folding

You can play bingo on it. Unknown piano players and rock stars alike can use it to serenade strangers. Bands can announce their albums there. And you can even sell a nightclub's worth of tickets for an evening spent experimenting with it.

What is it? Why, Chatroulette, of course.

For about two months now, people all over the world have been flocking to the site, which offers little more than a way to connect to random strangers on the other end of a Web cam. Built by a Russian high school student, the site launched in November but became … Read more

Google and China's war heats up a bit. Amazon is apparently not going to war against the iPad. But the most compelling news of the day? Swipe to unlock existed long before Apple ever thought of it. It involved Aliens. And Predators. And self-destruction.

Chinese Media: Google Is Tied to U.S. Intelligence http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/chinese-media-calls-google-arrogant-alleges-ties-to-us-intell/19407888/

And China could care less about a Google pull out http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62L14V20100322

UK announces online site for … Read more

The MartinLogan Motion 4 answers the question, can a speaker be considered a high-end design if it retails for $499 a pair? Jeff Dorgay at Tone Audio magazine thinks it can!

MartinLogan made a splash with audiophiles in the early 1980s with its electrostatic panel speakers. The clear, 5-foot-tall panels were remarkable for their "see-through" transparency of sound. The company still makes big-panel speakers but has branched out into home theater, and now with the Motion 4, it's making overachieving small speakers.

The Motion 4's tweeter is pretty special; its Folded Motion transducer works by moving air, similar to the way an accordion works. Its low-mass diaphragm "squeezes" air and produces almost 90 percent less back and forth movement than a dome tweeter. The Folded Motion tweeter also has a large surface area; eight times that of a 1-inch dome tweeter. The Folded Motion technology is said to minimize distortion.

The Motion 4 is a small bookshelf design, 5 by 5 inches and just over a foot tall; it has a 4-inch woofer.

Dorgay listened to the Motion 4s with a few different amplifiers: a Naim Uniti receiver, Prima Luna Prologue 1 vacuum-tube integrated amp, and a Denon AVR 3910 receiver. In a small room placed near a corner, the Motion 4s had a surprising amount of bass. MartinLogan concentrated on making a great speaker that only goes down to 75 Hz cleanly, instead of a mediocre speaker that goes down to 50 Hz. Need more low-end oomph? Add a subwoofer to provide deep bass. … Read more

Unless you have put in time working at a New York City deli, chances are your knife skills aren't up to task. Even if you have spent time slicing pastrami for the masses, the superthin cuts of lunch meat may still elude you. While hot pastrami tends to be cut on the thicker side, cold cuts definitely benefit from expert slicing. Thinly-sliced and piled high, the perfect sandwich all starts with well-cut meat.

The Folding Food Slicer allows you to get professional results right in your own kitchen. The rotary blade is adjustable and creates slices that are "… Read more

Nokia's long focus on emerging cell phone markets was further solidified today when it unveiled three low-priced phones in Finland. The three models offer varied designs and features sets, but all come in at under $135 (100 euros) without a contract.

The Nokia 2720 Fold offers a thin, flip-phone design in black or deep red. Nokia emphasizes that the front face of the phone acts as a mirror, though we're not sure how that helps a user "stay organized with easy access to e-mail, calendar, Internet connectivity, and file sharing applications." Features include Bluetooth, a personal … Read more

It's easy to become accustomed to the convenience of kitchen appliances. I know I am appreciative of my indoor grill. It makes me feel good knowing that a quick burger, chicken breast, or panini is but a button press away. It's useful, easy, and always there for me. With a tethered electrical cord, however, the grill is not very portable.

In a case of an outdoor appliance being inspired by an indoor appliance that was originally inspired by an outdoor appliance, we have this outdoor grill (got all that?). The Coleman Fold N Go InstaStart Grill borrows the … Read more

There is one nook (cranny?) in my kitchen that I've always thought about putting a small kitchen island. The additional work space would surely be welcomed. Problem is, the other things that live there would have to be moved, and I'm not entirely sure if I would actually like a kitchen island in that spot. So, I hesitate and the spot stays as is. I don't want to make the commitment to a new piece of furniture that can only fit into one particular space; if it turns out I don't like it, then I'm … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Some notebooks and an un-Netbook are worth noting on the CES show floor Thursday.

From top to bottom: An Asus concept computer; the just-announced Asus S121 (officially not a Netbook) with an optional 512GB solid-state drive--yes, that's 512 gigabytes; HP's new Pavilion dv2 and dv3 powered by processors from Advanced Micro Devices, including its newest Neo silicon.

Mad Catz has unveiled the latest in the company's line of PC flight sticks, the Cyborg X. While the new hardware showcases many new features, we're most impressed with the amount of customization it offers.

A total of of 11 buttons can be completely programmed (22 if you're holding down the shift button) allowing for complete control. Compatible with most air-combat and flight-simulation games, the Cyborg X should pacify even the most hardcore of PC gamers. As an added space-saving bonus, the Cyborg X can fold up for easy storage--a feature we've never seen before on … Read more