X5, and frankly I knew nothing about it. There are so many point-and-shoots released each year that brands like GE don't generally show up on my radar because reader interest is low. (The cameras are actually made by a company called General Imaging, but it … Read more

Huawei Ideos X5 will please Android purists (review)

We first glimpsed the Huawei Ideos X5 at CES and declared it a good-looking, midlevel Android phone. It runs the standard version of Android 2.2 (Froyo), which means that it doesn't have any of the extra interface graphics that manufacturers sometimes add for visual flare and to differentiate their phones from rivals'. That's sure to please those campaigning to let Android be Android without additional skin modifications.

The Ideos X5 has very solid hardware specs, like a 3.8-inch capacitive touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and 720p HD video capture and playback. It also has expandable memory … Read more

CES: Huawei Ideos X5 First Look (video)

LAS VEGAS--One of the most interesting (and possibly best) things about the Huawei Ideos X5 is what it lacks.

The Ideos X5 is one of a couple Android smartphones we've seen without a customized skin on top of the stock Android operating system. Not all of those skins are bad by any means, but Android purists will welcome the simple, straightforward interface. Take a look at the phone and its features in this First Look video from the CES show fly.

CES: Huawei Ideos X5 runs stock Android

LAS VEGAS--Just as we reported yesterday, Huawei introduced a new phone for the U.S. market at this year's CES, the Huawei Ideos X5. This midrange Android handset is no stranger; it's already been released in Asia. The U.S. timetable is much murkier--Huawei is keeping the U.S. launch date, carrier, and price under wraps until later this month.

In that sense, the specs are no surprise. The slim, trim Ideos X5 has a nice 3.8-inch screen with a WVGA display (800x480 pixels). It looked bright in our hands and we liked the dark gray brushed … Read more

Huawei introducing Ideos X5 Android phone

LAS VEGAS--Huawei will be pushing further into U.S. markets this week at CES. The mobile phone maker is expected to introduce the Android-powered Huawei Ideos X5 tomorrow, the first official day of the yearly ginormous electronics show.

The Ideos X5 runs Android 2.2 (Froyo), with solid midrange specs. It has a 3.8-inch touch-screen display (800x480 pixels) and an 800MHz Qualcomm processor, Engadget reports. We're also looking at a 5-megapixel camera that captures 720p HD video and a VGA front-facing camera. Higher-end Android smartphones are routinely showing 1.3-megapixel shooters on the front.

CNET Australia gave its … Read more

All-in-one design powerhouse

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is an impressive collection of powerful design software that can tackle all sorts of design jobs. Included in the package are: CorelDRAW, the main application for vector design and layout; Corel PHOTO-PAINT, for editing and retouching photos, Corel CAPTURE, for screengrabs; ConceptShare, a collaboration service; and the Bitstream Font Navigator. There are also a bevy of smaller utilities such as a bar-code wizard and an app for helping users optimize two-sided printouts.

With a suite that includes that many programs and features, it's essential to have solid in-program help, and CorelDRAW is loaded with dynamic hints, … Read more