Review

Despite being a fan of Zagat's restaurant surveys, I've never been overly impressed with the mobile applications for Windows Mobile Smartphone and PocketPC, BlackBerry, and Palm.

Regrettably, Zagat To Go '09 for the iPhone and iPod Touch ($9.99 per year) isn't markedly different.

The components to a great mobile app are all there--venerable content, click-to-call, a Web site link, OpenTable reservations for some restaurants, and search and sorting filters--but the whole is somehow less than the sum of its parts.

Stability is a major concern, the app cries for an in-app browser, and Zagat To Go … Read more

Zagat's iPhone debut has all the ingredients for making a great restaurant and nightspot ratings application for the iPhone--venerable content taken straight from the Zagat Survey, a phone number you can tap to initiate a call, a Web site link, OpenTable reservations and photos when available, and filters for searching by category and sorting results by ratings criteria. Yet somehow, the whole is slightly less than the sum of its parts.

This latest version handles GPS data much better than the debut build, a marked improvement. Now if it could just throw in an in-application browser for easily returning … Read more

Curious diners have a new friend in Urbanspoon, a practical dining discovery app that shows a playful side when you let it. Otherwise, it gets to the serious business of finding you food. GPS or various forms of manual input shine a light on the restaurants nearby. While there's also browsing by popularity or neighborhood or searching by name, the most interesting and invigorating feature is the slot machine on the main screen. Enthusiastically shake the iPhone (or press "shake") to set individual wheels in motion. They'll randomly land on a nearby neighborhood, cuisine, and price … Read more

Yelp.com may be the place to go for writing and reading restaurant and business reviews online, but the iPhone clamors for a different model. Goodrec beautifully fills this void with a full-featured application that lets you search or browse among restaurants, bars, books, movies, wine, and local venues for short reviews. A color-coded key shows you the number of positive, mixed, and negative reviews alongside short-form reviews. You'll also be able to rate each product and write a bite-size review, adding photos you can snap directly from the application. If friends are also using Goodrec , you can filter … Read more

AT&T's new Nokia 6650 looks as if it could be at home in Motorola's lineup. With a thin profile, a boxy shape, and a shiny metal skin, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Motorola Razr V3.

But before you start criticizing Nokia for chasing after a four-year-old trend, we can assure you that the 6650 is worth a look. Not only is it better looking than the Razr, but it also offers a brilliant display, a sturdy construction, and a respectable mid-range feature set that includes 3G, push to talk, multimedia, and GPS. … Read more

Not only does Secunia Personal Software Inspector provide extensive details on the software installed on your computer, it also gives you direct links to update programs that are older and potentially not secure.

The interface mixes professional layout with a text-heavy, spartan design. At the top right of the program window, users can choose a Simple or Advanced layout. Under Simple, Secunia provides basic information about the installed program statuses, with a chart to gauge their security over time and a simplified listing of any errors. Clicking on an error leads you through the proprietary Easy-to-Patch program update process, which … Read more

Panasonic markets its professional monitors, like the TH-50PF11UK I just reviewed, to hospitals, TV studios, and airports, but these displays will serve just as well in your own home. In fact, in past years they've delivered better picture quality and better value than the company's line of mainstream "consumer" models.

That's no longer the case--the company's best consumer plasmas, like the TH-50PZ800U, performed better than the TH-50PF11UK we tested--but the pro model still has excellent picture quality. In addition, its styling is about as compact and unassuming as you can get and makes a … Read more

Didn't follow Crave this week? No worries. Here's a quick primer to what you need to know to be the belle of the gadget ball this weekend.

• Why's Hewlett-Packard getting so touchy? Oh, that.

• Kent German met iPhone software 2.2.

• Things got pretty Storm-y Friday.

• New way to control MP3 player: by way of its snout.

• Microsoft's Zune sang a new price tune.

• From here to the Samsung Eternity.

• What would Jesus do with Guitar Praise?

• Eric Franklin dreamed of life in a geeky motorcycle gang.

• We told you which gadgets we're thankful for. … Read more

The biggest search Yahoo is working on involves finding a new CEO.

Eighteen months after returning to the helm of the company he co-founded in 1994, Jerry Yang will step down as chief executive when a replacement is found, the company said. Yang will resume his position as chief Yahoo, the role he had before taking over in 2007 after former CEO Terry Semel departed.

Yahoo has been struggling for months to improve its financial performance, but things have gone from bad to worse for the company this year, and its stock has sunk to less than $10. First, the … Read more