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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: tech review

tech review stories: 25 news summaries

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WALT MOSSBERG

 Ultrathin Laptops 
 Solid Performers 

Walt Mossberg reviews 3 cutting-edge laptops

Nov 12, 09 4:08 PM CST
(Newser) - Cheap netbooks aren't profitable for PC makers, so it’s logical they're trying to lure consumers toward laptops that are just as thin, but have bigger screens, more features—and a heftier price tag. Walt Mossberg reviews three such models for the Wall Street Journal, and finds pros and cons... More »

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Walt Mossberg • laptop • computer • laptops • tech review

WEBSITE REVIEW

 'Search Engine for Fun' 
 Delivers Mixed Results 

Goby great for finding activities in cities, not so hot on small towns

Oct 21, 09 8:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - A search engine for stuff to do is a great concept but Goby has plenty of kinks that still need to be worked out before it can be the go-to site for people with time to kill, writes Katherine Boehret. Users type in the "What, Where and When" ... More »

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Internet • search engine • website • tech review • Goby

Tech Review

Google Wave Too Bloated, Complicated

And its much-touted live-typing turns out
to be a nightmare

Oct 14, 09 11:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - Google Wave, the long-awaited chat/email/collaboration doohickey, is ambitious and sturdy, and packed with bells and whistles… and Twitter kicks its butt. See, Twitter’s main feature is simplicity, writes Farhad Manjoo on Slate, but Wave asks the world of users. It tries to replace email with “an entirely alien... More »

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Google • email • instant messaging • tech review • Google Wave

Tech Review

 Zune HD Rivals 
 iPod Touch 


Sep 15, 09 3:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - Microsoft releases a new Zune every year, mostly to collective shrugs, but this year’s model “might be the Zune that you’ve been waiting for,” writes Mark McClusky of Wired. “You were waiting, right?” The slim, white-and-black Zune HD is “a lovely industrial design,”... More »

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Microsoft • iPod • Zune • tech review • Zune HD

Tech Review

 New iTunes 
 a Lot Like 
 Old iTunes

No reason not to upgrade, but program needs a bigger revamp

Sep 10, 09 11:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - Wondering if you should download iTunes 9, the latest big overhaul of Apple’s megapopular music manager? “Overall, I can’t think of a reason not to upgrade,” concludes Nick Mediati of PC World, who tried out the latest version, which includes features like Home Sharing and Genius... More »

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iTunes • Apple • iTunes Store • tech review

TECH REVIEW

 Rock Band Matures 
 With Beatles Edition 

Game is good, clean cross-generational fun

Sep 7, 09 5:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Beatles: Rock Band successfully brings the winning music-game formula to one of rock’s biggest names, writes Elizabeth Landau for CNN. Designed to be played by as many as six, the game "does make for a great time and will probably be a hit at parties." Meanwhile,... More »

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baby boomer • Beatles • Rock Band • video game reviews • video games • tech review • Jay-ZTV

TV REVIEW

 Runway Still Chic on Lifetime 


Aug 21, 09 1:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Project Runway is back after an interminable absence on a new network in a new city, but critics agree the fashion design reality show has kept all its charm intact.
  • PR has "hopped channels from Bravo to Lifetime with none of its appeal damaged in transit,"
... More »

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television • reality TV • Los Angeles • Heidi Klum • Bravo • Project Runway • fashion designer • Lifetime • tech review • Tim Gunn

tech review

 Toshiba's First  
 Netbook Is a Step Up 

Boasts big keyboard and touchpad, long battery

Aug 6, 09 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Toshiba, late to enter the low-end but lucrative netbook field, has finally rolled out its $400 entry, and Walter Mossberg finds that it beats competitors by solving several key problems: It boasts an easy-to-use keyboard, a long-lasting battery, and a large touchpad with big buttons. “The keyboard design resembles... More »

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Walt Mossberg • Toshiba • laptop • Netbooks • tech review

Tech Review

Upgraded Remote Gives Wii New Spark

MotionPlus yields more accurate control, heralds things to come

Aug 5, 09 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - With sales slowing, the Wii needs a shot in the arm, and Nintendo thinks it’s found one with Wii MotionPlus, a little accessory that plugs into the bottom of the controller, giving it a gyroscope that can detect more subtle motions. The results are nice, writes Katherine Boehret for... More »

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Microsoft • Nintendo Wii • video games • tech review • Wii • remote control • Project Natal • motion sensor • gyroscope • MotionPlus

Tech review

 Switchover to 
 Windows 7 a Big Pain 

Move from XP may require external hard drive, patience

Jul 23, 09 9:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - The latest Windows incarnation beats Vista and XP, but don’t expect a smooth transition: upgrading from XP to Windows 7 is an ordeal, writes Walt Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. “In fact, the process will be so painful that, for many XP users, the easiest solution may... More »

