TechBytes: Gmail Gets More Social

Feb. 9, 2010— -- Google will soon add new social-networking features to its email service. Published reports say Gmail users will be able to post status updates similar to the stream of updates that are so popular on Facebook and Twitter. Users will also be able to share photos and videos through the service.

Apple may be willing to cut the price of the iPad, if it's not happy with initial demand for the new gadget. An analysts who met with Apple executives said the company plans to remain "nimble" on pricing for the iPad. You may remember Apple actually did that with the iPhone, chopping $200 off the price just a few months after it went on sale.

The video game "Dante's Inferno", based on the 14th century epic poem "The Inferno" by Dante Alighieri, goes on sale today. CNET's Dan Ackerman says the game is pure action. "There's not a lot of thinking involved in "Dante's Inferno", its mostly button-mashing and just beating people up and ripping them apart. That's definitely a lot of fun, at the same time though, this is definitely a mature-rated game." Ackerman adds that the game is sexually suggestive and over-the-top violent. "It's kind of popcorn, Saturday afternoon movie experience. You can definitely get lost in it for several hours and just have a lot of fun" Ackerman said. "Dante's Inferno" is available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It's rated mature for ages 17 and up.

A British artist is putting the obsolete technology known as floppy disks to use. Nick Gentry has turned them into his canvas for mixed media paintings. The floppies are used almost like pixels. The colors are used to create a collage, and the metal circles on back often serve as human eyes. Gentry then uses paint to add details. The paintings sell for about $500 to $1100.