Category: Reviews

Although, for a time, the video game industry valiantly staved off the recession while other enterprises suffered, console game sales did eventually stagnate before precipitously dropping. Online gaming currently thrives, though, particularly with enormously popular titles like Zynga's 'FarmVille' and 'Mafia Wars.' Other services like Xbox Live, which reportedly generates billions in revenue, ...

After more than 12 years -- a lifetime in video game terms -- the long-awaited 'StarCraft' sequel, 'Wings of Liberty,' has finally arrived. The initial impressions are very good, if not very surprising. What's here is familiar without being mundane, thanks to countless small tweaks, along with an entirely new graphics engine and more spit and polish than those classic cars in the original ...

Likely inspired by the masses of people obsessed with texting, Cliff Kushler, co-inventor of T9, has one-upped himself with the release of Swype, a text-entry app now available on Android phones. Appropriately named, Swype gives you the power to swipe words into existence instead of frantically pecking at your touchscreen. With only a single instance of finger-to-screen contact, you tap the ...

A reader asks: My father is a businessman who travels a lot internationally, and asked me to find him a bare bones, simple cell phone that works well but also looks good. For the life of me I can't settle on a device. Instead, the market is flooded with smartphones or regular ones with tons of confusing crap stuffed inside. He doesn't text much but needs the capability, and his vision and ...

Aviary has made a name for itself by offering creative types free, Web-based tools like image editors and color palette generators. Not long ago, it got into the audio editing game with Myna, a simple but functional tool for recording and tweaking sound. Now the company is expanding its music creation lineup with 'Roc,' a basic sequencing app for creating loops. 'Music Creator,' as it's ...

We're not all about cell phones and iPads here at Switched; we generally enjoy any technology that makes your lives easier, better, smarter and more interesting. We decided to put together a dinner party with some of our editorial team to determine the best electronics for your kitchen. Can technology make food better? Can a pricey gadget transform you from a mediocre microwaver into a ...

Readers, we should've been prepared for disappointment. After expectations for the iPad had run so high that there was veritable anger from the tech world when the limitations of the device were announced, we should've known that we ought to lower the bar for Condé Nast's digital editions. The iPad version of Vanity Fair just debuted, and we spent a little hands-on time with the app, trying ...

digg_url ='http://www.switched.com/2010/05/10/bad-men-the-five-worst-tech-ads-and-five-who-got-it-right/'; Share While we'd love to think we're immune to the coercive powers of advertising, we're confident that a lie detector test would shame us all. For the companies hoping to sell us their wares, that would seem like great news, but the blade of advertising cuts both ways; a bad commercial ...

Share It seems that every time Ubuntu gets an update there's talk about how the new version will finally usher in the era of user-friendly Linux and turn the open-source operating system (OS) into a serious competitor to OS X and Windows. We've been running the latest version, 10.04 (code-named Lucid Lynx), since it first hit beta in mid-March. While we have a hard time seeing it replace ...

Share A reader asks: I just moved into a new house, have an empty living room, and want the best possible TV I can get to fill the gaping hole -- for under 500 bucks, that is. I know it's a tall order, but I'm broke and need to be sure whatever TV I get is going to impress my suspicious wife and last for the next, oh, 30 years -- until I've finally paid off my mortgage. So please, just tell me ...

Share Canon's elegantly executed Digital Rebel T2i is one of those rare gadgets that inspire admiration and affection in a way usually reserved for humans. The T2i is a big upgrade from its predecessor, the Rebel T1i, which lost out to Nikon's D5000 when Switched recommended a beginner SLR (single-lens reflex) last summer. The new T2i incorporates a sensor nearly identical to Canon's popular ...

A reader asks: One of my college housemates just moved out, which is a good thing, but he took his TV with him. This is a bad thing. So I'm looking for a PC monitor that can do double duty as a TV, too -- something reasonably big, as good quality as possible, fast enough for console games and is around $350 or so. I'm stuck with a laptop 12-inch screen until you reply, so hurry up and just tell ...

Share A reader asks: The original Apple iPod ear buds I've been using for years have finally crapped out, and I'm looking for a replacement and hopefully an upgrade. My budget is $100 max, and I want the best possible combination of good sound and comfort. I'm not a huge fan of the types you shove in your ear canal. Since you can't try out earphones at any stores I've visited, I have no ...

Share A reader asks: I'm interested in a waterproof camera for an upcoming trip but can't decide between the various point-and-shoot models. I've read that some leak, or simply don't take great pictures. I know you can buy waterproof camera housings but wonder if I can get away with one camera that just does it all. So, just tell me what to get! Dear Reader: We totally agree. In our ...

Prepare to keep your lays from your lies and make sure everything is well (and not "good"), because today is National Grammar Day. Yes, that is a real thing, and since we don't get a vacation day to celebrate the proper use of semicolons, it's only appropriate to prepare a special feature for the occasion. We know that at least some of you rely entirely on Word's ability to catch your ...