Can a MP3 sound better than a high-resolution FLAC or Apple Lossless file?

A great-sounding recording will sound its best only when it's properly mastered to LP, SACD, DVD-Audio, or a high-resolution file. Those formats will reveal the full glory of the music in ways that lower-resolution formats like MP3 or analog cassette always miss. But if you didn't have access to the high-resolution file to compare it with, a great recording will still sound pretty terrific as an AAC,...

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Hillary Clinton faints, suffers concussion

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton fainted and suffered a concussion, the U.S. State Department reports. She is recovering at home. In a statement issued by the State Dept. Saturday, it was reported that "While suffering from a stomach virus, Secretary Clinton became dehydrated and fainted, sustaining a concussion. "She has been recovering at home and will continue to be monitored...

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Conn. Shooter Adam Lanza: Quiet, Bright, Troubled

Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who killed 20 kids and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school Friday, was very bright, say neighbors and former classmates, but he was also socially awkward and deeply troubled."[Adam] was not connected with the other kids," said family friend Barbara Frey. A relative told ABC News that Adam was "obviously not well."READ full ABC News coverage...

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Egyptians vote on divisive constitution

CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - Egyptians queued to vote on Saturday on a constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of a prolonged political crisis and rejected by opponents as a recipe for further divisions in the Arab world's biggest nation. Soldiers joined police to secure the referendum after deadly protests during the buildup. Street brawls erupted again on Friday...

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DPM Teo to ensure Punggol East residents' needs are met

SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said he will take a hands-on approach in making sure the needs of residents in Punggol East are met.This is to ensure they continue to be well-served even as they lost their incumbent Member of Parliament Michael Palmer, who resigned on Wednesday after confessing to an extramarital affair. Mr Teo noted while residents are shocked and disappointed,...

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Latest Steve Jobs action figure remarkably detailed

Legend Toys' Steve Jobs figure kicks back with an iPad. The Japanese caption says "Apple is always in my heart."(Credit:Legend Toys)You know the holidays are getting close when Steve Jobs action figures start to appear. We've seen a few toy tributes to Jobs from Chinese companies. There was a kerfuffle in January of this year when Hong Kong toymaker In Icons bowed to pressure from Jobs' family and...

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Chatter over cabinet picks shifts to Kerry, Hagel

After U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name yesterday from consideration to be secretary of state, speculation quickly shifted to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., both of whom are now reportedly serious contenders for Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Rice, who in her decision not to seek the nation's top diplomatic post cited an ongoing political...

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State Police: Two Gunmen at Conn. Grade School

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school this morning prompted the town of Newtown to lock down all of its schools and drew SWAT teams to the school, authorities said today.A gunman has been killed and at least one other person has been shot, authorities told ABC News.The shooting occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, about 12 miles east of Danbury.State...

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U.S., rebels urge gloomy Moscow to help oust Assad

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's rebel leadership and the United States seized on Russian pessimism over President Bashar al-Assad's future to urge Moscow to help push its ally into ceding power and end the battles closing in around his capital. "We want to commend the Russian government for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," the U.S. State...

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NTUC reiterates its position of fair and reasonable wages

SINGAPORE: The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has stated its position of fair and reasonable wages amid calls that workers doing the same job should be paid equally.Recently, labour activists in Hong Kong called for the right to equal remuneration for migrant workers in Singapore.The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) said these are "fundamental rights" enshrined in...

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Low Latency No. 47: Thinking outside the box

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so f...

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Golden Globes: "Lincoln" leads with 7 nominations

Nominees for the 70th Golden Globe Awards were announced Thursday morning, and "Lincoln" is in the lead. The Civil War epic is up for seven nominations, among them best drama, director for Steven Spielberg and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Tied for second-place with five nominations each, including best drama, are Ben Affleck's Iran hostage-crisis thriller...

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Royal Hoax Nurse Hanged Herself, Left 3 Notes

Jacintha Saldanha, the London nurse who killed herself after she answered a radio-station prank call about Kate Middleton, was found hanging from the neck, and left three notes, according to the coroner's officer.The 46-year-old nurse who worked at London's King Edward VII Hospital was discovered Dec. 7 hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in her bedroom, Coroner's Officer Lynda...

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Russia says Syrian rebels might win

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels are gaining ground and might win, Russia's Middle East envoy said on Thursday, in the starkest such admission from a major ally of President Bashar al-Assad in 20 months of conflict. "One must look the facts in the face," Russia's state-run RIA quoted Mikhail Bogdanov as saying. "Unfortunately, the victory of the Syrian opposition cannot be ruled...

