Audiophiliac readers' show off their hi-fis and home theaters

Reader Al F.'s old Apogree speakers and Krell amplifiers.(Credit:Al F.)I never had any doubt that readers of this blog have the coolest systems, but the magnitude of the flood of homemade speakers, desktop systems, headphones, and all sorts of groovy turntables totally knocked me out. There's some sweet gear here, so click to the slideshow and check out the systems. Thanks to all who sent JPEGs --...

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Facebook to unveil new News Feed design next week

Get ready for some changes to your Facebook profile.The social network is unveiling a new design for its News Feed on Thursday, according to an invite sent to journalists today.The bare-bones invite tells journalists to "Come see a new look for News Feed," at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters next week.Coincidentally, a new look for Timeline was spotted today in New Zealand, a country where...

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A look ahead at next year's Mobile World Congress 2014

The lights are on -- it's time to go home. Mobile industry trade show Mobile World Congress is winding down, with new phones and tablets and software dominating the headlines. But what does this year's show tell us about what to expect at MWC 2014? The standout trend of this year's show that has the potential to be fully realised next year is the arrival of new operating systems, to challenge...

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Tim Cook doesn't like Apple's falling share price, either

Apple's iPhone 5.(Credit:CNET) If you're an Apple shareholder and are pretty pissed about the company's recent stock drop, you can at least take comfort in knowing you're not alone. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook says today during the electronics giant's annual shareholder meeting that he knows people are upset about the stock drop. "I don't like it either," Cook said. Nor does the board and management,...

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Google's Andy Rubin: "No plans" to open Android stores

Google Android chief Andy Rubin(Credit:Getty Images)So, last week an "extremely reliable source" told blog 9to5 Google there was big news coming: Google was planning to build standalone retail stores in the U.S. to sell Android devices, and the first outlets might even be open in major metropolitan areas in time for the holidays. Andy Rubin, who heads up Google's Android business and also qualifies...

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Feature phones still outshine smartphones in key countries

Kyocera's Durapro feature phone.(Credit:Kyocera)Smartphones may be hot in the U.S. and U.K, but feature phones dominate in such countries as India and Russia, according to the folks at Nielsen.Released today, Nielsen's "2013 Mobile Consumer Report" found that smartphones owners make up the majority of mobile phone users in nations such as the U.S., the U.K., South Korea, and China.But in other countries,...

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Nascar tries to ban fan's YouTube video of Daytona crash

It's hard to imagine that, on seeing yesterday's carnage at Daytona when scores of spectators were hurt after debris from a crash flew a fence, someone at Nascar would have been thinking about a vital matter such as copyright infringement.Yet it seems that one no-doubt harassed Nascar operative did exactly that and demanded that a video taken by a spectator and posted to YouTube be removed.As the...

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Randi Zuckerberg on what it means to be "Dot Complicated" (Q&A)

Randi Zuckerberg knows a thing or two about complications caused by the Internet. The sister of Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has seen her fair share of controversial choices or awkward missteps become fodder for attacks from those who view her as the ultimate benefactor of nepotism. After serving as Facebook's marketing director for six years, Zuckerberg struck out on her own with Zuckerberg...

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LulzSec double agent sentencing postponed

Hector Xavier Monsegur, aka "Sabu," will likely get a reduced sentence for signing a plea agreement and serving as an informant. (Credit:James Martin/CNET) Hector Xavier Monsegur, better known by his nom de plume"Sabu," was slated to face sentencing in New York City today for his role hacking into public and private web sites as part of the hacktivists operating under the LulzSec label. All told,...

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How to find and get the most out of an entrepreneurial mentor

I don't know where I'd be today without my entrepreneurial mentors. A lot of successful entrepreneurs will tell you the same thing.Every 20-something entering the job market should have a mentor that can help her navigate the business world, but the bond between an entrepreneur and her mentor is unique. There aren't a lot of tougher mountains to climb than starting a company from scratch, and the...

