top5

If you're in the market for a new gaming monitor, the most important consideration is performance. If games actually look vibrant and clear, with no input lag or ghosting, you've likely made a good choice.

If you can top that off with an easily navigable onscreen display and easily accessible connections, then you're well on your way to having one of the best-suited monitors for gaming.

So, while performance is paramount, a simple and robust interface and easy access to features can make a good monitor great. Check out our choices for the five best gaming monitors. … Read more

We all have reasons for craving our privacy, some more socially questionable than others. No matter. As a computer user, it's within your power (and your rights, darnit!) to keep your browsing from others' eyes, be they actively prying or innocently perusing.

Here's the good news. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera all contain a private browsing mode that won't leave tracks as you intrepidly explore the Web. That's excellent if you're trying to keep your activities under wraps, but unfortunate if you accidentally forget to switch back and forth as you transition from your … Read more

Yes, Earth Day is this week, and I know a lot of you tree-huggers out there--those of you who own computers--are probably collectively rolling your eyes at all the eco/green/energy-conscious coverage on the Internets this week.

Speaking for myself, your poser-sensing skills would be right on the money. While I'm no Dr. Blight or anything, I'm not as earth-conscious as I could be in my everyday life.

As a nominal method of atonement, I'll attempt to steer you toward some monitors that should make a positive difference in your overall carbon footprint and definitely save … Read more

Over the last few months I've seen a flood of LED-based monitors released, and by "flood" I mean like four. Thing is, four is a huge improvement over the first half of the year where we saw fewer than half that number of LED-backlit monitors come through these offices.

While I'm as excited as the next person about the prospects of LED-based displays, not all of them live up to their promise of brighter screens, thinner panels, and more accurate colors.

There are a few that do and a couple others that come close. I've … Read more

After driving hundreds of cars to evaluate automotive technology, we've settled on our top 5 car technologies. Amongst the many, many features different automakers are making available, these are the ones we've found the most essential for everyday use. Some of these technologies can be found on most new cars today, while others are rarer, only offered by a few automakers. Some of these technologies will keep you and others safer, some will save you money, and some will just keep you happy.

Check out our top 5 car technologies.

One of our chief occupations at CNET Download.com is to keep our eyes peeled for excellent freeware. We've got our own picks for ultimate free applications (and also for the most essential), but we like to consider your opinions, too. CNET Executive Editor Tom Merritt recently conducted an informal poll among his Facebook and Twitter contacts, asking for their favorite no-cost software. Here are the five apps that readers--maybe you--tapped as the best of the best.

Every yin has its yang. To balance out the five best downloads, all of them available on Download.com, are the five biggest stinkers of the season. … Read more

Once again, we dig into the CNET traffic logs to find out what reviews you folks have been looking at in the greatest numbers. Lately, it's been dominated by phones, but the Netbooks have started to make a move. What will the makeup be this week? Watch the video and find out.

Then come back here to post your answer to our trivia question for a chance to win a CES backpack--worn by actual journalists! But hey, it's still free.

While the rest of you are off gallivanting about in the summer sun, I've been chained to my desk under the San Francisco fog to parse through the worst downloads of the summer. This time around, the range varies from programs that sound useful but aren't, to programs that sound horrible and are, and include one that just defies common decency--and not in a good way.

Be sure to check out CNET TV editor Tom Merritt's video on these five train wrecks and just what I get out of all this. Oh, and a quick disclaimer, just … Read more

Just eight years ago, a basic MP3 player could easily set you back $300 or more. These days, you can nab a decent player for less than $50--and I mean a legitimately decent MP3 player.

To make my point, I've rounded up my top five MP3 players for $50 or less. These aren't your bargain-basement screenless Shuffle-style players, either. With one exception, all the featured players include screens, FM radio, and voice recording. Each player also includes a little something extra, ranging from a workout tracker to a color screen.

The advent of genuinely useful, cheap, and … Read more