gadgets - News, Features, and Slideshows

Japan will kick off a drive this week to collect old smartphones and other portable gadgets so that they can be turned into medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Harry Potter fans, take note: Scientists have made an object "disappear" using a cloaking device similar in many ways to the invisibility cloak imagined by author J.K. Rowling.

Logitech today expanded its offerings in the videoconferencing/collaboration space with the launch of its <strong>ConferenceCam Connect</strong> device ($499.99). Combining an HD 1080p video camera with dual microphones and a speakerphone for 360-degree audio, the ConferenceCam Connect is aimed at small workgroup collaboration settings (up to six people). The device sits between the entry-level BCC950 unit ($249.99) and the upper-end ConferenceCam CC3000e ($999.99).

OK, kids, strap in for this post - we're going to move quickly here. Start off by watching the video above to see a bunch of new gadgets that we saw this week at the CE Week New York event (in New York City, natch).

At the CE Week New York event today, Netgear announced its new Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi Router (model R8000), featuring 802.11ac wireless connectivity and using Broadcom's new 5G Wi-Fi Xstream platform. The $300 device is now available for pre-order online, with availability expected later this year.

As Mobile World Congress 2011 draws to a close, it's time to take stock of the plethora of smartphones and tablet PCs we saw for the first time. Tomorrow, we'll bring you the best tablet PCs of MWC 2011, but here, in no particular order, are smartphones that stood out at MWC 2011. Sadly, they didn't include a Facebook phone or an iPhone nano - but when and if such things exist, you'll read it here first.

With the past week being dominated by CES announcements, it can be pretty hard to keep up with what was happening outside of Vegas. Worry not! GeekTech brings you the condensed guide of what else has been going on in the world of geek.

The Japanese have proven their techie prowess over the decades.

Spies are everywhere these days, from the 10 Russians nabbed in the United States to Angelina Jolie

Vowing to lose weight is the New Year's Resolution that most of us make, and most of us break. But now technology is here to help, with several gadgets, Web sites and iPhone and other mobile device apps that aim to keep you on track. Here are a bunch of our favorite methods for losing weight through the magic of technology.