BUDGETS

Turns out that crazy rumor was true: NASA is planning to capture an asteroid.

The plans were included in the space agency's $17.7 billion fiscal 2014 budget, part of the new $3.7 trillion government budget proposed earlier today by President Obama.

In the budgets, about $78 million is set aside for a plan that involves sending a craft to rendezvous with what's described as a "small asteroid," and then moving the space rock into a stable orbit near the moon. Astronauts will later visit the asteroid and scoop up samples for study back on … Read more

Most audiophiles' first "serious" speaker is a small, two-way monitor, so whenever I come across a little one that strikes my fancy I share it with my readers. The Teac LS-H265 is such a speaker, and priced at $199 a pair, it's definitely in the affordable price range.

The LS-H265 measures just 7.1x11.5x10.2 inches and weighs 9.7 pounds. It has a 1-inch dome tweeter and a 5-inch woofer. I can't get over how gorgeous the piano-black finish is; the LS-H265 looks better than a lot of $600 and $700 speakers! The speaker … Read more

I have to say that I'm a little disappointed in the pace of smartphone innovation recently. I have a hard time believing that the recent push toward bigger HD screens and quad-core processors really adds up to a dramatically better experience for most people. Maybe it's just a momentary lull in the industry, or maybe the smartphone is now a fully matured technology that's starting to plateau.

Either way, we're at a moment now where the distinction between last year's phones and this year's is pretty tough to notice. If you're shopping for … Read more

NASA has suffered budget cuts and freezes the past several years, but apparently things are looking up for the U.S. space agency. Today, NASA announced that it was creating a new organizational division geared toward investing in space technology, equipment, and exploration.

"A robust technology development program is vital to reaching new heights in space -- and sending American astronauts to new destinations like an asteroid and Mars," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. "A top priority of NASA is to invest in cross-cutting, transformational technologies. We focus on collaboration with industry and academia … Read more

Avis Budget Group, best known for its car rental services has moved to acquire car-sharing company Zipcar for $500 million.

The companies announced the deal today, saying that Avis paid $12.25 per share for Zipcar, representing a 49 percent premium on its $8.24 closing price on December 31. Zipcar's board of directors unanimously approved the deal, and shareholders owning about 32 percent of Zipcar have already signed off.

Zipcar offers a unique service in the car business. Rather than rent out cars in the traditional way, like Avis, Zipcar offers a "sharing" service that places … Read more

Great audio can be expensive, but Ben Carter's ambitious Kickstarter project aims to make a serious dent in the price of quality turntables. A $150 pledge secures an Orbit belt-drive turntable, fitted with an Ortofon phono cartridge. As I write this blog, and just a few days after the Kickstarter project was launched, Carter has already passed the halfway mark to reaching his $60,000 goal!

I spoke with Carter on Thursday; he has a background in marketing and consulting, and Bob Hertig is handling the engineering for the project. Orbits will be manufactured by U-Turn Audio in the … Read more

If there's a thick layer of dust on your wireless router, then this Top 5 is for you.

CNET's running list of our highest-rated routers is a great place to keep up with the latest advancements in router technology. Unfortunately, it may also lead you to believe that it's necessary to drop over $150 on a router upgrade. Not true.

Our resident router expert Dong Ngo posted an excellent roundup of the best routers for shoppers on a budget. I took his list, worked with him on a ranking, and that's how we came up with … Read more

Spunk, that's what Music Hall's Marimba speaker has lots of. No measurements are needed to confirm this is an exceptional speaker. Its low-key looks are deceiving; it's just a nicely finished "wood" grain black medium-density fiberboard box, measuring 6.6 inches by 8.7 inches by 11 inches, with rounded corners. There's a 1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch woofer lurking behind a removable black cloth grille. The internally braced cabinet feels solid; there's nothing exotic about the design, but the box feels more expensive than you usually get in a $… Read more

I can think of few things more American than getting a giant honkin' TV for a rock-bottom price. Complete the setup with an overstuffed recliner and a cup holder, and you are living the dream.

But finding a great deal on a great big TV can be tough, especially if you actually want the thing to be halfway decent. Luckily, David Katzmaier has been keeping track of the best deals in TVs priced under $1,000 -- but measuring 50 inches and up. In fact, he already wrote about his top picks a few weeks ago.

But don't let … Read more