iPad2 to be released soon?

The tech world is buzzing with rumors that Apple will soon release the second version of its popular iPad. There’s rampant speculation about a possible iPad2 release date, but the company is not saying when it will happen.

Fake Robot Baby Provokes Real Screams

Uncanny valley, heard of it? No worries, you're knee-deep in it right now. It's the revulsion you feel to robots, prostheses, or zombies that try, but don't quite duplicate their human models. As the robot becomes more humanlike, however, our emotional response becomes increasingly positive and empathetic. Unfortunately, the goal of Osaka University's AFFETTO was to create a robot modeled after a young child that could produce realistic facial expressions in order to endear it to a human caregiver in a more natural way. Impressive, sure, but we're not ready to let it suckle from our teat just yet.

Most Awesome New iPhone App

This app rocks. It translates languages automatically without an internet connection. So for instance you and your honey are on the beach in Spain and you happen to see this sign. Yeah OK like you would be looking at this sign, but you get the picture. It’s called the World Lens. So no need to spend all that money on learning how to speak Spanish or French. Now we wonder if we can get our money back from Rosetta Stone?

Most Wanted Tech Gifts

These items will surely brighten any gadget lover's Christmas this season.

CNET editors, among others, have picked the top tech for this year's holiday season. From laptops and tablets to cameras, TVs and more, here are some ideas that might please your favorite geek.

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-portable

Editors’ take: Even with its slightly low USB 3.0 performance, the GoFlex Ultra makes an excellent portable external hard drive for people who need more storage.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350

Editors’ take: A sweet, little wide-angle compact, the Sony Cyber-shot should make a lot of snapshooters happy.

Xbox Kinect 360

Editors’ take: With its impressive body tracking and unusual, controller-free experience, Kinect is great for casual gaming parties and workouts -- assuming you have enough room to play it.


Panasonic HDC-SD60s

Editors’ take: Panasonic's entry-level HD camcorders -- the HDC-HS60, TM60, TM55 and SD60 -- deliver a nice manual feature set and good performance, plus solid video quality for their class.

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (160GB)

Editors’ take: With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for a reasonable price.

Roku XDS

Editors’ take: If you don't need compatibility with iTunes, you’ll likely find Roku's trio of affordable video boxes offers a wider range of streaming video and audio providers than Apple TV does.

Xbox 360 Slim (black, 250GB)

Editors’ take: If you don’t own an Xbox 360 with an HDMI-out port and hard drive, you might consider the new Xbox 360 because it addresses most of the concerns editors have had with previous versions.

Panasonic Viera TC-P50VT20

Editors’ take: With 2D and 3D sources, Panasonic's flagship TC-PVT20/25 series delivers outstanding overall picture quality.

iPod Touch 2010

Editors’ take: The iPod Touch is the best iPod yet, offering all the fun of the iPhone experience without a carrier contract or monthly bill.

T-Mobile G2

Editors’ take: Some minor issues aside, the T-Mobile G2 is one of the carrier's top Android smart phones, offering an excellent QWERTY keyboard, speed and plenty of features.


Amazon Kindle

Editors’ take: The third-generation Kindle's upgrades ― including an improved screen, better battery life, lighter weight and lower price ― send it to the top of the e-book reader category.

Apple MacBook Air

Editors’ take: The MacBook Air is smaller and less expensive, creating an excellent ultraportable but leaving out a few features along the way.

Apple iMac

Editors’ take: The new iMac comes with a faster CPU and a new graphics card, helping this 27-inch all-in-one desktop stay as competitive in performance as it was in screen size.

Garmin Nuvi 3790T

Editors’ take: The Garmin Nuvi 3790T combines a super-slim form, a smart phone-worthy touch screen and Garmin's GPS software into one fine navigator.