ie8 fix

$50

The overachieving TR-1D subwoofer from Gallo Acoustics

I'm not a big fan of really small subwoofers. Not that the little ones can't make deep bass -- the best of today's mini subs can deliver lots of low-end oomph, but the quality of the bass won't be anything to write home about. The bass is usually sloppy and poorly defined, so individual bass notes blur together. That's not such a big problem when reproducing the sound of explosions and special effects, but most small subs are less adept with music.

The Anthony Gallo Acoustics TR-1D ($599) sub is fairly small, but still handles … Read more

Advanced Word to Pdf Converter isn't and didn't

Advanced Word to Pdf Converter Free promises to convert Word documents (DOC, DOCX, and DOCM) as well as text and rich-text documents into searchable PDFs, as the name suggests, for free. We assume it's intended for users who lack Word, since Word can save Word, text, and rich-text documents directly as PDFs. And "free" in this case means it's a restricted version of a premium tool. That wouldn't matter so much if it actually converted files in its default mode, without the paid version's settings and options. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Advanced Word to … Read more

Want a TV now-ish? Get the Panasonic ST50 rather than waiting on the ST60

I can't tell you how many times last year I told people, "Just get the Panasonic ST50 plasma." A lot. More times than I shaved, surely.

Turns out I'll be saying it a lot at the beginning of this year, too, at least until the TV sells out.

One of the most important products announced at CES 2013, at least as far as I'm concerned, was its direct successor, the Panasonic ST60 series. So with the ST50 still available for sale and the ST60 launching in March or April, the natural question is whether to … Read more

Facebook Graph Search takes on Google

Tuesday's CNET Update is searching for friends who put useful data on Facebook:

Today's tech news roundup looks at Facebook's Graph Search, a new smart-search tool that focuses on specific details within people, photos, places and interests. Instead of searching with a keyword, like on Google, users would narrow down different fields to find data. Some examples:

- Search for friends in your city that like the show Fringe, and it can help you organize a watch party for the finale.

- Search for Mexican restaurants in Palo Alto that your friends have been to, and avoid … Read more

The Audiophiliac's speaker of the year: The KEF LS50

Even before you hear KEF's new LS50 speaker, there's no doubt it's a unique design. The speaker's single "rose"-color driver sports radial fins, and the cabinet has a swept-back front baffle. I've never seen anything quite like it before. The speaker stands 11.9 inches tall, 7.9 inches wide, 10.9 inches deep, and weighs 15.8 pounds. The MDF cabinet has the build quality of a very high-end design. The sound is just as extraordinary as the look, and the LS50 can be used as a desktop monitor or as … Read more

Android in 2013: What to expect

Brace yourselves: 2013 is upon us, and that means a whole new generation of Android devices, rumors, and expectations.

Android will have a strong showing at CES, and the next few months will be littered with new smartphones and tablets. Let's take a look at some of the trends we can expect in the Android space over the coming year.

This article will touch on many trends in the Android ecosystem, including hardware advancements, vendor decisions, and key events of the year. Given the sheer number of players in the space, there will be much to look forward to … Read more

The 404 1,180: Where that map's gonna get you killed (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Australian police discourage use of Apple Maps app after rescues.

- "50 Shades" success yields $5,000 bonuses at Random House.

- Best Buy sends five iPads in error, says "keep them."… Read more

Recover long lost files with Data Recovery Assist

Being able to recover files from a failing hard drive is important to any computer user. Data Recovery Assist can bring your lost files back, but you have to fork over around $30 for this software. Even when you do, it sometimes fails to revive your stuff.

This program offers a rather simple interface we feel could be improved by the developers to make it more user-friendly, as it's not really straightforward. Even though Data Recovery Assist reads your external drives quickly, it crashes almost every time you scan a larger drive. We didn't have much luck scanning … Read more

The 404 1,164: Where we've got free copies of Black Ops 2 (podcast)

The show title isn't just an SEO play, we actually have five copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 to give away on the system of your choice (Wii U, Xbox 360, or PS3). Just follow us on Twitter and tell us your best 404-related box art parody name--use this one as an example, and don't forget to use the hash tag #404COD!… Read more

Top 5 big TVs under $1,000

I can think of few things more American than getting a giant honkin' TV for a rock-bottom price. Complete the setup with an overstuffed recliner and a cup holder, and you are living the dream.

But finding a great deal on a great big TV can be tough, especially if you actually want the thing to be halfway decent. Luckily, David Katzmaier has been keeping track of the best deals in TVs priced under $1,000 -- but measuring 50 inches and up. In fact, he already wrote about his top picks a few weeks ago.

But don't let … Read more