widget

LG PS80 plasma TV series streams Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, local media, kitchen sink

When LG announced its LG PS80 series of plasma TVs at CES 2009, the series earned one of our three nominations for Best of CES in the TV category. We've already reviewed the other two nominees--Panasonic's G10 plasmas and Vizio's VF551XVT LED-based LCD--and both scored higher than the PS80. It's not that we're disappointed in the interactive features that originally caused us to nominate the LG. Those include built-in Netflix streaming, which is still an LG exclusive (at least until Sony turns its own version on, or Samsung or Vizio step up), Yahoo Widgets, … Read more

Potential approach for address book large-type window problems in Snow Leopard

Yesterday we discussed a problem where people were not able to invoke the large-type window for displaying full-screen contact information via the Address Book dashboard widget. While one possibility could be the aforementioned problems with the widget and Dashboard itself, since this problem has to do only with the Address Book widget for many people it indicates an error with the Address Book components, including the framework, the Address Book application, and the widget itself.… Read more

Having Address Book widget or other dashboard problems with Snow Leopard?

Some people are reporting that after upgrading to Snow Leopard their Address Book dashboard widget is no longer functioning properly. The widget will open and you can search for contacts properly, but when you try to present a phone number in large text by clicking on it the number will not display.… Read more

Get more out of your Amazon shopping experience

If you're a frequent Amazon shopper, you might be looking out for tools to help enhance the experience of buying products on the site. There are services on the Web to help you get more out of Amazon than simply picking up a few products from the company's pages.

Let's take a look.

Get your Amazon on

AmaDig If you're looking for a different way to search Amazon, AmaDig will provide it.

When you get to the site, you can pick which Amazon category you want to sift through. From there, the site lists images of different products offered in that category. When you click on a respective product, you can view its specs, pricing, and reviews. You can also view the listing on Amazon or add it to your shopping cart from the site. It's a neat tool, but beware that the interface is a little clunky.

Amazon Mobile If you're ready to buy a product at the store, you might want to consider using the Amazon app on your iPhone before you plunk down the cash.

Amazon Mobile not only lets you search for products and pricing, you can also take a picture of a product and have the app search Amazon's database to get its pricing. You can add items to your cart and use Amazon's 1-click payment system to place an order. (Read our full review here).… Read more

Fun and games with Opera 10 widgets

If you've just started using Opera for the first time with the release of Opera 10 (download for Windows|Mac), you're probably looking to add some widgets to your browser. But finding exactly what you need might take some time. That's why it's best to start with Opera's "Fun and Games" widgets. They're perfect for those times at work when you want to forget about the day and just zone out for a few minutes.

Fun and games with Opera

25 Square Puzzle If you enjoyed Lights Out, an electronic puzzle from the 1990s, you might like 25 Square Puzzle.

Unlike Lights Out, 25 Square Puzzle wants you to turn lights on. As you start clicking on different blocks in the game, you'll find that based on the block you click, other lights will turn off. You'll need to find the right combination to get all the lights on in as few clicks as possible. It's much harder than it sounds. Try it out.

Basketball Basketball is an extremely simple Opera widget, but it's also quite fun once you learn how to play.

Basketball places a basketball hoop to the left of your screen and a ball underneath the hoop. At the top of your screen, you'll find a scoreboard. The goal is to score as many points as possible within the allotted time. To do so, you'll need to click on the ball at the right angle to "shoot" it into the hoop. It's a tough game to get used to, but once you do, you'll probably find yourself sneaking games when no one is looking.… Read more

Vizio Via TVs combine Internet and LEDs, could torpedo major brands' flagships

(Update November 20, 2009: We've posted a review of the step-down Vizio VF551XVT, which lacks the interactive features of the Via models below but does include LED backlighting. See the full review of the Vizio VF551XVT for details. Also, the release date for the Via models has been pushed back to January 2010.)

The Via line of HDTVs from Vizio, due this January, promises the most comprehensive suite of interactive features yet seen on any HDTV, including a Bluetooth remote control with a keyboard. The two largest models will also pack LED backlighting with local dimming, the holy grail of LCD picture quality. These highly desirable features, combined with Vizio's customarily aggressive pricing, propel the flagship Vizio TVs past their counterparts from major brands like Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony--at least on paper.

