Personal Tech: What Geeks are talking about from CNET Reviews

4 big things Facebook announced during its F8 keynote – CNET
Facebook’s developer conference kicked off with news about helpful chat bots, 360-degree cameras and a little bit of shade thrown at one US presidential candidate.

Samsung promises brighter future with a slew of new SUHD TVs, starting at $1,500 – CNET
The biggest TV maker in the world has unveiled the largest selection of TVs this year, with five new series of its premium-priced SUHD TVs. The company says they’re brighter than ever. Here’s what we know so far.

Mom’s wilderness camping cars – Roadshow
Remove the kids from their screened devices and get them back to nature. These cars let mom take the family on a modern camping trip, offering light to serious off-road capability.

Toy drones are a cheap ticket to get in the sky video – CNET
There are a lot of toy drones out there, but some are definitely better than others. Here’s what to look for so you can spend more time in the air.

7 Chrome extensions that can save you hundreds of dollars – CNET
Use Chrome as your browser? Want to save money? Downloading these Chrome extensions can save hundreds of dollars.

Hello bots, goodbye apps? Facebook cooks up chatbots, video drones, social VR video – CNET
The social network wants you to chat with company bots in Messenger, broadcast Live video in new ways and get social in virtual reality. Bridget Carey breaks down the highlights from Facebook’s 2016 F8 conference.

How to scan Windows 10 QR codes with your phone – CNET
This summer’s Windows 10 update will add QR codes to the Blue Screen of Death. Smart idea or just more frustration?

Hello bots, goodbye apps? Facebook cooks up chatbots, video drones, social VR (CNET Update show notes) – CNET
The social network wants you to chat with company bots in Messenger, broadcast Live video in new ways and get social in virtual reality. Bridget Carey breaks down the highlights from Facebook’s 2016 F8 conference.

New Tesla Model S includes Bioweapon Defense Mode video – CNET
We’re getting our first look at Tesla’s 2017 Model S.

Halo 5 championship series Pro League details announced – CNET
A new Halo 5 esports league is starting up, and the best Halo teams from around the world will be competing to qualify through May.

Visualizing data as distance: Wikipedia’s a long, long drive – CNET
The storage space in an iPhone 6S equals how many boxes of paper files? Stretch your brain with these vistas of data.

How to choose your next iPad video – CNET
There are at least 5 models of the iPad you can buy right now. Which one is best for you? CNET’s Scott Stein makes the decision easy.

F8: Zuckerberg takes on Trump, unveils Facebook’s 10-year plan video – CNET
CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes a dig at Donald Trump during a speech at the social network’s F8 developers conference. He also lays out plans for bots in Messenger, live and 360-degree video, and VR glasses.

Gears of War 4: Cliff Bleszinski reacts to first trailer – CNET
Original designer says, “Can’t wait to play it. From the trailer looks like another homecoming and more daddy issues.”

The Division patch 1.1: Here’s everything that’s new and changing – CNET
Ubisoft’s third-person shooter received its first major update today; here’s a rundown of all the new content and changes.

Who needs a hoverboard when you can fly around on this thing? (Tomorrow Daily 346) video – CNET
Flyboard shows off what appears to be a turbine-powered board; also, an 18-rotor electric helicopter completes its first manned flight.

Move over, phony ‘hoverboards,’ this platform actually flies (Tomorrow Daily 346 show notes) – CNET
As lovers of future tech, we can’t help but feel excitement about Flyboard Air and its first public test flight.

Red Dead Redemption ‘a recurring nightmare’ during development, Sam Houser says in 2009 email – CNET
The Rockstar co-founder says he was having major doubts about the game’s quality just a few months before launch.

The Flyboard Air could be the hoverboard we’ve been waiting for (Crave Extra) video – CNET
Zapata Racing posted a video this week of what looks like a true jet-propelled hoverboard. The company has been tight-lipped about details on the Flyboard Air, but we can already tell we want one.

Impossible Project’s instant camera catapults Polaroid into the modern age – CNET
You can have your Polaroid film and keep your digital perks, too. A fresh take on the vintage Polaroid concept hopes to lure in photographers with old-school film.

HTC 10: High specs, high price (The 3:59, Ep. 26) – CNET
We chat about HTC’s new phone, Ford’s night-vision car and porn site XHamster’s stand against North Carolina.

5 ways you know you’re at an analyst summit (and no, it isn’t as sexy as it sounds) – CNET
Commentary: They’re long, often boring and the Wi-Fi never works. But then you hit a bright spot — and I don’t just mean the dragon fruit tartlets.

Google will let you navigate around your phone, hands-free – CNET
The Voice Access feature is geared toward people with certain disabilities, but anyone can use it to maneuver inside their phone via voice.

Does this Kenmore range live up to its Pro name? video – CNET
The Kenmore 92583 gas range is modeled after professional-grade appliances, but its performance is pretty amateur.

The complete list of Siri commands – CNET
(Almost) everything you can say to Apple’s virtual assistant.

6 easy ways to speed up Windows 10 – CNET
Make your PC faster without installing an SSD.

Soon you can order flowers or get the news on Facebook Messenger – CNET
The world’s largest social network is making it so companies can interact with its users via chatbots. As a bonus, it may mean people will use Facebook even more.

Buy this James Bond-level amphibious Lamborghini super car – CNET
Calling all Daniel Craig wannabes. Your amphibious super car is ready to plunge into the cold water. You will need to provide your own billionaire supervillain.

