LG’s new combo player can handle both new formats vying to replace DVDs — Blu-ray and HD-DVD. At $1,200, it’s only for videophiles with deep pockets, but Walt hopes it’s the start of a trend that will end the DVD format war.
Nokia is pursuing a radical product: a hand-held computer that isn’t a cellphone at all. The N800 has some nice features, Walt says, but the software is unpolished and it’s hard to imagine users carrying it around. (Video)
After buying a new computer, migrating your files and programs from your old machine can be quite a hassle. Walt looks at the quickest, simplest methods for handling this problem. (Video)
A free Web site called Netvibes is poised to give My Yahoo a run for its money, writes Walt Mossberg. It allows users to create personalized pages with modules that gather headlines, email, weather and other data from all over the Web.
A new program helps people who prefer to use keyboard shortcuts rather than moving their hands to use the mouse. And its commands needn’t be memorized, because they are entered in plain English.
Vista is the best version of Windows that Microsoft has produced, Walt Mossberg says. But while navigation has been improved, the successor to XP isn’t a breakthrough in ease of use.
The Samsung BlackJack smart phone has a slimmer design and longer battery life than the Treo 750. But if you can afford $499, you might want to wait for the Apple iPhone, Walt says.
The latest version of Microsoft Office, called Office 2007 and due out Jan. 30, is a radical revision, the most dramatic overhaul in a decade or more. (Video) Plus, Mossberg’s Mailbox.
For HDTV owners who want a digital video recorder, the choice can be tough. The Comcast high-definition DVR is a cheaper, but flawed product and the TiVo Series3 is an excellent, but overpriced one.
Two new wireless headsets aim to correct problems seen in previous products, filtering out background noise in cellphone conversations and bringing great sound quality for iPod use. The devices work well, but each one has drawbacks.
Palm’s Treo is being challenged by new rivals that are thinner, lighter and less expensive. So it is striking back with a cheaper model of its own. Walt tests the Treo 680 and T-Mobile’s Dash and finds that neither is as good as it could be. (Video)
Edited by Walt and written by Katie Boehret, this is a guide to gadgets, web services and other consumer technologies.
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Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.