Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

How Can I Ditch Cable and Watch My TV Shows and Movies Online? (Lifehacker)

…We get this question all the time, and we've examined ditching the monthly bill in favor of watching programs online occasionally in the past, and we've also looked at ways to get your TV fix with apps like Boxee and Hulu, plus there are cool set-top devices like Roku and TiVo, but this is a good opportunity to get exhaustive. There are so many great options for catching a show here or there, but can you rely on them to replicate the cable TV experience? Well, yes and no.

Placecast Debuts Location-Based Mobile Marketing Technology ShopAlerts (TechCrunch)

…Here’s how ShopAlerts works. Consumers can opt-in to receiving text messages in a variety of ways—at the store, online, via text-message, mobile websites or on Facebook. Once the technology has been activated, consumers will be alerted when they are near a location that they are interested in or when the brand is offering sales and specials. ShopAlerts’ technology uses “geo-fences,” which are virtual boundaries that can be targeted via location-based marketing.

Lighter side: The Boomwhacker Orchester covers "Blister in the Sun" (Boomwhacker Orchestra)

Pentax's rugged and waterproof Optio W90

In a move that can only be described as perplexing, Pentax introduced two new digital point-and-shoot cameras the day after the biggest camera show of the year ended. Although not groundbreaking, each offers some intriguing features.

The larger one, a 12-megapixel superzoom called the X90, $400, includes a 26x zoom, the film equivalent of a 26-676mm lens. Pentax also claims it has better battery life than its predecessor. The X90 also includes an electronic viewfinder, 2.7-inch LCD, HD-resolution video, and 11 frames-per-second burst mode. For some reason, this model doesn't include Pentax's brand name, "Optio." It will be available in April.

The more interesting camera, though, is the new 12-megapixel Optio W90, the latest of Pentax's rugged, waterproof line. It operates at a depth of up to 20 feet and is shock- and freeze-proof. It has a 5x zoom. But what really stands out about this model is that it has a special Digital Microscope mode that turns on three, little LED lights positioned around the lens. They're needed because, when you get very close to subjects—and in this mode, you can about a quarter of an inch away from your subjects—the camera itself blocks the ambient light and the flash isn't useful. These LED lights will help give some illumination to small objects that you're shooting in this mode, which is the only camera I know of with such LED lights built into the camera. The camera can also shoot HD-resolution video and will cost about $330.

—Terry Sullivan

Features of the 9″ VMB090 Mobile Razor LED LCD TV

While we wait for the new 2010 TVs to hit stores in force, our test labs continue to put LCD TVs through their paces, including a 60-inch LCD TV, the largest size we’ve tested.

The nine models currently in our labs show that glossy screens are steadily becoming more common in LCD TVs. Four sets have mirror-like screens that show reflections from a nearby window or lamp, much like plasma screens do. That’s a growing trend in a category where matte screens were the norm not that long ago.

Why the change? A glossy screen can enhance contrast and black levels, which can be a challenge for LCD sets, and there is some aesthetic appeal to a shiny surface. As a bonus, harder screens are less vulnerable to damage than softer matte screens.

But reflections are unquestionably an issue. We have traditionally advised that LCDs with matte screens are better than plasmas for bright rooms with lots of windows or ambient lighting that can’t be reduced, but that’s not true of the new breed of glossy-screened LCDs. When buying a new TV, make sure the screen finish suits your taste and your room setting. (If you have a preference or a comment about your experience with screens, we’d love to hear it. Scroll to the bottom of this post for our Comments section.)

Other trends we’re seeing: more models with 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates, LED backlighting, and ultra-slim designs. One of the new sets, the Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR10, has an external media box that contains all the inputs and outputs, so you have few cables dangling from the TV. The box can communicate with the TV wirelessly or via a cable, say, if you tuck it behind the set.

Two of the sets, the Sony Bravia and the Samsung UN55B8500, both offer streaming Internet video. The Sony can stream movies from Netflix and Amazon, and the Samsung from Amazon and Blockbuster.

Here’s a list of the sets we’re now testing. Subscribers can check back for TV Ratings in mid-March.

• Hitachi UltraVision L46S603
• LG 47SL90
• Mitsubishi Unisen LT-52153
• Samsung UN55B8500
• Sanyo DP46849
• Sharp Aquos LC-60E77UN
• Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR10
• Viewsonic VT3245
• Westinghouse TX-42F810G

–Eileen McCooey

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Buy.com: LG 42LH30 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV $640 Shipped
• Dell Home: WD 2TB My Book Mirror USB 2.0 External $170 Shipped
• Tiger Direct: Lenovo S10 Widescreen Atom Netbook $250
• HP Home & Office: HP dv6t 15.6-inch Intel Core i3 $624.99 + free shipping
• Dell Home: Dell Zino HD Athlon 1.8GHz Mini Desktop PC w/ 19" LCD for $302 + $13 s&h
• Best Buy: Best Buy Rewards members: $100 off refurb Apple iPhones in-store, from $30
• Deep Discount: Futurama: The Complete Collection [DVD] $79.98 + free shipping
• Amazon: Jennifer's Body (Blu-ray + digital copy) $12.99

Related: TV Ratings and buying tips; Computer Ratings and buying tips; DVD & Blu-ray player Ratings and buying tips.

Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in
exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely
informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or
products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or
the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included,
and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.