burn

At Burning Man, architecture is art

I've been going to Burning Man for many years, and each time I've struggled to figure out a good way to make a home in the desert that's shaded, ventilated, stylish, and comfortable.

Over the years, I've tried nearly everything: tent, carport, dome, truck, RV, van, and combinations of all of the above. And I've even finally gotten to the point of making a space that I feel proud calling my living room. People come to visit, there's room for plenty of seating, and if someone wants to make dinner, they can do it. … Read more

This app helps heal bad burns

Ph.D. student Chris Seaton, who studies computer science at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, witnessed firsthand the horrors of serious burns while deployed in Afghanistan, Kenya, and elsewhere during his four years as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

So with the help of plastic surgeons at the University of Liverpool, Seaton developed Mersey Burns, an app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that helps reduce errors when treating burn victims.

Mersey Burns has already won an innovation award, and it is set to be featured in the January issue of the Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons.… Read more

Ken Burns documentary to debut on iPhone, iPad

PBS is debuting the first episode of a new Ken Burns documentary on its iPhone and iPad apps ahead of the actual launch of the series on TV.

"Prohibition," a documentary about the country's move to outlaw alcohol in the 1920s, will premiere tomorrow on the PBS app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The free app offers streaming access to both previews and full episodes of notable PBS shows, as well as a schedule guide.

Created by filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, "Prohibition" will then segue to TV screens, with the first episode … Read more

Does my TV have a break-in period? (Morrison's Mailbag)

CNET reader Joe writes:

I recently purchased a Samsung PN59D8000. My question is what is the best procedure for the break-in period? I've read different things online talking about leaving contrast and brightness levels down. I looked through the PDF manuals for this model and didn't see anything mentioning a break-in period. Is this something that was only required on older plasmas? Thanks for any help.

Thanks, Joe

Is plasma HDTV burn-in a problem?

Based on some comments in my recent article on LCD brightness uniformity, it seems fair to do a piece on that big bugaboo of plasma HDTVs: burn-in.

So what is it? Is it something to be concerned about? Can you fix it?

Cutting through the hype and fearmongering in 3...2...1...… Read more

Don't just burn, have some fun!

UPDATE July 26, 2011: This offer has now ended.

Got something to burn?

Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 is a must-have utility tool for all of your burning needs on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc in full HD. Rip, backup, restore, and easily create your own HD and full-HD Blu-ray videos. Most of all, save the hassle of installing multiple multimedia programs--burning has never been easier!

And four days only, Ashampoo and CNET have teamed up to bring you this special opportunity to save 84 percent and get Ashampoo Burning Studio 10 at its lowest price ever: $7.99 (originally $49.… Read more

Headphone 'burn-in': Fact or fantasy?

Most of my audiophile friends believe that headphones (and speakers and electronics) sound better after the first 100 hours of use than they do when they're brand-new. When I'm doing high-end product reviews I leave the "burn-in, break-in" question up to the manufacturer. If the company's reps claim their product won't sound its best until it has a solid month of use, I'll request a unit with enough hours on it that I can start working on the review right away. If the manufacturer scoffs at the very idea of burn-in, I start … Read more

A Kwik way to manage media

Nero Kwik Media is a light and free media manager with which you can organize, edit, and share your music, photos, videos, and data. Imagine iTunes and iPhoto rolled into one, then trimmed in half. While this download is technically "free," there is one caveat: you'll have to purchase some of its functionality in the form of "apps" listed in Nero's built-in store. Sure, most of these add-ons aren't too expensive, but it's a shame that a few of them (like Nero Kwik Play, a video decoder) don't come with the … Read more

Easy DVD creator

Burning your videos to DVDs is easy, right? You just convert them to a compatible format, create an ISO image, and... wait! Don't go: we found a program that actually gets your saved videos from your computer to DVDs without an engineering degree. You can watch the DVDs it creates on any DVD player. And you don't have to burn them to disks to enjoy the files ConvertXtoDVD creates; you can watch them just like DVDs on your computer. VSO ConvertXtoDVD automatically adds chapters, menus, play buttons, and other DVD features.

ConvertXtoDVD's compact console holds a tree … Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer e-mailed questions from our readers. This week there were questions about burned discs no longer being recognized, upgrading from OS X 10.4 Tiger, using a third-party PDF printer in OS X, and CPU temperatures spiking in MacBook Pro systems. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we certainly welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Burned CDs not being recognized anymore MacFixIt reader "Russell" asks:

When I insert a CD, which … Read more