Inside CNET Labs Podcast

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

Price can be a huge determining factor when purchasing an electronics product. Nearly every week, I get blasted with e-mails asking, "What's the best sub-$100 monitor?" I rarely answer this question because, well, frankly, most monitors at that price are ones I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending.

If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say when purchasing a new monitor, the majority of consumers are more concerned with the price than the performance. As I see it, most consumers just want their monitor to fulfill very basic functions. Does it turn on? Yes. Does it show a picture? Yes. Does the picture look like what I'd reasonably expect? Yes. Sold!

Obviously, there are those who require something more high end. For those people I point you in the direction of the Dell UltraSharp U2410.

For all of you "I just want it to work and not break the bank" people, check out the full review of the Samsung SyncMaster 2233SW.

Also, be sure to keep your eye on CNET for the latest monitor reviews.

Three brave batteries answered the call!

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

Even in the days of nickel cadmium and lithium ion batteries being used in most laptops, phones, and MP3 players, some of us still need traditional alkaline batteries.

Recently, I was forced by my superiors as if my life depended upon my cooperation I was politely asked if I could conduct some battery performance tests on a few regular, everyday, over-the-counter batteries. I, of course, responded: "Yes! Especially since you asked so nicely, I'd be happy to do it!"

I chose what I thought were two of the most popular batteries on the market, and one not so popular battery. The goal being to determine which battery would last longer under controlled conditions.

We looked at the following batteries: Energizer, Duracell Ultra Advanced, and Fuji Enviro Max. All batteries were of the AA variety with a 1.5-volt charge.

We used three identical Mini Maglite flashlights that require two AA batteries each.

We set up a Webcam, placed the flashlights in front of the lens, and started recording. When we returned a few hours later, all three flashlights were off and didn't turn on when we attempted to do so.

We then skipped through the recorded video file to determine exactly when each flashlight died. Using the video duration counter, we determined the following results:

I was not surprised that the purported "Eco-friendly" Fuji Enviro Max came in last place, but I was taken aback that a normal Energizer battery beat something called the Duracell Ultra Advanced.

Note that all batteries were brand-new and only used for the first time with each test run. Also, our goal was to determine which battery lasted longest. Sometimes, even after a device dies, batteries will still have a charge and knocking the device around or taking the battery out and putting it back in will give you more juice. We didn't do that here. The test was one run, repeating the test twice (three times total). The number you see above is an average of the three tests for each brand of battery.

Let us know in the comment section if you think we've missed something, or if you would like to request a different battery to test.

(Credit: CNET)

Apple "announced" upgrades to both their Time Capsule and Airport Extreme Base Station in October. After much ado, attempting to get the new revisions and the old ones in-house to test, we've finally completed testing and have updated the reviews.

The thing about network testing is that because so many factors can potentially affect wireless network traffic, results can be quite unpredictable. This is especially true in an office environment like CNET's San Francisco office, where everyone and their mother seems to own an iPhone or BlackBerry.

While we attempt to minimize interference by analyzing the spectrum and choosing the best wireless band, we can't stop random devices using the band and cluttering the network. The mothers are usually the worst offenders.

So we test in an environment that, while not 100 percent clean, is 100 percent real-world. Check out the review updates for the Apple Time Capsule and Apple Airport Extreme Base Station, to see how these two fared in a real environment.

The frog returns in his LED splendor.

(Credit: NEC)

LED is definitely the new black in the world of computer monitors. Most vendors have gotten behind the technology and many more are beginning to announce LED-based products. Check out my list of the five best LED monitors, and see what the current top-rated models are.

NEC is the latest vendor to drop its hat into the mix. On Wednesday, it announced the MultiSync EA222WMe, the company's first LED monitor.

Aesthetically, judging just by the picture, the monitor resembles the previously reviewed NEC MultiSync EA221WM.

Like the EA221WM, the EA222WMe has a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, 1,680x1,050 resolution, and a four-way ergonomic stand. In addition, the LED-based monitor includes a 250 cd/m2 brightness, 30,000 dynamic contrast ratio, VGA, DVI, USB, and DisplayPort inputs, and built-in speakers.

The monitor includes an Eco mode that caps the brightness, a carbon meter, and a cost meter. According to NEC, it also uses less packing materials than the company's non-LED monitors.

The MultiSync EA222WMe comes with a three-year, parts-and-labor limited warranty and is now available at an estimated street price of $339.

Just thought I'd show something different to illustrate how the XL2370 takes advantage of its technology.

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

Over the last few months I've seen a flood of LED-based monitors released, and by "flood" I mean like four. Thing is, four is a huge improvement over the first half of the year where we saw fewer than half that number of LED-backlit monitors come through these offices.

