High-Tech Gadgets

You want to upgrade your media setup to include a video projector, but how do you start your search? There are so many models on the market, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, but you can relax -- we'll walk you through the shopping process.

By Stephanie Crawford

You're dying to see more of the world, and binoculars may help you do it. Find out which pair is perfect for spying on your neighbors and which ones will help you spot cosmic craziness in the sky.

By Kate Kershner

Want to watch video on the go and don't know which gadget you should get? We've got a guide to all your streaming needs.

By Jane McGrath

Science fiction writers have come up with some really clever gadgets, gizmos and vehicles. Here are 10 that we wish we could get our hands on.

By Jonathan Strickland

The idea of technology that you wear isn't new, but it's an industry that's exploding in popularity, from Google Glass to fabrics that turn movement into electricity.

By Nathan Chandler

If you're about to buy a little gold sticker to protect your brain cells from cell phone radiation, then please stop what you're doing and consider a more sensible use of your money -- such as magic beans or a wish-granting monkey's paw.

By Robert Lamb

There are some people who believe that it won't be long until humankind has the technology to enable people to live forever. What would it take to make that happen? And would we really want to?

By Jonathan Strickland

Backscatter X-ray systems are now used to conduct full-body security scans in many airports. But how does this new technology work? Does it invade your privacy? Is it safe?

By Nathan Chandler

From devastation in Haiti to jubilation in New Orleans, 2010 was a pictorially poignant year. We won't soon forget the massive not-a-sinkhole in Guatemala or Lady Gaga's meat dress. Take a tour of the year's most unforgettable events in images.

By Candace Keener

Tech pundits said Apple couldn't make a consumer tablet that would succeed. But then the iPad sold more than a million units within 28 days. How did Apple prove the naysayers wrong, and how has their tablet evolved?

By Josh Briggs & Wesley Fenlon

In science fiction, characters sometimes see a world that's completely different from the reality underneath. But how do you know that's not true in what you think of as real life? Is what you see really what you get?

By Jonathan Strickland

Do you have a smartphone? How about a digital camera? A portable music player? We bet you'll be surprised by how many of these 'essential' gadgets you actually own. Take a look and see whether yours made the list, or if we omitted any of your favorites.

By Chris Pollette

Once only found in the movies, high-tech spy gadgets are part of our everyday lives. Is someone listening in on your conversation right now? Are you being followed?

By John Fuller

Technology has changed our lives, mostly for the better. But what happens when our inventions get the better of us? The results can be devastating.

By Chris Pollette & Dave Roos

Depending on whom you ask, machines are running our lives. But what happens if they start to build more efficient models of themselves and get rid of us?

By Jonathan Strickland

Psychologists have created a number of tools to help them delve deeper into the mysterious human subconscious. What are these tools, and do they really work?

By John Fuller

You're out shopping when suddenly a voice tells you to buy the product right in front of you. Brilliant gimmick or creepy invasion of personal privacy?

By John Fuller

Night vision is a popular military application with some very interesting civilian uses. Check out night vision equipment, peer through night vision goggles and learn about the technology with this image gallery.

The Avatar Machine lets users see themselves from a third-person perspective as if they were in a virtual environment. Could this gadget inspire human behavior studies?

By Jonathan Strickland

Fabric displays are revolutionizing the marketing and fashion industries. From furry TV to wearable computer systems, these displays are worth watching.

By Jonathan Strickland

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are part of a tracking system that uses intelligent bar codes to track items in a store. First used to monitor livestock, these devices now appear in countless stores across the country.

By Kevin Bonsor & Wesley Fenlon

Speech recognition technology allows people to compose documents and control their computers using their voice. It can be used in homes or businesses, for a variety of uses.

By Ed Grabianowski

How unique is your face? Learn how facial recognition systems can pick a face out of a crowd, extract it from the rest of the scene and compare it to a database of stored images.

By Kevin Bonsor & Ryan Johnson

Most of us instinctively think of darkness as a cloak, a way to hide. So, how can you see someone standing more than 200 yards away on a pitch-black night?

By Jeff Tyson

Holographic environments make the virtual world truly tangible. Find out about the development of real-life, interactive "holodecks"!

By Kevin Bonsor