♦ Another remote to drive others crazy

The trend of anti-gadget gadgets continues. Well, maybe anti is too strong of a prefix--it's really more about control, as is everything else in life. While not a stated purpose, its diminutive form factor--3.7 inches x 1.6 inches and less than three-quarters of an inch thick, according to GeekAlerts--has an obvious use: To surreptitiously control the TV while no one is the wiser.	1 vote

♦ Funai to distribute Philips TVs in U.S., Canada

As of September, Philips will no longer make televisions for the U.S. and Canada. Instead, it is transferring that job to Japanese electronics maker Funai. The two companies agreed to a brand-licensing agreement in which Funai will source, distribute, market and sell all consumer TVs under the Philips and Magnavox brand names in the U.S. and Canada.	1 vote

♦ Westinghouse's acrobatic HDTV

In our longstanding tradition of featuring gadgets that do yoga, Crave is pleased to announce a first in the illustrious category: a contortionist television set. Westinghouse has created a "flip-style" HDTV that can actually be folded, to a degree, to fit into the most cramped areas and corners of any given abode.	1 vote

♦ The TV-DVD combo isn't dead yet

There's a reason that all-in-one TVs are always at the very end of the aisle at retailers. They may well be the least-cool media gear around, bearing the scorn of those who complain, among other things, that the individual components can't be tweaked or repaired. But there are at least two reasons that TV-DVD (and--gasp--even VCR) combos will survive for awhile: kids and grandparents.	1 vote

♦ Pioneer picks Panasonic to make plasmas

Panasonic has been tapped to pinch-hit for Pioneer. The two television makers said Wednesday they had come to an agreement in which Panasonic will produce the panels for Pioneer's plasma televisions. The news comes a month after reports surfaced that Pioneer was pulling out of the plasma business.	1 vote

♦ Motorola launches Smart Rider at CTIA

Smart Rider combines the features of a phone and portable GPS device. Motorola broke a few molds when it announced the Smart Rider at CTIA this week. Smart Rider is a cross between a phone and a portable GPS device, using a 2.8-inch high-resolution screen for map display and turn-by-turn directions. It also has voice command and Bluetooth hands-free calling features.	1 vote

♦ Find your way with TomTom One 3rd Edition GPS, $119.99 shipped (after rebate)

(Credit: TomTom)The TomTom One 3rd Edition GPS may not have Bluetooth, text-to-speech, or a widescreen, but it's still a solid navigation system with some compelling features. Office Depot has new units in stock for $119.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate). Shipping is free, though you may have to pay sales tax. In addition to the usual navigation goodies--preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada...	1 vote

♦ 'GPS Mail Logger': Lazy postman's worst enemy

Our favorite Seinfeld character, Newman, was a U.S. postal worker who had a simple solution when he got behind in his deliveries: He'd just stow the mailbags in the basement. If you suspect your own mailman saw that episode and got the same idea, read on. The "Micro GPS Mail Logger" is designed to be tucked in with the mail and, after delivery...	1 vote

♦ Poll: Are you for GPS convergence?

I've had this question on my mind for quite some time now. Covering both GPS and smartphones for CNET, it's been interesting to watch these two areas of technology converge. More and more smartphones (such as RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, Nokia N95, and Samsung BlackJack II) offer integrated GPS, and it seems people want this functionality in their phone...or so I thought. You see...	1 vote

♦ OnStar attempts to stay relevant

With Destination Download, you don't have to use the navigation system's destination entry. GM announced two new services for OnStar this week, one that involves a partnership with MapQuest, and one for people who can't program a DVR. With the MapQuest partnership, called OnStar eNav, users will be able to find destinations on the MapQuest Web site...	1 vote

♦ Cowon joins the post-bamboo era

Bamboo is so yesterday. While the eco-quotient of that reputedly sustainable material remains the subject of some debate, a few manufacturers are headed for other forested regions to make their wares with finishings of the wood-grass variety. Fujitsu went with cedar in a laptop showcased earlier this month in Milan...	1 vote

♦ GPS gizmo tracks your car, kids, sanity

Ever returned to the spot where you think you parked, only to find your car missing and file a police report before discovering you actually left your wheels just a block to the south? (I'm not speaking from experience, of course. I have only heard of such tales. Anyway...	1 vote

♦ Learn the secrets of HDR photography

Want to learn the secrets to creating beautiful HDR photographs? xTrain, a provider of online video training courses has announced a new high dynamic range (HDR) Mastery online video course by Photoshop expert Ben Willmore. HDR is the process of taking a sequence of exposures...	1 vote

♦ Canon releases EOS 40D v1.0.8 firmware update

Canon has released a new firmware update to its EOS 40D 10.1MP DSLR. The firmware update, v1.0.8, fixes a phenomenon in which Image Stabilization operation emits a sound when certain buttons are pressed, with the EF-S 55mm-250mm f/4-f/5.6 IS lens attached to the camera.	1 vote

♦ Panasonic intros Wi-Fi camera

Panasonic has announced its first camera to include built-in Wi-Fi, called the Lumix DMC-TZ50. As the model name hints, the TZ50 is basically the DMC-TZ5 with Wi-Fi. Both are 9-megapixel cameras with optically stabilized 10x optical, 28-280mm equivalent lenses, and can record video at up to 1,280x720 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second.	1 vote

♦ Digicam clone from China: Too good to be true

From the same country that spawned countless of iPhone clones comes a camera that looks too good to be true. And apparently it is. Chinese company Chinavasion is promoting its prosumer lookalike point-and-shoot, the ZKX-DC5010. While it looks suspiciously like Sony's H7 or Nikon's upcoming P80, the specifications tell another story. It comes with an outdated 5-megapixel sensor...	1 vote

♦ If you see this hovering overhead, cover up

We saw this item a couple of days ago but passed on it because we were certain we'd seen it before--here. But despite the similarities in appearance, there's one big difference: The "Aeryon Scout" is a flying camera, not just a remote-controlled toy. The Scout is made of four foam rings connected by a rotor in the center, according to Inventor Spot.	1 vote

♦ One day our 5D Mark II will come

Canon's EOS 5D Mark II might be the most rumored camera in history. In today's episode of "I'm going to post a Canon EOS 5D Mark II rumor," Photography Bay says that Canon's German Web site displayed some information about the possible follow-up to the company's EOS 5D. The short blurb that purportedly appeared on the German site says that the camera will have a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor...	1 vote

♦ Nikon Releases D40 DSLR v1.11 firmware update

Nikon has released a firmware update to its D40 6MP DSLR. The firmware update, v1.11, is a minor update that corrects an issue where shooting times were not always accurately recorded within the image data for images captured in bursts of continuous shooting. We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear.	1 vote

♦ WinDVD 9 adds support for Blu-ray, AVCHD--and even HD DVD

Corel's WinDVD 9 software handles Blu-ray, HD DVD, and standard DVD discs. The HD format war may be over, but don't tell Corel. The company's WinDVD 9 software plays both Blu-ray and the now-defunct HD DVD format--perfect for those few Windows PCs with HD combo drives, such as the HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f. The software supports the full range of features for both formats...	1 vote