Batteries Not Included

The tech we love

Tech has been part of our lives a lot longer than you might realize. That game of Tetris that hooked you as a kid? Tech. Ditto for mastering "Killer Queen" on Guitar Hero or seeing the ultrasound image of your baby. There's probably a tech connection to many of your favorite memories. Those are stories worth sharing, which is why the CNET team decided to talk about the experiences that remind us why this stuff is cool.

The latest

<p>One of my five-star rooms. No, my real home doesn't look like this. </p>

Forget Animal Crossing. My coronavirus escape is a game about throw rugs

Commentary: The game Design Home has me obsessing about rattan ottomans and watercolor whales. Please send help.

Articleby Leslie KatzMay 6, 2020 9:31 AM PDT

<p>Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and other video game characters for Nintendo, holds a Game Boy.</p>

The Game Boy made me a Nintendo fan, the Switch brought me back

The Switch perfectly captures the fun and essence of the original Game Boy and NES.

Articleby Patrick HollandApril 20, 2019 6:42 PM PDT

I dumped Netflix. Bird Box and Bandersnatch, be damned

Commentary: The siren call of the Netflix hit parade couldn't stop me from ditching the time-sucking streaming service.

Articleby Amanda KooserJanuary 24, 2019 10:39 AM PST

The iPod changed the world. The world moved on, but we still remember our first MP3 players

From iPods to SanDisk Sansas, we reminisce about our first MP3 players -- and all the music we packed in our pockets.

Articleby Lynn LaAugust 29, 2018 5:00 AM PDT

I'm being blackmailed for bitcoin... by snail mail

A letter threatening to expose my imagined adultery reminds me that not all scammers are getting smarter.

Articleby Kent GermanAugust 1, 2018 5:00 AM PDT

Nintendo, I'm sorry for my children

Nintendo Switch, iPhone X, video game after video game. Here's a long and detailed list of all the reasons you probably shouldn't have children.

Articleby Mark SerrelsJune 15, 2018 4:00 AM PDT

<p>Our busted Toyota Sienna heads off to a garage for repairs.</p>

Don't be like me and take your phone for granted

Commentary: It took a car breaking down on a California highway to trigger a newfound appreciation for those little computers in our pockets.

Articleby Stephen ShanklandApril 22, 2018 5:00 AM PDT

<p>Look upon the future and despair. </p>

I played real-life soccer in VR. Watch me fail

I have now experienced the trauma of not being picked for the soccer team… in virtual reality!

Articleby Claire ReillyApril 4, 2018 9:54 PM PDT

<p>In the modern city, anything and everything is open to surveillance. </p>

How I went dark in Australia's surveillance state for 2 years

They called me the nameless one, the ghost who commutes, the silent passenger who refused to get an Opal transport card.

Articleby Claire ReillyMarch 19, 2018 5:00 AM PDT

<p>Lofree offers a compact wireless keyboard with retro vibes.</p>

One writer's long overdue adventure with mechanical keyboards

Commentary: Time spent with loud, clicky keyboards from Das and Lofree had CNET editor Roger Cheng's fingers flying and keys singing with joy.

Articleby Roger ChengMarch 18, 2018 5:00 AM PDT

Google Home doesn't understand children (my children)

Commentary: The Google Home does an incredible job of listening to "human beings," but what about children? Specifically *my* children?

Articleby Mark SerrelsFebruary 13, 2018 5:00 AM PST

<p>The Moto X returns to the accident site.</p>

Goodbye, Moto: When losing a phone is like losing a friend

Commentary: It guided me across an ocean, accompanied me to family celebrations and stood by me as I mourned a loved one. Why losing this gadget cut deep.

Articleby Amanda KooserNovember 8, 2017 5:00 AM PST