Step into another skin with Everyday Racism app

A new free app for iOS and Android lets you experience a small slice of what life's like in Australia as an Indian student, a Muslim woman, or an Aboriginal man.

by Michelle Starr January 22, 2014 12:39 PM PST

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The Audi S3 is subtle, yet devastatingly quick

by Alex Goy January 22, 2014 1:00 PM PST Audi S3: Devastatingly Quick

I like fast cars. That's a given being a "car guy," but sometimes it needs saying. I don't mind what shape they come in -- so long as they're quick there's a chance I'll be quite enamored with them. So throwing a 300 bhp motor in to one of the best hatches out there is sure to be a recipe for smiles.

The "S" badge that adorns certain Audis is a hint that it's no slouch. It's going to go very quickly and be a bit of a giggle. In this instance you get a 0 to 62 mph time of 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. There's a smile on my face just writing that; using the power was something else.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine surges the S3 forward with a wonderful urgency. Pop your foot on the throttle and the world gets a touch blurry as the rev counter's needle arcs nicely to the red zone. The manual car we had comes with a light, easy gearbox that admittedly feels a little too easy to use, but does its job wonderfully.

Picky drivers will like the S3's changeable driving modes, which allow you to change the car's ride on the fly. Personally, I preferred the "dynamic" mode, as it kept the car's suspension slightly harder as well as toughening up the steering and egging the engine on.

Thanks to Quattro four-wheel-drive, you can comfortably hustle it around any bend you choose without too much fear. It grips nicely and feels solid enough. I didn't find its steering too numb, either, which is an Audi trait of sorts.

Subtlety isn't something I usually praise in a car -- if your wagon's going to go at Mach 3 it may as well look the part, right? But in the case of the S3, its few subtle tweaks suit it. Audi has made a car that looks smart, but give it an excuse and it'll teach you how to roll. I like that.

Here's the rub: in the UK the VW Golf GTI has 220 bhp delivered through the front wheels and costs around 5,000 pounds less than the 300 bhp 4WD S3. They deliver similar economy, too, dropping about 40mpg. So...go for the nimble and classic GTI, or work harder and get more power with those four rings? Your call.

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Netflix posts Q4 profit of $48.4M, with 44M subscribers

Profit rose more than it forecast, and its earnings outlook to kick off 2014 was rosy too. The service finally addressed Net neutrality, telling members not to worry, and said it will launch in more European countries.

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Six big screens for the big game

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Now that the teams for that certain Super-sized sporting event have been determined, you might want a new TV for the occasion. Or maybe you'd like to take advantage of some of the lowest prices of the year.

Just about every HDTV looks great displaying football and other sports in high def, but there's one key ingredient that separates "great" HDTVs from those that make you say "Boom!" No, we're not talking about motion resolution, 4K, or even black levels this time. We're talking about sheer size.

This year our list of Bowl-worthy bigscreens, arranged in descending order of review rating, is bigger than ever. It doesn't include any TVs smaller than 64 inches, and the final three hit 70. Because nothing says "huge fan" like a huge TV. Or because more size is the best way place to spend your extra TV dollar. Or just because your buddy down the street just got a wimpy 60-incher.

Of course if you don't want to go quite this big, you can click through the review to see smaller (and cheaper) alternatives. And if none of these choices cuts it, check out our lists of Best TVs arranged by size.

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The 404 1,411: Where we need to talk about 'Her' (podcast)

"Her," by Spike Jonze, is a movie that follows a modern man as he falls in love with his operating system. Naturally, we'll need an entire show to review it, and CNET's Ty Pendlebury and Sarah Tew sub in for Jeff to join the conversation. Warning: This episode contains spoilers!

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Buggy Beats Music stops adding new members

The subscription-music service won't be accepting new subscribers till it can work out some kinks exposed by the influx of members. People can still register though.

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Security suites jockey for position on Windows 8.1

The first security suite tests are in on Windows 8.1, and the picture remains mediocre for most of them. Still, almost all of them improved on Windows 8.1's default security.

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