tech

If the 2013 Volvo XC60 is any indication, the Swedish automaker's first five years under the thumb of the Chinese company Geely has not changed a thing where it comes to product. The XC60, a midsize SUV, retains the styling and technology course began under previous owner Ford.

Both owners have let Volvo be Volvo, which means building premium-quality, safety-conscious vehicles.

The exit of Ford may, however, have caused the stagnation of Volvo's cabin electronics, which have not progressed much in the last five years. Although the XC60 does a solid job with the basics, such as navigation … Read more

I have to hand it to AOL CEO Tim Armstrong: after struggling with a flurry of departures and internal turmoil, he has steadied the ship and the markets have rewarded him as a result.

A year ago, the Internet media giant lost its CTO, its tech lead, its head of sales, TechCrunch editor Erick Schonfeld, and a slew of technology people in its West Coast office.

Activist investors were calling for a new board or directors, and some were even calling for a new CEO. This launched a three month internal battle that resulted in the AOL was going in the right direction, … Read more

"I am killing you."

So said the tired foot to the head.

This is just one scenario I envisage with the latest -- and perhaps most imaginative -- product coming out of Google.

Not content with suggesting that you should put on a pair of tasteless glasses in order to get Martha Stewart's latest pierogi recipe, Google yesterday unveiled an even more sensational wearable product from its magic hat.

As Engadget reports, the company peopled its Google Playground with a man holding a pair of Adidas sneakers that talked.

It makes the self-driving car seem like a … Read more

Over the past few years, Kickstarter has become a force to be reckoned with. Some of the coolest and weirdest gadgets I saw at this year's CES didn't come from big corporations or even small ones -- they came from independent inventors who found funding and encouragement through Kickstarter.

Which isn't to say that every Kickstarter project is a hit. The site is also a graveyard of hackneyed ideas, indie records, and films that no one wants to see. But when a Kickstarter campaign hits the right nerve, it's an exhilarating flip of the supply-and-demand model … Read more

The adoration of Subarus has passed me by.

To me, they seem like very efficient mailboxes, driven exclusively by people who want to prevent the world from coming to a swifter end.

However, my mind is being altered by the notion that these cars are actually possessed of their own consciousness.

As evidence, may I reveal that 47,419 of them are being recalled, in order to be lobotomized and returned to their former passive state.

As USA Today recalls it, dropping the key fob on many Subarus released from 2010 to 2013 causes them to come to life.

Spontaneously. … Read more

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 Friday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.… Read more

Are you a Mac user who wants to pull a photo off your iPhone, iPad, or Android device quickly, without having to go through iPhoto? There's an easy way to do that, built into your Mac: the Preview app.

For ages, I was frustrated that the Mac wouldn't let me browse my iPhone or Android phone to drag-and-drop pictures I wanted, in the way that I could when plugging them into my Windows PC.

If only I could browse like on the PC

On the PC, my phones appear like a drive within Windows Explorer, which is wonderful:… Read more

Myanmar is one of the most closed off and least-connected countries in the world -- but with a newly opening government, this is rapidly changing.

Cisco announced today that it is setting up two technology training centers in the Southeast Asian country, according to USAID. The centers, dubbed Networking Academies, will be aimed at teaching residents tech skills.

This announcement comes after Cisco executives joined USAID, Google, HP, Intel, and Microsoft in a tech delegation visit to the country.

"We knew that in order for everyone in the country to benefit from a digital economy and for the government … Read more

We've rounded up eight of the hottest cars seen at this year's Geneva auto show for your viewing pleasure:

1. Lamborghini Veneno

Lamborghini celebrates 50 years by unveiling the Lamborghini Veneno, a production car that the Italian automaker sells for $4 million dollars and is already sold out of the four models built. Exclusivity comes with a hefty price tag.