E-readers

Rumor Has It: iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, the Reckoning

It's time to get real: the iPhone 5 is probably almost here. Though Apple hasn't sent out an invitation, the tech world seems united in the belief that the company will hold a huge party on September 12 to reveal a new iPhone to the world. Here is a reason to doubt that assumption: Moscone Center, where Apple has held many major launch events, is fully booked that day for a microbiology conference!

Does that make us think the rumored release date is false? Not necessarily, as Apple could always hold the event here, which is where it … Read more

Rumor Has It: Is the iPad Mini already in production?

As the leaves change from green to orange and brown, and children go back to school, it could only mean one thing: the iPhone 5 is a-coming. The rumor mill is swirling with speculations of a release date, what it'll look like, and whether it'll be joined by an iPad Mini. Oh yes, the zombie unicorn rumor that never dies.

Recent rumors suggest that an iPad Mini screen is already in production, leading some people to believe that this jibes with a fall release. Who knows! Apple always has tricks up its sleeves.

Also this week, sightings of … Read more

Rumor Has It: iPhone 5 isn't the only trick up Apple's sleeve

On this week's show, we discuss the latest iPhone 5 release date rumors, Samsung's possible Retina Display, and an alleged new tablet from Sony, and we wonder if Apple is really interested in buying a stake in Twitter.

The New York Times came out with a report over the weekend describing talks between Apple and the 140-character proselytizer. The report alleged that Apple has considered buying a minority stake in Twitter, a company that hasn't yet filed an IPO. The Wall Street Journal chimed in to say the talks were more than a year ago, and its … Read more

Rumor Has It: iPhone 5, is that you? You look tall, thin (video)

This has been the week of iPhone rumors. And iPad Mini rumors (but we were too sick of those to discuss them on the show). From an odd claim that Apple's next phone won't be called "iPhone" at all, to supposed sightings of prototype screens and third-party cases, anonymous reports out of China, Japan, and Taiwan have the rumor mill churning in overdrive. The result? A lot of iPhone butter to grease the cake pan of Rumor Has It's show brownies...wait, that metaphor took on a life of its own.

But since iPhone 5 … Read more

Rumor Has It: Is Amazon crazy enough to make a smartphone? (video)

Amazon has planted its flag firmly in tablet land, desktop land, and even streaming-media land, but one faraway atmosphere has yet to be graced with Amazon's shopping presence: Smartphonia.

Never fear, brave app-loving residents of smartphone world, a new rumor suggests that even as you read this, Amazon is sending scouts to your universe to find out what you like and is working with fabled smartphone manufacturer Foxconn -- of iPhone and iPad fame -- to infiltrate your borders and free you from the shackles of...clunky smartphone shopping apps.

What would an Amazon smartphone look like? With the … Read more

Rumor Has It, Ep. 6: What will the new Nook be called? (podcast)

October is over, which means today was humiliation day on Rumor Has It. Since Karyne made every single wrong bet she could last month, she lost (not only this round of bets, but her dignity, as well).

But wearing the costume on the show wasn't enough; she actually wore it out on the big bad streets of San Francisco. Check out the video below to see how that went. Hint: Nobody on the big bad streets of San Francisco seems to notice when there's someone nearby who's dressed like a banana.

Also this week, we take a look at next week's Barnes & Noble announcement, Google jumps into music and original content, we mourn the loss of an Apple product that not many people care about, and mildly celebrate the birth of another Apple product that we don't really care about. Oh, and bendy phones are a thing that we'll probably break.

Heard a tech rumor you think we should cover? E-mail rumorhasit [at] cnet.com. You can also call 1-800-750-CNET, Ext: 1310, to leave us a message!

Rumor Has It, Ep. 1: Inaugural episode (podcast)

We sprint out of the gate for our first show ever, opening up with a bunch of juicy rumors and our first (obviously), very exciting rumor confirmation.

Yep, you guessed it: it's about the iPhone 5. But before you roll your eyes too hard, Apple haters, fret not, because the confirmation is that the iPhone 5 will be announced next Tuesday, October 4, which means you'll never have to hear an iPhone 5 rumor on our show again.* Praise be! (Now, we'd better get busy finding other rumors for you, or this will be the first and … Read more

Ray Kurzweil's e-reader turns a page

When Ray Kurzweil showed off his Blio e-book software at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, the pitch was somewhat novel.

While Amazon and Barnes & Noble seemed most focused on their own hardware efforts, Blio was focused on improving e-book reading for the PC, in all its multimedia and color-screen glory.

However, it has taken Blio a lot longer than planned to bring the software to market. In the months it has taken Kurzweil's team to deliver the first version of the software, the giants of the e-reader category have managed to get versions of their reader programs … Read more

Hands-on with the Kno tablet

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif.--While the iPad is the device that everyone is talking about, another tablet made its debut at D: All Things Digital on Wednesday.

The Kno, with its dual 14-inch screens and touch-based Linux operating system, is aimed at students and is slated to hit the market at the end of the year. Kno isn't talking price just yet, but the company's goal is for it to be well under $1,000.

I had a chance to catch up with Kno CEO Osman Rashid just after his onstage demo and got a firsthand look at … Read more

Microsoft tries to reinvent the bar code

REDMOND, Wash.--Remember the CueCat--the quirky bar code reader that was going to connect magazine readers with digital material?

Well, apparently Microsoft does too. And while the CueCat meowed into obscurity, the software maker thinks that the idea made sense--that is, using a digital scanner to link printed materials with online content.

You can think of Microsoft Tag as CueCat 2.0, though this time, it doesn't require a special device. Instead, Microsoft tags use a cell phone camera for scanning the bar code, and the digital content can pop up right there on the phone.

Over the … Read more