packing

iRobot military bots to patrol 2014 World Cup in Brazil

FIFA may be implementing goal-sensing technology in international soccer games, but the World Cup is getting even more high-tech with military robot security.

iRobot announced today $7.2 million in contracts to provide Brazil with military PackBot robots for security at the 2014 World Cup. PackBots have been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and even inside Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

As part of the deal, Brazil will get 30 PackBot 510 units, which usually cost about $100,000 to $200,000 apiece. The contracts include services, spares, and associated equipment. … Read more

Download additional 'Stickers' for Facebook Messenger

If your account has been granted access to Facebook Messenger Stickers, you've likely realized they can add a bit of fun to normally mundane conversations. Instead of relying on the standard smiley-face stickers, download additional sticker packs from the Facebook Sticker Store.

You'll know if your account has access to Stickers if you open a conversation in the Facebook app on iOS, or the Messenger app on Android and you see a smiley icon in the text field. Tapping on it will reveal stickers you can then send in your conversations.

The smiley stickers are nice, but it … Read more

Use Google Translate offline by downloading language packs

Google updated its Google Translate app for Android today to version 2.6. The new version, available for Android 2.3 and up, supports the translation of vertical text in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese with your camera. The big news, however, is that it finally supports offline use with downloadable language packs.

To download one or more of the 50 available language packs, go to Menu > Offline languages, then tap on the pin icon next to the languages you want to download. You'll then be prompted to choose whether to download the files over your mobile data network … Read more

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 heads to users March 19

As Microsoft marches toward its early April 2013 end-of-free-support deadline for Windows 7, the company is planning to update automatically some of those who still have yet to install the first (and seemingly only) Service Pack for the operating system.

As announced yesterday on the Microsoft "Blogging Windows" blog, Microsoft plans to begin rolling out Windows 7 SP1 automatically, via Windows Update to Windows 7 users who still are running the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) version without SP1 installed. This process will begin on March 19.

From the blog post:

Starting tomorrow, the installation will be fully automatic with … Read more

Mophie unveils iPhone 5 version of its Juice Pack Air

BARCELONA, Spain--Smartphone accessory maker Mophie may have launched the Juice Pack Helium two weeks back, but the successor to its iPhone 4 and 4S Juice Pack Air case has just been revealed at Pepcom's MobileFocus Global event here at Mobile World Congress.

While the Juice Pack Air looks similar to the Helium, we're told that the Air is slightly heavier (helium floats because its lighter than air). Not that we could tell, both cases felt pretty light in our hands. The Air sports a 1,700mAh battery, and the Helium has a charge of just 1,500mAh. Both … Read more

AT&T takes on Netflix, Hulu with own VOD service

LAS VEGAS--AT&T today unveiled a new video-on-demand service for its U-Verse TV offering amid the rising threat of companies such as Netflix.

As more consumers consider dropping their cable TV in lieu of Web-based alternatives, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, AT&T said today that it is offering the U-Verse Screen Pack for $5 a month, available only to its U-Verse customers. It will allow users to access a library of 1,500 movies from their TV, computer, or wireless devices.

Existing U-Verse TV customers will get a free preview of Screen Pack between January 7 … Read more

Eton BoostSolar battery pack keeps you outdoor longer

LAS VEGAS--Off all the things Eton showed off today at CES 2013, I am most impressed with the BoostSolar charger. It seems to be something that comes in handy when I go on a picnic or do anything under the sun, literally.

The BoostSolar is basically a solar charger on one side and a battery bay on the other side. It comes with one removable 4,000mAh lithium battery. The device's 5-inch solar panel can charge the battery in 10 hours. The battery itself then has enough juice to charge an iPhone twice from empty to full.

The cool … Read more

Cyber Monday becomes Cyber Week

Monday's CNET Update comes with free shipping:

With a surge in online shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, why call it Cyber Monday anymore? Online sales for Internet retailers surpassed $1 billion for the first time on Black Friday. With early online deals, next year you can avoid a Walmart store battle over phones.

Also in today's roundup, we're keeping an eye on top online retailers and sales this week. Amazon is always the top destination for online deals, but shoppers are also heading to eBay and Shopify. And there's more shopping being done on mobile … Read more

Add free gadgets with Windows 7 Gadgets Pack

Who doesn't love Windows gadgets? These simple desktop apps handle all kinds of jobs, from time and calendar displays to weather and news feeds and even games and utilities. Thoosje's Windows 7 Gadgets Pack is a free set of its 25 most popular Windows gadgets, with tons more available online. From Gadgets Pack's interface you can install gadgets with a single click. We tried it out in Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, though Thoosje offers a similar gadget pack for Windows 8.

Based on our choices, Gadgets Pack's installer placed desktop and start menu icons in … Read more

Top travel apps for iOS

Between crowded airports, winter delays, and luggage loaded with gifts, holiday travel can be stressful. But with a little planning, you can make your trip a little easier from start to finish. So rather than gathering up a collection of apps that help you book flights, we decided to make a different kind of travel collection.… Read more