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Ex-Thai PM denies murder charges over protest death

BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Thursday denied murder charges over a civilian's death during a crackdown on anti-government rallies in 2010.Abhisit and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were formally charged at Bangkok's Department of Special Investigation (DSI), making them the first officials to face a court over Thailand's worst political violence in decades."I...

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Verizon-Redbox takes on Netflix with lower price

Redbox said the streaming portion of its Redbox Instant video service, offered in a partnership with Verizon, will cost $6 a month, undercutting key rival Netflix. The company's primary offering is an $8 a month plan which includes the unlimited video streaming and four one-night credits for DVDs at local kiosks. A plan that includes Blu-Ray discs costs $9 a month, according to a representative for...

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Police: Ore. mall shooter didn't know his victims

PORTLAND, Ore. A gunman who opened fire on shoppers at a Portland mall had no connection to the two people he fatally shot and wanted to kill as many people as possible, police said Wednesday. The shooter, who wore a mask, was a young man who fired randomly, investigators said. The only person wounded was a young woman, Kristina Shevchenko, whose age could not be confirmed. She was in serious condition...

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North Korea launches rocket , raising nuclear arms stakes

SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea successfully launched a rocket on Wednesday, boosting the credentials of its new leader and stepping up the threat the isolated and impoverished state poses to opponents. The rocket, which North Korea says put a weather satellite into orbit, has been labeled by the United States, South Korea and Japan as a test of technology that could one day deliver...

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Masagos Zulkifli hosts breakfast meeting with Perlis Prince

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State for Home and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli hosted breakfast for Perlis Prince Syed Faizuddin at Hyatt Hotel on Wednesday.The Prince, who is also the Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), was leading a delegation of UniMAP officials for exchanges with Singapore universities. During the breakfast, Mr Masagos and Prince Syed Faizuddin discussed...

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A modern take on 'Seinfeld' racks up Twitter followers

What if "Seinfeld" was still on the air?(Credit:Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" might have gone off the air long before some of the technology we enjoy today was invented, but that hasn't stopped one person from taking to Twitter and guessing at what the modern-day "Seinfeld" would look like.On Sunday, BuzzFeed sports editor Jack Moore opened a Twitter account, called @SeinfeldToday,...

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Ecuador leader: Hugo Chavez undergoing surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blows a goodbye kiss prior to boarding his plane at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Dec. 10, 2012, in this picture released by Miraflores Press Office. / AP Photo/Miraflores Press Office Updated at 11:55 a.m. ET QUITO, Ecuador Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba, Ecuador's president said Tuesday....

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Royal Hoax: Station to Give $500K to Nurse's Family

The Australian radio station that employed the DJs who prank-called the London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated has cancelled their show and will donate at least $500,000 to the grieving husband and children of the nurse who took the call and later apparently killed herself.Australia's 2Day FM released a statement today saying it hopes to "help [Jacintha] Saldanha's...

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IMF loan to Egypt delayed amid political turmoil

CAIRO (Reuters) - A vital $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan to Egypt will be delayed until next month, its finance minister said on Tuesday, intensifying the political crisis gripping the Arab world's most populous nation. As rival factions gathered in Cairo and Alexandria for a new round of demonstrations, Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Said said the delay in the loan agreement...

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Injured Navy serviceman expected to be in ICU for a few days: CGH

SINGAPORE: Changi General Hospital (CGH) said on Tuesday that Navy serviceman ME2 Jason Chee Weng Fai is still in critical condition and is expected to be in the Intensive Care Unit for a few days.The hospital says Mr Chee has undergone surgery and is in the process of recovery.The Weapon Systems Supervisor was injured on Monday when he got caught between a motorised winch and a rope on...

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Looks like dismal voter turnout to end Facebook's quasi democracy

So much for a quasi-democratic Facebook. So far, the social network's users haven't cast anywhere near enough votes to preserve users' ability to veto Facebook's policy changes.Facebook users have until noon today to vote on Facebook's recently proposed policy changes relating to data use and privacy. Unless at least 30 percent of Facebook's membership -- or around 300 million users -- cast ballots,...

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N. Korea extends rocket launch window a week

SEOUL, South Korea North Korea on Monday extended the launch period for a controversial long-range rocket by another week, until Dec. 29, citing technical problems. An unidentified spokesman for the North's Korean Committee of Space Technology told state media scientists found a "technical deficiency in the first-stage control engine module of the rocket." The statement didn't elaborate, but said...

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