Top 5

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) When I think about college, all the fun memories come to mind -- the kind of fun that makes me grateful Facebook didn't exist back then.

But time has a way of helping you forget what a traumatic, mind-bending hell college really is. And if your kid or someone you know is heading back to school soon, there's a good chance that he or she is justifiably freaking out right now.

That kid needs your help, and we're here to help you. CNET has published its annual back to school tech guide, … Read more

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) While everyone has become distracted with storing their data in "the cloud," portable drives have been quietly evolving. Today's crop of bus-powered portable drives offer unbelievably compact designs, terrabytes of capacity, and blazing fast USB 3.0 speeds that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

The best news is that there are several great portable drive options out there under $100. CNET Senior Editor Dong Ngo has an ongoing roundup of them over on CNET's Crave blog. I asked him to rank his current … Read more

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) There's never been a better time to buy an Android smartphone. Device manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, LG, and Motorola are at the top of their game, pushing the limits of screen quality, battery life, and design.

CNET always keeps an up-to-date list of the best Android smartphones, and it's a list that sees a lot of turnover. But as smartphone manufacturers gear up for their iPhone 5 retaliation this fall, I figured it would be a good time to take a snapshot of the best Android smartphones for … Read more

Subscribe: RSS (SD) RSS (HD) iTunes (SD) iTunes (HD) Smartphones are practically essential in this day and age. I mean, how else are we expected to upload pictures of our lunch on Facebook?

Unfortunately, there's still a misconception that smartphones are an expensive luxury item. Not true. I mean, data and messaging plans may bankrupt you, but the phones themselves can be found for next-to-nothing so long as you're on contract.

In this episode of Top 5, I'll count down CNET Senior Editor Jessica Dolcourt's favorite smartphones under $50, for June 2012. Not only that, but … Read more

Console game controllers get no respect. These days especially, with all the attention paid to mobile games, touch-screen control, and Microsoft Kinect, everyone has lost sight of the irreducible awesomeness of a sweaty gamepad.

With this thought in mind and the hype of E3 2012 fading in the distance, I offer you my best attempt to round up the Top 5 game controllers of all time. … Read more

Update: Voting is now closed. Thanks for helping us choose a winner. Stay tuned for an upcoming CNET Top 5 on console controllers.

All this E3 coverage recently has me thinking it's time for a Top 5 on console game controllers.

I have my thoughts, and I'll be sure to poll our CNET editors for their opinions too. In fact, I'll probably have the final Top 5 span the best game controllers of all-time, just to keep things interesting.

But I also want to know what you think. To keep it manageable, I'm restricting this reader'… Read more

The wireless router just is not something you want to think about much. That's why we've rounded up Dong Ngo's list of the Top 5 best wireless routers in this video. Plug in one of these, enter your settings, and get back to high-speed, hassle-free connectivity.

There are a few new technologies you need to know about when buying a wireless router today. Here's a quick explanation of some of the terms you may have heard in this video. They are all technologies that can be found in 802.11n routers, which are what you'll … Read more

The days of blasting music out of a portable boom box are behind us, and while some companies still offer retro stereo wannabes for iPods, the best way to free your music but still keep it in a tight package is with a portable Bluetooth speaker.

Here we've rounded up several wireless Bluetooth speakers for your consideration. They work with all smartphones and tablets meeting the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) spec. These days, that includes nearly all tablets and smartphones, including the iPhone, iPad, and most Android devices.

To be clear, Bluetooth isn't known for its top-notch … Read more

2011 was a rather remarkable year for products and companies that were on top, taking a flop.

Here are our Top 5 moves and happenings that were hard to watch, from Flip to HP to Netflix and BlackBerry. It just goes to show that some of the biggest names can lose their way spectacularly.