While I'm as excited as the next person about the prospects of LED-based displays, not all of them live up to their promise of brighter screens, thinner panels, and more accurate colors.

There are a few that do and a couple others that come close. I've compiled a short list of my current favorites.

Seriously, a plant pot in your monitor. I bet you'll never question the "greeness" of this monitor now!

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

LED monitors were the new hotness at CES last January, but it wasn't until the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370 debuted that we really started to believe in them.

That was the first monitor that really seemed to live up to what has been promised by LED monitor manufacturers'.

That monitor was followed by several more that, while not as impressive as the Samsung SyncMaster XL2370, were still good, solid monitors--like the LG W2486L and AOC V22.

The new BenQ V2400 Eco gets a few things right--very low power consumption and a thin design. Not to mention a small pot built into the footstand, just in case you wanted start a small garden in your monitor. Seriously.

Check out the full review to see what else it gets right (and wrong).

Hey! A black ViewSonic monitor!

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

We get in a lot of 16:9 monitors, but this is the first we've gotten that didn't have a TN-based panel. The 23-inch wide-screen ViewSonic VP2365wb monitor has an Enhanced In-Plane Switching panel (E-IPS).

E-IPS panels usually have improved viewing angles over TNs, especially from the lower angle. The VP2365wb does, indeed, have the type of viewing angle you'd expect from an IPS model, but its brightness leaves a bit to be desired.

Check out the full review. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the monitor product door for new monitor reviews every week.

The new labels for different versions of HDMI cables.

(Credit: HDMI Licensing)

If you've caught yourself scratching your head trying to figure out what type of HDMI cable to buy, you're probably not alone. With so many versions, it's hard to know which does what. However, very soon, you won't have that trouble anymore.

In an effort to make it easier for customers to identify the right products for their needs, HDMI Licensing released Thursday, on behalf of the HDMI Founders, an updated version of the HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines. HDMI Licensing is the agent responsible for licensing the high-definition multimedia interface specification.

The most notable changes in the guidelines are significant restrictions on the use of version numbers and new marketing requirements for cables. These new requirements are designed to simplify the product selection process for consumers, enabling them to purchase an appropriate product based on features, instead of having to do research on what each version does.

According to the new guidelines, adopters will no longer be allowed to use HDMI specification version numbers in the labeling, packaging, or promotion of their HDMI-compliant products. These restrictions go into effect immediately for cable products. Noncable products, however, have until January 1, 2012, to fully comply.

The new guidelines designate all HDMI cable products into five types:

Windows Home Server soon gets supercharged to better support Windows 7.

(Credit: Screenshot by Dong Ngo/CNET)

Microsoft announced Thursday its latest update to the Windows Home Server, the Power Pack 3. Originally, this upgrade was planned to be rolled out prior to the launch of Windows 7, but it was delayed due to a problem found during testing.

Power Pack 3 is much like a service pack to Windows Home Server, which is a special version of the Windows operating system designed specially for network-attached storage devices, such as the HP MediaSmart servers.

Judging from a few Windows Home Server-based NAS servers we've reviewed, Windows Home Server significantly helps new consumers familiarize themselves with network-attached storage devices by providing a similar management console, features, and file system support to those of the Windows operating system for desktop computers.

According to Windows Home Server Team's blog, the Power Pack 3 will be available next Tuesday in all shipping languages (including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). The pack will be free and can be downloaded via Windows Update.

If you plan to manually download it, the Power Pack 3 requires Windows Home Server with Power Pack 2 already installed. However, if your NAS server is connected to the Internet, Power Pack 3 will be automatically installed as part of automatic updates. Make sure you turn this feature on.

The major improvement the Power Pack 3 delivers is support for Windows 7, especially in the realms of backing up and media playback. The breakdown:

• Windows 7 Libraries integration: Now users can access Windows Home Server shared folder from within Windows 7 libraries.
• Windows 7 Action Center backup warning suppression: Windows 7 Action Center now recognizes Windows Home Server as a legitimate backup solution and stops warning you that a backup has not been set up.
• Windows 7 power settings: Windows Home Server can wake a Windows 7-based computer to do a backup, then put it back to sleep once the backup is done.
• Windows Search: Power Pack 3 includes Windows Search 4, which improves query search times, indexing times, and reliability. Files encrypted with EFS are now supported.
• TV archive: Windows Home Server can automatically archive recorded TV by moving your recordings from a Windows Media Center computer to your home server in the format of your choice. This is actually a very handy feature if you want to play back recorded TV shows to multiple devices, including portable ones.

For the complete details of what you can get from the Power Pack 3, check out the release documentation. It seems if you move to Windows 7, the Power Pack 3 upgrade is a must for your Windows Home Server-based NAS servers.