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Best headphones for under $50

Headphones are among the most popular products on CNET, and, not surprisingly, many of you are looking for a pair that delivers a lot of bang for the buck -- and so are we.

Earlier I put together a list of headphones that cost less than $100. While that list included some models that you could pick up for less than $50, the ones I've rounded up here all come in under $50 -- and even a few under $10. Like the previous list, it's a hodgepodge of products, with a mix of in-ear, on-ear, and over-the-ear headphones, and even a few Bluetooth models.… Read more

What the Wii U needs to succeed

It's trendy at this year's E3 to trash the Wii U. Nintendo's next-gen console has its work cut out for it: strange tablet-like GamePad controller, the challenge of making games for its dual-screen potential, the unknown price, and the looming question of whether Nintendo's core casual-gaming crowd has moved on to Apple's iPastures.

What if the Wii U were to succeed?

Nintendo has had a way of pulling rabbits out hats with strange hardware. I remember hating the Nintendo DS when it first was released; it became my favorite handheld. The original Wii was mocked for its name, its lack of HD, and its games-for-everyone mantra. It only became a household name.

If these things come to pass, I think the Wii U could succeed, too. … Read more

Will we get a .lol or .google? ICANN's answer due June 13

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Named and Numbers will hold a press conference next week to unveil the generic top-level domains that companies and organizations have applied for.

According to ICANN's announcement today, the agency received over 1,900 applications before it closed registration on May 30. Major companies and organization, as well as startups and even geographical regions, applied for their own top-level domains, the organization said.

With the advent of GTLDs, Web users can expect to many more Web addresses to crop up beyond the common .com and .org. Last week, Google evangelist Vint Cerf said that … Read more

Mophie gets tough with Juice Pack Pro iPhone 4/4S case

Think of Mophie's new Juice Pack Pro as an Otterbox case that's packing a 2,500 mAh battery that more than doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S.

Mophie would probably argue that the Juice Pack Pro is actually tougher than an Otterbox case. It's touting its first ruggedized battery pack case as exceeding military specification MIL-STD 810G, which is pretty tough.

That said, the case is water-resistant but not totally waterproof (it can't go underwater). It has a built-in screen protector and comes with a rotating belt clip. According to Mophie, that … Read more

Google wants .lol and a few other new top-level domains

It's now too late to apply to ICANN to create new generic top-level domains (think .com, .net, .org, .gov, .xxx, etc.), but Google evangelist Vint Cerf says the company turned in a bunch of applications, including at least one with some great humor potential.

In a post on Google's blog, Cerf writes that Google applied to create and administer new top-level domains in at least four categories:… Read more

Cook sizes up TV prospects for Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook dodged a handful of questions about whether the company is at work on a TV set, while making the argument that it's still an activity Apple is trying to improve.

During a live interview at the D10 conference tonight in Palos Verdes, Calif., Cook was asked how the company was looking to "change television," a question he dodged.

"Very uncharacteristically of us, we're staying in the Apple TV business," Cook said, adding that Apple was "not a hobby kind of company."

Cook added, however, that Apple has already … Read more

No hero phone? No matter.

What's a reviews editor to do when a week passes without a single major hardware announcement? With no frenzied launch events to stalk and no 24-hour-turnaround product reviews to write, your average tech journalist just pours a glass of bourbon, kicks back, and plays Max Payne 3 until his eyes bleed. But not us. We dug deeper. We found a really freaking cool laptop desk. Truly, we did -- it's downright chilly.

We're fans of this one, peeps The NZXT Cryo E40 is a laptop desk for the type of gamer (or author, or coder) who might … Read more

Get a Logitech Revue with Google TV for $73.99

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

Google TV: doomed product or stealth Apple TV/Roku competitor? Probably the former, given that the set-top box never really caught on, even after Logitech slashed the price from $299 to $99.

And now it's even less. Newegg has the refurbished Logitech Revue With Google TV for $73.99 shipped. That's the lowest price I've seen on this Internet-meets-TV appliance. Doomed? Maybe. Deal? Definitely!

In case you're not familiar with the Revue, it goes above and beyond Apple TV- and Roku-style media streaming by offering … Read more

Top 20 tough iPhone 4 and 4S cases

I first posted this roundup not long after the iPhone 4 hit stores and it's been through several updates, and now only includes cases that fit both the iPhone 4 and 4S and carry the "universal fit" tag.

Update, May 15, 2012: Added Griffin Survivor and Gumdrop Drop Tech Series.

As I've said before, how you choose to protect -- or not protect -- your iPhone is a matter of personal preference. But if some heavy-duty shielding is what you're looking for, this is the list for you.

While I tried to pick tough, protective cases that look good and don't make your iPhone too bulky, a few of the cases have more extreme designs that aren't necessarily intended for everyday use. I should also note that some of the more rugged cases can be a bit of a chore to remove and aren't friendly toward iPod docks and certain charging accessories due to how recessed the ports become when the case is on.

Startup proposes a safer Internet locale via a '.secure' domain

A security startup called Artemis Internet has proposed a new ".secure" top-level domain that would require Web sites using the domain to maintain stringent security practices.

The goal is to offer a place on the Web where sites have higher security standards and Web surfers can have more faith that their data and communications will stay out of the hands of malicious hackers and criminals.

"Right now software and security engineers are really bad at building good user experiences," Artemis founder Alex Stamos said in an interview today. "It's time for us to take … Read more