It's that time of year again, the odd mashup of dads & grads, both of whom would be delighted to get some solid tech in their honor. So here's my list of 5 areas to think about that will make you look pretty damned cool for giving.
And CNET's entire massive Dads & Grads gift guide can be found here.
iPhone 5 wish list
Whenever iPhone 5 arrives, there are a few key features we need to see to make it a worthy successor to the iPhone 4. Here's the short list.
(For the longer list, you can also peruse David Carnoy's thoughts on that.)
Worst tech names
If you think Web sites have some stupid names, wait till you see this list of the dumb things device makers call their products. Brian Cooley cringes through the Top 5 for you.
Up for more incredulity? Check out David Carnoy's slideshow of 20 stupidly named pieces of gear.
LED LCD TVs
LED LCD is the red-hot TV tech these days, outshining consumer interest in 3D and even connected TV. Brian Cooley guides you through a countdown of CNET's Top 5 LED LCD televisions on the market right now.
And if you're looking for a different kind of HDTV, we have them sliced and diced a few other ways as well.
Tech search terms
We check out the fastest-growing search terms according to Google for the first quarter of 2011.
Top 5 Most Anticipated Tech Gear of 2011
2011 promises to be a breakout year for really different new technologies. Brian Cooley runs down the Top 5 to keep an eye on.
Another great way to scan the forecast for 2011 is to look over CNET's "Best of CES" award winners and categories.
Reasons to skip Verizon's iPhone 4
It took years for the iPhone to get out of AT&T; jail and fly to Verizon. But if you're about to make the move, hold on a minute: all is not perfect. Brian Cooley has five good reasons to hang on perhaps just a little longer, perhaps for iPhone 5.
And after you watch the video, here are CNET's latest reviews of Verizon phones to give you something to consider.
Greenest cars - that aren't hybrids
There's a lot of hype around hybrids as the only truly efficient class of cars. Not true. Small displacement gas and diesel cars might be your best choice for transportation that is economical to buy as well as use. Brian Cooley runs down a list of top picks.
And here is CNET's Green Car Buying Guide if you want to get more information.
Personal digital disasters
From butt dialing to a bungled reply-all or the newer traps of errant social posts and geotracking, it seems there is no end to the ways you can ruin your day with technology. What fun! Here are the Top 5 digital screw-ups you can easily avoid.
Tablets to beat the iPad
Something like 100 new tablets will hit the market this year. Certainly at least one of those will draw your glazed eyes away from the iPad, at least for a minute. Brian Cooley runs down a list of the Top 5 tablets that could be better than an iPad as of early 2011.
All of CNET's latest tablet news, reviews, and iPad alternatives can be found here.
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