CNET Community Hot Topics weekly newsletter
October 24, 2006
Dear CNET members,
Let me ask you folks something, do you just love gadgets? Do you live for the latest tech inventions, concepts, and product info, even if they never make it to market? If you're a gadget freak like me, I have something exciting to introduce to you: Crave! So what the heck is Crave? Crave is a blog from the editors and writers at CNET that shows the hottest and sexiest digital gadgetry on the horizon. And this dedicated site is all about showcasing the products that people like you and me lust after--that is, crave. While I understand that many of you are accustomed to getting your info in different ways (Web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos), Crave is your one-stop connection to the world of sleek and shiny gadgets and cutting-edge technologies such as robot butlers, smart refrigerators, next-generation GPS navigators, cool new tech toys, and the occasional oddball device that'll make you wonder who in their right mind needs that?! It's all about previews and concepts, encouraging conversations about products and ideas that might be only at the conceptual stages. So check out Crave now, and if you love it, bookmark it and visit it often. You never know what you will discover next in the rapidly changing world of emerging tech. Enjoy!

Cheers!
Lee Koo
Manager, CNET community


Got suggestions? Send us an e-mail:
messageboards@cnet.com
This week's hot topic:
Crave: CNET's new
gadget blog

Take a step into the world of Crave and check out some of the blog entries submitted by CNET editors and writers. And when you've read their scoops, talk back and tell us what you think about those products.

Touch-screen iPod in December?
"I know, I know. We are all getting sick of this "the real video iPod is coming" rumor. To reiterate, this much-rumored iPod is supposed to be a touch-screen model with a design-dominating wide screen, much..." (Read more)
--Submitted by: CNET editor, Jasmine France
Go ahead, abuse this phone
"If you're like me, and you're growing tired of the seemingly endless parade of thin, pretty cells, you'll be glad to know that not all new handsets look like contestants on Extreme Makeover. Take, for example, the new..." (Read more)
--Submitted by: CNET editor, Kent German
Top 5 uses for the Lightcast
"Meet the Lightcast, the LED projector that hooks up to your iPod (or other digital audio player) and projects a light show to the beat of the music. Now, there are some obvious uses for this gadget: saving on the cost of..." (Read more)
--Submitted by: CNET writer, Caroline McCarthy
Self-parking robot cars to invade U.S.
"Toyota will bring out a new line of Lexus LS sedans on October 20 that includes its Advanced Parking Guidance System (called Intelligent Parking Assist in Toyotas in Japan) as an option. Basically, cameras on the..." (Read more)
--Submitted by: CNET editor, Michael Kanellos
CNET blog resources:
Alpha the CNET blog
  From CNET.com

CNET News.com blogs
  From CNET News.com

CNET Download.com blogs
  From CNET Download.com

Quick Hits
Here are some interesting comments you've recently submitted on CNET. Read up on it and talk about it.

Superzoom or SLR?
Superzooms are getting bigger, more powerful, and more expensive, even as digital SLRs get smaller and cheaper. Both camera types have their advantages, but if you had to, which would you choose and why?
Fully whipped 2.0: Top products with high wife acceptance factor
Wife Acceptance Factor, or WAF, describes how female-friendly a given product is. But why fight it? Instead, use the WAF to your advantage: we examine a list of products she'll be begging you to buy. Is female-friendly design the wave of the future? Or is David Carnoy just an unrepentant sexist?
Which software would you put in
a time capsule?

Yahoo recently revealed plans to launch the world's largest time capsule. The Web portal is calling on users worldwide to submit digital content, including photos, text, movies, and audio files, to document life in 2006. Not to be outdone, CNET Download.com put together its own digital time capsule of software downloads that best exemplify our current era. If it were up to you, what software would you put in a time capsule?
 
Weigh in on this week's poll:
Crave offers up tons of products to lust after, but what about the lame stuff? Check out some of the items listed below.

Now that you've seen them, choose which one you think is the lamest!
(Please click on button to vote)

  Pig speakers (tell us why?)
  Retro phone receiver (tell us why?)
  Siamese twin lightbulb (tell us why?)
  Glow-in-the-dark hair gel (tell us why?)
  Multimedia lounge mat (tell us why?)
Last week's poll results 
Besides cell phone use, what do you think distracts drivers the most?

Hot Products
Along with the introduction of Crave, CNET members had plenty of new tech products to talk about this week.

Canon EOS 30D (body only)
CNET member FAU says:
"The 30D is an excellent example of Canon bringing several very important Pro features. The most obvious is the large, clear, high-resolution LCD, the same display used in Canon's $4,000 pro equipment. The Picture Styles color feature is also present on this model." (read more)
See all user opinions | Compare prices

Vizio GV42L HDTV
CNET member SlingBox says:
"I purchased this television from Costco a couple of days ago. I have been quite pleased with it so far. The default settings show the blacks a little too dark. Once I customized the settings, I was quite pleased." (read more)
Read all user opinions | Compare prices

Samsung SCH-i730
CNET member leemcc says:
"The i730 is an awesome phone. The size is just right, and it fits perfectly in your hand. It has a solid combination of unbeatable features such as broadband to 680Kbps, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, among others. You will really appreciate the broadband speed." (read more)
Read all user opinions | Compare prices

This week on CNET 
2006 fall preview
2006 fall preview
Don't spend your money on last season's "what not to" ware. Many of the year's coolest gadgets are coming out soon, and CNET has your complete guide to the TVs, cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, and other hot gear you'll crave. Learn more

Backstage Pass to CES 2007
Don't miss out!
There is only one week left to submit your best impersonation of a tech reporter and win a Backstage Pass to CES 2007! Learn more




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