martian

Why the 2011 iPod Nano is still the sexiest smartwatch of all

After reviewing a handful of the latest and greatest smartwatches, I discovered something shocking. Out of my old electronics drawer I pulled out my iPod Nano, the 2011 clip-on MP3 player that's no longer even sold by Apple. It's attached to a Hex Nano metal watchband. I wore this for over a year, and was so in love with the idea of an Apple smartwatch that I was willing to forgive its limitations -- and that it wasn't really all that smart.

All of these smartwatches have arrived, and I've worn them. Yet, when I slip … Read more

Smartwatches: The next big thing or this year's fad?

When product designers at Martian Watches began development of their Martian Passport smartwatch, they made a risky decision to give the watch a traditional, stylish, and very analog look.

It's a design decision that, not surprisingly, has led the consumer-electronics crowd to ding Martian Watches and prompted the fashion-focused crowd to applaud the Irvine, Calif.-based company. It also captures the inherent challenge facing the "next big thing" some believe is coming to your wrist: Unlike a laptop computer or even a phone, a watch is a fashion statement. And for the tech crowd, a smartwatch -- … Read more

Nine things the iWatch (or any other smartwatch) needs

I've lived with a smartwatch, in one form or another, for several periods over the past few years. Recently, with the Martian Passport. Further back, with the iPod Nano and a Hex wristband. Before that, a SPOT watch.

I love the idea of a smartwatch. Certainly, so does the media as of late. Bloomberg reports and iWatch rumors galore, plus various wearable watch-type items at January's CES, have started to give this territory the sense of a category.

Between the Martian and the Nano watch, I loved aspects of each -- and also found them both lacking. There'… Read more

Recapping CES 2013: Tiny wearable tech hits big

LAS VEGAS--When you think of CES, chances are it's images of massive HDTVs that first come to mind. This year, however, technology on a tiny scale made a big impact. This new product category we call wearable tech consists of gadgets small enough to be clipped, pinned, or looped around your body and worn constantly.

The smartwatch If you thought that the smartwatch died with the demise of Microsoft's SPOT devices over a decade ago, you're in for a rude awakening. With the recent rise of the smartphone, the need for the wealth of information these devices … Read more

Wearable tech takes CES 2013 by storm

Thursday's CNET Update from CES 2013:

As the 2013 International CES begins to wind down, here's a look at the rise of wearable tech on display at the show:

- The Pebble Watch raised $10 million on Kickstarter for its smart watch. The Pebble syncs to Android phones and iPhones, and will display incoming messages and caller information. Users can also program it to send custom alerts. The e-ink style LCD display makes it easy to see in bright sunlight, and you can change up the way you want the time to display, such as having it written … Read more

See the light through Iron Man, Mario stained glass

Stained glass is usually associated with Sunday mornings, proper attitudes, and at least a hint of guilt.

If you happen to worship at the altar of Marvel, though, Etsy seller MartianGlassWorks has the perfect accessory for your alternative cathedral: a 47-inch tall Iron Man stained glass window -- just one of a collection of brilliantly rendered, geeky glass creations.

The Iron Man window, which apparently took over 100 hours to construct, uses 334 pieces of glass in 11 different colors. It will set you back $4,500 to possess this artistic wonder, but that's much less than an actual, working Iron Man suit.… Read more

Low Latency No. 32: Rover Street View

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.

Blast aliens in a notebook

Simplicity is the name of the game in this side-scrolling, alien-blasting, shooter from Chillingo. The unique artistic style of InkVaders HD takes advantage of iPad's amazing screen, combining retro-inspired "doodle chic" animation and live-action hand interactions.

In this game, you get to use three different weapon styles--futuristic energy guns, everyday physical attacks, and the always exciting grenade launchers--to guide Generic Marine (or G, to his friends) in his quest to destroy Martians left and right. InkVaders HD has an easy-to-blast interface, which means you'll be working your way through aliens in no time.

Three play modes (… Read more

InkVaders HD: Blast aliens on your spiral-bound notebook

If you ever sat in third grade math class imagining that the doodles covering your spiral-bound notebook could come to life, InkVaders HD for iPad is for you.

You'll get to use three weapon styles--futuristic energy guns, everyday physical attacks, and the always exciting grenade launchers--to guide Generic Marine (or "G" to his friends) in his quest to … Read more

Only 1 in 5 believe aliens are on Earth

All smokers smell. All buses are late. All politicians are mendacious narcissists.

Some things in life are so truly self-evident that they require no discussion. Which is why I was thrust into prehistoric hysteria by a piece of research that declared only 20 percent of the world's population believes that green people are already in our midst and enjoying our Corn Flakes.

According to Ipsos, the fine researchers of markets terrestrial and celestial, the majority of the world is still unwilling to accept that aliens are already here and disguised as us.

And by "disguised as us", … Read more