Bots are coming to Facebook Messenger video – CNET
Facebook is giving people the ability to communicate with businesses through its Messenger app.

Amazon’s next Kindle already leaked? video – CNET
Images from Amazon China detail a radically redesigned Kindle along with a case that doubles as an extended battery.

Zuckerberg’s Oculus has plans to bring computers to your glasses – CNET
Facebook’s CEO says response to his company’s VR efforts has been “really amazing.” He also sees a future in which Oculus tech is built into our eyewear.

How to disable the iPad Pro’s True Tone display – CNET
The new iPad Pro’s screen can adjust its overall color to mimic your surroundings. If you find yourself hating the new feature, here’s how to disable it.

Share Dropbox files with your Facebook Messenger friends – CNET
A recent update has made it possible to quickly share GIFs, photos or documents stored in Dropbox using Facebook Messenger.

Geek Squad calls Orkin, kills off its ubiquitous Beetle – Roadshow
And its replacement is a Prius! Bet you didn’t see that one coming.

Windows 10 ‘blue screen of death’ could actually become useful – CNET
The company may be adding a QR code to the infamous page that appears when a PC freezes up. The idea? Point your phone at the code and get some answers.

Mark Zuckerberg takes veiled shot at Trump at F8 conference – CNET
During his keynote presentation, the CEO rejects “fearful voices talking about building walls.”

All hail Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, king of the bots – CNET
The creator of the world’s largest social network is betting on artificially intelligent software as the future of technology.

Geohot proclaims Comma.ai’s self-driving tech will be available by the end of the year – Roadshow
The self-proclaimed Tesla competitor claims that his company’s self-driving retrofit kit will be available to purchase for under $1,000, as well.

First ‘Doctor Strange’ poster drops ahead of trailer premiere – CNET
Marvel has unveiled the theatrical poster for its second movie of the year and also announced a trailer is coming soon as part of #MarvelWeek.

Dodge puts 2016 Dart in hospice – Roadshow
Fiat Chrysler has rejiggered the Dart’s lineup, slimming and trimming in advance of the car’s slow phase-out.

Facebook designs a $30,000 camera rig for 360-degree video – CNET
The social-networking giant wants to give filmmakers a hand with creating better immersive videos.

The M3D Micro 3D printer is a nice toy video – CNET
CNET editor Dong Ngo talks about the M3D Micro 3D printer but somehow you’ll pay more attention to his pinky. It’s just how it is.

The world’s largest model airport is incredible video – CNET
Watch a Concorde and even the Millennium Falcon take off and fly at Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland.

PC shipments nosedive worldwide – CNET
Shipments sunk last quarter as consumers continued to gravitate toward other devices. But increased purchases of Windows 10 PCs may provide a bounce toward year’s end, say Gartner and IDC.

Pimp your electric ride: Tesla’s Model X configurator goes live – Roadshow
You no longer need to plunk down a $5,000 deposit to spend time building the electric ute of your dreams.

We told you so: Tesla revamps Model S with new face, new features – Roadshow
Its new look brings it more in line with Tesla’s other, newer vehicles.

Bear chasing a snowboarder caught on video? Skeptics say no – CNET
Real or “Revenant”? A viral video of a bear running after an oblivious snowboarder may be a hoax but is still entertaining.

Dark Souls taught me life lessons and helped me grow up – CNET
Commentary: Believe it or not, this video game showed me some hard truths I needed to understand to become a functional adult.

Toyota and Clemson partner up for a concept aimed at Generation Z – Roadshow
Deep Orange is all about providing young buyers with a car that can be used for both work and play.

How to watch the Facebook F8 keynote – CNET
At its annual developers conference, Facebook is likely to make announcements about live video, chat bots and maybe even a little VR.

Kenmore 72583 review – CNET
The Kenmore Pro 72583 gas range is aimed at folks who want a professional-grade appliance without a five-figure price tag. Unfortunately, this $2,899 range is an uneven cooker that falls short of its professional ambitions.

In Disney’s revamped ‘Jungle Book’, CGI animals can learn to be human too – CNET
Jon Favreau’s “Jungle Book” remake melds photo-realistic animals with human expression — and has just as much heart as the animated original.

Stephen Hawking, Mark Zuckerberg have a plan to reach Alpha Centauri… like, soon – CNET
Billionaire investor Yuri Milner pledged $100 million to the open-source effort to send a “nanocraft” to our closest neighboring star system.

‘Criminal’ review: Memory-mash-up sci-fi forgets to be fun – CNET
This tale of memories transplanted into a psychopath’s mind riffs on “Robocop” and “Face/Off”, but lacks a sense of sci-fi wit.

HTC 10 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The “One” name is gone, but HTC’s latest high-end phone is brimming with top-notch specs. Is that enough in 2016’s competitive market?

This truly is a ‘Handy’ phone (and every country should have it) – CNET
Commentary: How a low-powered, souped-up, mostly 3G phone that gives travelers free local data became my lifeline in Hong Kong.

This traveler’s phone gives you free, local data (pictures) – CNET
A Handy phone in your hotel room spells total travel freedom.

Lensbaby Twist 60 bends your background – CNET
The company’s newest reproduces the out-of-focus characteristics of a 19th-century Petzval lens.

Take off at the world’s largest model airport (pictures) – CNET
The model airplanes at Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland don’t just sit on a shelf, they fly right out of the room. Even the Millennium Falcon makes an appearance.