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Competition among fitness devices might soon be moving from your wrist to your ankles. Startup Heapsylon lets CNET try out the Sensoria smart socks.

Looking to add new twist to traditional holiday meals? Instead of paging through your old cookbooks, try turning to technology for inspiration. In this Tech Minute, CNET's Kara Tsuboi serves up handy recipe apps to ensure a delicious and festive meal.

It's kind of like the X-Prize, but participants aren't trying to land on the moon. The Silicon Valley-backed Smart Tech for Firearms challenge aims to fund innovators creating technologies that help curb gun violence. Could biometrics and RFID tech succeed where the government has largely failed?

Have you been eyeing a gorgeous black sweater but can't justify the price? Or perhaps you've been stalking a sleek sofa in hopes of a sale. CNET's Kara Tsuboi checks out new comparison shopping apps to help you save time and money in this Tech Minute.

In an open letter to President Obama and members of Congress, a group of technology heavyweights including Apple, Google, and Facebook is calling for greater oversight of government surveillance. CNET's Seth Rosenblatt details what the companies are seeking and what the move means for consumers.

It's tough to find that just-right gift, especially for someone who seems to have everything. CNET's Sumi Das has some unique tech gift ideas for everyone from gardeners to travelers to Lego fans.

That letter opener might soon go the way of the Dodo bird. According to AmEx, more and more Americans are sending paperless holiday greetings. Some 34 percent plan on sending holiday e-mails and 27 percent plan to simply post on Facebook. In this Tech Minute, CNET's Kara Tsuboi shares some ways to create digital greeting cards, perfect for sharing your holiday cheer

Education has long revolved around reading, writing, and arithmetic. But Code.org wants to see coding added to the curriculum. CNET's Sumi Das looks at the efforts to introduce computer science into schools.

Buying a tech gift doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. CNET's Sumi Das has some digital stocking stuffers under $50 that are sure to entertain.

The K5 robot, developed by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Knightscope, is designed to be a surveillance robot for law enforcement, private security firms, schools and anything else looking for an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground. The 5-foot, 300-pound robot can roam autonomously, sending back real time data about an area with technology that does facial recognition, lidar mapping and 360-degree video. CNET's Kara Tsuboi got a closer look at what makes the K5 robot tick.

Hot for the holidays this year: activity trackers. They're wearable fitness devices you can pop on your wrist or drop in your pocket. But they do more than just count steps and calories. In this holiday gift guide, CNET's Sumi Das and Scott Stein explain how the various devices differ and pick the best fitness band for the money.

If you have children at home, you likely have a refrigerator covered in their handmade mementos. How can you better preserve years' worth of keepsakes? In this Tech Minute, CNET's Kara (CAR-uh) Tsuboi (SUE-boy) reports on some high-tech solutions that make great holiday gifts for the grandparents.

There's a new crop of tablets this season from the iPad Air to the Kindle Fire HDX. But don't just consider price and size. Finding the right one will depend on how you plan to use it. In this CNET holiday gift guide, Sumi Das focuses on which tablets are best for playing games, consuming media, doing work, and parental controls.

Social-networking sites can help us reconnect with friends and find new jobs, but they're also proving to be a powerful tool for college applicants. CNET's Sumi Das explains how LinkedIn is helping future undergrads research prospective schools and connect with admissions departments.

Toys are getting more high tech -- even Barbie. In this CNET holiday gift guide, Sumi Das show us toys controlled by the wave of hand, pajamas that tell bedtime stories, and a mirror that does the face painting for you.