Designed foremost to compete against current Internet-enabled HDTVs, the three "Via" (Vizio Interactive Apps) models are available in 42-inch, 47-inch, and 55-inch varieties. Here's a quick rundown:

Key features of the Vizio Via 2XVT series:

LED backlight with local dimming (47- and 55-inch models only) 240Hz processing Bluetooth remote with full QWERTY keyboard Integrated 802.11(n) Wi-Fi Support for Adobe Flash for the Digital Home Yahoo widgets engine 42-inch SV422XVT: $1,199 MSRP | 47-inch SV472XVT: $1,699 | 55-inch XV552XVT: $2,199 Available in January

As CNET noted earlier, the Bluetooth keyboard remote and built-in Wi-fi will be firsts among interactive TVs, which typically require cumbersome virtual keyboards for text entry and expensive extra dongles or third-party solutions for wireless connectivity. Since few people have an Ethernet cable next to their televisions, Wi-fi makes setup much more convenient, while the keyboard on the remote should make accessing and using the TV's "Apps" as easy as sending an e-mail on a BlackBerry.

Vizio promises to have more such applications on the Via platform than any other current maker, and the list is impressive indeed.… Read more

Samsung releases SDK for its TouchWiz phones

On Monday, Samsung released its Mobile Widget SDK, giving developers the opportunity to create new widgets for the company's various TouchWiz phones, such as the upcoming Samsung Omnia II for Verizon Wireless.

The SDK is built on the Eclipse platform and includes developer tools for various platforms, such as Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Java, education resources, and guidelines on application distribution and marketing. Developers will also have 24-7 access to Samsung's Virtual Device Lab, where they can remotely test their applications on all current Samsung phones.

Once developers have finished their widgets, they'll be given the opportunity … Read more

Hands-on review: Games widgets on your TV

When Nintendo first revealed details of its remote for the Wii, then dubbed "Revolution," focus fell on the idea of gaming with what essentially looked like a TV remote. Now, services like Yahoo TV Widgets have turned actual TV remotes into gaming devices. Funspot, which releases casual games for interactive TVs, has three games released for the platform so far that range from somewhat enjoyable to somewhat terrible.

All three games, Sudoku, QuizzMaster, and Texas Hold 'Em, are available on Samsung and LG sets with Yahoo TV Widgets. Like some other widgets we've tested, all three strain the definition of "widget" as they open up full-screen. This really limits the utility of these games. None of them are particularly good on their own, but could have been if they were playable in a window as a way to pass the time during commercials. If you're going to go through the often slow process of launching a game and have to play it in full-screen, you're ultimately better off with a real gaming console.

Sudoku

The most solid of all the games, the Sudoku widget is exactly what you would expect. The controls are responsive and intuitive. You control which box you want to select with the control pad, enter numbers with the number pad, and clear a box with the OK or enter button.

Holding down one of the directional buttons causes you to move toward boxes faster, which somewhat makes up for the lack of board wrapping. The game is level-based and increases slightly in difficulty as you go along, with hints available for the first three levels. You can pick up on whatever level you left off with level codes, but you can't save your progress mid-game. If you can get past some minor issues and the kitsch background, the Sudoku widget is a pleasant time-waster.… Read more

10 iGoogle gadgets for tracking financial data

The economy is in a major state of flux right now. Although unemployment is still on the rise, the stock market is on the rise too as of late.

If you're one of those people trying to make sense of the markets, you might be happy to know that instead of jumping from site to site to get all your financial information, you can simply add some gadgets to your iGoogle home page. From currencies to commodities, iGoogle gadgets will satisfy any desire.

10 finance gadgets

Commodities Market If you're looking to find a way to easily track the price of oil and natural gas, the Commodities Market gadget is for you. The gadget displays the major commodity indexes, including crude oil, natural gas, and even coffee. You'll see the price fluctuate as market factors change throughout the day. It's a great way to stay up on the commodity market.

Company Overview After you install Company Overview, you can input any company's ticker symbol and see an overview of its operation. You can also get company news, see key financial ratios, check out its financial performance, and even see who the company's key managers are. If you want to listen in on quarterly earnings calls, you can find all the information you need to join those calls in this gadget. Check it out.… Read more