american

Internet tax bill targets all digital downloads

Update: The Senate late today passed the bill, sending it to the House.

The U.S. Senate is planning to vote Monday to levy new taxes on mobile app developers, cloud computing services, music and movie downloads, and even people selling collections of WordPress themes.

Senators who are backing the legislation known as S.743 describe it as a way to force out-of-state retailers to collect taxes on physical shipments. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., claims his bill will "put local and Main Street retailers on a level playing field with their out-of-state and online counterparts."

What Enzi and … Read more

Born in the U.S.A.: Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum amplifier

A lot of audiophiles love tube amplifiers, and I've owned my share, but I don't currently have tubes in my main hi-fi system. I instantly remembered what I was missing when I hooked up the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum integrated amplifier with my KEF LS50 speakers. They're good together.

Before founding Rogue Audio in 1996, Mark O'Brien worked for Bell Labs and other companies doing electronics development, lasers, and transformer design. Like so many audio designers I've met over the years, O'Brien started building amplifiers when he was a little kid. Audio is a … Read more

Alexander Graham Bell's voice captured from old recordings

Alexander Graham Bell is known for inventing the telephone; but for someone so associated with sound, it's curious that no one living has actually ever heard the tenor of his voice.

However, as of Wednesday, anyone can hear what he sounded like. New technology has brought a 128-year-old recording made by Bell back to life, according to Smithsonian magazine.

The artifact, a wax and cardboard disc, has most likely been unplayable for at least a century. According to Smithsonian, Bell worked on several different ways to record sound, including using foil, wax, glass, paper, plaster, metal, and cardboard. Not … Read more

Failure of American Airlines reservations system grounds all flights

A major computer fail at American Airlines brought down the company's reservations system, leaving passengers stranded for several hours.

The systemwide delay, which started this morning, grounded all flights for several hours, according to the airline's tweets. The airline added that reservations could also not be modified until the system was back up.

American Airlines said the system was "fully restored" in an update on its Facebook page shortly after 1:30 p.m. PT:

Our systems have been fully restored, however we expect continued flight delays and cancellations throughout the remainder of the day. We … Read more

Always On torture test giveaway: MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display

We're happy to announce the return of our Always On tortured gadget sweepstakes! This time 'round, our severely beaten (but not entirely broken!) MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display is up for grabs.

While it's not exactly "usable" as it stands now, the thing is a champion. After trying our absolute hardest to destroy it (i.e. dropping it out of a bulldozer, giving it a nice fountain shower, and smothering it with a 1,400-pound boulder), the fact that it even turns on makes it deserving of a new home. Preferably somewhere that's nowhere … Read more

Order a living 'Game of Thrones' dire wolf (almost)

Before "Game of Thrones" became a pop culture phenomenon, pretty much the only people thinking about dire wolves were historians and paleontologists. Canus dirus means "fearsome dog." The massive wolfy creatures are long extinct, but they've gained a new popularity through the "Game of Thrones" books and television show.

Fans can already get a Hand of the King replica pin, a replica Iron Throne, and even a "Game of Thrones" beer, but they haven't been able to get a dire wolf. That could change soon. The Dire Wolf Project has quietly been in the works since 1987.… Read more

Get started with the new Foursquare credit card specials

Today Foursquare announced you can now connect a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to your account. With a card connected, you'll be eligible to receive a discount just for checking into a participating business. One business currently running a special based on the new credit card deals would be Burger King.

Users who connect a card to their account can check in to any participating Burger King, spend $10 or more, pay with the connected card, and receive $1 credit on their card. The process is identical to that of the American Express integration Foursquare has had … Read more

Shop on Twitter with a hashtag

Tuesday's CNET Update is a Twitter #shopaholic:

The social media giants are testing new ways to get you to shop on their networks. Facebook is rolling out a "Buy Tickets" button for event page owners. And Twitter partnered with American Express to let card holders shop by tweeting a hashtag.

Also in today's tech news roundup:

- Apple CEO Tim Cook said OLED displays are "awful." Of course, that's what Apple's biggest competition uses.

- Intel confirmed that it will unveil an Internet-based TV service and box later this year. And the … Read more

Twitter, Amex enabling shopping, 140 characters at a time

Twitter and American Express today launched a partnership that will allow Amex card holders to make certain purchases simply by tweeting.

According to an Amex Web page, the arrangement works like this. Amex cardholders first sync their card with Twitter. Then, when they come across products that are eligible to purchase under the plan -- products that American Express will promote through a Twitter feed -- they simply send out a tweet that includes a special hashtag. Amex will then send them an @-reply with a confirming hashtag. Finally, the buyer has to send out a second tweet with the … Read more