Personal Tech Extra

Personal Tech: A Special Section
MY DEVICE, MYSELF They are glass, plastic and silicon. They aren’t sentient, and yet, our smartphones and tablets are increasingly becoming an extension of us.
Photo illustration by The New York Times

MY DEVICE, MYSELF They are glass, plastic and silicon. They aren’t sentient, and yet, our smartphones and tablets are increasingly becoming an extension of us.

Engineers and designers are beginning to think about our attachments and, yes, love of electronics like smartphones and tablets.

Gloves Suitable for Touch Screens

Makers have devised gloves that make it easier to use devices that usually respond only to bare hands.

Gift Choices for Lovers of the Next Big Thing

Apple’s iPad set the standard for the tablet computer category, but there will soon be more than three dozen competing devices.

Shopping for a Smartphone, With a Focus on Features

First consider whether the phone has the right features for the prospective user and how well those features work.

Discounts Abound for Popular Hybrid Cameras

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are dropping in price even as they become easier for amateurs to use.

A Real Threat Now Faces the Nintendo Wii

For years, the Wii offered a unique home entertainment experience. But new products from Microsoft and Sony have changed that.

Basics
Multimedia
For the Children, but Full of Grown-Up Technology

Even toys with Hot Wheels and Scrabble in their names are turning to technology to lure young consumers.

Vengeful? Combative? There’s a Game for You

In 2010, makers served up a bounty of engrossing choices for adults who enjoy violent, intense video games.

Smart TVs Expand On-Demand World

Blu-ray players have offered Web connectivity to home entertainment systems, but the latest Internet-ready televisions have allowed device makers to build on the concept.

Boxes and Bars for Better TV Sound

Sound bars are generally long and thin and a significant improvement over most built-in TV speakers.

A TV That Sounds Great Right Out of the Box

The Bose VideoWave TV has a 46-inch LCD display and 13 speakers concealed in its six-inch-deep cabinet.

Tech Gifts for the Holidays

Video games, computers, GPS devices, musical accessories and David Pogue’s choices for the best tech gifts of 2010.

Tablets, Compared

2010 was supposed to be the Year of the Tablet. Sort through and compare the latest offerings.