From the way things are going multichannel home theater speaker systems will be on the endangered species list in a few years. Sound bars epitomize the “good enough” direction the market has taken, and most folks are happy with them, mostly because they sound better than the speakers built into their TVs. That’s easy, but …

Struggling smartphone maker BlackBerry is in touch with Google, Samsung, Intel, and other tech heavyweights about a possible buyout, according to a Reuters report. The news agency cites several unnamed sources “close to the matter” in reporting that the Canadian company “has asked for preliminary expressions of interest from potential strategic buyers” by early next week. Those contacted include Cisco, …

I remember the very first Woo Audio headphone amp I heard five years ago; it was the $520 WA-3, and they still make it. The little amp made a strong impression because it so radically improved the sound of Grado headphones. That amp transformed Grados, gave them more soul, more body, and sweetness. I’ve reviewed a number of Woo products …

Editors’ note: Updated October 4, 2013, with the Samsung Galaxy Gear. Why wear a smartwatch? You might have said the same thing about carrying a smartphone before those got smart enough to be truly useful. Smartwatches are a sort of mini tech trend of the moment, but here’s the brutal truth: we wouldn’t recommend that our friends buy any of …

Microsoft is courting HTC for more Windows Phone smart phones, which could serve up Windows Phone 8 alongside Android. Bloomberg reports that Microsoft wants HTC to add Windows Phone “as a second option on handsets” and is even considering not charging HTC to use the software. That probably means expanding HTC’s range of Windows Phones, but if we let our …

Jason Cipriani/CNET With the redesign of iOS 7, the color mode to differentiate when a switch is set to on or off has changed. The color of a switch that’s off is white, and the color for a switch that’s on is green. Previous versions of iOS also had an On or Off indicator in view when a switch was …

As big box stores competefor iPhone sales, Walmart is dropping its price for the recently released iPhone 5C, the retailer announced Friday. Walmart will sell the so-called “cheap” version of the smartphone for $45 with a two-year contract. The phone normally goes for $99 with a contract. Related stories Apple’s iOS 16 Update Is Here. Follow This Checklist to Get …

It soon may be tough to find one of Microsoft’s Surface tablets, the company said. The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 “are close to selling out,” Microsoft’s developers account tweeted earlier Friday. At this time, it’s unclear how many tablets Microsoft made and what “close to selling out” actually means. A Microsoft spokesman declined to provide information about how …

Some folks really like to take advantage of Android’s customizability, as evidenced by the 48,763 (and counting) different home screens that people have uploaded to the MyColorscreen site. Now the company has begun trying to make an app business out of the idea. On Thursday, it launched Themer, an app that can replace the standard Android home screen. With the …

Samsung has been forced on the defensive yet again over reports that its top-notch smart phones are cheating at benchmark tests. The Korean company has denied its Galaxy Note 3 superphone exaggerates its performance when it detects well-known benchmarks running, as was claimed yesterday in an extensive, well-documented report on the website Ars Technica. “The Galaxy Note 3 maximises its …

Google’s new Nexus 5 phone could pack some very cool new camera tech that lets you refocus your photo after you take the shot. The LG-built new Android flagship is set to use a MEMS sensor, according to data logs apparently obtained by tech site Myce.com. It found the product code IMX179 in the phone’s camera data, which corresponds to …

Weeks after teasing its new Android tablets for IFA, French hardware maker Archos has formally unveiled (PDF) its Platinum line. Offered in three display size options, the tablets are an affordable alternative to the likes of those from Samsung and Apple. Related stories Archos to debut a dozen new Android devices at IFA Archos ChefPad tablet: Now you’re cooking with …

Smashing news, bargain hunters! Samsung’s got a brand-new Galaxy Ace on the way, the Ace 3, and it’s packing 4G. Wait, what? Yes, the follow-up to the phenomenally popular Galaxy Ace 2 — famous for providing good Android times for under £200 — will be able to use the ridiculously expensive data service. 4G isn’t compulsory, of course, and it …

There’s a sad symmetry to the contrasting fortunes of Samsung and HTC — as the former rises, it seems, the other can only fall. Samsung has announced record profits for the third quarter of the year, while HTC confirmed it had lost money for the first time since going public over a decade ago. Samsung’s estimated profit for the quarter …

BlackBerry may be in even worse shape than previously thought. The company is poised to burn through nearly $2 billion in cash over the next six months, putting its liquidity at risk, according to Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein. He downgraded the stock to “underperform” and placed a price target of $4.50 after a deeper analysis of the …