BlackBerry’s new Pearl is aimed squarely at consumers who need powerful email capabilities, but also want style and bells and whistles. And it’s a beautiful piece of work, Walt Mossberg says. (Video)
A new system gives you access to 2.5 million digital tunes — without even turning on your computer. But at $999, Walt Mossberg says it requires a roomy budget.
All over the world, people are increasingly using the Web to make phone calls, if not free, then for a few pennies a minute. One of the most common ways of doing so is with Skype, the free software whose parent company was bought last year by eBay.
In fact, Skype has become so popular that [...]
What has a colorful screen, fits in a pocket, takes pictures and can go with you almost anywhere?
Nowadays, there are two possible answers: a small digital camera and a cellphone. But sophisticated cellphones with better built-in cameras — including some with up to three megapixels — are making it increasingly practical for consumers to just [...]
The Sansa Rhapsody is a portable music player designed to work with RealNetworks’ Rhapsody music-subscription service. The preloaded music included with the player is hassle, and the device is inferior to the iPod Nano.
Sony is taking a whack at the elusive electronic book reader with a new $350 device. Walt says the sleek gadget is a good start, but warns of significant flaws that mark it as a work in progress.
The new version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is much improved, but there’s nothing that should make you switch from other browsers, Walt Mossberg writes.
Microsoft will challenge Apple with the launch of a digital-music player called the Zune, complete with an online music store and software to go with it. (Video)
Walt Mossberg offers a quick glossary of techno terms shoppers may encounter when looking for a computer, television, digital camera or cellphone this holiday season. (Video)
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)
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.
Edited by Walt and written by Katie Boehret, this is a guide to gadgets, web services and other consumer technologies.
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