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technology • Microsoft • Walt Mossberg • Microsoft Vista • software • operating system • Windows XP • tech review • Windows 7 • Windows 7 review

tech review

Sleep Coach Crunches Z's, May Even Help You Get More

Psychology of gadget makes you sleep better

Jul 16, 09 10:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Strap on a headband, and the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach—basically, a $400 alarm clock—will tell you all about your night, graphing when you were in light sleep, heavy sleep, or rapid-eye movement sleep. Upload to the Web, and you can “slice, dice and cross-compare your sleep data... More »

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sleep • gadget • tech review

tech review

 Sealed-Battery Macs 
 Earn High Marks 

Batteries can't be replaced, but few do so anyway

Jun 25, 09 10:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Removable notebook batteries are convenient in theory, but hardly anyone actually replaces them. Apple and other firms are responding with sealed-in batteries, which, Apple says, can be bigger and thus last longer. Walter Mossberg ran his “own harsh battery test” on the new MacBook Pros and found their sealed-in... More »

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Walt Mossberg • Apple • battery • laptop • tech review • MacBook Pro • MacBook • notebooks

Tech review

 'Google Killer' Search Site 
 Clever, but Not Killer 

WolframAlpha analyzes existing data to answer questions

May 18, 09 8:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - The search engine some are calling a “Google Killer” launched Friday, and tech critics see potential—though the science-heavy searcher is no replacement for Google, notes Mike Harvey in the Times of London.
  • WolframAlpha “takes serious scientific data and produces answers that simply don't exist as easily
... More »

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Google • search engine • tech review • Wolfram Alpha • Jay-ZTV

Tech Review

Real-Time Search vs. Google: Both Win


May 13, 09 1:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Real-time search is all the rage these days. But which engine is best, and how does the flavor of the month stack up against plain ol’ Google? MG Siegler of TechCrunch set out to find out, searching a batch of engines for a recent occurrence: the damage the space shuttle... More »

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Google • search engine • Twitter • tech review • Jay-ZTV

Tech Review

iPhone Word Processor App Needs Some More Editing

Quickoffice nice, but wait to buy: Mossberg

May 7, 09 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - At long last, the iPhone has a full-fledged office suite that can edit, format or create Microsoft Word or Excel documents. Third-party app Quickoffice has some nifty features—including old-fashioned cut/copy/paste, which the iPhone itself hasn’t implemented yet. But it’s missing a number of features, writes Walter Mossberg... More »

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iPhone • Walt Mossberg • Microsoft Office • iPhone applications • tech review • Jay-ZTV

Tech Review

 Nothing New in 
 Dell's Sexy Offerings 


Apr 30, 09 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dell is desperate to expand its chunk of the consumer PC market and shed its reputation for stodgy design, so Walt Mossberg decided to take a look at two of its flashier offerings: the ultrathin Adamo laptop, and the Studio One 19 touch-screen desktop. They’re not bad machines, he... More »

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Dell • Walt Mossberg • laptop • MacBook Air • tech review

PRODUCT REVIEW

 Stands That Keep Your 
 Lap—and Laptop—Cool 


Apr 1, 09 10:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - Laptops may be convenient, but the heat they produce often makes them uncomfortable to use where their name suggests you should. Enter the cooling tray, which usually comes equipped with a USB-powered fan to keep your legs from getting scorched. Katherine Boehret runs down a few choices in the More »

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Microsoft • laptop • consumer electronics • tech review • Logitech • Belkin • Kensington

BlackBerry Maker Faces 'Storm' of Criticism

Bugs and design flaws in newest, much-anticipated model irk dedicated users

Dec 4, 08 4:08 PM CST
(Newser) - BlackBerry’s newest model, the Storm, has provoked frustration among users over bugs and bad design choices, MSNBC reports. Though the phone gained favorable early impressions for its “clickable” touchscreen, BlackBerry-related websites have recently been buzzing with criticism, as many have found writing email on the screen to be... More »

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iPhone • Research In Motion • design • BlackBerry • bug • accelerometer • tech review • BlackBerry Storm • touchscreen

product review

 Google G1: 
 Nice Try, 
 But No iPhone 

Gadget impresses but won't keep Apple up nights

Oct 16, 08 10:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - Google's upcoming G1 is the first real rival to the iPhone, but the different gadgets "are likely to attract different types of users," Walt Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal. Making phone calls was a lot easier on the G1, which worked great with Google services, Mossberg... More »

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Google • iPhone • reviews • Google phone • smartphones • Google Android • tech review

PRODUCT REVIEW

 Chrome Is 'Smart, Innovative'

Google's beta version hows promise, but
lacks key features, too

Sep 2, 08 7:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - Google's innovative new browser Chrome could unseat Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but the beta version lacks some important features, Walter Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal. Chrome introduces the "Omnibox," a combination search box and address bar, as well as tabs that operate as self-contained browsers. However, its... More »

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Microsoft • Wall Street Journal • web browser • Internet Explorer • tech review • Google Chrome

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