Tapping Your Smartphone's Processing Power for Classic Photography

The stumbling-block to using a phone as an all-in-one solution for photography is basically that the lenses aren't as good as those on any dedicated camera. While you would expect a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera to sport a better lens, even the most basic, sub-hundred-dollar point-and-shoots have higher quality glass than the best phones. Manual adjustments for exposure and other settings like white balance are also missing on many smartphones, as is an optical zoom that provides higher quality close-ups than a processor-driven zoom. However, there are two things the smartphone, resplendent with camera, does offer. One is a seriously powerful computer processor -- much more so than any camera's -- and the second is filter- and editing-style apps -- tons of them. My solution to...

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Alienware Packs Big Gaming Power Into Little Box

Dell's (Nasdaq: DELL) gaming computer brand, Alienware, has released a new desktop computer that -- while not quite in keeping with the trend toward mobile gaming -- is compact, powerful and sleek. Alienware X51 The Alienware X51 The X51, which weighs about 12 pounds and measures roughly 13 inches tall by 12.5 inches deep by 4 inches wide, is unobtrusive enough to be placed near a television. It is powered by a range of graphics cards and several Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Core processors. Pricing starts at US$699 and goes to $1,149, depending on how the device is configured. Options in the low-end version include a second-generation Intel Core i processor, 8 GB of 1333 Mhz dual-channel memory, a 1-GB GDDR5 Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) GeForce GTX 555...

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Poker on your iPhone

f, just for a chance, you decide not to follow every single game of the World Cup, I think I have just found the perfect place for you…..on your Iphone!Last night, I spent hours on a new poker application on the Iphone and it is great!I was always a bit cautious about playing poker in casinos or even with friends because I never really knew if I was good at it. I always wondered where all these people were training to become so good. Well, now I found the perfect tool for that my Iphone…There are several applications worth the try, such as Poker Texas Hold’em, Absolute Poker or Zinga Poker live is excellent. You can play without spending a fortune and you can train as much as you like to become a real pro.The best thing is that you...

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Sony Ericsson releases Android 4.0 preview ROMs for Xperia Ray, Arc S, and Neo V

Once a laggard in the Android update race, Sony Ericsson is flexing its muscle today by releasing alpha-quality Ice Cream Sandwich updates for its Xperia Arc S, Neo V, and Ray models. Though that's extremely cool (and well ahead of the expected releases early next year), average users are going to want to steer well clear of these for now, particularly if you're using the phone as your day-to-day device — the modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all disabled at present. That said, the ROMs give us a pretty good idea of how Sony Ericsson plans to position its skin in the ICS framework, and it's also a tremendous sign of openness toward the Android enthusiast community — heck, they're even encouraging users to visit a thread on xda-developers to discuss...

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ION Audio Road Rocker

ION Audio has just introduced its latest piece of consumer electronics – an ultra-compact speaker system that targets iOS-powered devices, microphones, instruments and other miscellanous Bluetooth-powered music players. Known as the Road Rocker, it debuted at the recently concluded CES in Las Vegas, and is tiny enough to be carried around with you wherever you go, regardless of whether it is meant for a camping trip, tailgating, parties and most definitely road trips. Just how does the Road Rocker work? Well, it has Bluetooth connectivity to thank, as it will stream music wirelessly thanks to Bluetooth – so basically most modern smartphones are compatible with it, in addition to a bevy of Bluetooth enabled devices such as tablets and portable...

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Get Ready for Less Boring Green Cars - Until now green cars have had all the sex appeal of a Birkenstock sandal, but carmakers are beginning to change that

Everybody wants clean air, but the increasing public and political clamor to cut greenhouse gases and raise fuel efficiency is giving the world's automakers an ulcer. Executives in Detroit, Toyoda City, Stuttgart, and Turin are passing the Prilosec because times are already tough enough for the auto industry. Stricter standards for CO2 emissions in Europe and a new 35-mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard in the U.S. mean they have to sort out which alternative fuels hold the best solutions, in terms of cost, technology, regulations, and customer acceptance. And they have to pay for it out of their increasingly dwindling profits. But there's nothing like having a gun to your head to stir the creative, and gastric, juices. The recent North American International Auto Show, which...

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LG's 55-inch OLED TV Snags CNET's Best of CES

Best of CES 2012 Award WinnersBest of Show: LG 55EM9600 OLED TV The first 55-inch OLED TV announced as shipping in 2011, and the only one to get an actual model number and public ship date ("Q3"), the 55EM9800 promises the superb all-around performance of OLED (absolute black levels, ultra-fast panel and excellent viewing angles) in an ultra-thin panel. People's Voice: Razer Project Fiona Razer's Project Fiona concept gaming tablet, shown at CES 2012, suggests that Windows 8 is a serious player in portable gaming, and that Razer is serious about moving into manufacturing computers. Cameras: Fujifilm X-Pro1 Fujifilm bolsters its reputation as a quality camera company with the new X-Pro 1, its first mirrorless model. Targeted...

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