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Microsoft to begin connecting Skype and Lync by June 2013

Lync is Microsoft's unified communications platform for business users.(Credit:Screenshot/Microsoft) Microsoft provided an updated road map for its Lync unified-communications platform today, the opening day of the company's first Lync Conference in San Diego.The biggest piece of news is that Lync-Skype connectivity/federation is coming later than many expected. The first piece of that connectivity...

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Apple's new iPad ads: No Samsung jokes (well, maybe one)

Nothing shallow here.(Credit:Apple Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)If you're sitting at Apple HQ, you must be very aware of Samsung.There must be such a temptation to offer a public swat or two at the fly that has cleverly positioned itself as the challenger to your own emotional supremacy.Yet, with two new iPad ads that Apple has just released, Cupertino is stoically continuing to pretend that...

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Remember when video discs were the size of LPs?

Pioneer VP-1000 LaserDisc Player(Credit:Pioneer)Years ago, long before the dawn of the DVD or Blu-ray formats, consumer video was strictly all-analog, from the very first broadcasts right up to the introduction of the LaserDisc. The 12-inch, double-sided LaserDisc looked like a giant CD, but the video was analog encoded on two single-sided aluminum discs layered in plastic. The discs that debuted...

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Facebook pic of toy mortar leads to armed cops raid

The picture as it appears on Driscoll's Facebook page. Yes, that's a toy mortar.(Credit:Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)When you make your Facebook profile picture that of Action Man (aka the British G.I. Joe), it can be a clue to your fascination with fantasy.It also suggests that if there's a toy mortar in the background of the picture, that, too, might actually not be entirely real.Please try...

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Get rid of your ex on Valentine's, from Facebook at least

An ex is like a scar you once got after a seventh Cabernet in a bar with 12 steps. Some days, you look at it and are proud. At other times, you wonder how you could have done it to yourself.The lies, the hurt, the occasional odor of indifference and the underarm spray that was at least two years old -- they all serve as jogs and jags to the memory.Sadly, many people still hold material relics of disappointed...

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Skype 6.2 arrives for Windows, Mac

Microsoft's Skype team today rolled out two new updates, both labeled as version 6.2, for Windows and Mac.The Windows version includes a redesigned top toolbar that brings together main actions, like calling phones, creating groups, and adding contacts. It also includes "eGifting," or the ability to send Skype credits to users on their birthday which the recipients can use anytime.Another feature...

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iTunes now Apple's fourth-largest business, says analyst

Apple's iTunes generated revenue of $13.5 billion last year, making it the company's fourth-largest business, according to Asymco analyst Horace Dediu.A business that simply broke even a few years ago has been rising "steadily and rapidly," Dediu said in a post yesterday. iTunes has averaged growth of more than 30 percent over the past two years. The $13.5 billion in sales in 2012 was up from $10.2...

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Google's Grammys Nexus 4 ad: Look, it's smarter than iPhone 5

Yes, it makes you smarter.(Credit:Google/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)Can I share a secret with you?Smartphones really aren't that smart. They do a small amount of thinking for themselves, but they depend quite a bit on the information you give them about yourself. Yes, they're like IBM's Watson -- or pretty much every Valentine's blind date you've ever had.However, Google chose last...

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$11 million sought to build X-wing, counter Kickstarter Death Star

There's no disturbing lack of faith among Kickstarter supporters. After all, a crowdfunded project to construct the Death Star that was launched less than a week ago already has nearly 1,500 backers and an astonishing $364,772 in pledges. Well, the Rebels aren't taking that threat sitting down. A rival Kickstarter campaign to build X-wing fighters has just taken off. Its goal is to build one of the...

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Poll: Do you listen to movies or TV over headphones?

I suppose it's still a fair assumption that more people listen to music than movies with headphones, but there has to be a growing audience listening to movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos via their headphones. Thanks to the booming popularity of tablets, might the ratio of movies-to-music listening time be moving away from music? Or not?I watch a lot of movies at home with headphones on. They present...

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